Author Archives: GRTR! HQ

Album review: THE MAGPIE SALUTE – s/t

Posted on June 25, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 09.06.17] The long-awaited release of The Magpie Salute’s self-titled debut album is like meeting an old flame after many years – you wonder how she’s stood the test of time, if she still has it….and then she walks … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, The Best of 2017 | Tagged album, review, the Magpie Salute | Leave a comment

Album review: SIMPLE MINDS – Acoustic In Concert

Posted on June 16, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Eagle [Release date 16.06.17] CD/DVD Well, if Status Quo can do it, why not Simple Minds? The Scottish band’s eighties heyday was always predicated on big, anthemic, arrangements and in this BBC Radio 2 gig we get trimmed down versions … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Acoustic In Concert, album, BBC, Charlie Burchill, Hackney Empire, Jim Kerr, live, pop, review, rock, Simple Minds | Leave a comment

Album review: STANLEY CLARKE, NORMAN CONNORS, HARVEY MASON (Jazz Funk compilations)

Posted on June 16, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

STANLEY CLARKE - The Definitive Collection

Cherry Red Records/imprints The mid to late 1970s was a golden age for disco/jazz-funk. Bands like Earth, Wind & Fire were ascendant in the charts whilst our more home-grown Level 42 picked up the baton for the burgeoning Brit Funk … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Arista, Buddah, collection, compilation, funk, Harvey Mason, jazz funk, jazz fusion, Norman Connors, R&B, review, Sho Nuff Groovin' You The Arista Records Anthology (1975-1981), Stanley Clarke, The Definitive Collection, Valentine Love The Buddah/Arista Anthology | Leave a comment

Quick plays: SCARVED, OOBERFUSE

Posted on June 12, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

SCARVED Lodestone [Release date 03.03.17] What springs to mind when you think about Belgium? World class beer, chocolate, and a national football team? Could female fronted rock be added to that impressive roster with the sophomore release from Scarved? Fronted … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Belgium, electronica, hard rock, Lodestone, Ooberfuse, pop, review, Scarved, The Odd Ones | Leave a comment

Album review: NASHER – 432-1 Open The Vein

Posted on June 12, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Babylon Pink [Release date 23.06.17] Whatever happened to Frankie Goes To Hollywood guitarist Brian ‘Nasher’ Nash? The opener – ‘Salt In Her Veins’ – sounds like you’ve put the radio on FM by mistake and it’s drifted ‘off station’. But … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 432-1 Open The Vein, album, Brian Nash, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Nasher, pop, review, rock, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: RITCHIE BLACKMORE’S RAINBOW – Live In Birmingham 2016

Posted on June 10, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Eagle Records [Release date 09.06.17] You may wonder why – after the release last year of the German gigs – we have yet another version of Ritchie’s hard rock comeback? As we commented in our original review, it is a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Deep Purple, live, Live In Birmingham 2016, review, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Ronnie Romero | Leave a comment

News: STACKRIDGE release The Final Bow (July 2017)

Posted on June 7, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Pop prog rockers Stackridge played their “Farewell” Tour in late 2015 and their gig at The Fiddlers Club, Bristol on 19 December 2015 is released on 14 July by Angel Air Records. The band appeared at the formative Glastonbury Festival … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, NEWS | Tagged Andy Davis, Angel Air Records, James Warren, pop, progressive, Stackridge, The Final Bow Bristol 2015, The Korgis | Leave a comment

Gig review: VINTAGE TROUBLE – The Tramshed, Cardiff, 1 June 2017

Posted on June 7, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Every once in a while you have to step out of your comfort zone, tonight in Cardiff’s premier venue the Tramshed, I pretty much danced out of it. Leaving behind the rock music and submerging myself in soul. To tag … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 1 June 2017, Cardiff, gig, R&B, review, rhythm and blues, rock, soul, Tramshed, Ty Taylor, Vintage Trouble | Leave a comment

