THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 435 of 486)

OZRIC TENTACLES – Strangeitude

April 25, 2021 /

These guys are one of the most prolific bands around – having released over 30 albums since their inception back in ’83. The first six albums were released on cassette only, so this album is the 3rd proper release in ’91. Musically, they are a very diverse band, ranging from the early fusion/psych, to prog/space rock, and then to more electronic/ambient/trance of their more modern releases. The only constant member throughout their career is founder/guitarist, Ed Wynne. A great player and one of the great unsung guitar heroes.

Opening track, White Rhino Tea, is a lesson in great British fusion. Great playing from all musicians with some serious grooves being put down. The Ed Wynne penned, Sploosh, is next and it has a very hypnotic trance like groove. Saucers starts with a classical guitar and then the keys kick in and we are in ambient groove heaven. If you want music to totally relax and groove to, then you should invest immediately.

Side 2 starts with the title track, Strangeitude, and it begins with a very middle eastern vibe until the stop start keyboards give way to more hypnotic grooves. A very trippy track that just makes you want to move. The middle eastern feel continues with Bizarre Bazaar, but this time the groove is heavier and faster with some fantastic guitar. I assume Soft Machine, and Weather Report were influences of the band as I can hear the similarities. Last track, Space Between Your Ears, starts off dub/reggae style before we enter into the more chill out grooves. There is no other band like the Ozrics, and they consistently put out great instrumental records. Definitely one of the world’s best kept secrets, and I love them.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

SAIGON KICK – s/t

April 25, 2021 /

Saigon Kick are a very puzzling band. This was their first album and was released in ’91 – right at the height of all things grunge. There are a couple of tracks that have that slight feel to them, but overall, musically, they scream hair metal – or whatever you want to call it. There are melodies and harmonies in every song, which is about as anti-grunge as you can get. The album after this one, The Lizard, would be the one to score big for the band, as the top twenty song, Love Is On The Way, was on that record. This album is a lot more quirky. Tracks like, What Do You Do, sort of defy description. It has a spoken lyric with a heavy guitar, but it reminds me of Devo.

The opening two tracks, New World, and Want You Say, are really good tunes. The first great track is Suzy. It’s funky bass line and guitar leap out of the speakers – and Extreme spring to mind here. I think one of the things that make them hard to pigeonhole is the vocals of Matt Kramer. He has a very unusual timbre to his voice. Colours is the first normal rock style track, and it’s really good with a nice solo from Jason Bieler. The very heavy riff of Love Of God changes the vibe somewhat (this could almost be an Alice In Chains track), and has that new wave feel to the track. I love the picked chord progression and the chorus on this track. Down By The Ocean is the weirdest track on the album – it’s lyrically strange and disturbing. The shortest track on the album is Acid Rain, which has a fat riff and nursery rhyme style lyric. My Life follows, and is trying to hard to be Queen in their weirder moments – it is my least favourite on the record. Month Of Sundays could be a Megadeth riff and is the heaviest track on the album. Ugly has the sleaziest of riffs and sounds like it could be a song from an LA hair band. Come Take Me Now shows how great songwriters Matt Kramer and Jason Bieler can be when they put the weird to one side. ICU has a typical hair metal riff and is a really good song.

So as you can tell, musically they are all over the place. They would hone their skills and zone in for the next album. I do really like weird, and things here are a bit different from the norm, so this gets…

An 8/10 from The Grooveman.

BULLETBOYS – s/t

April 24, 2021 /

These guys were up against it right from the get go as they were being touted as the next Van Halen – and we all know boys and girls that that just isn’t happening. I get the similarities for sure, definitely with the image of the Dave Lee Roth wannabe in vocalist Marq Torien, but musically they were a lot different with a much simpler approach. I remember going to Nottingham Rock City to see them when they first came over, and they were good, but they only played for 48 minutes and see ya.

Hard As Rock gets things under way nicely – a good rockin’ tune and very blues based in structure. The not very subtle, Smooth Up In Ya, is next and is a typical hair rock anthem of the time. Owed To Joe follows and has that LA sleazy rock n roll vibe to it, and Torien shows what a powerful voice he has. Shoot The Preacher Down arrives and this is where they try to be VH – its very Hot For Teacher, but not a bad tune nonetheless. For The Love Of Money closes out Side 1 and is the weakest song so far.

Side 2 starts with the sleazy groove of Kissin Kitty, and you should be runnin’ to the wardrobe to unearth the spandex by now. The intro to Hell On My Heels reminds me of Kiss and it’s my least favourite track on the album. Crank Me Up is the out and out rocker on the album and is a great track. This should loosen up the dandruff. The super sleazy riff of Badlands is the intro to the penultimate track on the album, and is another great track – especially as they change the groove near the end. F#9 closes out the album and is the ultimate sleaze out rocker, lyrically as well as musically.

I know they are still going today, but they have fallen way down the food chain. The first three albums were the only ones that mattered, in fact, this is the best and the other two were very patchy. If someone was to release a best of, it would be killer, but they could never quite make a killer album. This is the one that came closest.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

JUDAS PRIEST – British Steel

April 24, 2021 /

Priest had been knocking on the door of the Premier League of Bands for two albums before this one was released, asthey were just missing that certain song to join the big leagues. With British Steel everything came together for them, as two non metal tunes, Breaking The Law, and Living After Midnight, would give the band the success they deserved. When you mention the term heavy metal, Priest are the first band to top your list. The twin guitar attack of KK and Glen, the solid rhythm section that holds that groove down, and the ultimate metal Front Man with Rob Halford – what a perfect band for this type of metal.

So we go straight into Rapid Fire, no intro, just boom!!! Keeping it simple and catchy with the riffs and the unforgettable chorus. Lesson number 1 in the “how to do metal” textbook. The anthemic, Metal Gods, is next – it was a crowd pleaser then, and it still is today. Breaking The Law follows and what can I say that hasn’t been said already? Yes, it’s cheesy as hell but it’s also a very memorable song – all the best ones are. Priest are the kings of the simple riff, and Grinder is the perfect example, along with United – another single from the album. With it’s football chant chorus – it was a sure fire winner. You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise is the somewhat forgotten track on the album/ Its surrounded by classics, and the band very rarely play it live, which is a shame as I really like it. Mega single number 2 is up next with Living After Midnight, it shows just how good Priest were at writing catchy pop songs. The oddest track on the album, The Rage, is next with its almost reggae beginning – seems a little out of place until the fat riff kicks in. The last track, Steeler, finishes the album on a high as it’s one of my favourite Priest tunes. It has a killer riff and groove, and when you get to the middle and end sections with the epic chugga riff and wild solo – I’m sold!

They were on a roll when they released this. The two previous albums, Killing Machine, Stained Class, and the three after this one Point Of Entry, Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders Of The Faith were platinum albums. This loses half a mark for United.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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