THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl community (Page 213 of 493)

SHY – Brave The Storm

January 25, 2023 /

Shy were originally known as Trojan, where they played a more hard edge rock before they changed their name and style. After seeing the success of bands like Journey and Foreigner, there were a lot of bands that changed their own sound to accommodate the more melodic aspects of rock. Shy were one of the UK’s more successful rock acts who followed that path.

Lead by the amazing vocal talents of Tony Mills, who had an unreal range hitting notes that no one else could, they had a brief time in the limelight. The first three albums (of which this is the second) were their best attempts. The single Hold Onto Your Love opens up the album, but it wasn’t allowed to chart as it had a T-shirt shrink wrapped with it and was disqualified.

My Apollo is pure keyboard aor nirvana, and Tony’s voice just soars above the song. Of course the ballad is king in aor circles and Reflections is just a run of the mill tune, some of the harmonies don’t quite work for me. Keep The Fires Burning  is an uptempo aor groover with a nice hook and chorus, and Mills’ high notes are incredible. Side 1 closes out with The Hunter. A simple riff, but the layered vocals on this track are a bit too much. Sometimes less is more.

The title track kicks off Side 2 and the intro could have been any New Romantic pop band of the time, it’s only the hook and chorus that bring them back to rock territory. Wild Wild Woman is a very American rock radio-style tune and there is a lot going on musically compared to the rest of the album. Caught In The Act follows and it’s a very west coast sounding, laid back tune. The album closes out with Was I Wrong. They say save the best till’ last, and they certainly did here. It’s definitely my favourite track as it’s a whole league above any of the other tracks here. Great hook, groove, and Mills’ voice is perfect on this tune.

Looking back now after all these years, it’s easy to see why they never made the big time. There is only one really good track here, and you have to have great songs to break through.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

STEELY DAN – Everything Must Go

January 24, 2023 /

It seems people either love or hate Steely Dan. I’m a hard rock and metal guy, but I love Steely Dan. Their production values are off the charts, and I defy anyone to tell me that these albums aren’t some of best sonically amazing albums ever recorded. The band split in ’81 and reunited in ’93.

This is their last album, recorded in 2003, it was released on vinyl as part of RSD. The album before this, Two Against Nature was a killer funky monster, and this album still has that groove but leaning more towards a smooth jazz sound. My favourite track is Godwhacker. I love the snappy snare that drives the song along, plus Walters’ funky guitar that just sits underneath is so cool. A really great sounding album that sounds even better when played loud.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

Various Artists – US Metal Vol. 3

January 24, 2023 /

This is the third in the US Metal series put out by Mike Varney and Shrapnel records to support underground metal bands and guitar heroes. Basically doing what the Metal For Muthas albums did in the UK.

First up is Violation and Paul Harris on guitar with Gonna Get To You. It is not a bad track for the time, and the guitar playing is straight up no frills. Wild Dogs and Jeff Mark on guitar are next with Never Gonna Stop. They have been taking notes from Iron Maiden, not a bad song and the guitar solo is not too bad either. Now we have Mixed Blessing with the dual guitars of Pete Zizzo and Lucas Janklow and Kill Or Be Killed. This sounds like it’s the first song they ever wrote and the guitar is pretty wild sounding. Next up is Hawaii and Marty Friedman on guitar with Secret Of The Stars. We have gone up 10 divisions here. The song is great and the playing is top drawer. Side 1 closes out with the Steve Richards’ Band playing Saved For The Fight. A killer fast blues with some great guitar playing.

Over to side 2 we go and some familiar names, starting with The Rods and Hot City, the difference in class stands out a mile. A slow heavy groover with some great guitar, plus it gets my vote as favourite tune. Derek Frigo is up next with Powerplay, and I’m sure Enuff Z Nuff fans will be familiar with Derek, but maybe not his guitar histrionics. He gives it the full on EVH homage here with this instrumental. Vicious Rumours and Jeff Thorpe follow with Ultimate Death, the song is just okay but as you would expect, the guitar playing is on the money. The penultimate track is Flaming Metal Systems by Manila Road featuring Mark Shelton on guitar. The vibe of the song is NWOBHM and Mr. Shelton can certainly play. The last track is We Live For Rock by Gilles/Marino Assault with Bob Gilles spanking the plank. This would be my second choice as fave, as the song is really cool and Bob’s a great player.

These albums prove invaluable as social documents, keeping a record of musical trends of the period.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

WHITE LION – Mane Attraction

January 23, 2023 /

This was White Lion’s fourth and final album, and yes I’m aware that there was an album put out under the band’s name in 2008, but basically that is a Mike Tramp solo album. They shone bright for nearly ten years and then they were gone like most of the melodic bands of the period. This album is often overlooked as it didn’t have the hit singles, but this is a killer record.

We open up with Lights And Thunder and Vito Bratta is ripping his guitar a new one at the intro. The song kicks ass with a killer riff and groove and a much harder edge to the sound. Broken Heart is the one song I do remember being released as a single, in the UK at least, and it has that typical mid-eighties sound with the big hook and chorus, and that solo is beautiful. Leave Me One carries on with that harder edge with an almost funky groove. Its riff is dirty and mean, plus the solo is wild, it’s my favourite track. Love Don’t Come Easy (I think) was also a single, and IMHO it’s the weakest song on the album, by ’91 I was all ballad-ed out. Side 1 closes out with You’re All I Need and it’s another ballad…

Side 2 opens up with Warsong, and this is what the whole album should have been like. A pounding beat and groove with Vito giving it the beans on the guitar, simple but fun and that middle section smokes. It’s Over follows and this should have been a single. The hook, chorus, and melody cry out for radio play. Till Death Us Do Part is yet another ballad, admittedly with a bit of crunch. The rock returns with Out With The Boys, a typical White Lion tune: big riff, catchy hook and chorus. The album closes out with Farewell To You, a lighters in the air big power ballad.

So, way too many ballads. The rockin’ songs are freakin’ awesome, and with what was happening around them (regarding the whole grunge thing), that should have been the way to go.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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