THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 197 of 492)

TANGIER – Stranded

March 14, 2023 /

This is Tangier’s third and final album, released in ’91. Hailing from the rock and roll capital of the world, Philadelphia (well not really), they suffered as did all the bands of time by the great grunge unpleasantness.

A kick-ass band, especially live, they open this opus up with Down The Line: a ripping hard rocking beast with some killer slide guitar, and this one sneaks it as my favourite. I love that slow pounding, slight funky groove to Caution To The Wind. The hook and chorus are huge, as is the production, which is stellar. I think we all know I like riff and a nice fat guitar, and they don’t let me down with You’re Not The Lovin’ Kind. There is a big old school Whitesnake vibe to this one. Since You’ve Been Gone feels like an old rock n’ roll sweetheart love me do tune. Takes Just A Little Time has a huge southern vibe with that slide “geetar.”

Excited gets Side 2 under way, and that riff and piano screams Nashville. Well, at least a blues bar in Nashville. Back In The Limelight kicks off with a great guitar break, these guys can write a great hook and melody. Sure, it’s nothing new and they are recycling riffs, but doesn’t everyone? It’s ballad time with the single Stranded, and this is where I switch off as this could be a song by any number of bands because it’s just a generic stock sound. It’s double entendres time next with Its Hard. Sorry to disappoint, but it’s just a good old Friday night party tune. The album closes out with If Ya Can’t Find Love – very reminiscent of Aerosmith around the Permanent Vacation period.

Good record with an epic production.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

JUDAS PRIEST – Painkiller

March 13, 2023 /

This would be Rob Halford’s last album with The Priest for nearly fifteen years. After this he went to play with his own projects Fight and Two, as he thought Priest were not heavy enough for him. Which, if you go and see them live now his raps about how metal Priest are is quite funny. But, I digress, as this album is a bit of a belter and probably the heaviest they had done up until this point.

I mean, Painkiller, the opening track is a monster of a tune. Right from Scott Travis’ pounding of the kit at the intro, you know this is gonna be a beaut. Halford is giving it the beans and that twin guitar onslaught is the best in the biz. When people mention their favourite Priest albums nearly everyone says Screaming For Vengeance, and it is one hell of an album, but Painkiller is very rarely mentioned at all and that astounds me as I think this pushes it all the way. It’s really hard to pick a favourite tune as I like it all, but today I will say it’s Night Crawler as it has a nod to old Priest as well as sounding all metallurgy and shiny.

A deserved…

10/10 from the Grooveman.

TANK – The Power Of The Hunter

March 11, 2023 /

This was the Tank’s follow-up to the quite successful Filth Hounds Of Hades, and both were released in ’82. Often called Motorhead-lite, mainly due to the fact A) they were a three piece and more importantly, and B) Lemmy had taken them under his wing as he was buds with Algy Ward.

Listening now after such a long time, the one thing that hits you is how flat the production is. Walking Barefoot Over Glass opens up the album and this is as close as they came to writing a single, as the hook and chorus are quite catchy. Pure Hatred has a great riff and groove, it’s just screaming out for a fuller sound.  Algy certainly knew how to write a tune as Biting And Scratching has a really cool riff, and fairly bounces along. Some Came Running has a riff that reminds me of an old Budgie tune; lots of key changes ages, a very un-metal sounding track. T.A.N.K. closes out Side 1 and this is as close as they get to a Motörhead sound.

Used Leather opens up Side 2 and this is an archetypal NWOBHM song. The riff and sound just scream 1980. Not the best version I’ve heard of The Osmonds’ Crazy Horses is next up, and again the main problem is the production. Another classic sounding period tune is up next with Set Your Back On Fire. Red Skull Rock is full on Motorhead-lite with Algy copying that bass sound. The album closes out with the title track and my favourite. With the opening line of “hold on to your toupees,” it has to be a winner.

As I have mentioned a couple of times, the production let’s this album down and it would have been a killer record with a decent producer.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

FREAK OF NATURE – Gathering Of The Freaks

March 10, 2023 /

This is album number two for Mike Tramp’s project after White Lion. Freak of Nature ended in ’96, which is a shame as I really like the two albums, but playing melodic rock in the mid-nineties was a bit like having leprosy as one would touch it.

This album isn’t as hard and raw as the first one, but they had found their sound. After the short rootsy intro of The Gathering the album kicks off with Enemy, a great hard edged melodic rocker with a nice groove, and I love the hook and chorus; it’s also my favourite track. Stand back follows, a kick-ass groove fest with a great funky undertone, and the solos are killer. Raping The Cradle slows the tempo right down until the main groove kicks in then normal service is resumed. Big Black Hole reflects what was popular at the time, as Seattle seems the main focus of this one. I love the dark moody intro to The Tree as the song builds and explodes into life.

Side 2 starts up with Candle, a song which has a big Americana roots feel, especially with the hook and chorus. That midwest country vibe continues with Need, a song way before its time as every man and his dog is doing this vibe now. Killer opening riff and groove to Open Space, and the harmony guitars sound cool. This band have a great knack of doing killer intros, and Get It Yourself is no exception. The main riff and groove have a great swing to them. Powerless is up next and it’s the most frantic of the bunch, with a wild drum and guitar pattern. The album closes out with The Parting, an accompanying piece to the opening.

So if you were a perceived hair band guy in the mid nineties no one wanted to know your music, and if you released a harder edged, more raw project you were accused of trend jumping. A classic no win situation which Mike Tramp was caught in.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Archives

© 2026 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