THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl records (Page 233 of 491)

STEVE VAI – Passion And Warfare

November 26, 2022 /

This is Steve’s second proper solo album, released back in 1990 and this is the MOV numbered edition of which mine is number twenty nine. I think that’s the lowest number of any of the MOV’s I have. I’m a big fan of Steve and I loved him with DLR. This is head and shoulders my favourite Steve Vai album. After this he started to get a little weird and the songs started to disappear somewhat.

There is not a bad second on this album, it’s sheer guitar god heaven. You will not hear guitar played with as much feel as on For The Love Of God. If there was a template for “how to be awesome at guitar” then just play anyone this piece. There are all sorts of delights on this masterpiece. The killer groove of Animal with Steve’s incendiary notes flying in all directions, for example. The Audience Is Listening is just incredible and is my favourite track, for today at least. The riff and groove on it are freakin awesome and sooooo many notes. If you want a bit of normality there is I Would Love To, which could have been right off of the DLR Skyscraper album. This is most definitely Steve at his best. Every home should have one.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

THE HANDSOME BEASTS – Beastiality

November 25, 2022 /

The NWOBHM movement threw up a whole host of wannabe bands that saw an opportunity to further their careers by attaching themselves to it. I always thought The Handsome Beasts were a bit of a joke, and the cover of this their first album did nothing to change my mind as it features frontman Gary Dalway attempting to have relations with a pig. Yup, they didn’t have the best image that’s for sure.

The tunes are mostly heavy blues workouts with very sparse production, and yet they do have a somewhat endearing quality to them. I look back fondly on this period of music in the UK as it was a fun time to be around with new bands appearing constantly. Breaker is my favourite track of the bunch. It’s the one track that feels like a NWOBHM tune with attitude alone. I think they are back doing the rounds and good luck to them.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

CINDERELLA – Live At The Key Club

November 25, 2022 /

This album was originally released on CD in ’99 and it contained fourteen tracks, whereas this version has been shrunk to fit on a single record with only ten tracks. You basically get the beginning and the end.

“No overdubs to fix the rubs” is proudly displayed on the back cover. It is a warts and all performance and that’s how it should be. No songs played from Still Climbing, they are just concentrating on what they do best. Great versions of The More Things Change, Push Push, Somebody Save Me, and my favourite, Shake Me. They always were a great live band and this is a pretty good recording captured in a hot and sweaty club.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

THE SCREAM – Let It Scream

November 24, 2022 /

I really like the album John Corabi recorded with Motley Crue, and let’s face it he was a serious upgrade on Vince. But, the fans have an image of what a band is and when the money and ticket sales start to drop, it was bring back Vince time. This band had all the elements to be huge. A killer vocalist in John, half of Racer X in Bruce Bouillet and John Alderete, and Walt Woodward from Shark Island. Yet, this is the only album they made other than one stuck in the vaults. To break a band like this in ’91 was a very tough thing to do. So, like many others they didn’t last long. It’s very LA sounding with hints of Cinderella at times, it’s a fun album.

Outlaw is a killer opening track with a great opening riff and a very sleazy vibe. Man In The Moon has an old school heavy blues vibe and feel. Give It Up is LA Glam pure and simple, a dirty rock n’ roll beast and it is my favourite tune on the album. A touch of the Stevie Wonders with the clarinet opening to Tell Me Why, and a slight heavy funk. Killer tune! Loves Got a Hold On Me should have been released as a single as it has a great hook and chorus. I Don’t Care, which closes out Side 3, is a superb example of dirty rock n’ roll sleaze, and Catch Me If You Can reminds me so much of early Aerosmith who were the grandaddies of the whole vibe. Five years earlier and I’m sure they would have been contenders but…

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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