THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: February 24, 2022

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN – A Legend In The Making

February 24, 2022 /

I’m sure if you have have seen the DVD of Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at the El Mocambo and just been in awe at the sheer brilliance of the man. Well, this release is the complete concert of that recording released as part of RSD. The gig was recorded just after the release of his first album, Texas Flood. He is just on fire performing his version of blues standards, his own compositions, and a couple of awesome Hendrix covers in Voodoo Chile and Little Wing/Third Stone From The Sun.

I’m not sure he was captured on a better recording other than this night, the live recordings that were released later in his career don’t come close to this. I don’t have a favourite track as I love it all – it’s just a superb album. Just as EVH gave Rock a kick in the pants, Stevie gave the blues a much needed shot in the arm and made the blues sexy again. If you can find a copy, you need to have it in your collection.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

THE DEFIANTS – s/t

February 24, 2022 /

Not too sure if this is one of Frontiers put together projects, or if it’s a legit band put together by the three ex-members of Danger Danger. Either way, this is their first album from 2016, and it’s a really good album of melodic rock. It’s full of huge hooks and melodies as you would expect from these guys.

I really like the Ennio Morricone intro to Love And Bullets as it’s a great opening to the album. When The Lights Go Down would have been huge in the eighties, it’s a superb song with a big chorus and a killer solo. Waiting On A Heartbreak is not a ballad as you may think with the title, but is an awesome melodic beast of a tune with that earworm hook and killer riff. Runaway is the fourth track in and the melodies just keep getting better – I defy you not to hum along to this. Lil Miss Rock N Roll has a very Bon Jovi-ish feel to it with another big chorus and hook. Superb harmonies to the intro to The Last Kiss which had a very pop rock groove.

So we get to track seven before the big power ballad rears it’s ugly head with Save Me Tonight. I have to say, the production is really fantastic and all the songs have room to breath and sound incredible. The power pop vibe returns with Take Me Back, and I’m hearing that Bon Jovi vibe again. We All Fall Down has a killer hook and melody that you will keep singing at the weirdest of moments. Power ballad number two with That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You follows and I really like the solo. The album closes out with Underneath The Stars and we finish where we started, with the huge chorus and melody.

It would be cool to see Danger Danger back again, but for now this will do just fine.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

Archives

© 2025 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