THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 417 of 492)

STEVE STEVENS – Atomic Playboys

June 17, 2021 /

Probably best known for making Billy Idol look amazing, this is Steve Stevens’ first foray into solo territory – other than recording the Top Gun anthem from the film of the same name. He is joined in this project by former Warrior vocalist Parramore McCarty, plus they managed to get H. R. Geiger to do an awesome album cover. In my opinion, there is not a bad song on this album and it covers a wide range of styles – not just the standard hair rock of the time.

The album opens up with the title track and is a great up tempo rocker to start things off with – Steve fires off all the toys in his arsenal. Next up is The Power Of Suggestion, which is a cool take of a more traditional RnB groove. A cover of The Sweet’s Action is next up, and apart from some killer guitar, it’s pretty much a straight take of the original – with McCarty adding some power to the vocal. Desperate Heart is a ballad that I don’t actually hate, and that’s down to the great vocal and some sublime guitar. Souls On Ice closes out Side 1 and is the other killer up-tempo rocker on this side. Complete with a monster riff, some great histrionics on the guitar, plus a great vocal – it’s the best track so far.

Over to Side 2 we go and Crackdown starts us off with some background synths and some nice echo guitar. This would have made a great single if the record company could have been bothered to support it. I remember Steve being asked at the time if there was to be a follow up and he said “I doubt it, it’s the most expensive hobby ever”. Meaning nearly no support. Pet The Hot Kitty (complete with very suspect lyrics) follows and is about as glam metal as this album gets. Evening Eye is next, and the this is a contender for best track. Rock, it doesn’t, but it has a slow moody almost jazz groove with some great guitar, especially in the middle eight where Steve lets loose. Woman Of 1,000 Years is next up and is the only track where I thought of Billy Idol – I wonder if this song was a leftover – plus this is the only song where Steve sings lead vocal. The instrumental Run Across Desert Sands follows and has Steve digging out the old acoustic for some awesome guitar olympics. The final track is Slipping Into Fiction, with a killer riff and melody, plus a great funky instrumental section – a fitting end to a great album. Shame there wasn’t another record but we still have this.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ALCATRAZZ – Live Sentence

June 16, 2021 /

When Yngwie left Steeler, he was asked to join Graham Bonnet’s new project after he was removed from Rainbow. Mr. Bonnet was no fool and he could see having a young hotshot like Yngwie would boost the profile of the band – so this album is all about Yngwie.

Right from the beginning in the opening track, Too Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live, it’s all guitar – very impressive guitar as well! This is just before Yngwie the ego would be unleashed on the world. Bonnet’s voice stands up really well and there are no overdubs that I’m aware of. Most of the tracks are from No Parole From Rock n Roll, apart from two Rainbow tunes: Since You’ve Been Gone, and All Night Long, the biggest and most well known songs of Bonnet’s career. There are also two guitar pieces for Yngwie to flex his muscles: a classical piece in Coming Bach, and a shred fest called Evil Eye which is very good.

This one is for guitar nuts mostly, and the curious.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

VAN HALEN – Fair Warning

June 16, 2021 /

We have reached review number 300!!!

This started as a release from the COVID negativity, and has now turned into a challenge for myself to try and review all of my vinyl records. Only another 1700 to go!

For this little milestone, I have picked this one myself. It’s another of my desert island albums, Van Halen’s – Fair Warning. It was the band’s fourth album and the first not to include any old material from the backyard party days. A lot of fans call this the dark album, as Ed’s guitar sound and Dave’s lyrics – plus the cover art -gave the album that darker feel.

The album starts with a “how the hell is he doing that” guitar intro to Mean Streets, which is my favourite Van Halen track. The guitar sound, the chord structure, the harmonies, Dave’s lyrics, the really cool groove – everything about this track was head and shoulders above anything around at the time, and another benchmark had been made. Even the outro is pure gold with the cool ringing chord sequence. The intro to Dirty Movies is sublime, until the big power riff kicks in and the groove is almost funk. Again, Dave’s lyrics are pure gold, and a killer middle eight make this another sure fire winner. Sinners Swing opens up with one hell of a riff and is almost two tracks in one – with the slow verse and rockin’ choru, and add to that the small but perfectly formed solo – awesome! Hear About It Later closes out Side 1 and is such a killer tune. The guitar tone alone is worth the price of admission boys and girls, and what a great melody and hook. The middle eight is jaw dropping and groovey as hell. Do you want to know what made Van Halen better than all the wannabes? Just listen to this track!

Unchained opens up Side 2 and everyone should be aware of this monster. Quite a simple riff and groove but hit hits the spot. “C’mon Dave gimme a break”. The reggae vibe of Push Come To Shove follows and it’s a freakin’ awesome tune. It was so against the grain for rock bands to do anything like this at the time, especially hard rockin’ bands like VH. The solo is just so freakin’ cool. The other single from the album, So This Is Love, is next up and it has a rocked up do-wop vibe – complete with a short snappy solo. Sunday Afternoon In The Park is a short weird intro piece to One Foot Out The Door, and is the first time a synthesizer was used on a VH record – Edward bolted it onto his guitar! One of Edward’s best solos is towards the end of One Foot Out The Door – it’s just jaw dropping in its execution.

I know I say this a lot, but we will never see the likes of a Van Halen type band again. When I think about Edward no longer being with us it makes me so sad. This is obviously an everyone should own one.

10,000/10 from The Grooveman.

ROD STEWART – Every Picture Tells A Story

June 15, 2021 /

Believe it or not, there was a time when old Rod The Mod was a serious artist and not just a purveyor of cringe worthy crooner tunes. After stints with Jeff Beck and The Faces, old Rodders thought he would be better out on his own – although to be fair, he did have a solo deal in place prior or joining The Faces. Ron Wood would help him out on this album before he would join the Stones.

Relying on outside writers and cover tunes, this album only has three tracks that Rod had a hand in. The best one of those is the opening and title track, which has that old Faces feel to it as it was co-written with Wood, and is one of my favourite Stewart tunes. Seems Like A Long Time has a slow, almost blues vibe, that Stewart could do in his sleep as his voice was tailor made for these types of tunes. Carrying on the blues theme with That’s All Right, with some nice slide from Mr. Wood. You will probably know this from the Elvis version, but I love the old delta blues vibe better – plus, Amazing Grace done in the same style is tacked onto the end of the tune. Dylan’s, Tomorrow Is Such A Long Time, follows and closes out Side 1 and is near true to the original.

Other than Sailing, Maggie May is probably Rod’s most famous tune and opens up Side 2. I would describe the Intro as almost folk complete with mandolin, but this is such a great track and is sang perfectly. It’s one of those tracks that gets you looking back into your past, reminiscing on simpler times. Mandolin Wind is the final track that Rod had a hand in and is slow folk/blues. It’s quite a simple song until we get near the end, then the Maggie May groove returns. I Know I’m Losing You is a cover of an old Temptations tune and given the rocked up Faces treatment, without losing the RnB feel. Reason To Believe closes out the record, and is a cover of folk singer Tim Hardin’s original. Rod sings it with an almost gospel feel, and this was originally the A side to Maggie May. I prefer early Rod to the latter that’s for sure.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

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