THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: October 2021 (Page 5 of 13)

JOHNNY CRASH – Neighbourhood Threat

October 21, 2021 /

This is another “one album and done” band from the end of glam and the great grunge atrocity. I am aware they put out an album in 2008, but that was an afterthought. Think AC/DC crossed with Guns N Roses and you get the idea of the sound that these guys made. If you like that stripped down all riffs and groove sound, then this album could be your new best friend. I’m a big fan of Bon Scott era DC, and this follows that sound. It’s a really enjoyable record that really puts a smile on your face.

There is not a bad song on the album, and it’s all killer no filler. If I’m pushed for my favourite tracks then opener Hey Kid hits the spot, Thrill Of The Kill and Axe To The Wax from Side 1 and 2, the slowed down groove of Freedom Road which has a nice solo, the full on Halfway To Heaven which has a killer groove, and my favourite Trigger Happy with that stomp and long beat and groove.

I am surprised that nobody issued the band Airbourne with a law suit, as that band literally stole Johnny Crash’s whole shtick. Sometimes you just want a record to get the toes a tappin’ and the head a noddin’ – and this most definitely does that.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

VON HERTZEN BROTHERS – War Is Over

October 20, 2021 /

I can guarantee that there is no other band around at the moment like Finland’s Von Hertzen Brothers. They make the most beautiful and thought provoking music around today, and the word Prog does not do them justice – they are way more than that. They have this knack of creating huge soundscapes within the stories they tell. The band have a rich history in their native Finland. All three brothers were in established bands before they got together in 2000 to form The VHB’s.

The opening title track is 12 minutes of unbelievable awesomeness, which I think is about freedom and the joy it brings, and how futile war is. An incredible song that travels many paths, but the melody remains high and is a driving force throughout the song. What an opening! To The End Of The World has a great heavy choppy riff with an almost fusion feel, but somehow the melody just sits perfectly on top. The Arsonist is a straight up rock song – well as close as the VHB’s get to one anyway. It still has a choppy drum groove and the verse and chorus are fantastic. Jerusalem starts with a very military drum pattern, and again, the melody and hook are just superb and have a very emotive feel. Frozen Butterflies is almost power pop in its delivery, and I just adore the melody and harmony. Superb track. Who Are You closes out the first disc and is a stripped back acoustic piece complete with strings. They are so good at doing this type of song as they have so much feel for the music.

Blindsight is a quite a strange track as it seems to be a mix of a good old rock song with a big riff, and then it has an almost Celtic feel to it. Long Lost Sailor is played at a gallop and has an almost indie vibe – the melody again is just superb. Wanderlust follows and is a bare bones song with what sounds like strings and a guitar, and is quite a fragile sounding song. Side 4 here we come with Beyond The Storm. This was the original last song of the album and it feels like an old lament on returning from conflict. I’ll Make It Up To You and New Terrain are bonus tracks for the vinyl, and you have to wonder how you leave songs as good as this from an album.

The VHB’s are such an amazing band. They deserve to be heard by as many people as possible. I strongly suggest you go out and buy, not just this album, but their entire catalogue, and then you can thank me later.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

BEGGARS OPERA – Act One

October 20, 2021 /

In good old Prog style, this album as been called pretentious, overblown and a copycat album. I get the last reference as the album does remind me of The Nice and early Deep Purple, but isn’t pretentious and overblown what early Prog was all about?

The band also borrow heavily from every classical piece known to man, as they seem to squeeze them into every song. It wasn’t until the band released their 4th album that they found their stride, as that is considered somewhat of a masterpiece in Prog circles. But this album is far removed from that, as the vibe is very jam band. It’s when the Purple influences come out that they are at their most interesting to me. This one is for Prog purists and collectors.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

BE BOP DELUXE – Sunburst Finish

October 19, 2021 /

This band are about as local as it gets for me as. Bill Nelson was from Wakefield, about 8 miles from where I spent my childhood. The word genius is bandied around far too often (especially in the music business), but Bill Nelson is a bonafide genius and visionary. He was never one to stand around and repeat himself. Even if what went before was successful, Bill felt the need to move on to something new. If you listen to all the Be Bop albums, they are all different, and it’s only Bill that holds them all together. He’s often talked about as a great songwriter and innovator, but he is also a fantastic guitarist.

This album would be the last of the early glam style albums before they would reflect more of what was happening around them. Often compared to Bowie (and I know Bill did admire Bowie), I think this is more to do with the tonal quality of Bill’s voice and the way he paints pictures with his lyrics. Ships In The Night was the band’s highest charting single in the UK, and the one Bill hates the most as the record company were putting him under pressure at the time. For me, it is possibly the weakest song on the album, as the two songs that precede it on the album, Fair Exchange and Heavenly Homes, are amazing tracks with a very Prog feel to them. Crying To The Sky has one of my favourite Bill solos that just soars beautifully above the music. Superb tone and feel! Other stand out tracks are the incredible Blazing Apostles, which has a very new wave vibe to it – but again a great guitar sound, and my favourite track on this album, Life In the Air Age.

Bill is still cranking out tunes in his seventies, and I urge everyone to go and check him out – he has made some incredible music.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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