THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl records (Page 471 of 491)

TIN MACHINE – II

February 9, 2021 /

This is the MOV reissue of Tin Machine’s second album from ’91. I love MOV reissues as the quality is top drawer – both with the sound and the packaging. I happen to think that the Tin Machine project is his best material since the Ziggy Stardust days. I also think it’s more than a coincidence that Bowie is trading off with a killer guitar player. The great Mick Ronson back in the day, and the amazing Reeves Gabrels. The other members of the band are the Sales brothers, Hunt and Tony, who make a great rhythm section.

Baby Universal gets things going nicely – a great song that was left over from the first album with a catchy chorus and some great playing from Gabrels. Next up is One Shot, which starts with some phased guitar, and another great vocal from Bowie. One thing is very noticeable – after the first two songs, this album is a lot more accessible than the first Tin Machine album. You Belong In Rock And Roll is next, with its almost Public Image intro and vibe. This single was the highest chart position for the band, and a really cool song. On to If There is Something, with it’s up tempo groove and some classic weirdness from Reeves – it has a 50’s rock n roll vibe. The chill out, Amlapura, starts with some nice guitar and settles in to a slow chill out tune. Side close out track, Betty Wrong, is another killer tune with a great melody and groove.

Side 2 kicks in with You Can’t Talk. It has a killer intro and a fast spoken vocal, and is very much of the period – again some more stunning guitar. The longest track on the album, Stateside, follows with its bluesy swagger and gives a chance to play this sax. A Big Hurt rolls on in next and is probably the heaviest track on the album with a nod back to the glam days. Next track, Sorry, is probably the weakest song on the album and maybe should have just been left as a B Side. Goodbye Mr. Ed finishes things off with its Cure feel.

And that would be that – Tin Machine was no more. I guess Bowie thought they could not take it anywhere else. A good album and a lot better than some of the material that was put out in his own name.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

THE KINKS – 25 Years The Ultimate Collection

February 8, 2021 /

The Kinks are a somewhat forgotten band of the original British Invasion behind The Bootles and The Strolling Bones – when in reality they were one of the most influential. In Ray Davies, they had one of the best lyricists of his generation.

With this collection being a 25th anniversary, it starts from ’64 and You Really Got Me and goes until Come Dancing in ’83. I won’t go rambling on about each tune on this set as I’m sure you have heard most of them countless times. Even though they had early success, it wasn’t until the period from’ 67to ’70 when Davies was heralded as a genius. This was a golden period for the band with iconic tunes like Sunny Afternoon, Waterloo Sunset, and Lola were set free to inspire a whole generation. I adore Waterloo Sunset it’s such a great tune and something I never tire of hearing.

Bands from Van Halen through to The Fall have covered the Kinks, and that shows what a diverse band they were. Everyone should own at least one Kinks album, and if you don’t, you should be able to pick this double album up quite cheaply.

8/10 from The Grooveman.

BOX OF FROGS – s/t

February 8, 2021 /

Why should I be interested in this, I hear you say? Well it could be because there are three ex-members of the Yardbirds…(Jim McCarty, Chris Dreja and Paul Samwell Smith) Or it could be the that Jeff Beck plays on 4 tracks…Or could it be that Rory Gallagher plays on 2 tracks…When you have big buddies it’s always good to get them on your album – that’s for sure!

Opening track is a good tune with a nice groove, although its a ringer for On The Road Again by Canned Heat. Harder is not a bad tune with a good melody and chorus. Another Wasted Day is a very eighties indie sounding song. Love Inside You is not a bad song either. Side 1 closer, The Edge, has a decent groove with some nice slide playing from Rory Gallagher.

Flip to Side 2 and opener, Two Steps Ahead, has a Willbury’s vibe to it with some nice playing from Jeff Beck. Into The Dark is an average tune held together by some great slide by Rory. Just A Boy Again is up next and is…well…it’s just a pleasant tune. Album closer, Poor Boy, is only memorable for the inclusion of Mr. Beck.

One thing I can guarantee is that this record will be nobody’s favourite album, it’s too disjointed and inconsistent. If it wasn’t for the special guests, it would have disappeared without a trace. Maybe it did! Oh, and in case you wondering, I had this album given to me and no money changed hands.

5.5/10 from the Grooveman.

KRAFTWERK – Autobahn

February 6, 2021 /

This is the first release by the granddaddy’s and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk. I vividly remember hearing this for the first time back in ’74 and being totally won over. I went out and bought the single immediately. I remember seeing them on Top of The Pops and thinking they looked like lab technicians and not musicians, which was obviously part of the schtick.

Side 1 is taken up by the title track, which is way longer than the single. It’s very basic by today’s standards, but still holds up well even with the almost school boy singing. Great effects with sounds of vehicles on the motorway passing by. Flipping over onto Side 2, which is a lot more experimental by sound and design. Kometenmelodie 1 is an ambient style track, and Kometenmelodie 2 is the only other track that has melody and a beat. The two final tracks are more experimental ambient pieces.

A lot of the electro pop bands of the eighties were heavily influenced by Kraftwerk, especially OMD so this is definitely a ground zero album.

6/10 from The Grooveman.

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