THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 322 of 482)

WHITE LION – Fight To Survive

February 4, 2022 /

This was the band’s first release on the independent label, Grand Slamm Records, back in ’85 after having signed to Elektra Records who refused to release the album. Who knows why that decision was made? After the release, the band toured it to death and they were snapped up by Atlantic who released the Pride album – and we all know how huge that album turned out to be.

The first two tracks are pretty straight forward killer melodic rock songs with typical big hooks and catchy chorus’, but track three (the title track) starts with a very Van Halen/Randy Rhodes style guitar intro and sound. Absolute killer guitar from Vito Bratta! You think he would be huge and a household name right? But no, he gave it all up and hasn’t played guitar for years – totally disillusioned with the music business. Frankly I would have bought the album just for this track. In fact, it’s Bratta that makes the album for me as on tracks like In The City, Kid Of 1000 Face, and El Salvador, his guitar tone and sound are epic. There is plenty to keep the glam brigade happy as well with stomper tracks like All The Fallen Men.

I’m not the biggest Mike Tramp fan as that strained vocal tone doesn’t do it for me but this is still a good first album.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

THE STRANGLERS – IV (Rattus Norvegicus)

February 3, 2022 /

I think this the very first punk album I bought, just after its release in ’77, although my memory is a bit fuzzy about that. There was way more to The Stranglers than the two chord heroes from the rest of the punk movement. They were around banging away for a few years before punk exploded, and had paid their dues somewhat – they could also write half decent songs. A big reason in what differed them from all the other punks was that the guitar was not the dominating sound – a lot of the songs were driven by the keyboards of Dave Greenfield.

This is one of the defining albums of the punk period as they were the first to have some chart success with the single, Peaches. There are some really good tunes here with the likes of Grip, Down In The Sewer, and Hanging Around. The surprise to me though is Princess Of The Streets with an old school blues vibe complete with a guitar solo – which was very un-punk. Still a fun album to listen to.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

TRANSATLANTIC – The Whirlwind

February 3, 2022 /

This is the third album from this prog supergroup/project. They bring together members of modern prog rock royalty: Neal Morse (Spock’s Beard), Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Pete Trewevas (Marillion), Roine Stolt (Flower Kings). They all found time to put this beast together, paying homage to the great prog bands of old with a modern twist. In true prog style, and to make this as overblown as possible, this album is one piece of music spread over four sides and indexed as 12 parts. Doesn’t get more prog than that does it kiddies?

In all seriousness though, this an amazing journey from beginning to end. It’s superbly played and written, full of highs and lows, with an amazing clarity and production. Controversial opinion coming up here, but I would say other than Portnoy, this is the best album that any of the others have been part of. Roine Stolt has come close with some of the Flower Kings albums. I’m not a Marillion fan, and Neal Morse leaves me cold lyrically, so its quite easy for me to make that judgement.

I grew up with the prog bands of the seventies, and this album is a wonderful tribute to those style of bands.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

TEXTURES – Polars

February 2, 2022 /

This is the 10th anniversary reissue of the band’s debut effort from 2004, and the first thing you notice compared to later releases is how goddam heavy they were.

Opening track, Swandive, is Pantera on acid. The vocals, riff, and groove are brutal – epic stuff! Ostensibly Impregnable is more like their future selves in places, with the beautiful soundscape melodies separating the brutality. Young Man is off at breakneck speed as the aural assault continues, and yet the beauty is just below the surface. Lots of heavy palm muted aggression starts Transgression (possibly the most brutal track yet), with a really cool saxophone interlude. Another Pantera groove greets us in The Barrier, and this track is so fast it ends before it starts. The weird soundscape of Effluent leads into the album’s showpiece and title track, Polars. Fat monster riffage mixed with melody and great soundscapes make this the best on the album.

This is territory the band would make their own on Dualism, which is and absolute beast of a record. Unfortunately the band are no more as they have called it a day.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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