THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: June 2022 (Page 3 of 14)

GUN – Taking On The World

June 27, 2022 /

I remember these guys seemingly appearing out of nowhere back in ’89, and being very surprised at how awesome this record was. The band were formed around the Gizzi brothers, Dante on bass, and Jools on guitar – with Mark Rankin on vocals. Who knew that five guys from Glasgow could make such a great melodic rock record?

The album opens up with the hit single, Better Days, and this is the one that got everyone’s attention – with a great riff and hook, and a sing-a-long chorus – simple really! The Feeling Within follows and is more laid back than the opener but still a great tune. Inside Out is a four to the floor groover with a great riff – this song really swings. Money is next up and has a very Van Halen feel to the riff with a slow stomp groove – I really like the solo. Side 1 closes out with Taking On The World, a slow track that builds into a big power ballad with a great middle section.

Side 2 opens up with Shame On You, which has echoes of U2 with the intro. The main hook reminds me of Brian Adams, but it’s a great song. Can’t Get Any Lower is my favourite tune as I love the different groove and almost funky riff and beat. Great track! Something To Believe In has a great swagger and bounce to the groove. Girls In Love follows, and that slight funk vibe returns with a slow stomp beat. I Will Be Waiting is the last track and the main lead off riff is very Aerosmith – it’s the poppiest track on the whole record. A very enjoyable album.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

UFO – Mechanix

June 27, 2022 /

This is the band’s 11th studio album which was released back in ’82. It’s also the third one after the departure of Schenker, and it’s the one UFO diehards hate the most. Maybe it’s the use of keyboards? Or a cheesy cover of the rock n roll standard, Something Else? Or the distinct lack of hard rockin’ tunes?

There are only four tunes that give it the beans, and that’s opener The Writer (which is classic UFO), Side 2 opener We Belong Go The Night (which is the best song on the album with a great riff and groove), Side 1 closer Doing It All For You (which has a very Bad Company vibe with a really nice solo), and the final track, Dreaming. The rest is a bit lacklustre if I’m honest – even touching on country with Back Into My Life. The single, Let It Rain, is not a bad  tune – I think it charted at the time.

It’s not the best UFO album, but it’s not the worst either. A mid table effort.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND – Rock Drill

June 25, 2022 /

This the last SAHB album released back in ’78. Alex would return with the New Band, but it was over for SAHB after this release. The band would reform in the early toonies with Max Maxwell on vocals, and they released a live album and DVD called Zalvation with some reworking of old SAHB classics, which was killer but no new material appeared. Because of internal disputes and health issues, none of this album was ever played live.

Side 1 is The Rock Drill Suite split up into five parts and pieces. Of this, namely Dolphins is up there with the best material the band ever did. A superb riff and brooding groove with some of the best lyrics Harvey ever penned – “Where were you little man when I laid down the foundations of your universe” is one I really love. Rock & Rool is a straight up rocker with a great Zal riff. Who Murdered Sex, with its old school rock n roll riff and groove, is really cool. Water Beastie, which has a great reggae groove and repeats over, is a really odd piece. The single, Mrs Blackhouse, closes out the album, and ode to self appointed protector to the people, who had more things banned due to moral objections than any government ever did.

I always find this a sad ending to what was a great band, and I miss them greatly.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

KING KOBRA – Ready To Strike

June 25, 2022 /

When I usually say that “this band should have been huge” it’s usually down to record label apathy because they dropped the band for whatever stupid reason. But for this band, they dissolved when Carmine Appice folded the band because he threw in his lot and joined John Sykes in Blue Murder. I love Blue Murder, but they only released two initial albums and then goodbye. Hindsight is a wonderful thing right?

This is the first King Kobra album released in ’85 and it’s a bit of a stormer. The title track gets things going in fine style with a hard rocking beast of a track – with a killer riff and groove, and an equally superb vocal from Mark Free. Hunger is a melodic rock master class, a great melody and hook with the a big sing-a-long chorus. Shadow Rider has a very sleazy riff and slow groove, with a short killer solo. Shake Up has (what I call) a stock 80’s riff with a great guitar tone and big huge chorus. Attention closes out Side 1 with a blast and double kicks a plenty – a bonafide party rocker.

The party vibe continues with Side 2 opener, Breakin’ Out – another up-tempo rocker with the big hook and chorus. A really nice riff and guitar tone opens up next track, Tough Guys, with a textbook hook and chorus, and a very nice dual guitar solo. Ballad city next with Dancing With Desire, and they do try something a little different with the format that keeps it interesting. Second Thoughts is my least favourite track on the album – it feels as though it belongs on a soundtrack from any teen angst 80’s movie. Piece Of The Rock closes out the album, and it’s a big anthem hands-in-air finish.

An album very much of the eighties, but a great example of the genre.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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