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Latest Album Reviews
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – Dirty Rockers, Dudley, Saturday 24 October 2020
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Gig review: MARK MORRISS- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 3 October 2020
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Gig review: GARY FLETCHER AND NICK RITCHIE – Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 2 October 2020
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Gig review: COLLATERAL – Leo’s, The Red Lion, Gravesend, Friday 4 September 2020
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Gig review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – The Victoria, Swindon, Thursday 27 August 2020
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Feature: Collectible Collections – MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND – 40th Anniversary Box Set
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Feature: Albums that time forgot … NATIVE CAIN – The Primitive Soul
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…EUROPE – Secret Society
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…JAMES LABRIE – Elements Of Persuasion
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…DON DOKKEN – Up From The Ashes
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Feature: Albums that time forgot … CODE OF SILENCE – Dark Skies Over Babylon
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Tag Archives: melodic
Album review: JOSEPH WILLIAMS – Denizen Tenant

The Players Club/Mascot Records [Release date 26.02.21] Toto’s Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams both release solo albums on the same date and label, with both artists including a few cover versions on their respective albums. Joining Joseph Williams on his … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, AOR, David Paich, Denizen Tenant, Joseph Williams, melodic, review, Steve Lukather, Toto, West Coast
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Album review: JOHN PAUL KEITH – The Rhythm of the City

Wild Honey Records [Release date 19.02.21] The over-riding descriptor of John Paul Keith’s fifth solo album is, “Vintage”. With twelve years’ experience as part of the Memphis music scene, plugging away as a session player and live act, there is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, John Paul Keith, melodic, review, rock 'n' roll, soul, Stax, The Rhythm of the City
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Album Review: EXPLORERS CLUB – Rarities Vol 1

Gold Star Recordings [Release date 05.02.21] Explorers Club dropped two acclaimed new albums last year (To Sing And Be Born Again/Explorers Club). We reviewed both. In their own way they proved that Sixties Pop is timeless. Jason Brewer, the band’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, Explorers Club, Gold Star Recordings, Jason Brewer, melodic, pop, power pop, Rarities Vol 1, Retro Pop, review
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Album review: MILTON HIDE – Temperature’s Rising

www.miltonhide.com [Release date 05.03.21] Milton Hide emerged out of the East Sussex open mic and folk club circuit five years ago, where the acoustic duo picked up many plaudits for their debut EP, ‘Little Fish’, released in 2018. Now husband … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, country, folk, melodic, Milton Hide, review, singer songwriter, Temperature’s Rising
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Album review: THE GOLD NEEDLES – What’s Tomorrow Ever Done For You?

Jem Records [Release date 19.02.21] The Gold Needles are onto album number three that features nine new original songs plus three covers including The Hollies ‘Have You Ever Loved Somebody’ and The Beatles ‘If I Needed Someone.’ Formed in 2015, … Continue reading
Album review: DOWNES BRAIDE ASSOCIATION – Halcyon Hymns

Cherry Red [Release date 05.02.21] Fourth album from DBA, the fruitful poprock collaboration between Geoff (Asia/Yes) Downes and uber songwriter/producer, Chris (Guetta/Aguilera) Braide. Halcyon Hymns is their living-in-the-lockdown album, and as the title more than subtly suggests, it’s a recording … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, Asia, Chris Braide, Downes Braide Association, Geoff Downes, Halcyon Hymns, melodic, pop rock, review, Yes
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Album review: WORLD GOES ROUND – S/T

Viper Records [Release date 22.01.21] It was 30 years ago today that World Goes Round recorded their one and only album (Ed: we might be a year or two out). This supremely talented array of artists, whose names (almost) always … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, album review, AOR, melodic, melodic pop rock, pop, pop rock, review, self-titled, World Goes Round
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Album review: JAMIE’S GUNS – Jamie’s Guns

I picked this album up as Jamie’s Guns had shared it on NWOCR Facebook group, I had a half listen while I was working, to the initial track “Whiplash”, stopped what I was doing, immediately played the album in its … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, Bruce Springsteen, debut, Gaslight Anthem, Jamie's Guns, melodic, modern rock, review, rock
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EP review: THE LICKERISH QUARTET – Threesome Vol. 2

