THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: April 8, 2021

EARTHSHAKER – Fugitive

April 8, 2021 /

Out of the three big Japanese rock/metal bands of the 80’s, Earthshaker were the least well known behind Loudness and Bow Wow. The band were formed in ’78 and this is their second album, and the copy I have is on Music For Nations. Weirdly enough, even though the song titles are written in English (apart from the opening track), they are sung in Japanese. This does take away from the vibe for me as it’s really hard to sing along and get to know the tracks.

The songs are pretty basic and not setting the world alight, and the production is a bit flat. Musically, in places, it’s in the NWOBHM style and I can see why MFN signed them. In quieter moments, they are very AOR before it became fashionable. The stand out track for me is Drive Me Crazy, which is a fairly standard up tempo rocker but outshines anything else on the record. The best I can say is it’s an ok album.

6/10 from The Grooveman.

BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS – Call It What It Is

April 8, 2021 /

Ben Harper, for those who don’t know, is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and multi- collaborator. This is his third album with the Innocent Criminals. I don’t like the term “Americana”, but this would be where the album firmly lies. A good mix of blues, reggae, folk, and a little Rock, make this album very diverse and eclectic.

Opening number, When Sex Was Dirty, is a fun up-tempo track. Deeper And Deeper is a typical American folk rock tune. Call It What It Is is deep in blues territory and is very heavy subject matter – dealing with police violence and racism. How Dark Is Gone has a very Latin feel, and carries on the dark lyrical theme. Shine starts with a Fender Rhodes intro before dropping into an off-groove reggae vibe – a really cool tune. All That Has Grown is an acoustic delta blues short piece to close out Side 1.

Pink Balloon brings us back to rock territory and possibly the grooviest tune on the whole album. Other than old country, the other genre I don’t like too much is reggae – so the next track, Finding Our Way, is my least favourite on the record. Bones has an old school RnB vibe in the Marvin Gaye tradition. Dance Like Fire is firmly in the folk/country vein, and last track Goodbye To You is a sad ending to the album as it deals with loss.

Sometimes music should do more than just entertain, and this album tries to educate those who are blind to what’s around them.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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