THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl of the day (Page 62 of 450)

GIRL – Wasted Youth

February 10, 2024 /

This was Girls’ second and last album, released back in ’81. After this, Phil Collen would go on to join Def Leppard and Phil Lewis would join LA Guns. I loved their first album, but when I first heard this I wasn’t too taken with it. I think that’s because the band were trying different styles and grooves, and in the UK in ’81 that was not the order of business.  

The album kicks off in fine style with Thru The Twilight, a great uptempo groover that carries on from the first record. Then you get Old Dogs which is essentially a rock-reggae tune. Then Ice In The Blood follows, which has more in common with Sly Stone than NWOBHM. There are also Faces-style tunes like Nice N’ Nasty which is a bit all over the place style-wise and not too focused, which may be its main problem. My favourite track is the already mentioned, Thru The Twilight.

It’s not a bad album and it’s an interesting listen all these years later.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

THE B52’s – S/T

February 10, 2024 /

I think the first time I heard the B52’s was in a clip on the Old Grey Whistle Test. This was back in ’79, the fall over from punk was still in place and we all thought they were part of that movement. If you listen, you can hear the surf rock influence with a punk attitude but with added 50’s sci-fi B- movie schtick. The UK had something similar with the Rezillos, but they were way more comic book. What set these guys apart from the other punk bands was the killer production from Island Records’ boss Chris Blackwell.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 45 years, I’m sure that most people will have heard at least Rock Lobster from this record, as it’s now ingrained in pop culture. This was and is such a fun record to listen to and they had such a great sense of humour with it. I’m going to pick one of the lesser known tracks as my favourite: 6060-842. Such an off the wall track that just rings my bell. The guitar riff that repeats over and over is so cool and it sounds superb.

I don’t care for much else the band did after this. It’s definitely a time and place album for me.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

WASP – Helldorado

February 6, 2024 /

The one thing about Wasp is that they have continued to put out albums when all others fell by the wayside. Sure, there have been a few hiccups and line up changes along the way but Blackie is still fronting the machine. This was album number eight and was originally released in ’99, which was past their prime years but nevertheless it is still a solid hard rockin’ record.

This is a reissue through the Madfish label and the mix isn’t the best if I’m honest, especially the drums. They sound a tad muffled, like they are coming from the next room. As well as Blackie, OG member Chris Holmes was still in the band at this point, although he would depart after the next release. Out of the ten tracks on offer here my favourites are Damnation Angels, Can’t Die Tonight, and Saturday Night Cock Fight. All of which are good enough to be classed as prime WASP tunes.

Once you get behind the shock rock gimmicks of blood and cheese graters, Blackie is not bad at writing a good tune.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

THE BITES – SQUEEZE

February 6, 2024 /

I’ve mentioned quite a lot that sometimes music is just meant to entertain and not change the world. Well, this is just one of those albums and The Bites are one of those bands.

They are equal parts AC/DC, Sunset Strip Glam, and a huge injection of rock ‘n roll attitude. The Bites are here to inject some fun back into a jaded music scene. Well, if the idea of this album was to transport you back with a wave of nostalgia then they have succeeded big time.

I love this album because it reminds of those Friday nights where it was time to head out have a good time with some good tunes. It’s just a great, fun listen. My favourite track is the opener Knockin’ On The Door as it just sets the tone for the whole album. It’s a fun, kick ass rock n’ roll tune which is basically what the whole album is.

If you are missing those late eighties vibes then you need to get The Bites in your life.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Archives

© 2024 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