THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl records (Page 410 of 491)

DEF LEPPARD – High ‘n’ Dry

July 15, 2021 /

I’ll admit to not being a fan of the super over produced version of the band, which came after the release of this album. To me, this is the last true Def Leppard album – at least the version that was still true to themselves – a good, honest, hard rock band. Let’s get this straight, Def Leppard were never a heavy metal band, because other than Get Your Rocks Off (which was on their self financed EP), they didn’t have any fast songs. This album was the first to be produced by Mutt Lange, but it’s hard to hear his influence on this album, other than to give the band a clear and loud production.

Lead off track, Let It Go, is a classic Leppard tune – at least how I think them to be. High ‘n’ Dry reminds me of AC/DC – that’s who Lange produced before this album. You do wonder if he saw them as a younger version of DC, and after this album he changed his mind with how he thought the direction the band should go. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak was a track built for America, and it was a big single for the band in the US. Switch 625 was an unusual instrumental track that Leppard were not known for – its probably the heaviest moment on the album.

It’s funny listening to this record now. Between this and Pyromania, it’s as though a different band recorded each album. Not long after this, it was decided that Pete Willis would be surplus to requirements, and the band would bring in Phil Collen from Girl – and the rest they say is history. It’s still my favourite Leppard album.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

SKAGARACK – s/t

July 14, 2021 /

What is it with Sweden and Swedish bands doing everything better than everyone else? You can take any form of music and there will be a Swedish band at the top of the tree doing it better than anyone. Skagarack were around for 4 years from ’86 to ’90, and they were purveyors of the finest AOR soft rock. This is the first album from ’86, and the band were fronted by Torben Schmidt, who would later go on to have his own management company, Thunderstruck Productions (that would look after Freak Kitchen amongst others).

The band play rock with big hooks, big melodies, and catchy sing-along choruses -just like Night Ranger and Survivor. Move It In The Night is the opening track and is the best track on the album with a big chorus and great melody. Saying is another great tune, a bit more up-tempo and rockin’ whilst the emphasis is still on the song. Damned Woman is a slow plodder of a tune, but it does have a nice solo. Side 2 opener, Don’t Turn Me Upside Down, is a decent melodic rock tune that bands more established than them would have died to have written. Victim Of The System is the big production number on the album, but I think it falls a bit short and sounds forced. Double Crossed rocks out the record in fine style. My one major criticism of this record is that the production is a bit flat and needs a good dose of oomph to lift it.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

AVENGER – Blood Sports

July 14, 2021 /

Release number 18 on the Neat Records roster, this band were only around for two years and this was their first release. Part of the NWOBHM scene, although they were not part of the first wave, they just made the tale end of the second wave. There was lots of incestuous changing around of band members between. Blitzkrieg, Satan, and Avenger were all disbanding, then forming, and then reforming again – it all got a bit confusing if you were trying to follow these bands.

Anyhoo, the music is pretty standard fare for the genre with the usual stock riffs and grooves, but guitarist Lee Cheetham was a bit special and lifted the band from the norm. Opener, Enforcer is a decent tune, but the follow up track, You’ll Never Take Me Alive, is just sped up Sabbath with a decent solo. Matriarch is a different type of tune as it’s quite slow paced and un-metal, until the middle section kicks in then we’re off to Maiden gallop territory. Side 2 is more of the same, plenty of the usual riffs played with lots of enthusiasm. I guess my favourite track would be the bleed out track, N.O.T.J.

I will give this 7/10 for the nostalgia.

AUDIOSLAVE – s/t

July 13, 2021 /

Now there is no denying the fact that Chris Cornell had one of rock’s most amazing and powerful voices. I wasn’t the world’s biggest Soundgarden fan as I found them too depressing, and musically they were not that good. Sure they had a few good songs, but that was it for me. In fact, I felt the same about most of the whole grunge movement. Now, Rage Against The Machine were a different beast all together. Anger and protest in rock has always produced good music, and they were no exception. When I heard of Cornell joining the musical part of Rage, I was very intrigued indeed, as the potential was there for something amazing. Well, in 2002 it felt very fresh and familiar at the same time, mainly due to that underlying blues DNA in the music, and the brilliance of Cornell’s voice.

Stand out tracks (and there are a few) are: Cochise, it’s a killer opener with plenty of power and groove – a great way to tell the world this is who we are. Gasoline with its monster heavy riff and groove, Like A Stone, which shows the beauty and range to Cornell’s voice as well as the invention of Morello’s approach to guitar. Exploder with its off funky groove and monster riff, and epic vocal from Cornell – this is close to my favourite on the album, as is Hypnotize with its hip hop drum groove. Then we have The Last Remaining Light, which starts off quite normally, but grows into the most amazing vocal performance I have ever heard on any record. When you know how he died, this song takes on a whole new meaning. It sends shivers down my spine and brings tears to your eyes. It is the most incredibly powerful song you will ever hear. For this song alone, this album is in the everyone should own it category.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

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