Album review: JOHN SLOMAN – Two Rivers

Red Steel Music [Release date: 12.08.22]

John Sloman’s ninth solo album is a tale of two cities. His life has been a neverending musical quest to find success and certitude. All the time torn between his hometown of Cardiff, where his heart lies, and London, where rock’n'roll ambitions are made or broken.

His stints with Uriah Heep, Lone Star, UFO and Gary Moore through the seventies and eighties enhanced his reputation as a singer, but never booked him a permanent place at the table of the rich and famous.

Two Rivers is an autobiography in song, playing one city off against the other, making lyrically poetic connections between memory and music, between youthful ambitions and the realities of life (‘This River Is A Time Machine’, ‘When I Go Home’).

He gives a poised performance on every track, using a spoken word intro each time to set the scene.

On ‘Scenes From A Biscuit Tin’ and ‘Londinium’, his sophisticated arrangements and unorthodox instrumentation reflect his Rundgren, Zappa, Beefheart influences. He creates a simple but resonating groove with bongos, shakers and harmonium drone on the first, and on the second he captures something of rock’s psychedelic phase. Cool stuff.

There’s soul here too … ‘Caerdydd, City Of The River’ a paean to his hometown, is filled out with a full throated gospel choir, flavoured with a distinct twist of Memphis. It’s a welcome distraction of attractively tailored noise in among the moody, atmospheric passages, like ‘Rest In Peace For Sylvie’, and ‘Blackweir’. Two very personal songs filled with powerful images and memorable melodies, each carrying a compelling emotional weight.

In reflecting honestly on his own experiences on Two Rivers, Sloman has created music that says something about the human condition. A rarity among rock albums. ****

Review by Brian McGowan


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.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 25 February
Next session: Sunday 14 April

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 25 February 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 27 February 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 4 March 2024

COLLATERAL Glass Sky (Big Shot Records)
THE ZUTONS Pauline (ICEPOP)
THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS Rise Above It All (Mascot)
MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY From Here To The Moon (indie)
THE BLACK VULTURES Never Say (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 4 March 2024

09:00-12:00 LEE AARON Tattoo Me (Metalville)
12:00-13:00 THE END MACHINE The Quantum Phase (Frontiers)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply