-
Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
-
Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
-
Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
-
Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
-
Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
-
Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
-
Gig review: ELLES BAILEY- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 2 November 2024
-
Featured Album Reviews
Features
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Features
Author Archives: GRTR! HQ
Album review: DEXTER WANSEL – Life On Mars / What The World Is Coming To / Voyager / Time Is Slipping Away
BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date 31.03.23] Back in the day (mid to late 1980s), I was a closet listener to Robbie Vincent’s BBC Radio 1 show when he would frequently implore his audience to “open the fridge and freezer door” … Continue reading
Album review: RAMSEY LEWIS – Les Fleurs / Fantasy / Keys To The City (Remasters)
BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date 31.03.23] BGO have done a great job releasing back catalogue from a number of big name artists and labels and packaging several albums on a couple of discs together with extensive liner notes in a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Earth Wind & Fire, fantasy, funk, fusion, instrumental, jazz funk, Keys To The City, Larry Dunn, Les Fleurs, Maurice White, piano, Ramsey Lewis
Leave a comment
News: Albums of the Month (January – March 2023)
URIAH HEEP Chaos & Colour (Silver Lining Music) Heep join a select bunch of veteran bands (including close contemporaries Deep Purple) who are sounding as good as ever. Indeed classic heavy rock does not come much better than this. **** … Continue reading
Posted in Albums of the Month, Albums of the Year...to date, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged albums, classic rock, Cross Country Driver, February 2023, Floor Jansen, hard rock, heavy rock, January 2023, Katatonia, March 2023, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, review, Robin McAuley, The Cold Stares, Uriah Heep
Leave a comment
News: Get Ready to ROCK! reviewers name their Best of 2003-2023 – Top Albums and Live Acts
As part of the rock website Get Ready to ROCK! 20th Anniversary year, the review team has named their favourite albums and live acts. An extensive feature is published on 5 April which reflects the interests and insight of the … Continue reading
Feature: GRTR!@20 – Top Albums, Top Live Acts – reviewer choices 2003-2023
Get Ready to ROCK! celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2023. Since 2003 it has been at the forefront of online rock music review and is one of the most visible and enduring rock websites. The review team is one of … Continue reading
Posted in FEATURES, GRTR!@20
Tagged 2003-2023, albums, best of, blues rock, classic rock, live acts, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, review, singer songwriter
Leave a comment
Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – JOE BONAMASSA (April 2023)
Photo: Simon Dunkerley Bonamassa brings the blues to a new generation, at least until 2039… “Let’s start by doctoring the immortal phrase, ‘He came, he saw, (he blinked twice, took a deep breath), and conquered”! Joe Bonamassa and his gifted … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness
Tagged blues, blues rock, feature, guitar, guitarist, Joe Bonamassa
Leave a comment
Album review: ALLY VENABLE – Real Gone
Ruf Records [Release date: 24.03.23] When we reviewed the previous Ally Venable album we suggested that whilst the young guitar slinger/singer/songwriter had made great progress the perfectly formed finish was yet to come. ‘Real Gone’ takes things a step further … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Ally Venable, blues, blues rock, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Real Gone, review
Leave a comment
Album review: ANN-MARGRET – Born To Be Wild
Cleopatra Records [Release date 14.04.23] ‘Born To Be Wild’ is what, at first look, is often called a novelty album. Bring together a one-time Hollywood (and musical) icon (of a certain era) and hook them up virtually with a whole … Continue reading
News: JOE BONAMASSA enters The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness in April 2023
The latest inductee to “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness” is blues/rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa. A major retrospective feature charting Bonamassa’s rise and rise in the millennium will be published on 1 April by rock website Get Ready to ROCK! and … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Anniversary 2003-2023, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged blues rock, classic rock, feature, guitar, guitarist, history, Joe Bonamassa, retrospective
Leave a comment
Album review: STEVE HILLAGE – LA Forum 31.1.77
Madfish [Release date 17.03.23] Yet another Steve Hillage live album? And again focusing on the “classic era”? One for the fans, definitely, for whom the main attraction will be three bonus tracks recorded in London in March 1977 and seemingly … Continue reading
Album review: STONETRIP – Run Free
Golden Robot Records [Release date 10.03.23] If you’ve ever listened to our weekly new release show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio ‘New to GRTR!’ you’ll know that we feature a fair number of releases from Golden Robot Records. Established … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, hard rock, heavy rock, review, Run Free, Stonetrip
Leave a comment
Album review: RUFFYUNZ – Ruffyunz II
Hyperspace Records [Release date 23.09.22] The second album from a veritable “superband” conglomerate featuring Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath, Rainbow, drums) and Randy Pratt (Cactus, The Lizards, bass) with Ed Terry on vocals and JZ Barrell (guitars) They are joined by … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bobby Rondinelli, classic rock, Dave Meniketti, Don Airey, funk, hard rock, Joel Hoekstra, Pat Thrall, Randy Pratt, review, Ruffyunz, Ruffyunz II, Tracy G
