THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: January 2022 (Page 5 of 12)

WHITESNAKE – Slide It In

January 21, 2022 /

This is the 35th anniversary remix edition. Depending on what version you had at the time (whether the UK or the US version), you had either Mickey Moody or John Sykes on guitar. Coverdale’s ego was out of control at the time. He belittled Moody in front of Sykes after some show in Germany, and it wasn’t long after that Sykes was in the band. Coverdale was going for the pretty boy approach for the American market. As we all know, it worked wonders for him and the band as the 1987 album sold squillions, but you have to feel for Mickey Moody, Mel Galley and Bernie Marsden.

This is the last British sounding album with the heavy blues thing still very prevalent in all the songs. I’m not sure Coverdale would get away with it today, but the lyrics are very suspect and overloaded with double entendres and sexual references. Musically, the first three tracks are all classics with Slide It In, Slow An Easy, and Love Ain’t No Stranger – all crowd favourites that are killer live. Guilty Of Love is another great track that really grooves along, and Coverdale has a perfect voice for the heavy blues vibe that this band did so well.

I am used to hearing the UK version of this album, so hearing Sykes’ guitar parts and the slightly different bass lines is an odd experience. Anyway, good songs are good songs no matter how you tinker with them to rewrite history.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

JOURNEY – Frontiers

January 21, 2022 /
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You think that when they have just released their most successful album and tour with Escape, that everything would be fine and dandy in the Journey household. Well, Steve Perry was having problems with his voice and was rumoured to have had surgery between these two records and upon his return for the recording of this album his voice was never the same as he sang in a lower register. The really high notes – that had become his trademark – were used more sparingly.

This was the bands eight studio album released in ’83 and is a worthy follow up to Escape. Even though the ballad count is up there, this was perceived at the time to be quite a heavy sounding album. Separate Ways, Chain Reaction, Edge Of The Blade, and Back Talk are all rockin’ tracks with Schon being the focus – as well as Perry’s vocals. Even though everybody thinks that Faithfully was the big single from this record, but it was the rockin’ Separate Ways that charted higher, reaching number 8.

If I’m pushed, I would say this is my favourite Journey album, although I flip flop between this and Escape. I don’t care if you like them or not, you have to admit they write great songs. With Perry they wrote many, and in Neal Schon they have one of rocks greatest players. Great band and a great album.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

HAMMERFALL – Dominion

January 20, 2022 /

This is album number 11 from Sweden’s finest exponents of traditional power heavy metal. Metal with a singer, not a growler or screamer. Twin guitar melodic guitar harmonies and double kicks all the way – that’s the recipe that HAMMERFALL have built their career on (much the same way Accept have) and it works just fine. I became more interested in the band when Pontus Norgren joined on guitar from The Poodles and Talisman – I am a big fan of his style.

Never Forgive Never Forget opens up as you would expect with double kicks blasting and big riffs. The title track is more of a Judas Priest riff fest. The overall vibe of the record is medieval from the imagery and lyrics on a few of the songs. Testify is a near mirror image from the opening track and has a very Metallica “die by my hand” vibe to the chorus. There is even an ode to fellow heavy metal bands and metal in general on We Make Sweden Rock. My favourite tracks are Scars Of A Generation, which really pounds along with some killer guitar, and the riff heavy Chain Of Command. A really great metal album.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

THE HOAX – Big City Blues

January 20, 2022 /

The Hoax are one of the best British blues bands to have ever existed. They released their first album, Sound Like This, in ’94 and after ’99’s Live Forever they would call it a day, until this comeback album in 2013. An absolute killer band led by vocalist Hugh Coleman, twin guitars of Jesse Davey and John Amor, and rhythm section with Robin Davey on bass and Mark Barrett on drums. They tread a line between modern blues and a more traditional sound and vibe.

Opening track, Hipslicker, is just superb with a great hook and groove, and some killer guitar playing. The title track has a more traditional feel, but grooves along great with a fast shuffle. The big fuzz of Let It Shine follows with a killer groove and hook. Stick Around is an evil sounding shuffle with a great vocal from Hugh Coltman – one of the best blues vocalists you will hear. The superb, Give Me A Drink, closes out Side 1 with a wonderful swing to the groove and some killer guitar from Jon and Jesse.

Two Steps Back is in the great tradition of blues story telling, a very slow blues with a really stunning vocal from Hugh. Keep Messin’ is more traditional in arrangement, and even complete with some great harp playing. A very dirty slow fuzzed up riff to Talk Is Cheap is next up, and that leads into the boogie of Can’t Do Right For Doing Wrong. The traditional shuffle of Roll On Up is next, and the album finishes with Tes Nuits Insolits, a slow jazz blues crossover sung in French. A really awesome band that deserved so much more than they got.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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