THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: May 13, 2022

JONNY LANG – Signs

May 13, 2022 /

This is Jonny’s seventh studio album released in 2017, and he is continuing the trend of nearly every blues guitar slinger doing an album of fuzzed up tones. I don’t mind the occasional use of the fuzz box, but I love to hear the tones and notes. It’s not as bad as some, as this is more about songs and that honey dripping over glass voice of Jonny’s. 

I love the stripped down opening number, Make It Move, a bare bones blues vibe. Last Man Standing is a ripping tune with a killer groove and beat, and Jonny sings his ass off. What You’re Made Of has a superb funky vibe – and that voice…jeez! Stronger Together was a hit on the billboard chart with its heavy RnB vibe. The title track has a beast of an opening riff, with the aforementioned fuzz in full swing. Wisdom is my favourite track as we start with a bare bones beat and that stripped down sound, until the song bursts into life with a superb blues gospel ending.

This is a great sounding record with a killer production.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

ICON – s/t

May 13, 2022 /

This is the band’s first album released in ’84, and other than a brief mention in the relevant magazines of the time, it didn’t do that much (at least in the UK anyways), which was a great disservice to the band. This is a kick ass hair metal masterpiece, and every bit as good as any of the other usual suspects of that period. There’s not a bad moment on the album as it rocks right from the get go.

Opener, Rock On Through The Night, is a statement opening track if ever there was one. Killer riff and groove, and a massive hook and chorus. Killer Machine follows with a big slow pounding beat and groove, and a hands-in-the-air anthem chorus. On Your Feet is more of the same, a superb big rock sing-a-long monster in the vein of Quiet Riot, but these guys blow them out of the water. World War has a killer massive guitar tone and the sound is huge. Side 1 closes out with Hot Desert Night, a big chugga riff and a great ending to the first side.

Over we flip and Under My Gun is first up with a killer opening, before we settle into an up-tempo groove. I really love the main chorus and hook. Iconoclast follows and is a top drawer instrumental with some really nice guitar. Normal service is resumed with Rock N Roll Maniac, which is a big hair anthem if there ever was one. A very simple evil riff drives I’m Alive, before the sing-a-long anthem chorus and hook kick in. The album closes out with It’s Up To You and its ballad city…They say you should always end on a bang, but I guess they missed that memo.

This band should have been a household name just like their contemporaries. It’s another story of a record company not knowing how to market a band. Great record!

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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