Metalville [Release date 27.04.18]

After a couple of decades in the wilderness dabbling with jazz, Lee Aaron made her rock ‘comeback’ in 2016 with the self-financed, and marginally more pop/rock orientated, Fire And Gasoline.  An excellent release that seems to have passed us by here at GRTR!

Diamond Baby Blues, takes that renaissance a step further with classy set of 7 covers and 5 originals. And while it’s indisputable that times have moved on, some of us will always have a soft spot for 80/90′s big hair and spandex style of radio friendly female-fronted rock.

While never quite capturing the hearts of the British audience in the way that fellow Canadian countrywoman Alannah Myles did, Aaron, and Diamond Baby Blues in particular, is nevertheless cut from the same cloth.  And with a first-rate band of Sean Kelly (guitar), Dave Reimer (bass) and John Cody (drums) this new record is a slick and raunchy blues/rock album par excellence.

To be honest, Aaron’s problem has never been her vocals.  It’s been her material, and you can’t help but think, that with the right writers behind her, she could have been a global superstar.  And while Diamond Baby Blues isn’t going to completely right that wrong, if her cover of ‘You’re No Good’ -  famously covered by Swinging Blue Jeans and Linda Ronstadt – doesn’t get your rocks off, then frankly, you’re a lost cause.

Janet Jackson’s ‘Black Cat’ also gets a blistering workout, but while the hard hitting 12 bar blues of Koko Taylor’s ‘I’m A Woman’ also suits Aaron’s raunchy delivery, you have to question the wisdom of a fairly routine cover of ‘Mistreated’.  It’s so well-known and iconically delivered by Coverdale that only putting a completely different slant on the number could add anything to the original.

That said, another fairly straight cover of Little Walter’s ‘My Babe’, is despatched to perfection, ‘Hard Road’ (Stevie Wight) rocks out with some excellent guitar playing from Kelly, ‘Cut Way Back’ (Tom Hambridge) sizzles and smoulders, and of the original material ‘American High’ is a hugely infectious boogie, and ‘The Best Thing’ provides the album’s [obligatory?] power ballad.

A word of praise must also go to the band, and Kelly, in particular, who provide the perfect foil for Aaron’s timeless vocals.  It all adds up to a record that will hopefully both seal her comeback and herald a new beginning.  ****

Review by Pete Whalley

---

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

---

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

---

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)

---

---

Popular (last 10 days)

---