Monthly Archives: March 2020

Album review: ERIC ROBERSON – Erro Live: Vol. UK

Posted on March 22, 2020 by jason

Blue Erro Soul [Release date 16.03.20] “We celebrating music tonight and we celebrating those who have made music and made art”. So proclaims Eric Roberson, he might also proclaim that he’s celebrating those who make music independently. In the age … Continue reading →

Album review: INTENSE – Songs Of A Broken Future

Posted on March 21, 2020 by jason

Pure Steel Records [Release date 27.03.20] It has been nearly nine years since we last saw an album from Intense, during which time they have been busy inside and outside of the music scene (see interview below). The album was … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Pure Metal/Gig reviews, Pure Metal/Interviews | Tagged album, Intense, Karl Groom, melodic metal, metal, power metal, prog metal, review, Songs Of A Broken Future, Threshold | Leave a comment

Album review: KEN HENSLEY – Tales Of Live Fire & Other Mysteries

Posted on March 21, 2020 by jason

Cherry Red Records/HNE [Release date 27.03.20] Most will know keyboard player/songwriter, Ken Hensley from his ten year (1970-80) stint as a key component of Uriah Heep. This 5 CD package revisits Hensley’s work much later in his career. It focuses … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged box set, Broken Into Pieces, classic rock, Glenn Hughes, Ken Hensley, Ken Ingwerson, live, Live Fire, review, Roberto Tiranti, rock, Tales Of Live Fire & Other Mysteries, Uriah Heep | Leave a comment

Album review: JAMES OLIVER BAND – Twang

Posted on March 20, 2020 by petefeenstra

Pete Feenstra chatted to James Oliver for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio in April 2020. The Last Music Company [Release date 03.04.20] When it comes to the concept of ‘Twang’, Deke Leonard’s last book about guitarists, ‘The Twang Dynasty’, may … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged ALBERT LEE, album, and roll, Big Joe Turner, blues, Brian Setzer, country, Deke Leonard, Dick Dale, Dr. Feelgd, Elmore James, guitar, James Oliver Band, Link Wray, Mick Green, R&B, reviw, rock, rockabilly, Roy Orbison, surf, The Del Tones, Twang, Wilko Johnson | Leave a comment

Album review: JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUES BREAKERS – Road Dogs

Posted on March 19, 2020 by jason

EAR Music [Released 20.03.20] The first thing I wrote as I heard the title track “Road Dogs” coming through the speakers was “authentic”. Then I had to chuckle. If ANY British man playing the blues is authentic! Mind you, along … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, blues, blues rock, classic rock, Eric Clapton, guitarist, John Mayall, review, Road Dogs, the Blues Breakers | Leave a comment

Album review: JOCASTA – Ideas Are Bulletproof

Posted on March 19, 2020 by jason

TA Music [Release date 20.03.20] Tim Arnold now has multiple roles as singer, songwriter, showman, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. But Arnold’s first musical incarnation was as lead singer and songwriter of the 90’s indie rock band Jocasta. ‘Ideas Are Bulletproof’ … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, B-sides, demos, Ideas Are Bulletproof, indie pop, Jocasta, review, Tim Arnold | Leave a comment

Album review: THE UNITY – Pride

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Davoski

Steamhammer/SPV [release date: 13.03.20] As Euro power metal projects go, this third studio album from The Unity passes muster with flying colours. If a mesh of tight production and bombastic musical posturing is your thing, then step in line. And … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Gamma Ray, melodic metal, power metal, Pride, review, The Unity | Leave a comment

Gig review: PAUL CARRACK – London Palladium, 14 March 2020

Posted on March 17, 2020 by andynathan

He may not be the household name his talent deserves, but after being a founder member of Ace, singing on some of Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics best loved hits, and a respected session musician with a long list … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Amy Meehan, Andy Staves, blue-eyed soul, gig, Mike And The Mechanics, Paul Carrack, Steve Beighton | 1 Comment

Quick plays: GENTLEMEN’S ACADEMY, NELS ANDREWS

Posted on March 17, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

NELS ANDREWS Pigeon And The Crow Probably the most interesting thing about this fourth studio endeavour by Californian singer songwriter Nels Andrews is that it was recorded at Whispering Pines Studio in LA which was originally built for Sam Cooke … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged acoustic, album, folk, Gentlemen's Academy, Joy, Nels Andrews, Pigeon And The Crow, review, rock, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: EILEEN ROSE – Muscle Shoals

Posted on March 17, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Holy Wreckords [Release date 17.04,20] Looking back, I had my last encounter with Eileen Rose with the release of her third solo album, Come The Storm, a record I had down as a strong contender for my 2005 album of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, country, Eileen Rose, Muscle Shoals, Nashville, review, roots | Leave a comment

Album review: MAYA RAE – Can You See Me?

Posted on March 17, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Black Hen Music [Release date 24.04.20] It’s perhaps not the smartest PR move in the book to compare the debut album (of sorts) – by an artist not yet 18 – to timeless classics such as Joni Mitchell’s Blue, and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Can You See Me?, Maya Rae, review, rock, roots, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: SIERRA HULL – 25 Trips

Posted on March 16, 2020 by jason

Rounder [Release date 27.03.20] Sierra Hull has built her reputation as a world class mandolin player, becoming the first woman to be voted Mandolin Player of the Year at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards in 2016, after a near-decade … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 25 Trips, album, Americana, bluegrass, country, mandolin, review, Rounder Records, Sierra Hull | Leave a comment

