THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl community (Page 236 of 493)

DOKKEN – Long Way Home

November 21, 2022 /

You have to admit Dokken make consistently good records, even in the dark days of grunge and beyond. This album came out in 2002 with only two original members: Don and Mick Brown. They are joined by Barry Sparks on bass and Europe’s John Norum on guitar.

I’m a huge George Lynch fan, and if you’ve read any of my reviews with George’s involvement you know I go overboard a bit. I’m also a big John Norum fan, and when I heard he joined up with the band I was very interested to see what great sounds he would make.

Well, the first track Sunless Days is a stone cold classic and easily my favourite track. A killer dropped down riff from Norum drives the song along. It has a great groove, and the melody and hook are top drawer. Little Girl is a different beast altogether with the emphasis on the melody and chorus. Everybody Needs To Be With Someone starts with a messed up Paperback Writer riff and then it’s all about the hook and chorusm, with an added tasty solo from John. You follows, and the main riff and intro harmony reminds me of KingsX. In fact, the whole song has that X vibe (not a bad thing may I add) – killer snappy solo as well. Side 1 closes out with Goodbye My Friend and yup, it’s ballad time.

Over to Side 2 and Magic Road. A great old school fuzzed riff with drop d groove and a killer solo. There Was A Time is ballad number two, and it sounds very Eurovision Song Contest. Heart Full Of Soul’s main riff will be very familiar to you. Maybe I should hold a competition? Under The Gun is a classic uptempo Dokken rocker with the chuggas driving the song along. The album close out with ballad number three, I’ve Found. Too many ballads don’ old chap.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

THE CULT – Dreamtime

November 19, 2022 /

Long before The Cult were the big rock behemoth they are today, they were the new waves’ big new heroes. “The Cult” was a shortened name from Death Cult, and Southern Death Cult before that. Frilly shirts and haircuts were new fashions that were a big thing at the time, and The Cult were in the middle of that even though the music was different.

Go West has that big new wave sound with odd drum beats and jangly guitars. Spiritwalker upped that vibe by 10. A killer tune, great vocals, and I love the guitar sound. 83rd Dream has a huge goth vibe to the intro, and the whole song is very post punk. Butterflies is an epic moody tune with a killer vocal from Ian Astbury. Bad Medicine Waltz closes out Side 1 with a very blues based tune. Including a slow picked guitar and pedestrian beat.

Horse Nation is a song from the Death Cult phase, and it opens up side 2. It’s the oldest track on the album. You get a glimpse into the future with this song as that big rock groove is developing. A Flower In The Desert follows with the big jangly guitar goth vibes at the front just below Astbury’s vocal. Dreamtime is up next. I love the guitar sound and groove. A very simple hook and chorus. Rider In The Snow is my favourite track on the record. Love the vocal, and when the song breaks into the hook and chorus it gets me every time. The album close out with Gimmick and the intro feels like a spaghetti western. There are also parts of this song that are very Prog. I like this album a lot and it’s cool to see how much they have changed.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

HAWKWIND – Space Ritual

November 19, 2022 /

Well the randomizer has spookily picked this one for me to review just after the death of Nik Turner, an early influential member of the band. Hawkwind are quite an odd band to categorize as they have flowed though many genres and influences throughout their long career. This album was recorded at Brixton and London way back in ’72 when Lemmy was still a member, and you can hear that very percussive style throughout the album.

As a side note, I vaguely remember spending a weekend in the Pennines somewhere as Hawkwind entertained us, emphasis on the word vaguely. It was definitely an experience seeing the band around this time as the projections and dancers were all part of the vibe with repetitive music and out of this world lyrics. There was a weird aura about the band that’s for sure. You have to listen to this in a very dimly lit room with candles and incense burning to create the vibe. It’s very hard to pick a favourite as this album all comes together as a whole, but the space rock vibes of Born To Go edge it.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

BRITNY FOX – Bite Down Hard

November 18, 2022 /

Big thanks to the people at Real Gone Music for this very striking vinyl reissue. But, where’s the quality control with the cover and wrong track listing? Tut tut!

This is the band’s third release, and the first with Tommy Paris on vocals after the departure of a dizzy Dean Davidson to form Blackeyed Susan. We are off to a killer start with Six Gins Loaded, an uptempo blast with a killer groove and riff, as well as some epic guitar from guest Zakk Wylde. It’s my favourite track. Louder slows things down a tad with a very dirty simple riff, as well as a hook and a chorus to die for. Very catchy indeed! Liar starts with a very country-style acoustic before the main riff, which is a very sleazy barroom groove. Great drum sound! Closer To Your Love is pure LA glam complete with the huge sounding simple riff and the sing-a-long chorus. We close out Side 1 with Over And Out, and it’s big ballad time.

Shot From My Gun opens up Side 2 and it’s glam overload. Again, a very simple riff, catchy groove, and cheesy sing-a-long chorus is all you need. It’s anthem time with Black And White. It has a football chant-style chorus. Look My Way is my least favourite on the album. I know a lot of people like these soppy ballads with balls type tunes, but they just don’t do it for me. Back to the sleazy glam with Lonely To Long, a killer groove and AC/DC riff. The album closes out with Midnight Moses, a cover of the Alex Harvey song, and other than the heavier guitar it’s a fair cover of the classic original. I think I like this album is the best of all their releases.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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