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Gig review: THE ROLLING STONES – British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 3 July 2022
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Gig review: CORNBURY Music Festival – The Great Tew Park, Oxfordshire, 8-10 July 2022
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Gig review: EAGLES – British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 26 June 2022
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Category Archives: ALL POSTS
Album review: HYDRA – Point Break

Frontiers [release date: 12.08.22] Hydra is a project put together by rock’n’roll impresario, Daniel Flores, built around the songs of Swedish wunderkind, Henrik Hedstrom. Flores has brought in another highly talented musician, Andy Kravljaca, to sing and add lead and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andy Kravljaca, AOR, Christopher Cross, Daniel Flores, Henrik Hedstrom, Hydra, melodic rock, review, soft rock, Toto
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Album review: SIX BY SIX

Inside Out [Release date 12.08.22] SiX By SiX is a new trio that sees Saga guitarist Crichton, Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler and vocalist & multi-instrumentalist Robert Berry (3 – Emerson, Berry, Palmer; Alliance) join forces. Maybe seeing Saxon’s drummer in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 3, album, Ian Crichton, Inside Out, Keith Emerson, melodic, Nigel Glockler, prog rock, review, Robert Berry, Saga, Saxon, SiX By SiX
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Album review: MIKE BROOKFIELD – Built To Last

Golden Rule [release date 01.07.22] The Anglo-Irish singer songwriter/guitarist Mike Brookfield is back with the latest version of his own ever changing musical vision. The aptly titled ‘Built To last’ is a song driven album with meaningful lyrics and the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, blues, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, funk, Graham Parker, Grainne Brookfield, John Prine, Mike Brookfield, review, rock, Steve Earl
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Album review: LITTLE TEXAS – 4 Classic Albums on 2 CDs

Cherry Red [release date 12.08.22] In the nineties, Little Texas were country rock’s most famous unknown band. Unknown outside of the USA perhaps, but a multi platinum selling band in their home territory through that decade. This 2 CD set … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, Bruce Hornsby, country rock, Dan Huff, Desert Rose band, Eagles, retrospective, review
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Album review: H.E.A.T. – Force Majeure

earMUSIC (Release date 05.08.22) H.E.A.T’s seventh album has been anticipated with some curiosity. 2020’s misleadingly entitled ‘H.E.A.T II’ was a refreshing return to their trademark anthemic melodic rock sound, after the experimental ‘Into The Great Unknown’ but singer Erik Gronwall, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dave Dalone, H.E.A.T., Jona Tee, Kenny Leckremo, melodic rock
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Singles review: EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER – Singles (12 x 7″ singles box set)

BMG [Release date 26.08.22] It may be hard to believe that Emerson, Lake & Palmer, progressive rock titans, actually produced singles and - moreover – some became hits. This splendid box set includes a dozen of them from around the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview, Single and EP reviews
Tagged box set, Carl Palmer, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Greg Lake, Keith Emerson, prog, Progressive Rock, review, singles, Vinyl
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Album review: NORDIC UNION – Animalistic

Frontiers [release date 12.08.22] Nordic Union, as every melodic rock fan will know, is a musical marriage of two talented people. Songwriter, producer and guitarist, Erik (Eclipse, WET) Martensson, and vocalist, Ronnie (Pretty Maids) Atkins. Atkins’ advanced form of lung cancer, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Eclipse, Erik Martensson, melodic hard rock, Pretty Maids, review, Ronnie Atkins, WET
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News: Albums of the Month (April 2022 – June 2022)

DARE Road To Eden (Legend Records) Though it would be unreasonable to expect a full return to their original style, this nice blend of classic and newer Dare is a perfect representation of where they are in 2022, setting them … Continue reading
Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS
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Album review: FRACTAL SEXTET

Alchemy Records [Release date 16.09.22] It would be easy to dismiss Fractal Sextet as a muso-based-up-their-own-backside combo. In fact the press release might have you believe that. But no. Muso – yes – but damned accessible with it. The whole … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Colin Edwin, Fractal Sextet, fusion, instrumental, Jon Durant, progressive, review, Stephan Thelen
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Album review: AMY GODDARD – Rise

Bandcamp [Release date 22.07.22] Amy Goddard is a British contemporary folk singer/songwriter with both Celtic and American influences. She is also an artist and luthier (which I had to look up and they are a maker of string instruments). With … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Amy Goddard, folk, review, Rise, singer songwriter
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Album review: PALACE- One 4 The Road

Frontiers Records (Release date 15.07.22) Swedish man of many talents Michael Palace is back with his latest recreation of vintage AOR. Like its predecessor ‘Rock and Roll Radio’ 18 months ago he sings and plays all instruments himself, writes and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, Michael Palace, Palace
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EP review: HILLBILLY VEGAS – Greetings From Hillbilly Vegas

