THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

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THE DARKNESS – Pinewood Smile

December 13, 2021 /

Who can forget the band’s appearance on Jools Holland’s TV show where Justin stood atop Joel’s piano while playing the solo to I Believe In A Thing Called Love? This was the moment when The Darkness exploded on the scene and have caused division in rock circles ever since. A lot of people hate them, and it’s obvious they have become an acquired taste, but I for one love them and they were a shot in the arm for a flagging rock scene in the UK.

They write some of the simplest songs imaginable and are so catchy and have you hooked in seconds, and then write tracks like Buccaneers Of Hispaniola that are so complex with grooves to shake your hips loose. AC/DC would have been proud of the riff and groove to Solid Gold – an epic hard rock classic with a great sense of humour. Southern Trains is all about their hatred of the local train company, and have turned a boring subject into a freaking awesome up-tempo groover. Why Wont The Beautiful Cry, lyrically, is another track where the sense of humour really is on point.

Japanese Prisoner Of Love opens up Side 2 and has a killer opening riff and groove before settling down into a very Queen-ish tune. Lay Down With Me Barbara reminds me of a seventies Steely Dan tune but with a very modern edge. I Wish I Was In Heaven is pure power pop nirvana, and the album closes out with Stampede Of Love which has a very southern country rock vibe and is somewhat of a surprise ending.

As I said earlier, you either love them or hate them.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

VINNIE MOORE – Time Odyssey

December 11, 2021 /

This was released at a time when there were a ton of guitar instrumental solo albums being released to capitalize on the success of Joe Satriani – and to a lesser extent, Malmsteen. Now, latterly more well known for being the final occupier of the guitar position in UFO, Vinnie was a shredder of some repute. Just like Yngwie, inspiration here is directly from the classical handbook, although I would say Vinnie does have more of a melodic feel to his interpretations. This is his second release on Mercury records – although he was a stock Mascot player.

To highlight the difference between himself and Malmsteen, listen to the track Beyond The Door – this is where his sense of melody and playing to the song comes into its own. It’s always hard to review these type of albums as you either like them or you don’t, and as I have mentioned I am a guitar nerd. My favourite piece on the album is the album close out track, April Sky, where he shows what great control and feel he has to his playing. An honourable mention goes to his cover of George Harrison’s, My Guitar Gently Weeps. It doesn’t sound much like the original but it’s still a great take.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

BILLY IDOL – s/t

December 11, 2021 /

Back in the mists of time when the punk sounds of Generation X had run there course, Billy’s career was at a crossroads until a very fortuitous meeting with guitar whizz Steve Stevens. Whereas the album after this was pure gold, this album is when the seeds of the classic Idol pop rock sound were made. They hit gold instantly with the singles, White Wedding and Dancing With Myself, and they are without doubt the best tracks on the album. Although there are some unusual moments, especially the very Adam Ant sounding, Love Calling, and going back to his roots with inspiration from Siousie and The Banshees with Hole In The Wall, the album is still an enjoyable romp though early eighties pop.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

KALEO – Surface Sounds

December 10, 2021 /

This is the band’s third album released earlier this year. I first came to know of this band after buying their 2nd album on the fly then witnessing them live. They’re from Iceland and have this uncanny ability of sounding like they are from delta blues Mississippi. This is due to the amazing vocal talents of Jj Julius Son with his smooth smoky tone.

The two opening tracks, Brother Run Fast and Break My Baby, have that recurring delta vibe, and the third track, Alter Ego, has more of a Stones take on the blues. They have a very unique take on this old genre, mixing it with an indie pop sensibility that really works. Highlights for me are the already mentioned Alter Ego, and the groove laden Hey Gringo, but it’s the real soulful Into My Mothers Arms which wins it for me.

A very unique band worthy of your attention.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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