Leave a comment
Gig review: ELEANOR McEVOY – Alexanders, Chester, 2 March 2023
Halfway through her UK tour, and a day after our major feature was published, Alexanders in Chester could well be the Grotto to Eleanor McEvoy’s Greatness. A favourite venue certainly since the early millennium. Catching up for a chat pre-gig … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 2 March 2023, acoustic, Alexanders, Chester, classic rock, Eleanor McEvoy, folk, gig, interview, jazz, radio, review, roots, singer songwriter
Leave a comment
Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – ELEANOR McEVOY (March 2023)
As Irish and iconic as Guinness and also dark and lively in equal measures… Singer songwriter Eleanor McEvoy first came to wider attention in 1992 when she was part of “A Woman’s Heart” compilation with Mary Black and other female … Continue reading
News: ELEANOR McEVOY enters The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness in March 2023
Irish singer songwriter Eleanor McEvoy is the latest inductee to “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness”. The equivalent of the “Hall of Fame” the Grotto honours selected artists who have been covered consistently at rock website Get Ready to ROCK! over … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Anniversary 2003-2023, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Leave a comment
Album review: MIKE KENEALLY – The Thing That Knowledge Can’t Eat
Exowax Recordings [Release date 24.02.23] Mike Keneally played keyboard and guitar with Zappa. More recently he’s provided similar support to Satriani. But on his latest solo album it’s the Zappa irreverence that comes out on the opening track ‘Logos’ which … Continue reading
Album review: THE HAYLEY GRIFFITHS BAND – Melanie
Posh & Rock Records [Release date 20.01.23] We first came across Hayley Griffiths when she fronted Karnataka for a time, including one studio album in 2015. Her departure (with others) from that band was apparently acrimonious but she has dusted … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Karnataka, Melanie, metal, prog, Progressive Rock, review, The Hayley Griffiths Band
Leave a comment
Album review: BRIAN TARQUIN & HEAVY FRIENDS – Brothers In Arms
BHP Music/Guitar Trax Records [Release date 03.02.23] Yes I wasn’t too kind to guitarist Mike Campese when reviewing his album ‘Reset’. But you only have to listen to Brian Tarquin’s latest offering to understand how a guitar based album should … Continue reading
Album review: PROGedia – Dioscuri
R&S Records [Release date: 24.03.23 - Digital 24.04.23 - Physical] If you want a great groove to start the New Year, head this way. Fed Conti is an Italian producer and multi instrumentalist and his latest project is quite wonderful. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, beats, Dioscuri, electronica, Fed Conti, funk, PROGedia, review, rock, trip hop
Leave a comment
Album review: MIKE CAMPESE – Reset
www.mikecampese.com [Release date 11.11.22] I’m sorry but Mike Campese exhibits all the worst aspects of “guitar virtuoso”. Guitarists may well acknowledge his technical mastery (and he has featured in several big guitar mags) but for the average listener this is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, guitar, guitarist, hard rock, Mike Campese, Neo Classical, Reset, review
Leave a comment
Album review: CERI JUSTICE – Walk In Shadow
www.cerijustice.rocks [Release date 15.04.22] Here at GRTR! it doesn’t really matter that we are reviewing an album nearly 12 months old. If it comes to our attention belatedly and is meritorious, we do it. It was Pete Feenstra playing a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Ceri Justice, classic rock, Justified, pop, pop rock, review, singer, soft rock, songwriter
Leave a comment
Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – CHANTEL McGREGOR (February 2023)
Chantel’s down to earth Yorkshire lass delivery has endeared her to fans as much as her musicianship… Photo: David Randall Yorkshire singer/songwriter/guitarist Chantel McGregor first came to our attention in May 2010 when Pete Feenstra reviewed her debut London gig … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GRTR!@20, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness
Tagged album, blues rock, Chantel McGregor, classic rock, feature, guitar, guitarist, interview, review
Leave a comment
News: CHANTEL McGREGOR enters “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness” (February 2023)
Rock website Get Ready to ROCK! has announced the second artist to be inducted in its “GRTR! Grotto of Greatness”. The website’s version of the “Hall of Fame” is part of its 20th anniversary celebrations in 2023. A different artist/band … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, Special features
Tagged award, Chantel McGregor, classic rock, Get Ready to ROCK!, guitarist, promotion
Leave a comment
Album review: LIV KRISTINE – River Of Diamonds
Metalville [Release date 21.04.23] Since 1998, and during an acrimonius split from her band Leaves’ Eyes and partner, Liv Kristine has released a series of excellent pop rock albums. We chronicled these in our radio special in 2022 when we … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Leaves' Eyes, Liv Krisitne, pop rock, review, River Of Diamonds, Theatre Of Tragedy
Leave a comment
Album review: JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR – Nobody’s Fool
Keeping The Blues Alive (KTBA Records) [Release date 28.10.22] Joanne Shaw Taylor has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, establishing herself as one of the most formidable blues/rock performers. We’ve followed her rise and rise in the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, classic rock, guitar, guitarist, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Joe Bonamassa, Nobody's Fool, R&B, review
Leave a comment
