THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: July 2024 (Page 6 of 7)

PAGANINI – It’s A Long Way To The Top

July 8, 2024 /

Released back in ’87, this was the Swiss band’s second album put out by Vertigo. Unfortunately, the two main protagonists in the band, Mark Paganini and Ralph Murthy are sadly no longer with us, both taken way too early.

This album is an enjoyable hard rockin’ romp through nine tracks ranging from the awesome to the not so. Tracks that really float my boat are the opener It’s A Long Way To The Top. What a killer way to open the record, a nice riff heavy rocker with a great hook and chorus, it’s my favourite on the album. Also One Of A Kind is a four to the floor anthem style rocker, and Hold Back is a straight up no frills rocker with a great call and repeat chorus. The song that I really don’t like is Salt Water Kisses, which sounds like a different band and should have been omitted.

Not a bad album and if you see it cheap enough then it’s definitely worth a punt.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

THUNDER – The Thrill Of It All

July 2, 2024 /

Album number four for Britain’s favourite melodic rockers, and it’s more of the same R’n’B tinged hard rock that they do so well. But, as with all their records, there are always a couple of tracks that don’t quite cut it. If you took all the best bits from all of their albums, then you would have one hell of a record.

There is no doubt that Danny is one of the best vocalists out there and I’m sure he could sing the phone book and it would sound epic. Tracks like Don’t Wait Up, which normally would just be okay, are lifted by the wonderful tone and feel to his voice. However, Pilot Of My Dreams and Something About You are really great songs that don’t come around too often.

Cosmetic Punk is just superb, it’s my favourite on the record. It’s a killer old school R’n’B riff sped up with an awesome groove that is so infectious and guaranteed to get you up and groovin’. The last side is given over to four rousin live renditions of tracks from the record.

I’m not sure if we will get any more Thunder records and tours as Danny is not too well since he has had a stroke. I wish him well.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

PAT TRAVERS – Radio Active

July 2, 2024 /

This was quite an odd album for Pat. Before it was released, Tommy Aldridge and Pat Thrall had already left the band. It didn’t too well in sales either, which resulted in Polydor dropping the band. However, PT would sue the label for breach of contract and he won, which let him put out another two albums for the label which (surprise surprise) didn’t do a whole bunch either.

This album was slammed for having too much emphasis on keyboards rather than wailing guitar, but I’m not sure where that came from as there is plenty of guitar all over the album. Whoever came up with that quote only listened to the instrumental track, Untitled which admittedly has that distorted Hammond sound that was on Crash And Burn. The main reason why it didn’t too well is that there are too many softer songs. My favourite song is the opener, New Age Music. It’s a good old PT belter.

I’ve been a fan of PT since the first album when he came to the UK and I saw him playing in small clubs up close and personal, which is basically what he is doing today.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

VENDETTA – Brain Damage

July 2, 2024 /

This is the second original Vendetta album, that appeared in ’88. The band would reconvene in 2007 and have since released another four records. Other than America, the German thrash scene seemed to produce the most bands, of which, Vendetta along with Exhumer and Paradox were the flag bearers. It’s a mystery to me that after releasing such a beast of record as this that they disappeared.

War, Brain Damage, and Conversation are up there with some of the best early thrash tracks. Metallica are obvious influences here but they have taken that blueprint and ran with it. They look so young on the back cover and the youthful enthusiasm just lets them go for it. Favourite track is the instrumental craziness that is Fade To Insanity. Touches of Fade To Black and early Iron Maiden are in there for sure, but overall it’s just a whole bunch of fun.

This was such a great time for new metal bands sprouting up, and I remember it well.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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