THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl records (Page 243 of 491)

JIMMY PAGE – Outrider

November 3, 2022 /

I think I’m right in saying that Outrider is Mr Page’s only solo album. I know he has done different collaborations and guest spots, but I’m sure someone will let me know if I’m wrong.

The album kicks off with two tracks that have John Miles on vocals. Now, if you’re like me you will only know John from his hit song Music, and it’s a revelation to hear him belting out heavy blues rock. Wasting My Time and Wanna Make Love sound like Zeppelin tracks with those trademark Page riffs and Miles killer vocals. Writes Of Winter follows and is an instrumental piece with a really cool swing and groove. The Only One has Mr. Plant on vocals and is my favourite track on the album. A really busy riff and groove and it actually doesn’t sound like Zeppelin. Liquid Mercury closes out Side 1 and is another instrumental. The tune feels like some soundtrack to an American cop show.

Side 2 begins with Hummingbird, a slow blues ballad with Chris “Motorbiking” Farlowe on vocals. In fact, there is a big blues presence throughout Side 2. Emerald Eyes is another instrumental that again, feels like a soundtrack to some TV show and is the track I like the least. Prison Blues is a throwback to Page’s days gone by and his love of the blues wth Chris Farlowe again on vocals. The album closes out with Blues Anthem, a big power ballad with strings and everything. I really like Side 1 but Side 2 tales off quickly.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

BADLANDS – Voodoo Highway

November 2, 2022 /

I’ve had this about four months now and yes, it’s an unofficial one as I have given up hope of getting an OG without selling a body part. What a voice Ray Gillen had man, it’s so sad he was taken away so soon. The bluesy style of this band was perfect for him and there are not many rock singers out there that can touch him.

The band released two albums while they were going strong; this and the self-titled first album. Dusk, which was a selection of demos, was released after the band’s demise. This album is all about Ray, sure Jake rips it up a storm, but those vocals are immense.

The Last Time gets things under way with a killer dirty groove and what a superb vocal. Show Me The Way is all Ray, it gives me goosebumps listening to it now. Shine On is my favourite track on the album as both Jake and Ray give killer performances, and man what a dirty groove. Whiskey Dust has that old school blues vibe but with a very early seventies sound and feel. Joe’s Blues is just Jake and an acoustic. Soul Stealer blows out Side 1 and is the heaviest groove so far with both Jake and Ray wailing away. Big shout-out to Greg Chaisson and Jeff Martin for being the grooviest rhythm section around.

3 Day Funk opens up side 2 and as the title suggests it’s just one big groovefest. I love the funky guitar and Jake suits this style of playing. Killer opening to Silver Horses with Jake’s guitar on the verge of feedback, and what an awesome groove. Love Don’t Mean A Thing mixes the funk with a heavy blues swagger. If Free and early Zeppelin had a love child – !!! The title track is an old school slide blues piece with Rays vocal and footstomps. Fire And Rain reminds me of a heavier Allmans tune. Heavens Train is driven along by a superb Jake riff and a four to the floor groove. The album closes out with In A Dream, another acoustic blues piece with Ray just laying down a beautiful vocal. An album totally different from their first with that old school blues vibe.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

SYRE – It Ain’t Pretty Being Easy

November 2, 2022 /

This is another album I purchased just on the cover alone. I mean, it’s gotta sound good with all that big hair right? I’ll come to that in a minute. I think they are from Waterloo, Ontario and this was released on A&M in ’89. There was another album recorded, Pissed To The Gills but it did not see the light of day until ’93 when they released it themselves. Toward the end of the eighties, if you were a hair band you needed to be at the top of your game. If not, you were dropped like a stone and this is what happened to these guys.

It’s not a bad album, it’s just not great. The album is missing that killer track to sail it away. A lot of the tracks have that sleazy Sunset Strip vibe and let’s face it, that was big at the time but their image was more rock than sleaze. You Never Looked Back is a really catchy tune and was as close as they came to a hit. It has that hint of Poison about it, as does a lot of the album for that matter. If they had a hotshot producer things might have been different. My favourite track is Say Hi To Your Girlfriend as it has a nice riff and hook, it’s just a fun song.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

HAREM SCAREM – s/t

November 1, 2022 /

So here it is… the 1,000th review! I’m not sure I thought I would get this far when I started this in the days of COVID, but here we are. Keep watching as there is going to be a giveaway for a mint new copy of this record.

I think I have said this before, but these guys really are Canada’s best kept secret. I think for them they were right place, but very wrong time. Five years earlier and they would have been huge – I’m so sure of that.

This album came out through Warners in ’91.  It’s melodic rock at its finest. We open up with Hard To Love – a great tune with a superb hook and chorus and killer harmonies – it’s definitely my favourite track on the album. Distant Memory takes the power down a notch, but man what a vocal – and Pete Lesperance rips a great solo. With A Little Love follows, and right from the start it’s melody 101. Killer harmonies, and the hook, chorus, and solo are huge. Honestly is a ballad, and we all know how I feel about those…but Harry’s vocals are incredible and I love the solo. Love Reaction is the close out track on Side 1, and those keys are right from the early 80’s. A superb riff, and it’s lighters in the air time with a killer sing-a-long hook and chorus.

Side 2 kicks off with Slowly Slipping Away, and these guys are the kings of the melody. Other than Journey, I’m not sure of any band that can do it consistently. All Over Again starts with just a guitar and vocal, and then the up-tempo groove kicks in – and BAM! – those melodies just hit you. It keeps coming on Don’t Give Your Heart Away, with a cool riff and a four-to-the-floor beat. A very moody keys intro, and a great chorus sounding guitar opens up How Long, before the groove and that huge hook and chorus slaps you in the face. The album closes out with Something To Say, and they finish with a ballad. It’s basically an acoustic and Harry. – that voice is a force of nature, and add the harmonies…no other band comes close.

This is up there with one of the best melodic rock/aor albums ever recorded, and yet not many people outside of the scene have heard of them. I will be giving away a minty fresh copy of this album, so look out for the post on how to enter in all my usual places.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

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