REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Day: November 10, 2024 (Page 1 of 2)

MARK LETTIERI – Can I Tell You Something

I do step outside of my rock and metal comfort zone from time to time, especially for great instrumental music. I’m sure everyone has heard of Snarky Puppy, right? Well, this is how Mark Lettieri came into my radar. I witnessed them live and I was just blown away. As you do when you find something great, you dig a little deeper to see what else in that stratosphere may tweak your ears to some more amazing sounds, and Mark was the first I latched onto.

It’s very easy to attach the word “Fusion” to albums like this as it’s a bit of a catch all, and for sure some of the tracks fall into that. Lead off tune Dragonfly is just wonderful and if you’re looking for a reference then Satriani instantly pops into your brain but with way more swing and groove. Canyon Run is just awesome! Yup, fusion is the go to word with masses of swing, groove, and killer playing. Not just a squillion notes but notes with meaning and purpose.

Black Iris is next up and the groove and beat are very slow with a jazz feel to the piano intro. The guitar tone and sound reminds a lot of King Crimson Discipline period. This is a song that evolves into a differing beast as it progresses. The keys and violin are as much the centrepiece as much as the guitar.

Blankworld kicks off Side 2 and again, it’s another track that morphs into something completely different from it’s beginning, with some superb playing from Mark. A cover of Cindy Lauper’s Time After Time is up next. It’s quite hard to get away from a that iconic melody and make it your own, but I love the way this has been done. It has a much more delicate feel. This side closes out with a track called Shimmy Tiger and this is the one I heard before the album was released. A very upbeat and happy melody with a great funky undertone with killer playing.

Saturday Stuff groove’s on in, quite literally. Major amounts of funky grooves as the baritone guitar comes out to play alongside Wes Stephenson’s monster bass playing. Man, I could listen to grooves like that all day! Keeping the groove going, albeit with a slower vibe, is Medallion. This is such a cool tune with differing tempos and killer licks, it is a pure joy to listen to. Greenspace starts out very sparse but builds with a freakin’ awesome funky riff.

Keeping the listener on their toes, Palisade kicks off with a pop beat almost from the eighties. Do you remember a song called Blue Hotel? Well, the main guitar reminds me of that until we get very busy when all sorts of tones come flying at you. Very cool song! The funk returns with Neural Net, a wicked groove and I love the simple keys main melody line. The album close out with Gemstone where we end just as we started, with some killer funky fusion.

Mark keeps it interesting with every release and if you like instrumental music with a groove then I suggest this should be high on your list.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

THE DEAD DAISIES – Light Em Up

A good time rock n’ roll band that has a seemingly revolving door of members coming and going. However, the brand and the style of music hasn’t changed much over the years apart from the complete left turn when Glenn Hughes fronted the band. Maybe this line up will last a little longer, even though the drummer Evan Frederickson was in for this recording only.

This is maybe the most cohesive bunch of songs The Dead Daisies have assembled so far as there is not much dead weight to be heard. Straight in with my favourite track, Light Em Up opens up the album with a big AC/DC style riff and groove that blows the cobwebs off immediately. Times Are Changing keeps that vibe going with an added flavour of the South. Killer hook and chorus too! I Wanna Be Your Bitch is a dirty grooving rock n’ roll ditty, a no frills and straight to the point groover. A single pounding bass introduces us to I’m Gonna Ride, another simple riff and groove hanging onto a very catchy hook and chorus. Back To Zero closes out Side 1 and we get some slide geetar at the intro with some added psych to that basic riff and roll formula.

A very familiar Zeppelin riff introduces the listener to Side 2 opener, Way Back Home. A bangin’ cover of The Angels’ (or is it Angel City?) Take A Long Line follows. Further proof that the bars and pubs of Australia were inspiration for this record. My Way And The Highway is a fun barroom blast of dirty sleazy rock n’ roll. Love That’ll Never Be is as close as these guys get to a ballad, with a shift of sound to the mid west laid back vibe. Album closer Take My Soul is a mid tempo chain gang blues groover, until we get the anticipated gear change into a Lynyrd Skynyrd style romp to the end.

After many plays I think it’s my favourite Dead Daisies album.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

WARRANT – Greatest & Latest

Jani Laine’s story is a sad one for sure, but he did leave us with a fine body of work and some very memorable songs.

This is another one of those “re-record some of your hits and stick it together with some new tunes” record. These versions don’t have the big slick production as the originals did, but that raw stripped down sound suits the songs quite well. I mean a good song is a good song, right? Cherry Pie, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Heaven, and Sometimes She Cry’s will be remembered long after we’ve all left this world.

The three early albums have all been re-released on vinyl, so most fans will have them anyway but this is a fun accompaniment to those.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

MELIDIAN – Lost In The Wild

It seems to be one and they’re done month on the blog because up next is this melodic rock beast released back in ’89 and then, as per script, they disappeared from whence they came. Somebody obviously believed in Melidian because CBS paid for a video for the opening song Ready To Rock. The two stand outs in the band for me are vocalist Chris Cade who is a gruffer version of Paul Stanley, and guitar whizz Jayson Lane who can really play.

Ready To Rock opens the album with a meat and potatoes melodic rocker. Livin’ Under The Gun follows and is my favourite song. A superb up tempo riff beast with a monster hook and chorus, and a very tasty solo. Fire Up The Heart is an another great melodic rocker. Sleepless Nights is a by the book syrupy ballad. Side 1 closes out with a great feel good hands in the air anthem with Hands Off.

The title track opens up Side 2 and this one takes a sideways step from the rule book on the main chorus with a choppy riff beat, and groove. I love the solo on this one, and the gear change at the end. A very close second for my favourite song is Overheated. A big huge chugga riff and matching pounding beat leads to a massive hook and chorus. Cool tune! Top Of The Rock is up next, and it’s another banger. Big fat riff, a pounding beat and groove, and a monster hook and chorus. Easy isn’t it!! The album closes out with Broken Toys, and it’s a ballad. How to kill the mood or what? I mean the solo is great but…

Anyhoo, this is a really solid album and I like it a lot.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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