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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
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Gig review: ELLES BAILEY- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 2 November 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Yearly Archives: 2021
Album review: MY GLASS WORLD – Still Life With Machine Gun
Luxury Noise [release date: 24.09.21] Everything Absent Or Distorted was a (now defunct) “sprawling, American, Indie Rock Ensemble”. They recorded their song ‘Still Life With Machine Gun’ in 2006. 15 years later, My Glass World have recorded their own song … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Elvis Costello, Jamie Telford, lockdown, NICK LOWE, Ocean Vuong, review, Sean Reed, The Jam
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Album review: TOMMY CASTRO Presents A Bluesman Came To Town: A Blues Odyssey
Alligator Records [Release date: 17.09.21] Every since breaking nationally on NBC’s Comedy Showcase, San Francisco’s Tommy Castro has enjoyed a well founded reputation in the new blues vanguard for his willingness to explore new avenues in the blues genre. Down … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, Deanna Bogart, funk, guitar, Jimmy Hall, Keith Crossan, Kevin McKendree, review, rock, soul, Terrie Odabi, Tom Hambridge, Tommy Castro, Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town: A Blues Odyssey, Tommy MacDonald
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Gig review: THE CINELLI BROTHERS- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 16 September 2021
One of the advantages of being an active gig goer is picking up recommendations from like minded ‘gig buddies’ of new acts to discover. One such that were being raved about prior to the pandemic were blues band The Cinelli … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Alessandro Cinelli, blues, blues rock, Cabbage Patch, Cinelli Brothers, Eel Pie Club, gig, Marco Cinelli, Tom Julian-Jones
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Book review: WHO IS BLUES Vol.2 – The Interviews. Blues Encounters 2000 – 2020 by Vincent Abbate
Self Published [Publication date 01.09.21] ‘Who Is The Blues Vol.2: The Interviews. Blues Encounters 2000-2020′ is an interesting cross section of 20 years of interviews of contemporary blues artists by the German based, New York blues scribe Vincent Abbate. Abbate … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, Books
Tagged author, BB King, blues, Bobby Rush, book, Buddy Guy, Dave Gonzales, interviews, John Mooney, Josh Smith, Paul Delay, Quinn Sullivan, review, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Samantha Fish, Sue Foley, Terry Evans, The Holmes Brothers, Tommy Castro, Vincent Abbate, Walter Trout, Watermelon Slim, Who is Blues Vol.2
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Album review: PARADOX – Heresy II, End Of A Legend
AFM Records [Release date: 24.09.21] German giants of Thrash, Paradox are well known within the genre. They have a sizeable coterie of discerning fans who’ve followed them since the band’s inception in 1986. Had their chosen genre been say, power … Continue reading
Gig review: LEAFHOUND- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 9 September 2021
The long and intriguing history of Leafhound is now entering a new chapter. Their sole 1971 album, released after the band had already split, has subsequently become a cult classic especially among the stoner rock community, with original vinyl copies … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged classic rock, Dominic French, gig, Leafhound, Peter French, Peter Herbert, Tom Smith
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Album review: SAVATAGE – Sirens and Dungeons Are Calling (remasters)
ear-MUSIC [release date 3.09.21] We’re cranking the machine way back to 1982, and Savatage’s twin debuts, Sirens and Dungeons Are Calling, both independently released. The band, Jon and Criss Oliva, Keith Collins and Steve Wacholz recorded and mixed all the … Continue reading
Album review: INGLORIOUS- Heroine
Frontiers Records (Release Date 10.09.21) In the seventies it was not uncommon for bands to release two albums a year but it is virtually unheard of these days. So I was surprised when I learned that a little over six … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Covers, Inglorious, melodic rock, Nathan James
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Album review: LEAVES EYES – The Last Viking, Midsummer Version
AFM Records [release date: 17.09.21] Leaves Eyes’ latest release, The Last Viking, Midsummer Version, is a multi media concept album, a high impact audiovisual story. The “Last Viking” was Harald III of Norway, known as Harald Hardrada (Harald the Hard … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 1066, AFM Records, album, Audiovisual, Celtic, DVD, England, folk metal, Harold Hardrada, Norway, review, symphonic rock, YouTube
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…THE STORM (Gregg Rolie, Ross Valory, Steve Smith)
Interscope/Atlantic 1991 The Storm is very much a case of “what we did in our down time”. With Journey on hiatus in the late eighties Neal Schon formed Bad English then Hardline (debut album Double Eclipse in 1992) whilst Journey … Continue reading
Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged album, AOR, feature, Gregg Rolie, Josh Ramos, Journey, Kevin Chalfant, melodic rock, review, Ross Valory, Steve Smith, the Storm
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Album review: BONNIE TYLER – The East West Years 1995-98 (3 CDs)
Cherry Red [release date: 17.09.21] Bonnie Tyler’s two most famous songs, ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ (1983) and ‘It’s A Heartache’ (1977) are among the best selling singles of all time, with combined sales of over 12 million. She’s enjoyed … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alan Parsons, album, Andy Hill, Bonnie Tyler, Chris Thompson, David Foster, Eric Troey, Frankie Miller, Franz Gruber, Glen Burtnik, Harold Faltermyer, Jim Steinman. Humberto Gattica, Jimmy Smyth, Kasim Sulton, pop, review, rock
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Album review: IRON MAIDEN – Senjutsu
Parlophone [Release date 03.09.21] It’s been almost 6 years since Iron Maiden released Book Of Souls to an eagerly waiting world. For me it was one of the most disappointing releases of the band’s career, over long, plodding and ultimately boring, not a … Continue reading
EP review: MUDDIBROOKE – Luncay
