THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: August 23, 2021

BLUE OYSTER CULT – Secret Treaties

August 23, 2021 /

There are two Blue Oyster Cult’s: before, and after Reaper. Basically, up to and including Agents of Fortune, and everything after that. They have been going in various forms since ’67, when the were called Soft White Underbelly. This is the bands third album released in ’74, and if you have heard the live album On Your Feet Or On Your Knees, 6 of the 8 tracks here are performed and they come over a lot heavier. The were sort of punk in attitude (before punk was a thing), and they were a cross between MC5 and the New York Dolls – which I sort of get.

Dominance And Submission still sounds great today, with that riff, beat, and lyrics – it’s one of my all time favourite BOC tracks. The raw rock and roll of ME 262 – complete with doo wops – and the brilliance of Harvester Of Eyes with that jagged riff, make this one of my most loved BOC records. Plus, you get the killer Astronomy as the close out track.

I got to see them a couple of years back supporting Foghat, and they weren’t that great. They looked as though they wanted to be anywhere but there. At least we still have these great albums to listen to.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

HURRICANE – Slave To The Thrill

August 23, 2021 /

After being a member of Lion for their two awesome albums, Doug Aldrich played on the House Of Lords Sahara album, and then he leant his hat in this, Hurricane’s 3rd and best album. You can see how he gets the reputation of a gun for hire. The amazing Kelly Hansen, who is now a member of Foreigner, is the vocalist, Jay Schellen is on drums, and Tony Cavazo is on bass.

This is not a band that suffered because of the emergence of grunge. I know I say this a lot, but if this album was released four years earlier, then they would have been huge. Great hooks and melodies, big riffs, killer guitar, and a superb vocalist. The band had it all! If you listen to Aldrich’s projects after this (namely Bad Moon Rising and Burning Rain), the formula is the same as this album – he knew the formula was good.

There are some great tracks on this album, the opening track Reign Of Love, Dance Little Sister, Temptation are all cracking songs, but it’s the monster Into The Fire (with its killer riff and hook), and the very Whitesnake-ish, Let It Slide, that top the tree for me. Doug is now a member of The Dead Daisies and still killing it.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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