THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: tin machine

TIN MACHINE – s/t

July 19, 2022 /

Apparently Bowie put this band together to play the type of music he enjoyed listening to, and he said it revitalized his career. This album and the band were all about Reeves Gabrels, who I was totally unaware of before this and he is the star of the Tin Machine project.

Heavens In Here is a wickedly grooved up blues romp, with Reeves ripping it up, and Bowie just being Bowie; this is by far my favourite track on the album The title track is just a very weird sounding rockabilly romp. Prisoner of Love is more like a tune from Bowie’s Ziggy era. They obviously all like Velvet Underground, as this is very Lou Reed. I Can’t Read is a bit of a mess sonically, and they are just trying to be weird. Under The God is an old school rock n’ roll riff, with a punk rock vibe. Amazing has a very west coast vibe mixed with Bowie’s Low period. Working Class Hero flows, and is that Bowie being autobiographical? Bus Stop sees the return of Bowie’s flirtation with R’n’B beats, with a punk vibe. Pretty Thing I just don’t like, as it doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Video Crimes is all weird noises and attitude. Baby Can Dance closes out the album, and it’s a bit of a mess. Tin Machine 2 is a much better album, and is way ahead of this record.

6/10 from The Grooveman.

TIN MACHINE – II

February 9, 2021 /

This is the MOV reissue of Tin Machine’s second album from ’91. I love MOV reissues as the quality is top drawer – both with the sound and the packaging. I happen to think that the Tin Machine project is his best material since the Ziggy Stardust days. I also think it’s more than a coincidence that Bowie is trading off with a killer guitar player. The great Mick Ronson back in the day, and the amazing Reeves Gabrels. The other members of the band are the Sales brothers, Hunt and Tony, who make a great rhythm section.

Baby Universal gets things going nicely – a great song that was left over from the first album with a catchy chorus and some great playing from Gabrels. Next up is One Shot, which starts with some phased guitar, and another great vocal from Bowie. One thing is very noticeable – after the first two songs, this album is a lot more accessible than the first Tin Machine album. You Belong In Rock And Roll is next, with its almost Public Image intro and vibe. This single was the highest chart position for the band, and a really cool song. On to If There is Something, with it’s up tempo groove and some classic weirdness from Reeves – it has a 50’s rock n roll vibe. The chill out, Amlapura, starts with some nice guitar and settles in to a slow chill out tune. Side close out track, Betty Wrong, is another killer tune with a great melody and groove.

Side 2 kicks in with You Can’t Talk. It has a killer intro and a fast spoken vocal, and is very much of the period – again some more stunning guitar. The longest track on the album, Stateside, follows with its bluesy swagger and gives a chance to play this sax. A Big Hurt rolls on in next and is probably the heaviest track on the album with a nod back to the glam days. Next track, Sorry, is probably the weakest song on the album and maybe should have just been left as a B Side. Goodbye Mr. Ed finishes things off with its Cure feel.

And that would be that – Tin Machine was no more. I guess Bowie thought they could not take it anywhere else. A good album and a lot better than some of the material that was put out in his own name.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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