THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: July 2022 (Page 4 of 8)

SIMO – Let Love Show The Way

July 12, 2022 /

As far as I’m aware SIMO, the band, no longer exists and it’s now just JD SIMO going out as a solo act. This is the band’s second full album release from 2016, and it is one hot deep blues/funk groove monster.

Opening with a cover of Elmore James’ Strangers Blues is an inspired choice as it adds some serious swing to an old blues standard. Two Twin Woman sees SIMO really letting the slide drive the tune over a somewhat dirty funk blues. Cant Say Her Name is some real deep down south heavy blues with killer guitar from JD. I Lied has a killer riff and this track really grooves. Please is pure old school R’n’B, done southern style. Great song! Side 1 closes out with Long May You Sail and is a heavy psych blues, which the second album heavily draws on.

Side 2 starts up in Allman’s style with some solo slide at the intro to I’ll Always Be Around, after all this album was recorded at Allman’s HQ: The Big House in Macon Georgia. Becky’s Last Occupation is my favourite track on the album as it mixes Zeppelin style heavy riffs with that deep southern groove. I’d Rather Die In Vain is the heaviest track on the album with vocal and guitar mimicking each other. JD just rips it up on this piece. The album closes out with Today I’m Here, and we slow things right down with a nice acoustic country blues instrumental. If you like your blues southern fried and heavy this is for you.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

BURNING RAIN – Face The Music

July 12, 2022 /

The band originally put out their first two albums in Japan in ’99 and 2000. Until Frontiers came along and do what they do well, by resurrecting bands of the melodic rock genre and getting them to record new albums. This is somewhat forced, as  a lot of these bands would never get back together under their own steam. I thought the first two albums were awesome, so I was really pleased that Doug and Keith started recording again.

This is the band’s fourth album released on Frontiers, in 2019. Superb opening track with Doug giving it plenty on the guitar, and a nice uptempo beat. Lorelei is a slower track with a distorted riff and has a killer solo. Nasty Hustle is as the title suggests: a very sleazy LA style rocker. An absolute monster of a riff opens up Midnight Train, and this track just swings. Shelter starts with an acoustic blues vibe until the power gets turned on. Face The Music has another big evil riff with that hint of sleaze. Beautiful Road sounds like Guns N’ Roses until Keith’s voice kicks in. Hit And Run is pure distorted blues, then the switch is flicked and dirty sleazy rifforama takes over. If It’s Love is a blues ballad with a monster solo from Doug. Some mean slide playing at the intro to Hideaway. Save the best till last as they say, and Since I’m Loving You does that. Wild guitar intro leads into a great swinging riff and groove. This album is definitely more sleazy and blues than previous efforts, but I like it.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

TRIUMPH – Allied Forces

July 11, 2022 /

It was 1980 and with the release of album number five, Triumph were cruising.

This was the second album of a run of four that gave the band great success, especially in North America. Some of the band’s best tunes are on this record: Magic Power, Allied Forces, Fight The Good Fight, and Ordinary Man all became killer live songs. Recorded at Metal Works studios (which was set up by drummer Gil Moore I think), this is my favourite Triumph album and Ordinary Man is my favourite track. The band were really good at doing these big build up tracks that started slow, adding power and dynamics as the track progressed, and Ordinary Man was the best.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

DEREK SHERINIAN – Oceana

July 11, 2022 /

I’m a huge admirer of Derek Sherinian, and the first time he appeared on my radar was when he joined Dream Theater (DT) after the departure of Kevin Moore. Falling Into Infinity is still one of my favourite DT albums. Of course, he is back with Mike Portnoy now in Sons Of Apollo, which sees a return of both of them to a more progressive metal vibe. I love instrumental albums and Derek’s solo and Planet X projects are always killer, as he gets some serious players to get his vision down.

On this album he is joined on guitar by Steve Lukather, Steve Stevens, Tony MacAlpine, Doug Aldrich, and Joe Bonamassa; also an awesome rhythm section of Simon Phillips on drums, and Jimmy Johnson and Tony Franklin on bass. The first two tracks, Five Elements and Mercury 7, occupy jazz fusion territory often seeing Derek dip into some killer jazz soloing. Mercury 7 really gets the tempo driving. Mullholland is a very groovy west coast piece featuring the amazing Steve Lukather, such a cool vibe on this track. Euphoria, again, has Mr Lukather on guitar with the groove and tempo really slowed down into a cool spacey slow funk, and Steve really gives it the beans. Ghost Runner closes out Side 1 with Steve Stevens trading speedy licks with Derek all through this four to the floor beast. Stunning side of music.

Side 2 kicks off with El Camino Diablo. Doug Aldrich is on guitar on this track and it has a groove very similar to Edgar Winter’s Frankenstein; a very cool track. Jo Bo is up next with I Heard That; it has a Jeff Beck Wired vibe and groove. Steve Lukather returns with Seven Sins, and what seems like 3 different grooves at the same time, it also has a great middle section. The album closes out with the title track and Steve Stevens putting down some killer licks over a slow beat and groove. I love albums like this and Derek has made quite a few killer albums in his career and long may he do so.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

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