Conquest Records [Release date 17.06.22] Hillbilly Vegas have been around since 2011 making quite a name for themselves in their native USA and now look set to repeat that success in the UK & Europe. They already have UK dates … Continue reading
Book review: DECADES – ROXY MUSIC IN THE 1970’s by Dave Thompson

SonicBond Publishing [Publication date 10.06.22] As the book’s title suggests it covers Roxy Music’s career between 1972 and their first break-up in 1976, along with their 1979 reunion. Unlike other titles in this series the author Dave Thompson focuses more … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged 1970's, art rock, book, Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry, Dave Thompson, experimental, pop, review, Roxy Musix
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Single reviews: JMS, COYOTE CREED, HOUSE OF LORDS, PHIL THORNALLEY

JMS (the name coming from the initials used on a highscore table in an arcade) is an Oxford musician with a penchant for pinball. He is also the frontman of quirky pop rockers Alphabet Backwards. ‘Election Day’ is a record … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Chez Kane, Coyote Creed, House of Lords, JMS, Jupiter's Beard, Lotusbliss, melodic rock, new music, Phil Thornalley, pop, review, rock, single, southern rock, Tom Webber
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Album review: DEF LEPPARD – Adrenalize (vinyl reissue)

Universal [Release date 05.08.22] Def Leppard are Britain’s most successful rock bands, whose records adorn many a collection (and radio playlist too). 1987’s Hysteria, with hits like Poor Some Sugar On Me, was such a success it’s album everyone either … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Adrenalize, album, Def Leppard, hard rock, Joe Elliott, melodic rock, reissue, review, rock, Vinyl
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Album review: MONTROSE – I Got The Fire (6 CD Boxset)

Cherry Red/HNE Recordings [Release date: 29.07.22] If you’re looking for comprehensive CD coverage of Montrose’s journey through the seventies, look no further. That might sound like a PR man’s tagline, but it’s reflective of reality. This boxset consists of: CD1: … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bill Church, Bob James, boxset, Deep Purple, Denny Carmassi, Free, hard rock, Jump On It, Led Zeppelin, review, Ronnie Montrose, Sammy Hagar, Warner Bros
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Album review: OUSEY MANN – Is Anybody Listening

Escape Music (Release date 24.06.22) Both Chris Ousey and Steve Mann have been on the UK rock scene as long as I can remember –the former singing with Virginia Wolf, Heartland and Snakecharmer among others, the latter the loyal sideman … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Chris Ousey, melodic rock, Michael Schenker Group, Ousey Mann, reve, review, Steve Mann
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Album review: SILENT RUNNING – Follow The Light

Door Records [Release date: 22.07.22] Northern Ireland’s Silent Running convincingly transitioned from Punk to Hard Rock in the eighties, and enjoyed moderate success, scoring support tours with Simple Minds, Talk Talk and Robert Palmer. Albums on EMI and Atlantic Records … Continue reading
Album review: PHIL VINCENT – No Respect

Bandcamp [Release date 22.07.22] As he aptly describes himself on his Bandcamp page, “Phil Vincent is truly a one man band. His proficiency with multiple instruments makes it possible for him to write, arrange, perform, produce and mix all of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, hard rock, melodic hard rock, No Respect, Phil Vincent, review, rock
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Album review: LESSMANN VOSS – Rock Is Our Religion

Atomic Fire Records [Release date: 22.07.22] This Lessmann Voss, Rock Is Our Religion album would be easy to write off because it seems so out of time. Bonfire’s Claus Lessmann and Mad Max’s Michael Voss are clearly not keen to … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bonfire, Claus Lessmann, eighties, FM Radio, Mad Max, melodic rock, Michael Voss, review
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Album review: UFO – High Stakes And Dangerous Men / Lights Out In Tokyo (2 CD set)

Cherry Red [Release date 22/07/22] UFO’s Lights Out (1977) had been a huge album for the band in Japan. So when they toured the High Stakes And Dangerous Men album there in 1992, they would include a Lights Out set. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, Clive Edwards, hard rock, Japan, Lawrence Archer, live, Pete Way, Phil Mogg, review, studio, Tokyo
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Book Review: DECADES – Free and Bad Company in the 1970s by John Van der Kiste

Sonicbond Publishing (Publication Date 29.04.22) The latest in the Decades series, that delves in detail into the most productive phase of a band’s career, is one with a difference. It spans the activity of two separate bands, Free and Bad … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Bad Company, book, Decades, Free, John Van der Kiste, Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, review, Simon Kirke
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