THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: November 21, 2023

GRAND FUNK – All The Girls In The World Beware

November 21, 2023 /

There was a time back in the early seventies when Grand Funk seemed to be middle America’s favourite band. This was the band’s ninth album that came out in ’74 and is regarded as one of their weaker albums, even though it reached #10 on the Billboard charts.

You can split the album in two: Side 1 is very average (apart from Runnin’), and Side 2 is epic. Runnin’ has the added horn section to lift that funk sound up from the ordinary. The title track blows the cobwebs clean off with an instant burst of uptempo rocking R’n’B. Good & Evil has a really dirty bass and hammond blues groove that I really like.

This band goes against everything that the majors were all about. They played with the sequencing of songs so that all the strong tunes are on the flip side. In fact, the last two songs were the real big hits. Bad Time was a single with a really cool soul groove. One of the band’s biggest songs was Some Kind Of Wonderful. It is three minutes and thirty seconds of pure pop soul genius, it’s my favourite track on the album.

The album does sound very dated, but then again it does have some serious high points.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

WILDLIFE – s/t

November 21, 2023 /

Before FM burst onto the scene, the Overland brothers were cutting their teeth in Wildlife, a band they put together in 1980. Wildlife released two albums and this is the second self-titled album that was released on Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label. This release unfortunately led to their demise, as the label went bust around this time.

If you are familiar with FM’s AOR sound then this doesn’t stray too far from that path. It maybe has a little more crunch added to the mix, thanks in most part to a crisp production by Bad Company’s Mick Ralphs. The band are at their best when they get into that mid tempo groove, like in Taking A Chance. It’s a great little tune with a nice riff accompaniment to that four four groove, as well as a great hook and chorus, it’s my favourite tune on the album. It’s a shame the album wasn’t released in the US because a track like Midnight Stranger with its cool laid back groove would have done really well on FM radio.

It’s cool to look back on bands’ early days. This is an enjoyable listen.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

DREAM THEATER – Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

November 21, 2023 /

This is the album where Dream Theater pushed everything as far as they could. The main album is just five songs, and the second disc is all one song split into eight parts. I hope they go back to this type of record now that Portnoy is back in the family.

I have seen this band more than any other live. I remember the release of this album very well and the tour that followed, I hope that they can rekindle a bit of that fire. The Glass Prison is one of the heaviest tunes that the band have ever done and it’s one of favourites. It as a lot of D-tuned riffing and heavy grooves to keep the die hard metal fan happy while pushing that progressive boundary. The title track is just freakin’ epic, and it’s hard to comprehend that it’s just one song.

In their day, no one could touch them. They have done a few 10/10 records, and this is one. Ytsejam forever!

10/10 from The Grooveman.

CROBOT – Rat Child

November 21, 2023 /

This four track EP was released as part of RSD Black Friday in 2021. All the tunes are on Side 1 and Side 2 is a dreaded etched abomination. I’m just saying that some live tunes would have been great, thanks.

Mountain has Frank Bello from Anthrax guesting, and what a killer groovy beast it is. It’s an awesome chunk of modern, heavy rock n’ roll. Kiss It Goodbye starts like a heavy monster has just riffed in your ears. This one has a guest spot from Howard Jones. These guys know how to groove! What a beast of a song!

Everyone Dies features Styx Zadinia from everyone’s favourite joke, Steel Panther. It’s one big power ballad. It all comes to an end so quickly with the title track Rat Child which has a vibe and groove from way back, with a heavy dose of today.

Great band, and Brandon Yeagley is an amazing vocalist/frontman.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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