THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: November 2023 (Page 6 of 14)

THE POLICE – Synchronicity

November 20, 2023 /

I used to look on this album as The Police’s weakest record, but over time I have grown to really love it. Stewart Copeland’s contribution to the band often gets overlooked but his stamp and grooves are all over this record. Right from the off with the heavy groove of the title track (which is one of the best songs the band did), it has Stewart’s DNA everywhere.

The production is superb and Hugh Padgham should take a huge credit here. The only down point is Mother. I get that Andy wanted his songs on the album but sometimes you just have to take a back seat. It stands out so much because everything else is so damn good. The rest of the record is just the best and some of the best pop tunes laid to wax. I’m going for Synchronicity, that opens the album, as my favourite tune. It’s just a beast of a tune, and just consumes you with joy as it speeds on by.

The album would have been a nailed in 10 if it wasn’t for Mother.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

VENGEANCE – We Have Ways To Make You Rock

November 20, 2023 /

This is album number two for one of Holland’s best hard rock exports. It was released back in ’86. Vengeance were a big deal in Holland and other parts of mainland Europe, but they seemed to struggle with the rest of the world.

They do remind me a bit of Saxon in their heyday, especially on songs like Dreamworld where singer Leon Goewie does a fine impression of Biff Byford. Power Of The Rock is one of my favourite tunes by the band as its NWOBHM influences are easy to spot, and the speedy riff and groove help.  

They don’t take themselves too seriously and the music is not gonna change the world, but that’s what good old hard rock and metal was all about in the eighties. It was something you could escape to after a hard days grind, and this is a perfect album to do just that. My favourite tune goes to Second To None, a fun uptempo rocker with a great riff and some killer guitar.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

AEROSMITH – Rock In A Hard Place

November 19, 2023 /

The Aerosmith that no one talks about. The only Aero album not to have Joe Perry playing, also Brad Whitford left during this recording as well. So, a new guitar partnership was given a baptism of fire on this album.

This is not as bad as everyone makes out to be. In fact, it sounds about as Aerosmith as you could get. There are some killer tunes on this Aero disc. Opener Jailbait is a superb tune and is my favourite on the record. This has all the swagger and groove you would expect from the band, and Jimmy Crespo shows he’s no slouch either. Bolivian Ragamuffin has a killer sleazy groove with guitar to match. Tyler is just spitting out the lyrics in time to the beat, which sounds like a rap. The title track is the other song that really does it for me. Another monster sleazy riff and groove, and Tyler is so in his element here.

There is lots to enjoy here, don’t be put off by the naysayers.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

T.REX – Electric Warrior

November 19, 2023 /

Let’s go back to the beginning of the 70’s. Glam was starting to take a hold of the musical landscape and Marc Bolan and T. Rex were at the forefront of that. The first thing I purchased was the Ride A White Swan single, as that’s all my pocket money could afford at the time. It was two and half minutes of pure joy that just waved its way into my brain. Bolan was a genius at writing a hit single, but he seems to struggle with the album format as there was always some filler on all of his albums.

This is the only thing I now own of Marc’s recordings, which I find strange knowing how much I loved his music, but that’s life I guess. The biggest song on here and maybe of his entire career is Bang A Gong ( Get It On). Yet another perfect piece of musical history that you still hear everywhere today. That guitar still draws you in after all this time. Jeepster is the other big song from this record. It’s just a simple rock n’ roll riff hidden away with percussion and a great lyric.

Happy days, and if it was eleven year-old me reviewing this then I would probably give it 100/10, but cynical aged old me can only give it a…

7/10 from the Grooveman.

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