THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 407 of 493)

GRETA VAN FLEET – The Battle At Gardens Gate

July 23, 2021 /

Depending on what you read, Greta Van Fleet are either the saviours of classic rock, or Led Zep copyists. The first couple of releases I would say they were definitely copying Zeppelin, as the vocalist was altering his voice to sound like Robert Plant – hence the voice problems he was having. His normal style is naturally a cross between Geddy Lee and Plant himself. But with this album, they have consciously changed direction slightly and it feels totally natural – and for the first time, I’m really liking what I hear.

From what I can gather reading the lyrics, it’s a loose concept piece based around ancient civilizations and loose biblical references. They still have that classic late seventies sound, but with a killer modern production. The Zep references will never disappear, but now instead of copying them, they be an influence. There is no doubt that Joshua Kiszka has an amazing set of pipes, and he seems to be stretching himself more this time out. In fact, the whole band seem to be out to prove something as the whole album is killer – and is highly recommended by me! Highlights are (and there are many): Broken Bells, Age Of Machine, and The Barbarians – but these are just my picks, I’m sure there is enough variation here to appeal to everyone. Well done Greta Van Fleet for proving me wrong.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

SAVOY BROWN – Looking In

July 23, 2021 /

This is quite a pivotal album in the life of Savoy Brown. After the release and gigs for this album, all of the band (apart from founder and leader Kim Simmons) would leave the band to form Foghat. Foghat would have huge success in the States, and Savoy Brown would soldier on and release a stack of albums, but eventually disappeared from the musical map. The band were part of the late sixties blues boom that would come out of the UK. This album draws heavily from what the Rolling Stones we’re doing at the time with Sticky Fingers and Exile. It’s a shame that the band would fall apart after this, as Simmons had found a great guitarist/vocalist and songwriting partner in Lonesome Dave Peverett.

IMHO, this album is the best the band put out. My personal favourite tracks are the blues/jazz instrumental of Sunday Night, which is very of its time but still sounds great, and Leaving Again, which would be the direction Foghat would head down after the split. If you like the blues rock boom bands, then give this one a listen.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

BIG BIG TRAIN – The Second Brightest Star

July 22, 2021 /

The new darlings of the Prog brigade, well, at least to those who like their Prog in a more traditional way. The old Prog fans are not very open minded to experiment within their beloved genre, so band’s that give a nod to Genesis, Yes and Caravan, always get maximum love. To me, Big Big Train’s early albums were paying maximum homage to those bands, and over time (and line up changes), they have expanded their sound and changed somewhat. Don’t panic, it’s still very Prog, but there is a very classic rock and folk quality to proceedings now.

If this band has passed you by, then you maybe amazed to know this is their 11th studio album. The instrumentation and writing is second to none, and the production is crystal clear, which is so important for music like this. This album is a mix of new songs and old reworked material from Folklore and Grimspound, which take up Side 3 and 4. This is a traditional Prog fans wet dream. So if you are a lover of early seventies Prog, then you will love this.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

FLESH & BLOOD – Dead, White & Blue

July 22, 2021 /

These guys are a very odd little band that had to jump through hoops to even get this released – thanks to The White House. This album was actually released in ’88 under the band name Dear Mr. President, and apparently The White House didn’t like that very much and actually bought the rights to the band name – so the album disappeared from sight. Cue the name change! Then they reissued the album with this title, but cut two tracks. Only in America eh!

Looking at the image of the band from the picture on the back of the album, you would be forgiven for thinking that they were your typical sleaze late eighties glam band, but that is not the case. They are a cross between a late eighties indie band, and an aor/melodic rock band – certain songs even remind me of the Aussie band Midnight Oil.

Opening track, Fate, would have you thinking that maybe it’s the Cure or even U2. Hey Daddy Have You Ever Been Arrested is a really good track, and a great balance between rock and indie. They take quite an original approach that I really like. Side 2 opener, Fred Astaire, sounds like Trent Rezner fronting some early eighties back with frilly shirts and haircuts, with a Michael Jackson drum track. It sounds weird, but it works really well. Fatal Desire is closer to what you would expect, and has a big guitar riff to start and then the indie sounding chorus and melody kick in. I can see why they never really amounted to anything, as at this point in time, every band was pigeon holed. If a band were hard to categorize, it was a struggle as the labels were not sure how to market them. A very odd record but an enjoyable one all the same.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

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