Self-release [Release date 22.10.21] ‘Lunacy’ is the debut EP from Derby based alt rockers MuddiBrooke who formed in January 2020. They have previously released two singles and music videos which have seen them receive airplay on Kerrang! Radio and earn … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged alt rock, EP, grunge, Lunacy, MuddiBrooke, review, rock
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Album review: GUS G – Quantum Leap
AFM Records [Release date 08.10.21] When I interviewed Gus G back stage in Manchester in 2012 all the talk was how he had fared with Ozzy. He contributed to the album ‘Scream’ (2010) and there were high hopes of a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Firewind, guitar, guitarist, Gus G, instrumental, metal, Quantum Leap, review
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Album review: EDGE OF PARADISE – The Unknown
Frontiers Music [Release date 17.09.21] Edge Of Paradise is a duo made up of Armenian/ Russian/ American singer, “the female Robin McAuley”, Margarita Monet, and American guitarist and songwriter, Dave Bates. The Unknown is their fourth album, and second on … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dave Bates, Edge Of Paradise, Frontiers, Howard Benson, Margarita Monet, Mike Plotnikoff, review, Symphonic Rock Metal, Unknown
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EP review: JESSICA LYNN – Reimagined
www.jessicalynnmusic.org/music [Release date 17.09.21] This new four song EP from Jessica Lynn is influenced by her weekly livestreams during the pandemic. “Since the pandemic started,” Jessica reflects, “I have been performing piano livestreams every week, where my fans have challenged … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged acoustic, country, EP, Jessica Lynn, melodic, pop, Reimagined, review, singer songwriter
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Album review: NEWMAN – Into The Monsters’ Playground
AOR Heaven (Release date 10.09.21) For a remarkable near quarter of a century Steve Newman has turned out a series of finely crafted albums. He never remotely hinted at the big time, but as compensation his name enjoys almost universal … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, NEWMAN, Steve Newman
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Album review: IAN PARRY’s ROCK EMPORIUM – Brute Force
Metal Mind [release date 14.07.21] Singer/songwriter, Ian Parry has always been master of his own destiny, moving from project to project and label to label over the course of his 30 year career. He counts Hammerhead, Elegy, Ayreon and Vengeance … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Allan Sorensen, Ayreon, Elegy, Hammerhead, Ian Parry, Kris Gildenlow, Lucas Sillito, Metal Mind, Neo Classical, Patrick Johansen, Patrick Rondat, review, Rock Emporium, symphonic metal, Vengeance
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Album review: PETER H NILSSON – Sign Of Myself
AOR Heaven [Release date 10.09.21] Peter H Nilsson’s debut ‘Little American Dream’ was a very enjoyable AOR/ West Coast listen and still played regularly by this reviewer. The good news is that this follow-up album sees Nilsson still teamed up … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Chris Biano, melodic rock, Peter H Nilsson, review, Sign Of Myself, singer songwriter
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Book review: BOBBY RUSH with Herb Powell – I Ain’t Studdin Ya: My American Blues Story
Hachette Books [Publication date 15.07.21] Grammy award winner Emmett Ellis Jnr aka Bobby Rush’s ‘I Ain’t Studdin’ Ya: My American Blues Story’ is easily one of the best musical biographies of the year. It’s the life and time of a … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged 'I Ain't Studdin ya: My American Blues Story, Alan Freed, BB King, Big Joe Turner, biography, Bobby Rush, book, Chess Records, Chitlin Cicuit, Chuck Berry, comedy, drums, fats Domino, guitar, harp, Herb Powell, Little Richard, Little Walter, Luther Allison, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, review, Rufus Thomas, Sonny Boy Williamson
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Album review: BRIAN SETZER – Gotta Have The Rumble
Surfdog Records [Release date 27.08.21] The 70’s and 80’s were a glorious time for music. Whilst that may smack of rose-tinted spectacles and the purposeful forgetting of several horrific ‘novelty’ records that came out in those decades, few can argue … Continue reading
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Album review: THE PETAL FALLS – All These Years
[Release date 03.09.21] Just about a year ago I reviewed this band’s debut album, ‘Workin All Night, Workin All Day’ and I was literally blown away. I knew then that this band had reach and would appeal to a broader … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, All These Years, AOR, Keith Leahy, melodic rock. rock, review, the Petal Falls
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Album review: BRAINSTORM – Wall Of Skulls
AFM Records [release date 17.09.21] Judging by this new release, Brainstorm turned the pandemic related lockdown to good advantage, in writing and recording Wall Of Skulls. It’s no more than an incremental step up from last album, Midnight Ghost, but … Continue reading
Gig review: STONEDEAD FESTIVAL – Showground, Newark – 28th August 2021
“It was quite simply great for everyone – bands and fans alike - to be back in the groove doing what they love, and the set up was as a good festival should be…” Stonedead Festival was set up by genuine music fans who wanted to recapture some of the spirit of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 28th August 2021, Absolva, Black Star Riders, Blaze Bayley, Cats In Space, Dead Mans Whisky, festival, Giraffe, Gun, HEAT, inflatable, Kris Barras, Krusher, Massive Wagons, metal, Myke Gray, Newark, rock, showground, Stonedead, Stonedeaf, Stop Stop Stop, Terrorvision, The Hot Damn, Uriah Heep, Wayward Sons
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Gig review: CONNOR SELBY BAND- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 26 August 2021
Essex-based Connor Selby is a name to watch in the blues world: he was awarded young artist of the year two years running in the UK blues awards, and even came to the attention of the Who’s management and opened … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues, blues rock, Connor Selby, gig, guitarist, Joe Anderton, Steve Watts
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