THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 402 of 486)

SAHB (without Alex) – Fourplay

July 20, 2021 /

I’m amazed that this album was ever recorded as there was so much turmoil behind the scenes at the time, with Alex’s health and money troubles. Alex was amazed to find out that the band were still in debt after raking in a lot of money from live performances. Alex had basically quit the band at this point, and this album was made as a contractual obligation. Alex would return to record the Rock Drill album. This album is a much more polished radio friendly record, that if released properly in the US with the right backing, it would have done well. Emphasis is on the songs and melodies, the lyrics are a bit cheesy and naïve, but the music is top drawer.

Opening track, Smouldering, has a great riff from Zal, and the chorus and hook are really fantastic – this is one of my favourite tracks. Chase It Into The Night is slightly different, with a great groove and rhythm and some great guitar from Zal. Shake Your Way To Heaven is almost a boogie, but has a monster riff and guitar tone – plus a superb melody and hook. The vocals are mostly by keyboardist Hugh McKenna, but next track, Outer Boogie, has vocals by drummer Ted McKenna. The start has a very Celtic feel, and then we have an almost fusion vibe to the rest of the track.

Side 2 starts with Big Boy with vocals by Zal – this is the one track that has the SAHB vibe to it – complete with big riff and short snappy solo from Zal. The groovy funk of Pick It Up And Kick It is up next, and was released as a single and I remember seeing this on the Whistle Test. Love You For A Lifetime is a big power ballad before they became fashionable. Close out track, Too Much American Pie, is the production number and a monster way to go out on.

This would be the only thing they would record as this line up, which is such a shame as this is such a great record and they were such a great band. Alex would be dead a few years later, and the band all went their separate ways. They would get back together in the early toonies with Max Maxwell as front man to play as SAHB, but with no new material.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ANTHEM – Tightrope

July 19, 2021 /

Anthem were in the first wave of Japanese acts that were influenced by bands such as Loudness and Bow Wow. This is the 3rd album by the band from ’86 and it’s quite good, it has great songs and rocks hard. It also helps that they have a great guitar player in Hiroyuki Fukuda who can seriously play. It’s straightforward metal, nothing outrageous in the time signature category, but it does what it says on the tin.

The opening salvo of Victims In Your Eyes and Night After Night really set the tone for the album, as both are up-tempo rockers with killer solos. Double kick drum heaven is next with Death To Death, and it does have a slight NWOBHM feel to the song – especially with the riff and a great melodic solo. I suppose Tightrope Dancer is the title track, and again more of the same, straight up metal with a big riff that does remind of a Blackmore Rainbow pattern.

Side 2 starts with Driving Wire, which is about as fast as trad metal goes before you can call it thrash. This should loosen the dandruff for you as you assume the pose. Fingers On The Trigger is next up and it’s slows the pace down with an almost glam feel to the riff. Light It Up is the penultimate track and it’s the best. They are trying something almost Van Halen at the beginning, until we settle down to a more traditional riff and groove. The album closes out with Black Eyed Tough and it’s peddle to the metal time again as the band race to the finish.

I actually prefer Anthem to most of the other Japanese bands as they are more melody and hook orientated with the music. If you would like to own this little gem, then go over to Oldies.com and you will be able to pick this up for $1.99 – and that my friends is a bargain.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

MOTLEY CRÜE – Shout At The Devil

July 19, 2021 /

Ok, I’ll just put this out there…I hate this band on a personal level. I think all of them, apart from Mick Mars, are just attention seeking children – and not in a nice way. They have made a career out of being obnoxious and doing anything that would get them press. If it was not for Mick Mars, they would be nobodies. It’s Mick’s riffs and talent that got them where they are. Musically, they stole everything from a band called The Sweet. Check out Give Us A Wink to see what I mean.

So putting all that to one side, this album IMHO (along with Dr. Feelgood), is the band’s best effort – and again, that’s down to Mick Mars. The main riff to the title track and Looks That Kill are what drives the songs along – in fact, nearly all the songs here are lifted by the riffs and groove. Vince’s vocals are not great, but I guess they fit the vibe that the band were aiming for. The cover of Helter Skelter by the Beatles is probably the weakest song on the album, and it doesn’t add anything to the original. Red Hot is the Live Wire of this album and does rock hard, and other than the title track, this is the best on the album.

I know people love them and that’s fine, but I just have a hard time with them, and it’s for the none musical reasons mentioned. So I guess if you don’t own a Crüe album and you think you need one in your collection, then this is as good a place as any to start.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION – BCCIV

July 17, 2021 /

This is the album that brought them back together, after Glen threw his toys away when Joe wouldn’t make BCC his priority band. Would you if you had a super successful solo career? Nope, and neither would I! Kevin Shirley always said he would have loved to have produced Zeppelin, and I guess this is as close as he will get. Except, this is Zeppelin with keyboards and a better singer.

Opening track, Collide, is Joe trying his best Jimmy Page impression – even the tone is super close – and Jason’s drum sound is so close to his dad’s. Over My Head feels like a song that would be on a Hughes solo album with a slight funky undertone. The Last Song For My Resting Place starts with Jo Bo on lead vocal, and sounds as though it’s his solo album. I’m not sure why there is a Keyboardist to be honest, as they just use him as strings substitute in the most part. Sway shows this perfectly, again, we have that big rock sound with the funky undertone – and the keys seem to be an after thought. Sons Of Apollo is next and that’s how you use Derek Sherinian.

Now, you may be getting the impression that I don’t like this album. But that’s wrong – I do – it’s just that I think this project may have run it’s course. I don’t think they have an identity of their own, and they just sound as though they are paying homage to what’s gone before. However, Glenn is an unbelievable vocalist, and Joe is a killer guitarist, and both Jason and Derek are at the top of their games also. They could have mixed the old with the new and come up with something of their own. The production is great and delivers that stripped back old late seventies classic rock sound that Shirley is so good at.

I think the first album is the best and this gets 8/10 from The Grooveman.

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