THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: May 2022 (Page 7 of 13)

DAVID LEE ROTH – Skyscraper

May 17, 2022 /

Ten years after Van Halen’s debut album, Dave released his second full length solo album. It still T’s me off that Dave left VH, as that was the perfect band for me. I’m not sure what advice he was being fed that led up to the decisions made, but I guess bait happens for a reason. After the success of Eat Em And Smile, the pressure was on for this follow up that’s for sure. This is a lot slicker and a much more polished album – the rough edges have been smoothed out.

Just Like Paradise was the big single off the record with its big hook and chorus, and layered harmonies over the top – it was definitely a winner chart wise.  A definitely different vibe to this record as well, as the uptempo rockers like Knucklebones, The Bottom Line (with its Hot For Teacher feel), and Hot Dog And A Shake, are where new things are tried. Just like the title track which feels like something that Steve Vai would do with his solo material, and Hina with its Asian feel. I always thought that Stand Up was a better choice for a single as I love the groove and chill feel – plus Vai’s playing is superb on this track.

I think it’s a worthy follow up to its predecessor, and a great record with variety in the tunes.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

CINDERELLA – Heartbreak Station

May 17, 2022 /

I’ve always looked on this album as the runt of the family. Initially, it didn’t shake my tree as the first two did. The vibe was a lot more rootsy and blues, and the glam took a back seat. The album was still platinum selling, and the two singles, Shelter Me, and The More Things Change, did quite well. This album feels a lot more at home listening to it today than it did upon the release, as the whole retro thing is big right now.

The More Things Change gets things off and grooving, and there is a big Steve Earle feel to it. Love’s Got Me Doing Time has a great funky vibe, and is very reminiscent of Aerosmith. Shelter Me starts with a stripped down country blues groove that leads into an almost gospel chorus. Heartbreak Station is a ballad with a rootsy blues vibe with some nice slide playing. Sick For The Cure feels like I’m listening to a beefed up version of The Faces. One For Rock And Roll is pure barn burning country.

Side 2 kicks off with Dead Man’s Road, and we are still deep in country blues territory. Make Your Own Way is about as glam as this album gets, but with a big country rock feel. Although Electric Love starts like the Byrds, but the groove is seventies with a hint of RnB. Loves Gone Bad has a very seventies classic rock feel with a killer hook and chorus. We close out the album with Winds Of Change, a big production ballad with a heavy Americana vibe.

I still feel as though the album is a poor relation to the first two – it’s like listening to a different band but with the same singer. The obvious change in style from hair rock to a rootsy blues band was maybe a wrong move, but a year later grunge would wipe out most bands anyway, so I guess you go with what you feel.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

HELLOWEEN – Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1

May 16, 2022 /

Helloween were passed off as an Iron Maiden clone band in the British music press back in the day, mainly due to Michael Kiske’s vocals being close to Bruce’s. The band have made some killer records, and they were big on the concept element. Somewhat ironically, they are now part of the Sanctuary Records group set up by Maiden manager, Rod Smallwood.

This magnum opus was the band’s second release back in ’87, and basically gave birth to the European Power Metal scene. There’s not one bad track on the record and it’s only their second album and they produced one of the classic metal albums of the eighties. Stand out tracks for me are Twilight Of The Gods, which pounds along at a fair lick with killer guitar, soaring vocals, and superb harmonies, Future World, with a fast four to floor groove and trouser tightening vocals, and the 13 minutes of pure awesome that is Halloween – an absolute monster of a tune that has everything a drooling metal fan could wish for. It has a huge imposing evil intro with max riffage, and plenty of groove changes to fill many albums.

The band actually recorded parts 1 and 2 at the same time wanting to release them as a double album, but the record label refused. Anyhoo, a great metal album.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

THE BLACK KEYS – Attack & Release

May 16, 2022 /

This is the band’s fifth release from 2008. Getting their influences from American blues, folk, and country, they were influential in being at the forefront of the retro roots boom in the US.

I love the band in their more groovier moments and tracks like Strange Times, the simple retro riff and uptempo beat really shake my tree. They can go from that to the stripped down porch country folk of Psychotic Girl, which is like listening to a different band. Dan Auerbach’s vocals are what make the band for me, he has such an emotive feel to his voice, that in tracks like Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be, you can really feel the song come to life.

This is a perfect chill out and relax album for me, and perfect for summer nights out in the deck. This album is a lot more laid back than some, but still a cool record.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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