THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: vinyl (Page 37 of 50)

JOHN NORUM – Total Control

January 21, 2021 /

This was the debut solo album from Europe guitarist John Norum. He left them after The Final Countdown album and tour, but would later rejoin them. He was also a member of Dokken for a while when George Lynch left. He is joined by two of Sweden’s rock royalty namely Marcel Jacobs (ex Talisman) on bass, and Goran Edman (ex Malmsteen) on vocals. Norum is a seriously good guitar player in the Yngwie school of widdle. Recorded in ’87, right at the pinnacle of the whole hair metal thing, and it does sound like that, especially with the big chorus and sing a long melodies. All songs about girls and cars. All originals apart from two, Back On The Streets by Vinnie Vincent, and Wild One by Thin Lizzy.

Things start off ok with Let Me Love You and Love Is Meant To Last Forever, both good tunes with some tasty guitar – then the obligatory ballad Too Many Hearts. A very average Someone Else Here follows, and into up tempo Eternal Flame, you would swear this was Malmsteen. Flip the disc over into the VV cover Back On The Streets, which is very lightweight and AOR with a nice solo. Blind follows, which would be my fave track even though you feel as though you have heard this a million times before. Things slowly peter out after, with two fairly typical melodic rockers before final track Wild One, which doesn’t divert too much from the Lizzy original. Overall not a bad album with some killer guitar.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

TESSERACT – Altered State

January 21, 2021 /

This is the second album from British Prog metallers TESSERACT. Also the only album to feature Ash O’hara on vocals, after the departure of Dan Tompkins who would return to the band later. Weirdly all-round crazy person Chris Barretto (ex of Periphery and Monuments), appears on two tracks. This is the double grey vinyl edition, and conveniently each side is split into themes, Of Matter, Of Mind, Of Reality and Of Energy. Technically there is only four tracks on the album, but they are split into sections. All the themes deal with change.

Starting things off with Proxy, and a clean almost ethereal vocal from O’Hara that grows into a superb choppy low-end djent groove that TESSERACT are famous for. A superb opening piece that blends into Retrospect, great vocal melodies and some superb off time grooves. This theme ends with the epic Resist, such an atmospheric piece with great melody and layered vocal.

Side 2 Of Mind starts with the single Nocturne with that superb low end riff, and into a soaring vocal and then back to that riff – such a great song. This is metal but not as we know it Jim. Absolute awesome stuff. I dare you not to bounce around which ever room you are in when that groove kicks in. One of the best djent tracks written. Not finished with this side yet as the choppy groove of Exiled finishes this side out.

On to Of Reality and opening piece, Eclipse, with huge doomy chords and that almost angelic vocal and that trademark TESSERACT choppy groove. Hell we’re nearly in jazz territory here. If you are a die hard 4/4 fan there is not a lot for you here as the time signatures are all over the map – as next track Palingenesis demonstrates perfectly. The first appearance of the aforementioned Barretto appears next with Calbi- Yau, but on saxophone not vocals.

Flipping over onto the last side, Of Energy, with the other single release, Singularity, starting things off – it dawns on me that there is no one like TESSERACT that do this as good as they do. The album finishes beautifully with the killer, Embers.

They have evolved since the Periphery-esque doodlings of their first album, and they now have a groove and a sound of their own. There is some great playing on here from Acle Carney and James Monteith- Guitars , Amos Williams – Bass, and Jay Postones on Drums. If you like your music to last beyond that initial burst of the thrill of listening to something new for the first time, and you want to keep coming back to it and get that feeling of wonder then – Tesserract- Altered State could just be for you.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

ALANIS MORISSETTE – Live at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

January 20, 2021 /

Now before we get started, I will own up to avoiding acoustic albums like the plague as I always viewed them as a bit of a cop out and more often than not it’s not the way the music was meant to be presented. So what made me cave you wonder? Well I am a big fan of Ms. Morrissette’s voice, and with the clarity of the recording, and the power of that voice with just a pair of acoustic guitars as backing, I could not resist.

What you get here is her amazing break up album Jagged Little Pill played in its entirety, although not in order, with 4 other tracks that fit in with the theme. There are no overdubs here its a warts-n-all recording, which makes it a superb document. There are lots of little comments that obviously make her feel more comfortable, as well as the crowd, and add some fun to the occasion. Also she makes some cool little lyric changes to make things more current.

I won’t dissect this song by song as it think it distracts from the beauty of the whole piece. Each song feels as though she is telling you individually about the trails and tribulations of her life at the time, as it sounds as though she is in the room with you. You can feel the pain and the anguish!!! I love all of this and if you can track one down, get it! This is a RSD Black Friday release and was limited to 7000 copies worldwide.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

LED ZEPPELIN – II

January 20, 2021 /

Quite a daunting prospect to review such an iconic album that is loved by so many. I will say this before we get into it, I’m not a big fan of Zeppelin for many reasons, but mainly I thought that they were so self absorbed and arrogant, and I managed to catch them live at Knebworth and they weren’t great.

Anyway on to the review, this is probably my favourite Zeppelin album along with Physical Graffiti. I actually bought this back in ’73 mainly to see what all the fuss was about. It’s quite amazing how many classic Zep songs are on this album. Things start off with probably the most iconic of them all, Whole Lotta Love, or the Top of the Pops theme if you’re British. 1969 this came out, and when you consider it’s over 50 years old it stands up really well with that easily recognizable riff and Plants amazing vocal. Plenty of improv guitar sounds from Page in the middle section to keep everyone amazed, wondering how does he do that? This leads into the bluesy What Is and What Should Never Be, and then boom, another classic, The Lemon Song. Then the only weak song on the album, which stops it from getting the full 10 with Thank You.

Flip it over onto Side 2 and Heartbraker pounds in with that simple but iconic riff played by guitar and bass with a Plant trademark wailing vocal. More Page histrionics in the middle 8 before the groove picks up pace. Living Loving Maid is next and another top Plant vocal. Classic after classic as Ramble On is next, which starts with an almost folky vibe before it kicks in with that heavy groove. Moby Dick is next, another classic, which would always be Bonham’s showpiece when playing live. Then it’s album closer the bluesy Bring It On Home with another killer riff and it’s all over.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s my fave Zeppelin album as it’s the only one I can listen to all the way through without getting bored and lifting the needle. Best track is probably Heartbreaker and it falls into the everyone should own one category.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

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