REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: June 2, 2022

RICK SPRINGFIELD – Tao

Everyone is familiar with the housewives’ favourite Jesse’s Girl, that made Mr Springfield a star. This album is quite removed from that sound, a very eighties album that embraces the technology of the day to create imho a pop/rock masterpiece.

The first two tracks Dance This World Away and Celebrate Youth are great opening tracks, with a very high tempo groove and beat with very catchy hooks and melodies. The lead off single however is a return to the tried and trusted ballad format with State Of The Heart. There is no doubt that the guy can write a hit song. He wrote everything apart from the opening track by himself, and if you get some killer musicians to play the tunes you write then it’s winner winner chicken dinner. I’m sure your familiar by now that ballads aren’t my go-to format, so it’s the rockin’ tunes that appeal the most so, Dance This World Away and Stranger In The House are my favourites on the album.  

Rick is still making music and I think he is on to album # 5000 or something. Very prolific.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

RAVEN – All For One

Where would metal be without the NWOBHM? Interesting question that I have had many a discussion about. Raven are one of the bands that seem to get missed off the influenced list, and I’m sure their brand of athletic power metal was an influence to some American bands for sure. They were a whole bunch of fun Live and never took themselves too seriously that’s for sure. Maybe that was one of the reasons they never made it in the big leagues.

This is the third album and the last before on an independent. Their best album will forever be Rock Until You Drop. I don’t think they will ever beat that, and who can forget Tyrant Of The Airwaves? My favourite tracks on this album are Hung Drawn And Quartered, and Seek And Destroy – they are the two tunes that could sit happily on the first album with huge amounts of energy and head banging grooves that put a big smile on my face. The rest of the album is standard NWOBHM stompers to keep the diehards happy.

8/10 from The Grooveman.