Stranger Danger [Release date 15.01.21] The Lickerish Quartet return with their second four song EP. The band comprise ex-Jellyfish members Roger Joseph Manning Jr, Tim Smith and Eric Dover and like the much missed Jellyfish, they carry on that band’s … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, Single and EP reviews
Tagged EP, indie pop, indie rock, Jellyfish, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review, the Lickerish Quartet, Threesome Vol 2
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Album review: OCEAN HILLS – Santa Monica

AFM Records [Release date 27.11.20] Ocean Hills is the brain child of vocalist Zoli Teglas (ex-Ignite), having taken 30 years’ worth of experience in the music business to launch this project with some very talented, accomplished musicians - Peter Lukacs (guitars), Daniel Szebenyi … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, hard rock, Kiss, melodic, Ocean Hills, review, rock, Santa Monica, Zoli Teglas
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Quick plays: MARIOS POLITIS, SILENT SKIES, MOTHER ROAD

MARIOS POLITIS This Is My Story Alcyone Records [Release date 10.11.20] Marios Politis is a composer, singer and guitarist from Athens, Greece who has released an album of meaningful and thoughtful songs. The lyrics focus on introspection and personal experiences … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alt rock, cinematic, Evergrey, hard rock, indie, Keith Slack, Marios Politis, melodic, Mother Road, review, Silent Skies, Tom S Englund, Vikram Shankar
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Album review: THE WILDHEARTS – 30 Year Itch

Round Records [Release date 04.12.20] My initial thought when I looked at this album was, I feel old! How can it have been 30 years since the Wildhearts exploded onto the music scene?? Returning to the classic Wildhearts line up … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged 30 Year Itch, album, Ginger, melodic, punk, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, the Wildhearts
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EP review: HATS OFF GENTLEMEN IT’S ADEQUATE – Feeling Great

Bandcamp [Release date 18.12.20] One of the better things during 2020 have been to see the rise in interest and acclaim for the progressive duo Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate. Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate are Malcolm Galloway and Mark … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, Single and EP reviews
Tagged album, EP, Feeling Great, Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate, melodic, prog rock, progressive, review
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Album review: NEAL MORSE – Jesus Christ The Exorcist: Live at Morsefest 2018

Frontiers [Release date 04.12.20] The studio album was released first as now Neal Morse and Frontiers release a live performance of ‘Jesus Christ The Exorcist’, filmed at the 2018 Morsefest. It is an all-star ensemble with regular … Continue reading
Album review: DAVID COURTNEY – Isolation Symphony

The Store For Music [Release date 18.12.20] Those in the know are well aware that David Courtney is a Grammy award winning composer, producer and songwriter. Over the years, his musical partnerships with Roger Daltrey, Leo Sayer, Eric Clapton, David … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, cinematic, Dave Gilmour, David Courtney, Isolation Symphony, Leo Sayer, melodic, pop, review, rock
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Album review: STEVE BALSAMO – The Millennium Tapes

Facebook [Release date 04.12.20] Steve Balsamo has unearthed these songs during lockdown that were recorded back at the start of the millennium as the album title suggests. Balsamo worked with Micky Lister on these songs. Lister was signed back in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts
Tagged album, mellow, melodic, Micky Lister, pop, review, singer songwriter, Steve Balsamo, the Millennium Tapes
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Book review: Limelight: Rush in the 80’s by Martin Popoff

[Publication date 20.10.20] Martin Popoff’s follow up to ‘Anthem: Rush in the ‘70s’ he now covers the band’s 80’s albums – both studio and live. Different from the ever expanded ‘Track By Track’ books in that although Martin Popoff critiques … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged album, book, Classic Albums, classic rock, Limelight, Martin Popoff, melodic, prog rock, review, rock, Rush
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EP review: HM JOHNSEN – Serenity

EP link [Release date 27.11.20] Norwegian singer songwriter HM Johnsen certainly has an interesting backstory as his 2017 debut album ‘Chased’ was funded by a small community in western Norway, which allowed the album to be mastered at Abbey Road. … Continue reading
Posted in All Posts, Single and EP reviews
Tagged album, alt pop, alt rock, blues, EP, HM Johnsen, jazz, melodic, review, Serenity, singer songwriter
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