THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: December 2023 (Page 7 of 9)

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS – S/T

December 6, 2023 /

Now, I never managed to get to grips with Tom Petty and his music. I more or less ignored it as it just didn’t connect with me, at the least the more commercial stuff didn’t. This album released in ’76 is the only Petty album I own as it contains one of his best tunes, Breakdown (that’s to say the main riff and guitar part). That descending guitar just gets me every time. American Girl is the other tune that I like, which closes out the album.

Tom was rather lucky. If this had been five years later, would it have sold as much? One of the things that fascinates me in the music biz is how some bands get to make other records after rather stuttering first attempts, and others just get bombed. Well, I guess we now know why I’m not an A&R guy.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

STEVE LUKATHER – Bridges

December 6, 2023 /

Steve Lukather is one of the great guitarist and songwriters of his generation, but often gets overlooked by the more “flash bang” of his contemporaries. Sadly, with the promo of this record he said “this is as close as we will get to hearing another Toto record,” seemingly alluding to the fact that Toto is done recording. 

Well, there is a definite Toto vibe about the songs but at the same time giving them a huge chunk of his own DNA. He may be in the twilight of his career, but he still delivers big time. I really love this record, it’s got such cool songs and he even nods to Steely Dan (a band he looks up to) with Burning Bridges – the vibe is so them. What a killer track that is almost a shuffle but has a great swing and melody, and Luke’s solo is so cool. I’m torn between My Kind Of People and I’ll Never Know as my favourite tunes. Both are very different in style and groove, but both are so freakin’ cool and the lyrics are seemingly very personal.

He is one of rock’s great characters and long may he keep making music.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

URGENT – Thinking Out Loud

December 6, 2023 /

Yet another short lived melodic rock band from the mid eighties. This is Urgent’s second album that was released in ’87 with a killer production by Tom Allom. It should have done way more than it did. This has American radio stamped all over it. The vibe is more pop rock, with the emphasis on a huge sing along chorus.

The band were more famous for what certain members went on to do. Vazquez would depart to join Diving For Pearls and would end up being a recurring character in Seinfeld as The Intimidating Gay Guy. Funny old business. Onto the songs…

As I have mentioned already, radio friendly pop rock is our meal for today and the single Can’t Take It No More should have been huge. It has everything that should have made it a hit at the time. Huge hook and chorus with a great melody and uptempo groove should have been a cert but… crickets!

My favourite tune Pain ( Love Is A Victim) also should have been a smash, but I guess they never got the back up. There are so many good songs like Always Be There, Extra Extra (which is a close to being my favourite), and the anthemic Give Em Enough rope. All of the above should have been enough to break the band, but history says otherwise.

Another forgotten gem that’s worthy of your attention.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

MARILLION – Fugazi

December 4, 2023 /

When Marillion first appeared on the scene I found them annoying and an irritation on all the awesome heaviness that was all around at the time. Also, I felt that those obvious Genesis rip off accusations that were in all the rock papers were justified. Of course, that was me being shallow and there was a lot more to the band than the Peter Gabriel copyist on vocals. Sorry!

This was the band’s second album that came out in ’84. The most accessible track on the album is the first thing that you hear. Assassing is a very clever tune (lyrically), and how Fish fits the complicated words into the groove is really cool. Punch And Judy is a nod to 70’s Prog, albeit with some indie sounds of the day slotted in there, but the rest of the album does really belong in 70’s Prog.

The band now sound nothing like this at all, they are a totally different beast. When I look back, maybe the reason they took off so big was because the Genesis of the early 80’s actually sounded nothing like Genesis of old, they were becoming a Phil Collins backing band. So, there was an audience who wanted the visual element ready and waiting. But, that’s just the ramblings of a cynic.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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