THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl records (Page 163 of 491)

TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION – The Name Lives On

July 1, 2023 /

So this is album number seven for these whiskey soaked Texans. They put the groove and swing into their hard rockin’ metal anthems. Album number seven and I’m guessing not many people have heard of them. Still led by frontman and wailer Big Daddy Rich, they sound as huge and heavy as they ever have. This is thanks in part to a great production by Bob Marlette.

The album opens up with the fat heavy groover Hell Hounds, where the riffs are heavy and Big Dady is giving his all. I Come From The Dirt is a similar groove with a great guitar sound. Built For The Road has a hint of country mixed into an AC/DC simple rocker chord pattern. Scream is up next and that riff and groove will get you up and bouncing. Dirty rock n’ roll at its best! Hard Habit closes out Side 1. A slow pounding rocker with a killer hook and chorus.

Believe opens up Side 2 and a very similar track to Hard Habit. Both written by Bob Marlette with a more commercial edge. License To Kill follows and it’s another huge sounding, slow paced rocker. Keep My Name Out Of Your Mouth starts like something Pantera would write. It has a great guitar sound and my favourite track. If you want to know how that huge voice sounds on a ballad then I Teach Angels How To Fly will answer that question. Pretty freakin’ awesome is the answer! The Name Lives On closes out the album in fine southern outlaw style. 

Great album with great production.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

BONHAM – Mad Hatter

July 1, 2023 /

This is album number two for Bonham. It was released in ’92, three years after the band’s debut (The Disregard Of Timekeeping) and would also be their swan song. It has a different feel to the debut album, with the band going for a more groovy hybrid Zeppelin sound after the melodic rock of the first. I like this style more to be honest, but I guess the record buying public didn’t agree as it didn’t sell too well.

Opener Bing is Zeppelin 101, with Macmaster giving it the full Robert Plant. The title track follows and there is more of a heavy Aerosmith vibe with a great swing to the song. The slow brooding Change Of Season follows and its power ballad time complete with strings n’ things. Cool groove at the intro to Hold On with the drums and guitar seemingly playing in different time. Great vocal! The Storm closes out Side 1 and this feels like a Zeppelin re-write. I’m not dissing the song as it’s really cool, but the sound is so close.

Side 2 opens with my favourite track Ride On A Dream. A killer riff and groove, and Ian Hatton is superb on guitar. Good With The Bad has a really chill jazzy intro and veers into Prog territory as it builds and builds. Awesome solo! Great bluesy intro to Backdoor and the main song has just that hint of funk to give it that swing. Back to that heavy Zeppelin slow pounding groove with Secrets. Los Locos is an instrumental ballad with Ian Hatton giving it the beans on guitar. Squeezing the tracks in on Side 2 as we reach the sixth and final tune Chimera. It feels as though this should have been in the first album as the vibe is almost Toto.

I think it just beats album #1.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

LORDS OF BLACK – Icons Of The New Days

June 30, 2023 /

This is the Spanish band’s third album, released in 2018. Now, I’m sure most of you may be unfamiliar with Lords of Black but you may know of the vocalist, who fronted the last version of Rainbow that Ritchie Blackmore put together. You can see why Ritchie picked him as he has that Dio tone to his voice.

Before we get into it, I have to say this is one of the best sounding Frontiers pressings I have heard; very clear and crisp. If power metal is your thing, then this should be right up your alley.

World Gone Mad is a song in three parts that opens up the proceedings. Ronnie’s voice is so powerful and a sense of the dramatic is ever present, not only in this tune but throughout the album. Icons Of The New Day emphasizes that point perfectly, and coupled with a nice fat riff from guitarist Tony Hernandez makes this a great tune. Not In A Place Like This opens up with some beastly double kicks and a very heavy staccato riff, and the vocal melody just sits nicely over the top.

A very speedy riff and groove open up Side 2 with When A Hero Takes A Fall. I love the dual guitar sound and that fat sounding guitar on the main chords. Forevermore just sounds like an extension of the previous track as the groove and riffs are very familiar at the intro. A nice change in pace and feel flows into the intro of The Way I’ll Remember. A main riff that’s more at home in a melodic rock band like Dokken. Fallin’ ends the first disc and the eye and ear is on the vocal melody as this is the most commercial sounding track yet.

Kings Reborn opens up Side 3 and that slow pounding riff and groove sound so familiar. That main riff is huge and epic though. Back to the big chugga riffing on Long Way To Go and it’s a very infectious song. As I have said many times, sometimes simple is best and that’s definitely the case here. The Edge Of Darkness again brings the chugga’s with a much heavier vibe. Massive riffage and double kicks all the away with Wait No Prayers For The Dying; definitely my favourite track. Lots of energy and heavy groove with this one, and you could swear Dio was singing in there. The album closes out with All I Have Left, the epic of the album. At 11:32 it’s the longest song and delivers big time with a very slow ballad intro then it just grows and grows.

A great sounding and very enjoyable record.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

TRIUMPH – Stages

June 30, 2023 /

Here we have a Triumph live album that has been coupled together over many shows from three separate tours between 1981-85. Now, I have seen Triumph a number of times and they always deliver a great show but when Gil sings there is a definite lack of focal point, with them only being a three piece.

I have to say, this is great selection of songs and you forget what an amazing player Rik Emmett is. He definitely was my focal point and I loved Triumph for what he brought to the band. It’s hard to pick a favourite here as there are so many great performances, but I really love the version of Never Surrender. Rik’s solo is very fiery and Rock N’ Roll Machine was always one of the tracks I loved to play. (What is it with Canada and trios?)

It’s not a proper live album as such, it’s more of a live greatest hits but nevertheless very entertaining.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

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