THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: December 2023 (Page 4 of 9)

CACTUS – One Way Or Another

December 13, 2023 /

Beleive it or not, but Cactus were an inspiration for young brothers Edward and Alex Van Halen.

This chunk of raw heavy blues was recorded way back in ’71 and contains six originals and two covers. The version of Long Tall Sally is almost unrecognizable, as it’s a drawn out killer blues jam. Jeff Beck saw the potential in these guys. He stole Tim Bogert and Vinnie Appice for the supergroup Beck Bogert & Appice.

Now, Jim McCarty is no Jeff Beck but he is a fine heavy blues player, and he lets fly on Rock N’ Roll Children which has a killer instrumental section. Favourite track is One Way Or Another, which I believe the Van Halen boys covered. I can see why, as the main riff is super cool and it has a very busy beat and groove. Plus, there is plenty of room to let loose as Jim McCarty does here.

I’m a big fan of old school heavy blues and this is a great advert for it.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

TUFF – The Glam Years

December 13, 2023 /

I guess you can describe this as an early days compilation, with each side featuring a different vocalist from the band. Jim Gillette wasn’t the first singer, but he was the first recorded (I think). He contributed six songs before he jumped ship and joined Nitro with guitar whizz Michael Angelo Batio. They recorded these six tracks at an early session and they have been remastered for this release. The best of these songs are the glam slam of Dressed For Dancin’ and the sleazefest that is Bang Bang.

Side 2 is given over to Stevie Rachelle, and straight away the quality of the songs goes up several notches. These were recorded over two different sessions and also have been remastered. Tuff were all about fun and having a good time and Side 2 sums that up nicely.

For my favourite track, well, I like both Aint Worth A Dime and Round Em Up. Both great songs with a great groove and swing. If you’re into the whole glam thing and you would like a copy of this album, you can get it from the band directly.

Side 2 is way better than Side 1, so it’s 8/10 for Side 2 and 6/10 for Side 1 from the Grooveman.

NIAGARA – Now Or Never

December 13, 2023 /

Now, I don’t know a whole bunch about Spanish rock bands. The only other band I am aware of is Baron Rojo. Niagara managed to record three albums, of which this is the first, and it was released in ’88.

Niagara are nowhere near as heavy as Baron Rojo. They are more melodic rock/aor, with keyboards playing a big part in the band’s sound. Although, Niagara do put the pedal to the metal especially on Now Or Never, where it’s double kicks all the way. This is also apparent on my favourite track I Should Be Stronger, which gives Priest a run for their money, plus that middle section is killer.

The one thing this album lacks is a decent production. They have some good songs, and with a better producer this would have sounded huge.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

HUMBLE PIE – Smokin

December 11, 2023 /

I guess this was Humble Pie at their peak. Released in ’72, the album contains two of the band’s classic tunes: Hot N’ Nasty and 30 Days In The Hole (a song that every band and his dog has covered over the years).

Peter Frampton had gone by this point and was replaced by Clem Clempson who easily filled Frampton’s shoes. The focal point of the band however was the diminutive figure of Steve Marriot, who was blessed with the most powerful and soulful voice. The heavy blues R’n’B groove that they played was perfect for Steve. There are plenty of clips on YouTube of Steve giving it the beans and I suggest checking them out, you will not be disappointed.

The songs that really shake my tree on this record are The Fixer, with a killer heavy blues riff and Steve’s voice is so good. Also the close out track Sweet Peace And Time. This tune feels like a jam and has that loose feel to it which I really love, plus I do get Free vibes at times.

Steve died in a fire in is home in ’91 and the world lost such a great musician.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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