THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: May 9, 2022

ZZ TOP – Tejas

May 9, 2022 /

I think I have mentioned before that I love ZZ Top before Eliminator. I know they became huge and massive after the release of that album (mainly due to the very commercial sounding songs, and the amazing videos that the fledgling MTV had on heavy rotation), but for me the three albums before that were the best. They were experimenting with tones and grooves that were taking their stock boogie blues in a very interesting path. This album was the beginning of that period, and I really love it.

It’s Only Love kicks things off with the very traditional country blues that is huge in Texas, and the middle eight just swings. Arrested For Driving While Blind follows, and although you would be forgiven for thinking it’s just a straight up boogie, there is a lot going on here. The guitar tone in the main verse has that simple chorus effect, then we get to the breakdown that turns into a shuffle with that beautiful solo from Billy G. El Diablo is one of my favourite ZZ tunes. The groove and the vibe are just superb, and the descent into the breakdown is just superb. Snappy Kakkie is the one track that pushes the boundaries the most on the album, with a killer middle and ending. Enjoy And Get It On closes out Side 1, and boy does this song swing – the riff is from the same vibe as La Grange.

Ten Dollar Man opens up Side 2 and has a killer blues/funk vibe with a great swing. Pan Am Highway Blues is quite a traditional piece with a little lap steel thrown in. Avalon Hideaway has a Tex Mex groove to the tune and some nice guitar from Billy. The album closes out with She’s A Heartbreaker, and it’s a return to country/blues complete with fiddle. As I said, I love this period of the band and I play the 3 albums a lot.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

STRATOVARIUS – Fright Night

May 9, 2022 /

This is a superb reissue on MOV of the band’s first album that originally came out in ’89. I didn’t realize that they were a three piece on this album, and just hired a session muso to play keys. The modern version of the band today has no original members. This brand of power metal was still fairly new at the time, and this album caused quite a stir upon its release. All the buzz was around guitarist Timo Tolkki, whose chops were jaw dropping even though the band seemed to appear from nowhere.

As you would guess with the album title, all the songs have a horror theme to make it somewhat of a concept album. The opening track Future Shock bounds along at breakneck pace, as guitar and drums speed along with notes flying. False Messiah starts off as though we are trying to do the 100 meters in world record pace. The song settles down into an almost Dio-era Rainbow vibe with some serious shredding. Black Night bursts into life with some killer playing, and the double kicks are on steroids – thrash bands would struggle to keep pace here. Witch Hunt starts like if Iron Maiden were given a tune up and had a turbo fitted. The vibe is very NWOBHM with some killer playing for Tolkki. Side 1 closes out with the instrumental, Fire Dance, parts of which remind you of Iron Maiden with the patented gallop groove.

The title track opens up Side 2 with a very eerie atmospheric intro, before the chugga riff gives way to double kick speed-o-rama and some insane widdly guitar. Night Screamer follows and is the weakest track on the album, with a fairly stock riff and a very average vocal. Darkness is the penultimate tune and is the big production number of the album, with differing grooves and vibes. When you listen to what the band did in later releases, this is quite a bare bones recording, but it’s quite endearing in its naivety. If you like power metal with lots of widdly guitar, then this is right up your strasse.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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