The Best of 2017

Albums of the Month

February 2017

	BLACK STAR RIDERS Heavy Fire (Nuclear Blast) “The band have thrown off the shackles of the ‘used to be Thin Lizzy’ moniker and have solidly established themselves as a major player in their own right…” (Dave Wilson)

	THUNDER Rip It Up (earMUSIC) “…rocking hard, exploring melodic depth, lyrical substance and enveloping hooks. Thunder still have plenty in the tank and their enduring brand of Classic Rock has come round again.” (Pete Feenstra)

	PRIDE OF LIONS Fearless (Frontiers) “…if, like me, you still hanker after old-fashioned values of good melodic arrangements and lovingly crafted songs, it’s an album to return to again and again.” (Andy Nathan)

	MARCUS MALONE A Better Man (Redline Music) “He’s a peerless vocalist and a hugely impressive songwriter and also has the Midas touch as a producer … ‘A Better Man’ is an early year highlight and an essential purchase for all rock/blues fans.” (Pete Feenstra)

	WILLE AND THE BANDITS Steal (Jigsaw) “..an album that feels organic and unrestrained. No over indulgence and no unnecessary frills, just great songs delivered from the soul. There’s just not enough of that these days. Too much form over substance. But there’s substance in abundance here.” (Pete Whalley)

March 2017

	STEVE HACKETT The Night Siren (Inside Out) “Hackett’s latest musical offering … is an eleven track album which has been created with these very principles in mind; a continuous need to indulge in new themes and sounds and an amazing compositional skill in blending those ideas in a style of playing that is so very characteristically his.” (Yiannis Stefanis)

	ASH WILSON Broken Machine (Wilson Brothers Music) “The blues course through the veins of this album, and there’s not only some hugely impressive playing, but a ‘feel good’ factor that’s not easy to capture. If the blues ticks any of your boxes, then Broken Machine is well worth exploring.” (Pete Whalley)

	ERJA LYYTINEN Stolen Hearts (Tuohi) “‘Stolen Hearts’ is a lovingly crafted album, with enough musical and lyrical depth, as well as salient hooks to withstand extended scrutiny and satisfy its potential crossover market. Unreservedly recommended.” (Pete Feenstra)

	TOKYO MOTOR FIST (Frontiers) “…I can easily see this appearing in the 2017 best ofs. It may tread a well worn path but when it’s this good, who cares? ” (Andy Nathan)

	FIREWIND Immortals (AFM Records) “Immortals’ sees a return to a more formulaic power metal approach which shouldn’t come as a surprise although some might argue it’s a retrograde step and plays more to their core fanbase.” (David Randall)

April 2017

	THE LONELY ROBOT The Big Dream (Inside Out) “The whole album holds together perfectly and yes it is another album I am sure that will make my year end top ten albums with ease. Fascinating to see where the next and final musical instalment of the Astronaut ends up, until then we have this album to savour and enjoy.” (Jason Ritchie)

	ECLIPSE Monumentum (Frontiers) “Eclipse have if anything raised the bar even higher from their previous trio of top class albums. If there is any justice, this album will help them break out of their relatively small, cult market and give them the ‘big mo’ implied by its title.” (Andy Nathan)

	MAGENTA We Are Legend (Tiger Moth) “…while Rob Reed may have a bigger paint box at his disposal, he’s still painting by the same numbers…It turns out We Are Legend isn’t so much ‘something different’ as a turning back of the clock to 2004 – 2006 when they produced their best albums – Seven, and Home.” (Pete Whalley)

	AS LIONS Selfish Age (Better Noise) “…This has to be one of the strongest debut albums of 2017 and if the band can build on its greatness, no doubt greater things will surely follow.” (David Randall)

Albums of the Month (May-August 2017)
Albums of the Month (September-November 2017)

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)