THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: August 26, 2022

ECLIPSE – Viva La Victouria

August 26, 2022 /

This is a 2019 live recording spread over three discs from Sweden’s best exponents of melodic rock. The first two records are a live concert recorded in Gothenburg, the third also has two tracks from that live performance plus three studio and acoustic tracks on Side 1. The final side is given over to a stream the band did during lockdown.

I’m not going to go through each track as I would be here all day, but the highlights for me are the superb version of Mary Leigh, which is a great track anyway but the enthusiastic crowd really works in the live setting. A ripping version of Vertigo which I think is one of the band’s best tunes. The anthemic United really works live and I still think it has a hint of Eurovision about it. Battlegrounds, which is my favourite on this album, and is such a great tune anyway but I really like this version.

Other than the obvious intro triggers and pre recorded backing vocals, this is quite an honest recording. I’m not sure if they still do, but Frontiers had this in their sale section and it’s definitely VFM.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

ATOMIC ROOSTER – s/t

August 26, 2022 /

Having achieved moderate success in the early-to-mid seventies, they disappeared off the planet, only to reappear 5 years later to resurrect their career – just as NWOBHM was becoming a thing. This is album their 6th release and it came out in 1980. I saw them around this time and they made one hell of a noise for a three piece – and there was no bass guitar. They had beefed up their sound somewhat for this album, and John Du Cann on guitar was the man mainly responsible for that slight metal edge. They were originally known for expressing themselves in a more progressive  way, with emphasis on Vincent Crane’s Hammond organ.  The Hammond is still front and centre, but Du Cann’s overdriven guitar is right up there with it in the mix.

There are varying styles on the album that range from good old Prog, like Watch Out which starts like a Genesis/Yes outtake. There’s classic ’77 Punk with Where’s The Show, where you think you are listening to the Stranglers. It’s the harder edged tunes that work for me, and the best of those (and my favourite track) is She’s My Woman, which steals a well known Rush riff. A very unique band that released their better material in the early 70’s.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

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