Album review: YES – The Ladder, Open Your Eyes

Posted on March 15, 2020 by jason

YES The Ladder (Collector’s Edition CD, Gatefold Digipack) EarMUSIC/Edel [Release date 20.03.20] How much was producer, Bruce Fairbairn responsible for the the band’s return to creative form on 1999′s “The Ladder”? Considering that his path through the nineties was littered … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged Alan White, albums, Billy Sherwood, Bruce Fairbairn, Chris Squire, Jon Anderson, melodic, Open Your Eyes, prog rock, review, Steve Howe, The Ladder, Yes | Leave a comment

EP review: FELIX RABIN – Pogboy

Posted on March 15, 2020 by jason

Indie [Release date 17.04.20] French born guitarist Felix Rabin has packed a lot into his career to date, being spotted as a talent by Quincy Jones at the Montreux Jazz festival, supporting Wishbone Ash on their mammoth 2018 tour and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged blues rock, EP, Felix Rabin, guitarist, jazz, Pogboy, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: JETHRO TULL & IAN ANDERSON

Posted on March 15, 2020 by jason

JETHRO TULL – Living With The Past (CD&DVD Collector’s Edition Gatefold Digipac) EarMUSIC/Edel [Release date 20.03.20] Germany’s Edel/Ear Music continue their ambitious “Classics Range” with a double Jethro Tull whammy. These two boxsets add up to several hours of high … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged classic rock, folk, folk rock, Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, live album, Living In The Past, prog rock, review, Thick As A Brick | Leave a comment

Album review: THE MOOD GROOVE – Some Left, Some Stayed

Posted on March 14, 2020 by jason

Indie [Release date 29.02.20] The Mood Groove, formed by JK Northrup and Ed Balldinger, released their debut album back in 2018 as an outlet to create and record music that stretched their collective imaginations and to invite listeners to something … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, alternative, Ed Balldinger, Eric Ragno, Fiction Syxx, Frank Zappa, funk, JK Northrup, melodic, Montrose, review, rock, Some Left Some Stayed, the Mood Groove | Leave a comment

Album review: HAREM SCAREM – Change The World

Posted on March 14, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 06.03.20] It’s not unreasonable to claim that Harem Scarem spearheaded the Melodic Rock movement’s rejuvenation in the mid nineties. 1993′s “Mood Swings”, the band’s second album, gave thousands of fans a liferaft to cling onto when the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Change The World, hard rock, Harem Scarem, Harry Hess, melodic rock, Pete Lesperance, review | Leave a comment

Album review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – Agents Of Fortune, 40th Anniversary

Posted on March 14, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 06.03.20] CD/DVD As any fan knows, the key to a band’s longevity is an enduring ability to write great songs. That and the talent to leave more out than they put in. Once they get into the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged 40th anniversary, Agents Of Fortune, album, Blue Oyster Cult, Buck Dharma, classic album, classic rock, Eric Bloom, live, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: SERIOUS BLACK – Suite 226

Posted on March 12, 2020 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 31.01.20] “Suite 226” is seriously good Serious Black. The band have taken a lot of flak over the variable quality of their last couple of albums. Which isn’t surprising, knowing that the band’s refusal to conform … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AFM Records, album, melodic metal, metal, review, rock opera, Serious Black, Suite 226, Urban breed | Leave a comment

Album review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – Heaven Forbid

Posted on March 9, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 06.03.20] Blue Oyster Cult originally released ‘Heaven Forbid’ in 1998 on the CMC label, so it never got a widespread release and the band had left the label by their next album. Although there are no bonus … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album. Eric Bloom, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Blue Oyster Cult, Buck Dharma, classic rock, Frontiers, hard rock, Heaven Forbid, re-issue, review, rock | Leave a comment

Gig review: JAKE BUGG – Cambridge Corn Exchange, 5 March 2020

Posted on March 8, 2020 by jason

A cold Thursday night at the start of March with the country gripped in panic bog roll and hand wash buying, cowering with the media wiped up fear of the Coronavirus. A 26-year-old young man from Nottingham steps out onto … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 5 March 2020, blues, Cambridge Corn Exchange, gig, indie, Jake Bugg, live, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Gig review: KIEFER SUTHERLAND – The Junction, Cambridge, February 26 2020

Posted on March 8, 2020 by jason

Kiefer is now two albums into his country styled music redirection and four years on the road, a very tight band the question is does he cut it? The answer is yes, the type of country Americana that Kiefer peddles … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged actor, Cambridge, country, country rock, February 26 2020, Hollywood, Keifer Sutherland, live, review, singer, The Junction | Leave a comment

Album review: SHAKRA – Mad World

Posted on March 8, 2020 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 28.02.20] “Mad World” is Shakra’s 12th studio album, and it’s a lot like the previous 11. That’s a relief. Thomas Muster’s and Thom Blunier’s economic riffs continue to drive the music, and along with prodigal son, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AC/DC, AFM Records, album, hard rock, KROKUS, Mad World, review, rock, Shakra | Leave a comment

Album review: DAVID CROSS & PETER BANKS – Crossover

Posted on March 8, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Noisy Records [Release date 17.01.20] David Cross will be best known for his time with King Crimson in the 1970s. His more recent solo works and collaborations (with the likes of one-time Van Der Graaf sax player David Jackson and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, ambient, Billy Sherwood, Crossover, David Cross, fusion, Geoff Downes, instrumental, King Crimson, Peter Banks, review, Tony Kaye, Yes | Leave a comment

Gig review: JON BODEN – Cornerstone, Didcot, 5 March 2020

Posted on March 6, 2020 by jason

Back at the Cornerstone, after a very enjoyable gig here back in November 2017, Jon Boden is out on a short solo tour to promote his latest album ‘The Rose In June’. Surrounded by three guitars, fiddle, concertina, an adapted … Continue reading →