THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: November 2022 (Page 5 of 13)

MONTROSE – Mean

November 21, 2022 /

It’s quite hard to keep track of what Ronnie has released, especially as a timeline as he was jumping from Montrose to solo, to Gamma to solo, to Montrose, and all stops in between. This album came out in ’87 and it didn’t do that well sales-wise. I guess it sort of mirrors what was around at the time, as there is a strong LA rock vibe going down mixed in with Ronnie’s distinct tone.

Don’t Damage The Rock is a hard uptempo rocker to get things going, with some great guitar. Game Of Love has that slight sleaze vibe to it. Pass It On is a really cool track. A great old school mid-seventies riff and pounding groove, with some great guitar. Hard Headed Woman follows and it’s a big hair rock riff and groove that pounds along. Definitely my favourite track on the record. M For Machine feels like a Gamma tune, and I bet this was around for those sessions.

Side two kicks in with the hard rocking Ready Willing And Able, a nice chunky riff and an ear worm hook and chorus. Man of The Hour starts with a big fat riff, then we gallop along until the huge chorus hits with a great pounding groove behind it. Flesh And Blood is a slow plodding groover with a decent riff and nice solo. The album closes out with Stand, and it’s a power ballad of sorts but the solo is killer.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

DOKKEN – Long Way Home

November 21, 2022 /

You have to admit Dokken make consistently good records, even in the dark days of grunge and beyond. This album came out in 2002 with only two original members: Don and Mick Brown. They are joined by Barry Sparks on bass and Europe’s John Norum on guitar.

I’m a huge George Lynch fan, and if you’ve read any of my reviews with George’s involvement you know I go overboard a bit. I’m also a big John Norum fan, and when I heard he joined up with the band I was very interested to see what great sounds he would make.

Well, the first track Sunless Days is a stone cold classic and easily my favourite track. A killer dropped down riff from Norum drives the song along. It has a great groove, and the melody and hook are top drawer. Little Girl is a different beast altogether with the emphasis on the melody and chorus. Everybody Needs To Be With Someone starts with a messed up Paperback Writer riff and then it’s all about the hook and chorusm, with an added tasty solo from John. You follows, and the main riff and intro harmony reminds me of KingsX. In fact, the whole song has that X vibe (not a bad thing may I add) – killer snappy solo as well. Side 1 closes out with Goodbye My Friend and yup, it’s ballad time.

Over to Side 2 and Magic Road. A great old school fuzzed riff with drop d groove and a killer solo. There Was A Time is ballad number two, and it sounds very Eurovision Song Contest. Heart Full Of Soul’s main riff will be very familiar to you. Maybe I should hold a competition? Under The Gun is a classic uptempo Dokken rocker with the chuggas driving the song along. The album close out with ballad number three, I’ve Found. Too many ballads don’ old chap.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

THE CULT – Dreamtime

November 19, 2022 /

Long before The Cult were the big rock behemoth they are today, they were the new waves’ big new heroes. “The Cult” was a shortened name from Death Cult, and Southern Death Cult before that. Frilly shirts and haircuts were new fashions that were a big thing at the time, and The Cult were in the middle of that even though the music was different.

Go West has that big new wave sound with odd drum beats and jangly guitars. Spiritwalker upped that vibe by 10. A killer tune, great vocals, and I love the guitar sound. 83rd Dream has a huge goth vibe to the intro, and the whole song is very post punk. Butterflies is an epic moody tune with a killer vocal from Ian Astbury. Bad Medicine Waltz closes out Side 1 with a very blues based tune. Including a slow picked guitar and pedestrian beat.

Horse Nation is a song from the Death Cult phase, and it opens up side 2. It’s the oldest track on the album. You get a glimpse into the future with this song as that big rock groove is developing. A Flower In The Desert follows with the big jangly guitar goth vibes at the front just below Astbury’s vocal. Dreamtime is up next. I love the guitar sound and groove. A very simple hook and chorus. Rider In The Snow is my favourite track on the record. Love the vocal, and when the song breaks into the hook and chorus it gets me every time. The album close out with Gimmick and the intro feels like a spaghetti western. There are also parts of this song that are very Prog. I like this album a lot and it’s cool to see how much they have changed.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

HAWKWIND – Space Ritual

November 19, 2022 /

Well the randomizer has spookily picked this one for me to review just after the death of Nik Turner, an early influential member of the band. Hawkwind are quite an odd band to categorize as they have flowed though many genres and influences throughout their long career. This album was recorded at Brixton and London way back in ’72 when Lemmy was still a member, and you can hear that very percussive style throughout the album.

As a side note, I vaguely remember spending a weekend in the Pennines somewhere as Hawkwind entertained us, emphasis on the word vaguely. It was definitely an experience seeing the band around this time as the projections and dancers were all part of the vibe with repetitive music and out of this world lyrics. There was a weird aura about the band that’s for sure. You have to listen to this in a very dimly lit room with candles and incense burning to create the vibe. It’s very hard to pick a favourite as this album all comes together as a whole, but the space rock vibes of Born To Go edge it.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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