THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 348 of 492)

TREVOR RABIN – Wolf

December 7, 2021 /

Ever wondered what guitarist Trevor Rabin did before he saved Yes from a slow painful death when he joined for the mega selling 90125, and the huge single Owner Of A Lonely Heart? Well, after being a member of South African band Rabbit, he relocated to London in 1980 and recorded this fantastic piece of hard melodic rock.

Opening the album with an over the top solo piece, Wolfman, and then it leads into the great Looking For A Lady, which has a superb hook and chorus – you can almost hear Owner in there. The power pop of Do Ya Do Ya Want Me is next and is about as far removed from Yes as you could get. The very American sounding Heard You Cry Wolf is next, and shows the direction he was taking with his songwriting. I think my favourite track on the album is Lost In Love as it has a killer riff and some great playing. The one thing that Mr. Rabin really does well is write a good tune and Stop Turn is a definitely great tune with a great hook and chorus! A good old fashioned boogie is next with Take Me To A Party, and is a fun is the buzz word here. The album closes out with Open Ended and it’s the big production number of the album.

After his stint in Yes and affiliates, he has done a lot and spent most of the rest of his career doing movie soundtracks.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

GYPSY ROSE – Prey

December 7, 2021 /

I guess it’s hair metal week as the old Discogs randomizer seems to be favouring these albums. Gypsy Rose are an almost forgotten about Canadian band that were discovered “cough” by Gene Simmons, and this was released on his Simmons Records imprint of BMG. The timing was all wrong as they were swimming against the grunge tide, which is a damn shame as this is a really kick ass record!

Opening track and single, Poisoned By Love, is a very strong opener with a killer hook and groove. Borderline is a killer track with a heavy chord progression and some great guitar, add to that a great sing-a-long chorus and it’s winner winner chicken dinner. The very Def Leppard sounding Make Me Do Anything You Want opens up Side 2. I’m a big fan of the twin guitars in rock bands as the sound is so much bigger, and Brian Joyce and Craig Gaver are a kick ass pairing. Shiver Then Shake reminds me of first album Cinderella – in a good way of course. Wild Reaction sees vocalist Michael Ross give us his best Steven Tyler impression and is the most sleaziest track on the album. A rather forgettable ballad follows before we get to album closer, Highway One Way, and it’s a fast shuffle boogie.

One album and gone – until 2012 anyway. So many good bands bit the dust because of fickle record company involvement. They looked for the new thing and good bands were ignored, just so some angst ridden youth can bleat on how life sucks.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

THE WINERY DOGS – Live In Santiago

December 6, 2021 /

What to expect when you put together three of the world’s virtuoso musicians? When this project was first announced I was very intrigued as to what sounds they would produce. Richie Kotzen was not the first choice as guitar player/singer when this project first got off the ground, John Sykes was the original choice but he was taking forever to get his act together. Portnoy and Sheehan pulled the plug with him and teamed up with Kotzen, and boy was that the right decision. Classic rock with a very soulful edge is how I would describe the band, and they are a real kick ass three piece in the tradition of many that went before.

If you are unfamiliar with the band, this is a great introduction. It’s basically a Best Of that has been captured on a great night with a very receptive vocal crowd along with a great production. Every song done here is so good and the band are so tight that it’s hard to pick a favourite, but We Are One is just fantastic with an extra solo tagged onto an already superb rendition. There is a bass and drum solo but no guitar solo as Richie just lays it in nearly every track.

The bonus EP is tacked onto the final side of the third disc with three original tracks and two covers. The covers are Moonage Daydream by Bowie and Love Is Alive by Gary Wright. Criminal and The Game have that early seventies funky blues groove, and with Kotzen’s soulful voice, are just amazing. Solid Ground is an acoustic piece which is a harmony tour de force.

There are a few copies of this still around so snap yourself up one ASAP.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

VINNIE VINCENT INVASION – s/t

December 6, 2021 /

Definitely all killer no filler here, and a definite FU to Paul and Gene. It’s a superb album and the best of the two Invasion albums. They have a killer line up with Vinnie ripping it up on guitars, Robert Fleischman on vocals, Dana Strum on bass, and Bobby Rock on drums.

As with most of the album, Boyz Are Gonna Rock is all about Vinnie, I mean there is some serious playing all over this track and he sure is getting all his frustrations out on that poor guitar. Shoot You Full Of Love is more of what this album is all about, big huge anthems with the appropriate amount over the top Vinnie. No Substitute should have been released as a single, but for some reason was passed over as this type of song at the time was all over the charts. Animal is just epic. From the opening riff and guitar tone, you know this track is gonna melt your face at some point, and it most certainly does as Vinnie murders another guitar. Back On The Street reminds me of Saxon – apart from the guitar obviously. Baby-O would have made a great single as the chorus just screams Top 20, but maybe the guitar was a bit over the top😂. The album closes out with Invasion, a decent tune that Vinnie just rips the hell out of.

If you’re a hair metal freak or a guitar nerd, you will probably have this anyway.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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