Album review: ANTHONY PHILLIPS – Slow Dance (Deluxe reissue)

Posted on June 6, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

In March 2015 David Randall chatted to Anthony Phillips for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. In this exclusive edit, Ant talks about ‘Slow Dance’ (3:29) Esoteric [Release date 17.06.17] ‘Slow Dance’ might be regarded as Ant Phillips’ ‘Tubular Bells’, coincidentally … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged 5.1 surround mix, acoustic, album, Anthony Phillips, expanded, Genesis, instrumental, interview, reissue, review, rock, Slow Dance | Leave a comment

News: TODD RUNDGREN: New album and interview (May 2017)

Posted on May 26, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

The full version of this interview is broadcast as part of the 500th ‘Assume The Position’ presented by David Randall on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. Repeated Monday 29 May, 22:00 GMT and Friday 2 June, 22:00 GMT (5:22) Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, INTERVIEWS, NEWS, Radio interview | Tagged album, interview, may 2017, radio, Todd Rundgren, White Knight | Leave a comment

Gig review: ELEANOR McEVOY – Penylan Hall, Meiford, 19 May 2017

Posted on May 20, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

In a lifetime of gig-going you invariably encounter unusual venues. Village halls, churches, some that are literally off the beaten track. Some that defy sat-nav. It is when you find in these places artists of a certain stature, or your … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, The Best of 2017 | Tagged 19 May 2017, acoustic, Eleanor McEvoy, gig, Meiford, Penylan Hall, review, rock, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: MIKE ANDERSEN – Devil Is Back

Posted on May 17, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Nordic Music Society [Release date 02.06.17] With six self-produced albums under his belt, Danish singer songwriter Mike Andersen’s latest release Devil Is Back sees him bring in an external producer – drummer Mads Michelsen from Danish band Gnags – and … Continue reading →

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Album review: DEEP PURPLE – inFinite

Posted on May 16, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

earMUSIC [Release date 07.04.17] 2013′s ‘Now What?!’ found Deep Purple in rude good form and backed up by a well received UK tour. With more UK dates in November 2017, inFinite doesn’t quite match the sheer audacity of that album … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, The Best of 2017 | Tagged album, Deep Purple, Don Airey, hard rock, heavy rock, Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, inFinite, progressive, review, Roger Glover, Steve Morse | Leave a comment

Quick plays: UNDERHILL ROSE, STEVE MAYONE

Posted on May 16, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

UNDERHILL ROSE Live [Release date 30.06.17] Recorded in North Carolina in September 2016, Live finds Underhill Rose Eleanor Underhill (vocals/banjo/harmonica), Molly Rose Reed (vocals/guitar) and Salley Williamson (vocals and upright bass) delivering a stripped back ‘best of’ set culled from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged acoustic, album, Americana, Christopher Rayson, Gary Spehar, I Hold Gravity, It's Been Going On, live, review, roots, Sideways Rain, singer, songwriter, Steve Mayone, Underhill Rose | Leave a comment

Gig review: ELEANOR McEVOY – Alexander’s, Chester, 14 May 2017

Posted on May 15, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

In this hour long interview/feature David Randall chats to Eleanor McEvoy about her career. Part of The GRTR! Archive series and recorded in June 2008. (57:23) Eleanor McEvoy wowed an attentive audience on her continuing Naked Music tour – not … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 14 May 2017, acoustic, Alexanders, Chester, Eleanor McEvoy, gig, pop, review, rock, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Gig review: PAUL RODGERS/Deborah Bonham – Manchester Apollo, 8 May 2017

Posted on May 9, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

PAUL RODGERS - Manchester Apollo, 8 May 2017

We last saw Paul Rodgers and his band in 2011 when he performed a selection of his “greatest hits” spanning Free, Bad Company and solo. And of course in October last year he fronted Bad Company in what was an … Continue reading →

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Album review: URIAH HEEP Reissues (Look At Yourself, Demons And Wizards, The Magician’s Birthday)

