THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Category: Vinyl Reviews (Page 491 of 492)

FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD – Welcome to the Pleasuredome

November 1, 2020 /

I remember when this album first came out, and the singles as well, as there was a lot of controversy surrounding them – mainly due to the overtly sexual nature of the subject matter. Also what we suspected at the time, and now know, is that the the only member of the band that actually appears on the album is vocalist Holly Johnson. Trevor Horn the guy behind label ZTT, and producer of this album, wrote most of the music and played keyboards and bass. Members of Yes, who Horn was working with at the time, were heavily involved, namely Trevor Rabin and Steve Howe as well.

Two massive worldwide hits are on the record namely Relax and Two Tribes. The whole record is disco/club driven and very of its time. The production is amazing throughout as you would expect from Trevor Horn. As with a lot of concepts albums, it does tend to wander at times, but the overall feel of the album is epic. It does make you wonder how much of this was written before Horn found the band and was adapted around them.

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard this and I found it very enjoyable to listen to after all this time.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

TED NUGENT – Free-For-All

November 1, 2020 /

Back we go to 1976 to find Ted Nugent on his rise up the ladder.

Kicking things off with the title track, Ted sets the tone for the rest of the record with a good mid-paced rocker. This kicks into the excellent Dog Eat Dog with Derek St Holmes on vocals. Then followed by a slower groovier track with an early appearance on record by Meat Loaf. This is followed by the sides close out track, Turn it Up, which is probably the best track on the album. A great fast paced rocker which doesn’t fail to please.

Side 2 can’t keep up with Side 1, but the great I Love You So I Told You a Lie more than makes up for this. As with all Nugent albums it’s all about the guitar, and at this point in his career, Ted could make that bird land sing. The humour was a big part of Ted’s act at this time, which I don’t mind, it was the loud mouth douchbaggery that turned me off Uncle Ted as it took over the music as the quality of the albums started to wane.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

JEFF BECK – Wired

October 20, 2020 /

Back to 1976 we go to catch Mr. Beck at probably something approaching his peak. Moving away from the Yardbirds and his early blues influences to a more fusion sound, this album sees Beck honing techniques and sounds that he would become sun ominous with later on in his career. It’s worth noting that Jeff does not get a writing credit on any of these tracks, which I find strange as I am sure he must have had a hand in the arrangements.

This is one of my favourite Beck albums. Quality from beginning to end. This is the master sound half speed mastered version which sounds great. Kicking the whole thing off with Led Boots, which I think is a homage to Zeppelin with a great groove and some fantastic playing from Jeff (and is still in his live set today) as well as Goodbye Pork Pie Hat. Closing Side 1 is the excellent Heading For Backstage Pass, which is my personal fave on the album. Side 2 carries on where Side 1 left off featuring the awesome Play With Me.

If anyone wants an introduction to Beck’s solo work then I would point them in this direction as you can’t go wrong with Wired. Jeff is up there with the greats for his style and technique.

8/10 from the Grooveman.

PORCUPINE TREE – Fear of a Blank Planet

October 14, 2020 /

Disclaimer alert!!! Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson are one of my favourite artists.

This is a concept album about two medical conditions, ADD, and Bipolar Disorder that affect teenagers and the reliance on the medical profession to treat them with drugs. Thus rendering them as zombies. Well that’s my gist of it anyway.

Kicking off with the title track that presumably has a doctor typing a prescription on his computer, the track kicks into a great riff and groove with a heavy middle eight that should get any music fan drooling. The album is very light and shade, the way the tracks have been sequenced presumably to create the moods of the kids while they are on the drugs. Stand out tracks are Anesthetize, weighing in at a whopping 17.42 in length, and the close out track Sleep Together.

Gavin Harrison’s drumming on this record is on a different level, and on Sleep Together the groove is just sublime. Both of these tracks are Porcupine Tree at their best. Steven still uses Sleep Together to close out his solo performances. This is the first of two studio albums they recorded for Roadrunner and quite possibly their best album ever.

If you were to give someone an entry point in to Porcupine Tree’s music, then this would be the one to recommend from this period and maybe Sygnify from earlier recordings. I love every second of this masterpiece.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

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