THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 191 of 492)

RAMMSTEIN – Zeit

March 28, 2023 /

A few of my friends are amazed at my liking for this band, and wonder what I could possibly like that has me raving about them. Now, I’ll admit that some of the imagery they use when playing live is a bit over the top, but there is no denying that most of their songs are built up from huge guitar riffs, and we should all know by now that is what I love the most. I also like some electronic music, and Rammstein do combine them both very well.

Sonically this album is killer, and super clear even when played at higher volumes. Just to blow my assumption about their reliance on guitar, the first three tracks are more electronic in nature with the guitar taking a back seat, but normal service is resumed with Giftig and the single Zick Zack, which is killer. That riff and groove are undeniably awesome and it is most definitely my favourite track. OK is the perfect mix of electronic and crunch, and Dicke Titten with the intro of the oompah band is genius.

I like this album a lot and it adds some light and shade to my collection.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

URIAH HEEP – Demons And Wizards

March 28, 2023 /

Another band that I still love from my schoolboy days. Nothing can compare to when I first heard the voice of Dave Byron opening up the album with The Wizard. This album was recorded in ’72 and still sounds fresh to me. The Heep were huge around this time and sold out everywhere. Just before COVID, I saw them in a small bar near where I live. How the mighty have fallen!

Lots of live favourites and Heep classics are enclosed in these grooves: Traveller In Time, Easy Livin’, Circle Of Hands, and the monumental Paradise/ The Spell. That huge Hammond sound of Ken Hensley combined with Mick Box’s raw guitar used to blow me away, and this is pure nostalgia for me. I have to go with Easy Livin’ as my favourite, I just love singing along to the earworm hook and chorus.

Mick Box is still playing with the band and has been there for way over 50 years. Happy days!

9/10 from The Grooveman.

BLACK STAR RIDERS – Wrong Side Of Paradise

March 27, 2023 /

So this is album number five for the band that morphed out of the ashes of a version of Thin Lizzy. If rumours are to be believed, then a version of Thin Lizzy maybe on the cards again.

Other than occasionally when Ricky does his best Phil Lynott impression, the music sounds not much like Lizzy at all, and instead you get eleven stripped back hard rockin’ tunes. The only time up I thought of Mr Lynott’s mob was Better Than Saturday Night, which reminded of early Lizzy. Rat Pack is probably my favourite tune on this album. I like that punk attitude coupled with an early seventies guitar groove. I usually like my rock with more blood, thunder, and riffs but I found Ricky’s tales of nostalgia and life quite entertaining.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

TANGIER – Four Winds

March 27, 2023 /

This is album number two from this Philly based rock band, and it was released back in ’89. This is another band I thought would have done a lot better than they did. Whether it was the four year gap between first and second albums who knows, but I will say they deserved to be a lot bigger as they sure know how to write killer tunes.

Opener Ripcord is kick ass. A superb swing to the groove, and the hook and melody are to die for. Mississippi follows and that slow, slight funk vibe is killer, plus the production by Andy Johns is superb, it brings out all the dynamics of the music. Definitely my favourite track. Love the guitar intro to On The Line. A more laid back vibe, but the hook and chorus are huge. Another slow intro to In Time before, a very simple but effective chord progression drives the song along. The hook and chorus have that Southern feel to them. Side 1 closes out with the title track Four Winds. Another track with the southern country vibe, mainly due to the slide in background.

Side 2 opens up with Fever For Gold and I’ve just twigged that Bill Mattson’s vocals remind me of Ricky Medlocke, another reason why those southern vibes are present. Southbound Train is a super slick aor melodic rocker with quite a slow main groove. The tempo is increased somewhat for Sweet Surrender, a four to the floor Friday night special. Bad Girl could be a Skynyrd tune as the vibe and feel are that close. The album closes out with Good Lovin’ a very classy melodic rocker with a great groove, and you’ll be humming the hook and chorus all day.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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