THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 189 of 492)

DIAMOND REXX – Rated Rexx

April 3, 2023 /

Diamond Rex are pne of a squillion bands that never quite made it as things didn’t quite fall into place. They fall between metal and glam, and they have actually released six albums of which this is number two. This album is really quite good and very entertaining.

Instant Medication gets the ball rolling with a great riff and guitar sound. Ladies Night is a killer tune with a fat juicy riff, and the groove is superb with a great swing. Easy Kill has a classic killer eighties riff and guitar sound. How Do You Know is the glam portion of the album and sonically it sounds quieter for some reason. Heartbreak City is a power ballad, but doesn’t quite hit the spot for me and is the weakest track. Side 1 closes out with Don’t Let It Get You Down, a sleazy glam rocker and when they play with a more metal attitude they do sound better.

4 Letter Word opens up Side 2. It has a solid riff and the solo is cool, but the vocal is weak in the lyrics. The Colour Red is my favourite track mainly due to the excellent guitar sound and the groove. Other than the excellent Lock It Up, the album sought of fades away ended with the cheesy boogie Bad Attitude.

The first album was on Island, then they were dropped and then they went to indie land, you can sort of see why.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

TUFF – What Comes Around Goes Around

April 1, 2023 /

This is a remastered version of Tuff’s ’91 debut release. The band have been banging around since ’86, and were formed back in Phoenix. This is a fun record with a capital F.

Ruck A Pit Bridge opens up the album in kick ass style. A groovin’ track with a great riff and maximum attitude. I love the deadbeat sleazy funk outro. The All New Generation should have been huge if it had been a single. It’s one of those party anthems that you can’t stop singing. I Hate Kissin’ You Goodbye is Tuff’s Every Rose Has It’s Thorn but with extra balls, and it reached the dizzy heights of #3 on MTV. Lonely Lucy rolls on in next with a monster intro, and that little hint of funk makes that groove just right. Another ripping intro for Side 1 close out tune Ain’t Worth A Dime, which gets my vote as favourite track. There’s a great swing to the groove, and the guitar rules.

So Many Seasons gets Side 2 underway. A song that has that feel good summer feel about it, with a hint of a glam/pop/punk/country vibe. Forever Yours is pure power pop goodness, with added glam of course. It’s ballad time again with Wake Me Up. One of those bottom of the bottle barroom ballads. The glam and groove returns with Spit Like This, a late night sleazy party anthem. Good Guys Wear Black closes out the album. It ends how we started, with a kick ass glam groover.

This is a great reissue that sounds great.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

HEAVY PETTIN – Rock Ain’t Dead

March 31, 2023 /

How do we put as much pressure as possible on a new young band ? I know! We will say they are the next Def Leppard. And that’s exactly what Sounds and Kerrang mags were doing at the time to Heavy Pettin.

This album was the band’s second, it was released in ’85 and Leppard were huge at this time. So let’s get into em! The album opens up with the hard rock majesty of the title track. A great tune with a killer groove and chorus. Sole Survivor follows and it is a melodic rock fans wet dream. Huge hook and chorus that scores high on the sing-a-long factor. China Boy is definitely a Leppard clone track right from the groove all through the melody and the main vocal. Lost In Love is next and this has single written all over it, but for some reason it wasn’t. Missed opportunity or what!? Side 1 ends with Northwinds. If melodic NWOBHM was a genre this would be it.

Side 2 kicks off with Angel. It has a huge fat drum sound with killer stereo riffing guitars. A great song, and again it’s high on the sing-a-long factor. Heart Attack follows and starts like some eighties pop band until the switch is flicked and we are into the best track on the album. Superb tune with a killer riff and groove, and I love the hook and chorus. Their finest hour? Quite possibly.

It’s ballad time next with Dream Time and Hamie’s vocals are awesome. Walkin’ With Angels is a fun uptempo melodic groover and it’s all about the vocals and harmonies. The album closes out with Throw A Party, an AC/DC-Leppard crossover, Friday night, feel good tune.

They released another album in ’89 called Big Bang and then they were done. You feel as though the record company let them down with this album as they should have done a lot more.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

RIOT – Born In America

March 31, 2023 /

The first three Riot albums are their best. There was something about Guy Speranza’s voice coupled with the killer hard rockin’ tunes that made them special. So when Speranza left because he couldn’t afford to do it no more, as he had a young family to take care of, it was a sad day indeed.

I’ve mentioned before how the whole vibe of the band changed when Rhett Forrester joined to accommodate his style of singing, and that continues throughout most of album number two. There are a couple of exceptions however: Wings Of Fire is a decent up temp rocker with a nice groove; Vigilante Killer which is my favourite track on the album, has a great groove and feels like Dianno era Maiden; and Heavy Metal Machine whose tempo is rockin’ the riff is just pure old school, and Rhett does his best Blackie Lawless impression (or is it the other way around?). There is a moment of high comedy with the inclusion of Devil Woman, a cover of a Cliff Richard tune. I mean c’mon, you can’t be struggling for material that mulch, surely.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

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