Posted on May 8, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

BMG [Release date 31.03.17] As we opined when reviewing the first tranche of Heep reissues, we would question the merits of adding a second disc with the “alternative” album version as reimagined by Heep fan and collector Robert Corich under … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, classic rock, Demons And Wizards, expanded, heavy rock, Ken Hensley, Look At Yourself, Mick Box, prog, progressive, reissue, remastered, review, The Magician's Birthday, Uriah Heep | Leave a comment

Album review: KAPREKAR’S CONSTANT – Fate Outsmarts Desire

Posted on May 6, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Uranium Club [Release date 12.03.17] Kaprekar’s Constant is the brainchild of a couple of old duffers, and childhood friends, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Al Nicholson and Nick Jefferson who, like many of us lived through prog’s golden years. Bringing together like … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, David Jackson, Fate Outsmarts Desire, Kaprekar's Constant, Level 42, Mike Westergaard, Phil Gould, prog, Progressive Rock, review, The Blessing, Van Der Graaf Generator | Leave a comment

Album review: PORTER NICKERSON – Bonfire To Ash

Posted on May 6, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Weasel Records [Release date 05.05.17] When Midwest based guitarist / singer-songwriter Willy Porter started out, the success of the single ‘Angry Words’ (from his 1994 album Dog-Eared Dream) led to touring slots with the like of Tori Amos, Rickie Lee … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Bonfire To Ash, Carmen Nickerson, Porter Nickerson, review, singer, songwriter, Willy Porter | Leave a comment

Album review: RICH HOPKINS AND LUMINARIOS – My Way Or The Highway

Posted on May 6, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Blue Rose [Release date 27.01.17] You can tell a ‘serious’ musician when their album credits lists both the guitars and amplifiers they use, but Tuscon guitar slinger and songwriter Rich Hopkins comes across as one laid back dude. He might … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, The Best of 2017 | Tagged album, Lisa Novak, My Way Or The Highway, review, Rich Hopkins And Luminarios, roots, southern rock | Leave a comment

Album review: TODD RUNDGREN – White Knight

Posted on April 27, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Daryl Hall, Donald Fagen, Joe Satriani, Joe Walsh, review, Robyn, rock, Todd Rundgren, Trent Reznor, White Knight | 1 Comment

Album review: BOBBY KIMBALL – We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

Posted on April 27, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records [Release date 21.04.17] For many, Bobby Kimball is the definitive voice of Toto and performed with that band during the halcyon years of 1978-1984 (rejoining and touring 1998-2000). Since that time he has forged a semi-cabaret existence … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Bobby Kimball, Derek Sherinian, melodic rock, review, soft rock, Toto, We're Not In Kansas Anymore | Leave a comment

News: STEVE HACKETT on tour in the UK from 28 April

Posted on April 26, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Steve Hackett commences his UK tour on Friday 28 April. Promoting his new album ‘The Night Siren’ the tour is also billed as “Genesis Revisited with Classic Hackett” and culminates in a sold out show at The London Palladium. The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS | Tagged Genesis Revisited, gigs, guitar, guitarist, may 2017, prog, Progressive Rock, Steve Hackett, The Night Siren, UK tour | Leave a comment

Album review: KINKY WIZZARDS – Quirky Musings

Posted on April 15, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

White Knight Records [Release date 31.03.17] In recent years we’ve enjoyed several artists or bands who have purveyed an infectious brand of instrumental-based prog rock, inspired by jazz fusion or just plain inspired. Amongst them the likes of Norway’s Pymlico … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, funk, fusion, instrumental, Jazz rock, Kinky Wizzards, Quirky Musings, review | Leave a comment

Album review: MIKE + THE MECHANICS – Let Me Fly

Posted on April 15, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

BMG [Release date 07.04.17] When Mike + The Mechanics played live recently – ostensibly to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Word Of Mouth – it was clearly evident they were also promoting a new album; taking pre-release orders in the … Continue reading →

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