REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: February 7, 2022

SPIN DOCTORS – Pocket Full Of Kryptonite

This is a killer album that came out in ’91 and was definitely against the trend at the time. For some reason, the band attracted an awful lot of hate and derision, especially in the UK which I just don’t understand. I guess when you’re successful and it’s not what was trendy at the time, all the hip journo’s and mags will hate you no matter what.

This is one of the grooviest records you will hear, and it sure is a fun record. We have all heard the singles Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong, and Two Princes, both are great tracks with great melodies and sing-a-long chorus’, but it’s the deeper cuts I love. What Time Is It is just awesome with a killer funky groove and some great guitar from Eric Schenkman. If you catch them live these tracks just extend into great jams. Refrigerator Car is another awesome tune with a killer riff and bass with a wicked groove.

They are still around playing live and are a fixture in the jam band circuit – although they don’t release a whole bunch. This is the MOV reissue and it sounds superb – as do the majority of there releases. This is a killer album, and yes, everyone should own one.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

TALAS – Sink Your Teeth Into That

Hailing from Buffalo, on the border with Canada – this is the band’s second outing. Talas are mostly known for having virtuoso bass player Billy Sheehan in their ranks, and there is no doubting whose band this was – it was all about Billy. His playing dominates the whole record and there is an Eruption style solo piece NV43345.

A fun fact – the original version of Shy Boy is on this album, which would later appear on David Lee Roth’s first solo album, Eat ‘Em And Smile.

Song wise, the album is really strong – it’s just the production that lets it down as it’s sounds a bit flat. The title track is a kick ass track that really rocks and has a killer groove. Shy Boy is not that much different from the DLR version – it just needs filling out. King Of The World is a cool stomp rocker with some great guitar – and may be the only track that’s not overloaded with bass. Ironically the only track that is a full band written track (as Billy wrote everything else) is Outside Looking In, and other than the solo, its one of the weakest tracks on the album.

Not a bad album, and it’s cool to hear early albums from muso’s who went on to have great careers.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.