THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: May 2023 (Page 2 of 11)

DERAPS – s/t

May 26, 2023 /

Do you remember that feeling you had when you played the first Van Halen record? You know the one! Where you could not believe what you were hearing and that rock n’ roll would never be the same again. Well, these guys had that same feeling only about thirty years later. Except they wanted to emulate it and make something similar of their own. These guys really are freakin’ cooking!

For a first album this is one hell of a record. Led by the talents of one Jacob Deraps on vocals and lead guitar this is one type of record you thought you’d never hear again. After the short intro burst of Invasion, the album burst into life with Sex Drugs And Rock N’ Roll a straight Hot For Teacher-style blast that will have you going “WTF” instantly. Killer tune. My Side Of Town would make a great single if it was 1984. Great tune based around a simple riff with a superb hook and chorus.

Live Fast Die Slow is a blues based groover with a killer swing and epic solo. It’s favourite track time next with Veins Of My Heart. Absolute killer tune and this is as close as you get to a perfect rock song. A hook and chorus to die for, a crunching riff with epic tone, and a top drawer solo. Side 1 closes out with a short but great acoustic intro piece called Elizabeth.

Make Ya Groove kicks off Side 2 with a latin-style crunch riff with a matching groove, and I love the middle eight. Wild To The Woman follows and this one has that dirty rock n’ roll vibe with a monster guitar tone. On My Mind is next and again has a slight latin feel with great harmonies. F***k Off is the penultimate tune and this is a full on foot to the floor rocker. The riff is a speed ball blast and the solo ditto. The album closes out with a cover of the Sweet classic Ballroom Blitz and I’m glad to report they do it justice and add their little bit of pizzaz.

Not a bad first album that’s for sure.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

VENDETTA- Go And Live….Stay And Die

May 26, 2023 /

Don’t you just love 80’s metal albums? These guys were formed in the aptly name German town Schweinfurt in ’84, and this is their first release that came out in 87.

I would say early Metallica and the whole Bay Area thrash scene were a huge influence on these guys, and I am a sucker for grooves like this. The intro to the title track is crazy! Every thrash metal cliche is there before THAT riff appears  in many guises. This track is all over the map and it’s epic, even the lyric goes “it’s too mad it’s like a nightmare”. Fun times! Tough to pick a favourite tune but I will go with Side 2 opener Systems Of Death. A full on thrash experience with extra elements of Slayer thrown in as well.

If you like your thrash old school and killer then this is for you. Unfortunately, they made one more album in ’88 and then vanished until the toonies.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

STEVE VAI – Flex-able

May 25, 2023 /

This album was recorded in ’83 just after Steve had finished playing with Frank Zappa’s band. I’m assuming a lot of those Zappa vibes were embedded deep into Vai’s soul as a lot of the tunes here carry that DNA. This version is the 2020 all analog reissue mastered by Bernie Grundman, and the record sounds superb.

I haven’t played this in a long while and it’s interesting how Steve recycles certain riffs. I’m sure if you’ve heard this, some Dave Lee Roth tunes spring to mind (well, musically at least).

The weird and wonderful Little Green Men opens up the album in a weird yet wonderful style. I love the Close Encounters references throughout. Viv Woman follows and this is where all Steve’s chops first come out to play. Lovers Are Crazy is a rare Vai vocal tune and those Zappa vibes are there for all to see. Salamanders In The Sun is another wild and wonderful off the beaten track piece that you wonder how come all this diverse material came together. The short answer is none of these songs were meant to be on an album together at all. It just seemed a good idea at the time to put all these pieces together on a self financed record. The Boy And Girl song closes out Side 1 and you’d be forgiven for thinking that this was a souped up Laurel Canyon inspired piece.

Flipping over to Side 2 we come to the track that brought us all to buying this record. The Attitude Song is an incredible showcase for Steve’s Amazing talents and it’s my favourite track on the album. A killer groove and main riff, and the playing was a revelation at the time, a lot of people paid some serious attention. Call It Sleep is Vai’s version of what I call smooth Jazz and it’s cool to hear all those tricks and skills played initially in a clean tone before that insane solo kicks in. Junkie starts and feels like a lullaby, except the lyrics are quite dark and sang with a Meatloaf vibe.  The rest of the album feels like improv pieces, lots of messing around to see what sticks and works.

In between the recording of this as a virtual unknown and its follow up in 1990 Passion And Warfare, Steve had become a guitar god after stints with Alcatrazz , Dave Lee Roth, and Whitesnake.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

FUNHOUSE – Generation Generator

May 25, 2023 /

While doing a bit of research on this band I found that there seems to be a few bands with this name. This Funhouse released this album in 1990 and were a staple of that whole LA scene. Sure, the sleaze and glam vibe is very prominent but they mix it with a slight funk groove that reminds you of the Chilli Peppers at times.

As far as I can make out this is another “one and they’re done” album as they seemed to disappear after its release. If you’re looking for a fun party album that’s passed you by then maybe check it out, although it is rather short weighing in at only 30 minutes. Favourite track is opener The Preacher (Down In the Hole) as it sets the tone perfectly for what comes after, a fun groove-laden rock n’ roll sleaze-o-Rama.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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