THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl records (Page 314 of 491)

TEAR GAS – s/t

March 21, 2022 /

Tear Gas hail from Glasgow and this is their second album released in ’71. Alex Harvey was looking for a band to bring his music to life, and he saw these guys playing and thought they would be the perfect match for his vision. Three of the band, Zal Cleminson (guitar), Chris Glen (bass), and Ted McKenna (drums) would join Harvey’s new band straight away, and vocalist Davey Bachelor would be the bands producer.

The music on here is very much of the period. That’s What’s Real opens with a very heavy blues and with instrumental sections that would be extended Live. They do a killer version of Jethro Tull’s Love Story which SAHB would cover later on the Penthouse Tapes album. Women For Sale is very reminiscent of Free’s Fire And Water. I really like I’m Glad as there is lots of self indulgence with Zal letting loose on the guitar. There are a couple of old rock n roll covers to fill out the album, but it’s better than their first album, Piggy Go Getter. It’s a cool insight to what the band were into before SAHB.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

SALTY DOG – Every Dog Has Its Day

March 19, 2022 /

The band have been around since ’86 but this (their only album) wasn’t released until ’90. They had the same management team as Guns N Roses and Faster Pussycat, and I would say they are a cross between the two musically. They have the whole sleaze/glam thing down to a T, with the added bonus of having a hot guitar player in Pete Revern. I remember reading in (I think) Kerrang that they were to be the next big thing, but the musical climate changed and they (like every other rock band at the time) dropped off the planet. I’m a sucker for a good guitar player, and this albums scores high for the fact that Revern’s playing seriously lifts the vibe on the whole album.

The first three tracks: Come Along, Cats Got Nine and Ring My Bell are all great tracks. They all have the same vibe with a sleazy barroom groove and a catchy hook and chorus. Where The Sun Don’t Shine has a slower groove and doesn’t have the impact as the first three. Spoonful is their sleazed up take on a Willie Dixon blues standard – with a killer solo. Just Like A woman closes out Side 1 and almost enters country territory, and the surprise here is that vocalist Jimmi Bleacher ditches his rasp for most of the track, and shows he has a decent clean tone to his voice.

Side 2 kicks off with Sim Sala Bim, a short burst of backwards tracked guitar before the sleaze returns with a modified Led Zeppelin riff to Keep Me Down. Heave Hard and Lonesome Fool are the weakest track on the album and they sound like a Faces outtake. After that little blip, the last three tracks are all killer: Slow Daze with its awesome riff, the slow build of Sacrifice Me, and my favourite track on the album – Nothin But A Dream – which has some killer slide playing.

One album and done! There have been a couple of failed attempts at comebacks, but nothing came of them.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ARMORED SAINT – Symbol Of Salvation Live

March 19, 2022 /

What we have here is a Live 30th Anniversary recording of their classic 4th album, Symbol Of Salvation, from the Gramercy Theater in New York. Represented here as a double clear vinyl album with the 4th side given over to demos from the sessions. It’s a nice package from Metal Blade, which even includes a poster.

It’s played in sequence of the original album, and I have to say they give the original a run for its money – this live recording is awesome. Last Train Home has a more menacing vibe than the studio album, and the title track is just epic and sounds huge. Ironically, Tribal Dance sounds like classic Anthrax. My favourite track is Spineless, which gave the thrash bands of the day a run for their money and is still a killer tune. A great recording of a great album. Definitely recommended.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

ACCEPT – Eat The Heat

March 18, 2022 /

Bit of an unusual album in the band’s catalogue as it was the first without original singer Udo , nd was the first with his first replacement David Reece – then they split up for the first time a few months later. Even though there are 5 members pictured on the cover, rhythm guitarist Jim Stacey doesn’t actually play on the album as Wolf “the riff” Hoffman plays all guitars. This is sort of a forgotten album in the bands history but I really like it. It’s got more of a hard rock feel than a metal album (which is what probably upset the diehards), and the material suits Reece’s vocal style.

XTC opens the album with a trademark Hoffman fat huge muted riff – a great opening track. Generation Clash follows, and weirdly enough, UDO has recorded a version of this track on his tribute album. Chain Reaction sounds like a typical hair metal track of the period and even has a sing-a-long chorus. Next Up is Love Sensation, and I really love the heavied up AC/DC groove and vibe. Turn The Wheel closes out Side 1 and it’s a big stomper sing-a-long monster of a tune.

Prisoner opens up Side 2 and has to be the most commercial song the band ever did – it doesn’t even sound like Accept. Not a big fan of the ballad Mistreated, and Stand 4 What U R is just an average attempt at making American radio. Hellhammer on the other hand is going in the right direction and actually sounds like WASP. D Train closes out the album and is the best track with a great riff and the double kicks are on point.

I get why the fans did not like this album, but if a couple of the slower songs had been dropped and replaced with rockers, the album would have flowed a lot better.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

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