THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 230 of 492)

FOGHAT – Stone Blue

December 1, 2022 /

Britain’s other great boogie band. They didn’t mean a whole bunch back in the UK, but in America they did quite well and still tour up and down the US every year. The Live album was their biggest charting album, but this was not far behind.

The title track open up the album in fine boogie style. Some epic slide playing from Rod “The Bottle” Price, and it’s one of the band’s best tracks. An absolute ripping version of Sweet Home Chicago follows. I dare you to put this on and not groove along. Easy Money cons you into thinking it’s a straight up boogie, that is until that driving beat kicks in. Midnight Madness close out Side 1 and it’s a complete change of pace and groove, it’s my favourite track. It’s almost country-rock until the power gets turned on then they give Zeppelin a run for their money. The middle section is superb.

It Hurts Me To is pure Americana before it was invented. High On Love sounds as though it should have been released as a single, as the vibe is different to the rest of the album. A cover of the classic Chevrolet follows, and they have funked it up somewhat. Great version! The album closes out with Stay With Me, and it’s the weakest track on the album. Great band!

9/10 from The Grooveman.

CONTROL DENIED – The Fragile Art Of Existence

December 1, 2022 /

This is the only full album that Control Denied put out. It was released in ’99. This is Chuck Schuldiner of Death’s side project. He wanted to do a more progressive metal-style album with added melody. Chuck is sadly no longer with us as he died in 2001, but he has left a great body of work. I forgot how good this album is.

Consumed blasts the album into gear with a heavy and fast monster riff, with vocalist Tim Aymar reminding me of Bruce Dickinson at times as the melody sits on the heavy groove. Breakin’ The Broken starts with a deep heavy Sabbath riff that drops into a Metallica-style groove. Expect The Unexpected kicks in with a seriously heavy riff and double kicks beasting along. Great vocal! What If is insane!!! Definitely a favourite! A monster bass groove, leads into a choppy groove, before the heavy doom and epic song itself rolls in. A very Dio style vocal! Killer! When The Link Becomes Missing is as heavy as a heavy thing on a heavy train to heavy town, that is until the middle eight when we get all dramatic and epic. Believe goes from heavy metal to Prog, then dips into pure death metal. Cut Down is deliciously heavy. Lost of chuggas, time changes, and the whole nine yards. The album close out with my favourite track The Fragile Art Of Existence. A very classic heavy metal groove with lots of tempo and time changes. Chuck was an innovator and is greatly missed.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

HARDLINE – 2

November 30, 2022 /

Hardline were originally put together by the Gioeli brothers and Neal Schon, and the original album came out in ’92. This is another of the Frontiers’ think of a band from the past releases, where they get a minimal amount of original members to record a follow-up. To be fair, this is a really good aor/melodic rock album, and Neal Schon does play on and co-wrote final track: This Gift.

Hold Me Down opens up the album in fine style with a nice uptempo groover and a nice hook and chorus. Y is more of a laid back yacht rock tune. Paralyzed however, is really great tune. Superb hook and melody, it is one of the heavier sounding tunes. Face The Night is a top grade power ballad with a really nice solo from Josh Ramos. Side 1 closes out with Do Or Die, a mid tempo groover with a Whitesnake Ready And Willing riff.

Hey Girl opens up Side 2  with a slow ballad-esque opening before the heavy crunch of the hook dives in, and big bonus points for the killer solo and ending which makes it my favourite tune. Only A Night has a name-the-Journey-track opening and it’s AOR 101! Your Eyes has a killer riff and groove, it bounces along until the earworm hook and chorus. Another killer solo! Weight follows, it is the track that sounds like nothing else on the album. A weird time signature and choppy groove make this a really interesting tune and a break from the softer vibes. Way It Is, Way It Goes is up next and that slightly different vibe continues with a heavy chugga riff and groove. Really nice track!Then it’s on to last track This Gift and Mr Schon’s involvement. If syrupy ballads are your thing then you may be drooling, however for me the solo is cool but I like to go out with bang.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

BOOTSY – World Wide Funk

November 30, 2022 /

A lot of Bootsy’s albums involve a lot of funkin’ around, if you pardon the phrase. A lot of gibbering in and in between tracks. I’m pleased to report the emphasis here is on the tunes and the grooves, although he does disappear to the planet Bootsy on occasion.

World Wide Funk opens up the album and I’m glad to say all funks are blazing with a killer groove and added Buckethead noodling. Bass Rigged System is actually what it says. Three bass players, Bootsy, Victor Wooten, and Stanley Clarke giving it plenty with a Prince-style groove. Pusherman slows the pace slightly but it’s a deep and dirty groove. Thera-P closes out Side 1 and that really dirty groove keeps on a comin’. Love the vocal on this!

Hot Saucer opens up Side 2, and why wasn’t this released as a single? A very urban vocal and melody welded to the funkiest of grooves. Heaven Yes is a very laid back R’n’B groove. Ladies Night is a rap/funk crossover. Candy Coated Lover is a 70’s old school soul funk vibe. Snow Bunny sees a return to that heavy Prince style groove. Hi On Heels is my least favourite track on the album. A real slow urban groove doesn’t float my boat. A Salute To Bernie is next, and it’s a a bit of a throw away tune. Boomerang closes what is a quite an average side, and it’s the best song on the album. It has a killer superb funky groove that’s different to everything else on the album. The final side, other than Worth My While, is really stellar. Come Back Bootsy has that loose funky jam vibe ,with some great guitar from Eric Gales. The close out track Illusions is a monster rap/funk crossover and is my favourite, with Chuck D on vocals and Buckethead on guitar. This would have made a killer single album.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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