THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Month: October 2024 (Page 2 of 7)

VAIN – Disintegrate Together

October 27, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Before we start, I bought this direct from Davy and waited an eternity for it to ship (I actually forgot I ordered it). It eventually came by UPS and was whacked with a $60 customs charge. Not only that, when it arrived the package looked as though it had been through five rounds with Mike Tyson. The cover is not in great shape but luckily the vinyl is okay. Artists: if you are shipping your own stuff, make sure it’s packaged right. Rant, over!

Glad to say this is a great record and glam/sleaze is alive and well, and Davy can still write a great tune. Don’t You Think is prime time Vain and it’s one of my favourite songs ever by the band. Great groove to the song and the melody is killer. The Flowers runs it very close, however it has a more slow funky groove but again, the melody and harmonies are superb. The title track is high on the dramatic. A slowed down blues based epic where Davy’s voice just carries the whole piece. So many great songs here!

Davy and Vain have always been that little bit different to all the glam bands they came up with. I haven’t heard all of Vain’s albums, but this is the best of the ones I have.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

RAVEN – The Pack Is Back

October 27, 2024 / / 0 Comments

This is the album where Raven went as close to being a hair band as possible. They had to have been under pressure from the record company to come out with such a radio friendly record as this.

With the first two tracks, The Pack Is Back and the cover Gimme Some Lovin’, you’d swear that you were listening to Gary Glitter. I haven’t played this in a long while, and unfortunately it doesn’t get any better with age. It’s not bad it’s just weird when you know what came before.

Occasionally, they are allowed to be themselves (sort of) with songs like Young Blood (favourite track) when a hint of Raven frenzy materializes, but mostly it’s ordinary pop rock and in one case with Hyperactive, just embarrassingly bad.

Raven with Horns anyone? Nope, it’s just wrong. 

5.5/10 from The Grooveman.

WIDOWMAKER – Stand By For Pain

October 25, 2024 / / 0 Comments

After the initial demise of Twisted Sister, Dee Snider put together a short lived project called Desperado. When they folded, Widowmaker was formed, which was basically Desperado but with Al Pitrelli on guitar.

I know TS were super popular, especially in the US, but this album (their second and final release) was the highlight of Snider’s career. Much heavier and darker material and taking influences from what was around at the time. Long Gone for instance could have been any Seattle band at the time, but way better. Protect And Serve reminds me of Pantera with that double kick roll and the heavy guitar groove. Ready To Roll is my favourite tune on the album and maybe the best thing Snider has done. The initial riff and groove at the intro messes with your brain as the head wants to follow the groove but your body follows the riff. Great stuff! The only song you could compare to TS would be The Iron Road with its straight metal riff, double kick groove, and sing along title line.

I guess the public didn’t take to the band as after this they were done. Shame, as this is a good effort.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

McCOY- Think Hard

October 24, 2024 / / 0 Comments

So, when the Gillan band ceased to be, a lot of interesting little off shoots with members appeared. Other than Mammoth, which I was sure was a joke because all of the other bands had some great material.

This record released in 84 under the McCoy name is not a bad effort and is somewhat forgotten. In places it is a very melodic record with some very poppy tunes as John is joined by Gillan bandmate Colin Towns on keys, Paul Samson on guitar, Ron Rebel on drums, and an unknown T. Bone on vocals.

Freemind and Demon Rose open the album and are both great songs, showing how melodic these guys were defying the image that everyone had of John. Demon Rose is my favourite track on the record. Paul Samson has always liked a blues shuffle and Fear Of The Morning is a fine example.

The rest of the tracks are lost in that mid seventies sound.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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