THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: review (Page 2 of 408)

KEEL – S/T

April 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

This is album number four from Keel, released back in ’87 and the transformation to a hair band is all complete. The sound was lot more raw and aggressive with the Steeler album and the first Keel album Lay Down The Law, and I guess they wanted to appeal more to the MTV generation hence the more polished sound and radio friendly material.

In fact, the songs here are bordering on pop at times, especially Cherry Lane and Calm Before The Storm. The hard rockin’ chest beating anthems are in short supply on this record with King Of The Rock and my favourite 4th July – the only ones to get you enthused. The Michael Wagener production is quite weak and all the balls has been removed.

I guess Gene Simmons didn’t do a bad job for these anyway.

6/10 from The Grooveman.

WINGER – Seven

April 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Winger were always that little bit different to the rest of the melodic/hard rock community. They had that little bit of class and seemed to write more technically challenging songs while still keeping that core sense of melody and groove in place. This album is no different. It’s called Seven because well, it is their seventh album. It is another collection of very classy well written rockin’ tunes. I have to say it’s one of my favourite Winger albums from start to finish.

The lead off track Proud Desperado gets things going with a bang. Killer riff and groove played at high pace with a killer hook and melody. Heaven’s Falling is a track only Winger could write. Great groove and riff, and the vocal melody is superb. Tears Of Blood has a more traditional, heavy, simple chord riff but Kip’s vocals are awesome.

That’s Side 1 done and Resurrect Me leads off Side 2, another trademark Winger tune. The melody is so strong and the hook and chorus are huge. Voodoo Fire is a slower paced beast with an evil groove, but that vocal harmony and chorus are massive. Next up is Broken Glass and it’s ballad time. Great solo!

It’s Ok opens up Side 3 and normal service is resumed. I really like this one, the riff and groove are killer and I love the swing of the track. The heaviest song on the album is next with Stick The Knife In And Twist. This baby rolls along at a great pace with the customary huge hook and chorus with Reb ripping it on the guitar. One Light To Burn is my favourite tune. It’s got a very evil and sleazy main riff with a vocal to match with short bursts of killer geeetar!

We are onto Side 4 and Do Or Die. Another one of those Winger only tunes. Killer melody and riff with plenty of light and shade. Great tune! Time Bomb follows with a slow pounding groove and bass to match, it switches up very quickly and the vocal harmonies take over, with an added solo to die for. It All Comes Back Around closes out the record. A fitting end to a great record with an almost Prog vibe.

Well done Winger, a really fantastic album.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

POISON – Open Up And Say… Ahh!

April 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Poison certainly divide opinion that’s for sure. I was in the camp that derided them and thought they were all that’s bad about rock n’ roll. When you look a little closer, they maybe kept big rock alive as they were still filling out stadiums and were all over radio and MTV, whereas some of their contemporaries were falling by the wayside.

This album alone made them stars, it’s rammed full of hit tunes. Nothin’ But A Good Time, Look But You Can’t Touch, Fallen Angel, Your Mama Don’t Dance, and the huge all over the world track Every Rose Has It’s Thorn. They must have been doing something right as this album sold by the shed full. If you keep it simple with a chorus to remember, you can’t go wrong.

So yeah, I’ve come to appreciate the music they made and give credit where credits due.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

SWEET & LYNCH – Heart & Sacrifice

April 14, 2024 / / 0 Comments

If check out George’s discography you will be surprised at just how many albums he has put out on varying side projects, and with Dokken and Lynch Mob. This collaboration with Stryper’s Michael Sweet has now reached album number three and they are on a roll. The quality of tunes is so good it’s a shame they never got together a lot sooner. George has really got the taste for it on this record as his solos are killer and then riffs just keep on flowing.

Heart And Sacrifice opens up proceedings and this is one of the heaviest tunes thy pair have come up with. Double kicks all the way with max riffing from George, and Michael is giving it is all. Where I Have To Go is sooo good. I love the riff and the groove to this one with some great guitar this baby just swings along like a treat. Miracle has that so familiar Dokken feel and is the most commercial sounding song yet, and I bet Don wishes he had pipes like this.

Well, that’s Side 1 over with and Leaving It All Behind kicks off Side 2. A more laid back song and it’s George’s playing that carries this one along, plus the groove at the middle section is so cool.  You’ll Never Be Alone follows, the main riff is great and I really love the bass and vocal together where the guitar drops out in the verse. After All Is Said And Done is the inevitable power ballad which is okay but it’s the solo that lifts it. Give Up The Night brings back the tempo somewhat. The hook and chorus are cool but again, it’s the solo that steals the show.

Will It Ever Change brings the heavy drop tuned riffage to the intro and the hook, but the verse is more mellow and kinda cool. It’s A Time To Believe drives along at a ripping groove with probably the best hook and chorus on the album. Side 4 kicks off with Every Day, an uptempo rocker with a cool riff and solo. It Rains Again is the penultimate tune and the pace his high tempo, I love the groove and chorus. We close out the album with World Full Of Lies, and it’s a power ballad to finish.

I think this is maybe the best of the three albums Sweet & Lynch have done, George’s playing is super and I even forgive them for ending on the ballad.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Archives

© 2024 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