THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 464 of 493)

FOCUS – 3

March 1, 2021 /

Focus, the band that made yodelling fashionable thanks to barking mad band leader, Thijs Van Leer. Focus are another band from my youth, thanks to their singles Sylvia and Hocus Pocus. They both made the British charts and had had appearances on Top Of The Pops, where a very impressionable me was transfixed. Although Dutch natives, this was recorded in England at Olympic Studios in ’73. They have a very distinct sound that his theirs, and theirs alone, no one sounds like Focus.

As far as instrumental albums go, this is a very diverse album of styles. The album starts with a serious jazz/prog workout, which is mainly instrumental apart from a fairly inaudible vocal. Love Remembered is next and features Van Leer’s flute playing to the max. The aforementioned single, Sylvia, follows. The main groove of the song is Akkerman’s guitar, which plays what would be the vocal line. Side 1 ends with Carnival Fugue, and has the patented Focus jazz/prog vibe throughout- apart from the lounge lizard section.

Over to Side 2, which has just the two tracks. The title track, Focus 3, is a very slow piece that gives way to the Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! 14 minutes of prog instrumental heaven. A very seventies sounding piece, but I really like it. Just to say, vocals are the last thing I focus on when listening to a record for the first time. The music always comes first.

Over to Side 3 and the longest track, Anonymous 2 Part 1, which clocks in at 19 minutes. Lots of organ and flute playing start the piece off, and if I’m honest, is probably a tad over indulgent.

Over to Side 4 we go, and Anonymous 2 the conclusion, which is mostly a drum solo. Very weird. The last two songs are short(er) Ackerman pieces, Elspeth Of Nottingham and House Of The King. The first of which is a baroque folk mandolin driven piece. The last track was chosen as a theme song to an ITV programme called Don’t Ask Me, and Saxondale with Steve Coogan.

That’s that, and another great 70’s Prog album.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

STEVIE SALAS COLORCODE – s/t

March 1, 2021 /

At the time of its release in 1990, this was one of the best funk-metal albums of the new and exciting offshoot in the scene at the time. For some reason, that simply blows my mind, as this, and the Back From The Living album, are the only ones that are readily available outside of Japan. I saw him play at a small club/bar in Toronto called Stones Place, which was just a jam night, and it turned into one of the best gigs I have ever seen. Stevie wears his influences on his sleeve, mainly James Brown, Parliament, and Funkedelic. Bootsy has recorded a few albums with Stevie, and Stevie has guested on his.

The awesome, Stand Up, starts the album off with its heavy funk groove and sets the tone for the whole album. Blind is next, and is another killer tune. Caught In The Middle is a perfect piece of pop rock that should have been released as a single, but in typical Island fashion, they dropped that ball. Just Like That follows, and would not have been out of place on a Mellancamp album. Side closer, Two Bullets And A Gun, is another ripping tune and really grooves with some great playing by Stevie.

Side 2 starts with the best song on the album, The Harder They Come, and is a monster tune. Some serious funk-rock groovin’ going down. Over And Over Again is next, and the tempo seriously slows down with its Hendrix feel, and is as close to a ballad as Stevie gets. Baby Walk On has things heading back to funky town with its big sing along chorus. Indian Chief is another tune that has the Hendrix feel – not in a guitar-explosion way, but Jimi in his mellow moments. The album closes out with Cover Me, with a big fat riff and is more of a straight ahead rocker.

About the same time as this, Stevie was dating Sass Jordan. He helped out with her Rats album and his stamp is all over it. I really like this album, and would recommend this to anyone. There is a lot harder edge to the music here, compared to say, Dan Reed Network, who were a lot more commercial sounding.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

MAGNUM – Kingdom of Madness

February 27, 2021 /

The very British sounding, Magnum, have been hanging around since ’72. They started out as a progressive rock band, as this album testifies to. They were playing everywhere and anywhere for six years before they got to record this record. Kingdom Of Madness was first was released in ’78, and it wasn’t until ’82 when the British rock press started to take notice. Early reviews had singer Bob Catley being mentioned in the same breath as Freddie Mercury – so no pressure there then. They hardened up their sound with the second album, and the live album, Marauder, as they were released when NWOBHM hit and the band rode that wave for a while.

In The Beginning is really good rocking rune with that progressive edge – whereas Baby Rock Me is more of a straightforward rock tune. Universe and the title track are more what you would expect from Magnum later on in their career. Side 2 opener, All That Is Real, is a full on pop masterpiece and very reminiscent of Styx. The Bringer is another good tune and Catley’s voice is really strong. Invasion sounds a bit like an Iron Maiden gallop – before Maiden invented them. Lords of Chaos is the best song on the album, and does remind me of classic Uriah Heep. The whole thing ends with All Come Together, which again has that Heepish vibe.

Not a bad beginning to one of Britain’s best loved bands, which have always had a cult like following.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

STYX – Kilroy Was Here

February 27, 2021 /

This was the band’s 11th studio release, and the last of their huge selling albums. After the release, the tour, and promotion, the band disappeared for seven years. When the band first started out, they were a progressive/pop rock band, but by the time this album was released, they had changed the sound to a pop rock outfit with their eyes on the singles chart.

To emphasize that point the opening track, Mr. Roboto, was a huge hit for the band. The concept around the album was based around the censorship of music, and was aimed at the group Majority for Musical Morality – a right wing Christian group. After the strong opening of Mr Roboto, the very poppy Cold War is next, before the uber ballad Don’t Let It End, which was another huge smash. High Time closes out Side 1, and is another full on pop song. In fact, this band sounds nothing like the band that started out in ’72.

Side 2 begins with Heavy Metal Poisoning, a rather sanitized rocker. Just Get Through The Night is next, and it really should belong on Broadway as it’s more of a show tune. Double Life, and Haven’t We Been Here Before just trundle on by, and the last song is just a reprise of Don’t Let It End.

This album is a million miles away from Pieces Of Eight, which is a classic album. When the band returned, it was without Dennis De Young, and after this album I’m not surprised. Mr Roboto is the best song on the album in my opinion.

6/10 from The Grooveman.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Archives

© 2026 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