THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: February 2022 (Page 5 of 12)

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS – Album

February 18, 2022 /

This the third Joan Jett And The Blackheart’s album, ironically called Album, and was first released back ’83 – although this version is an RSD limited pressing.

I think everyone is aware of the trials and tribulations of the Runaways, and Joan was the one that had the attitude. If any of them were going to make a go of it outside of the Runaways, it was Joan.

This album is just straight up rock and roll with that punk attitude. All the songs are short and snappy and to the point – the longest of which is 4.03. The surprise for me is the cover of Sly Stones Everyday People with the arrangement perfect for Joan’s attitude.

I saw her live a few years ago and she still puts on a great show. Not her best album, and there were no big singles to push it sales wise, but it’still a fun record to listen to.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

TESLA – Shock

February 18, 2022 /

Although having been a band since ’81, it wasn’t until ’86 and the release of their first album, Mechanical Resonance, that the band’s career took off. Although having been a band for all that time, there have been periods of inactivity where they have gone their own separate ways to record solo projects. This is the band’s 11th studio album that came out in 2019, and was produced and co-written by Def Leppard’s Phil Collen. You can definitely tell his involvement on tracks like Taste Like as this could have been a Leppard song – although the main chord progression is a steal from Bad Company.

There is no denying that the band have a knack of writing great songs, and this album is full of catchy sing-a-long anthems. You Won’t Take Me Alive is a great opener as the groove and melody is killer. The title track is an awesome slow groove monster that builds into a huge chorus. Tied To The Tracks has a great riff and stomps along with a nice groove – this what the band are best at doing. I Want Everything has a big Cheap Trick vibe, and Comfort Zone (which closes the album) has that Leppard vibe again. My only problem here is there are a few too many syrupy songs that kill the vibe somewhat, but it’s a great record nonetheless.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

AMERICADE – American Metal

February 17, 2022 /

Yet another one of the “blink and their gone” band’s from the early eighties. They are probably best known for having Dave Spitz (the brother of Anthrax’s Dan Spitz) on bass, who would later go on to play for a version of Black Sabbath.

It’s not a bad album, it’s just that the production isn’t the best and they needed a producer who could help them arrange the songs they had. They come across as a more metal version of Grand Funk, and ironically, it’s a cover of We’re An American Band that is the best song on the album. If this was a demo, I would be impressed somewhat. PJ de Marigny does possess a great set of pipes, and his brother Gerard is a pretty decent guitar player, but the songs needed to be worked.

5.5/10 from The Grooveman.

OPETH – Still Life

February 17, 2022 /

This is the fourth studio album by Opeth, and features the line up that a lot of fans wish was still with us. The whole gothic horror vibe for this album is just awesome. The death metal vocals are heavy on this release, but I always had a problem with calling Opeth death metal as there was always heaps of melody in the music.

The opening track, The Moor, which takes up the whole of Side 1 is one of my favourite Opeth tracks, as the dynamics and the gothic vibe are superb. This was also Martin Mendes first outing as bassist for Opeth, and I think at the time he did not speak much Swedish – so big up to Martin for killer playing on the album. The acoustic driven tracks like Benighted, and the classic Face Of Melinda, are just superb as that folky medieval element is so much a part of the band’s sound that you immediately know it’s them. The stunningly awesome White Cluster closes out the whole album, and Martin Lopez’s drumming skills are at the forefront. You can say this was the template for Blackwater Park, which would come next as they are very similar in structure. I love this album, as I do the majority of the band’s catalogue.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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