THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl of the day (Page 60 of 450)

BLUE OYSTER CULT – Some Enchanted Evening

February 20, 2024 /

I’m a huge fan of Blue Oyster Cult, especially the early albums. And, the live album On Your Feet Or On Your Knees is one of the best and is a very under appreciated album, I love the rawness of it.

I really like the fact that this album opens with one of my favourite BOC tunes, Dominance And Submission, it’s one of four early tracks represented on this set. In fact, Cites On Flame rips in straight after it with that oh so cool riff. Godzilla is a classic that has been covered by many but it’s the original that’s the best, and there is plenty of room for audience participation. Burning For You is such a good song, it’s from my favourite later period album Fire Of Unknown Origin.

On Your Feet is still my favourite BOC album, but this is close because it still has that raw live feel.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

LYNCH MOB – Babylon

February 20, 2024 /

George has recently announced that Lynch Mob’s current tour will be the last, and their final gig ever will be on the Monsters of Rock cruise in 2025. This is very sad indeed as George is the last of the Pasadena hot shots. I love his style and I hope he will continue to record music as life without some George to look forward to is not a happy thought. Enough of the sadness, let’s get into the grooves of Babylon.

The opening track, Erase, is stellar. George plays a superb riff that sounds freaking awesome, and I don’t mind Gabriel Colon’s vocals either as it’s a perfect fit for the music. I’m Ready has a riff and guitar sound very reminiscent of VH’s Panama but the beat and groove are quite different, and I love the hook and chorus. How U Fall is a hi octane, double kick pounding, beast with a vocal more in common with Iron Maiden than Lynch Mob. Great track! Million Miles Away is a slow brooding monster with a killer George solo. My favourite tune is the longest tune on the album, Babylon, mainly due to the fact that there is a lot of George soloing.

Not a bad album indeed, and highly enjoyable.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

MITCH MALLOY – The Last Song

February 19, 2024 /

This is the latest offering from Mr. Malloy who has been fronting Great White for the last four years. It’s a solo album in the truest sense, he plays all instruments as well as all vocals.

For those that do not know, when Sammy Hagar departed Van Halen Mitch auditioned and recorded a few demos with the band and one of those was It’s The Right Time, which was released by Mitch in 2015. Of course, Gary Cherone got the gig but I sometimes wonder how the band would have faired with Mitch on vocals.

So, what do we get for our money here then? Well, it’s what you would expect if you have heard any of Mitch’s previous solo work, and that’s very classy aor/melodic rock. There is a hint of the Bon Jovi vibes to his voice when he rocks it up, but when the clean tones take over in the softer moments Nashville springs to mind. It’s the rockier tracks that appeal to me the most, and opener I’m Living In Paradise is a great start to the album although the slower more dramatic groove to My Pleasure makes it my favourite track on the album.

This is Mitch at his best. Annoyingly, he still looks as youthful as ever and it’s good to see him putting out good records.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

THE DEFIANTS – Drive

February 17, 2024 /

I’m very wary of Frontiers’ project bands as a lot of them are very hit and miss, they just churn out the same generic sound.  But, when three ex members of Danger Danger come together, then you have to pay attention.

This is album number three from The Defiants and I’m pleased to announce that it’s a very good record indeed, and all but one of the songs have been written by Paul and Bruno. Be prepared to sing along when you least expect it as these song just get stuck in your head. The big hook and chorus is king here as every song is so infectious you would be forgiven for thinking this was 1986.

I’m all for progression in music but just because somebody decrees that your music is no longer fashionable, it doesn’t make it bad music. Thankfully some melodic rock artists kept banging away, so we can still have great records like this today.

There are so many good songs here it’s hard to pick a favourite, but I’m going for the album opener Hey Life. It sets the tone perfectly with a killer riff and groove, and massive sing-a-long hook and chorus. Honourable mentions go to Against The Grain and A Night To Remember, which are both equally as good songs.

If you love 80’s melodic rock and are looking for something to cure that itch then you should really empty the wallet for this beauty.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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