-
Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
-
Album review: ROBERT REED – Sanctuary IV
-
Album review: LAURENCE JONES – On My Own
-
Album review : FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS – You Were Made For Me, The Complete Recordings, 1963-70
-
Album review: PHIL THORNALLEY – Stacked
-
Album review: AMY HOPWOOD – Gone to Flowers
-
Album review: SEAN TAYLOR – First Light
-
Latest Gig Reviews
GRTR! Greats
Featured Album Reviews
Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Author Archives: GRTR! HQ
Album review: BALDASSARRE – Grand Boulevard
Carl Baldassarre Music [Release date 28.04.23] The first thing this over-stressed reviewer thought when opening up the promo package was “what the hell will I play it on?” But it turns out that the album is on a USB stick … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Carl Baldassarre, classic rock, Grand Boulevard, pop, review
Leave a comment
Album review: RAMSEY LEWIS – Hang On Ramsey!/Wade In The Water/Don’t It Feel Good/Salongo/Tequila Mockingbird/Love Notes (Remasters)
BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date: various] Many readers’ first experience of Ramsey Lewis would have been the 1965 hit ‘The In Crowd’. This evokes happy times, stretched out with a transistor radio in the summer sunshine tuned in to a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, Don't It Feel Good, Earth Wind & Fire, Hang On Ramsey!, jazz funk, jazz fusion, Love Notes, Maurice White, Ramsey Lewis, review, Salongo, soul jazz, Stevie Wonder, Tequila Mockingbird, Wade In The Water
Leave a comment
Book review: MAGIC The David Paton Story (David Paton)
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 28.04.23] It seems to be a trend for musicians – some of whom aren’t exactly thrust centre stage in the pantheon of rock – to write their biographies. Perhaps it’s a Lockdown thing or a sense … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Alan Parsons Project, autobiography, bass, book, Camel, classic rock, David Paton, Elton John, guitar, Magic, Pilot, review, The David Paton Story
Leave a comment
Album review: WISHBONE ASH – Argus (50th Anniversary Edition 1972-2022)
Madfish/Snapper Music [Release date 14.04.23] In his Best of two decades listing our Melodic Rock Editor Andy Nathan (and big Wishbone Ash fan) included the gig at a country house in Buckinghamshire in 2012. Andy wrote: “Given the enmity between … Continue reading
News: WALTER TROUT enters The Grotto of Greatness in May 2023
The latest inductee to “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness” is blues/rock guitarist Walter Trout. A major retrospective following Trout’s career in the millennium will be published on 1 May by rock website Get Ready to ROCK! and throughout the month … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Anniversary 2003-2023, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged anniversary, blues, blues rock, GRTR!@20, guitar, guitarist, history, news, overview, summary, Walter Trout
Leave a comment
Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Blues and Blues Rock – Primer
They say “popular” music goes in cycles and fifteen years after the latest blues/rock revival spearheaded by the likes of Jeff Healey and Gary Moore, the genre received a boost from the arrival of Joe Bonamassa, especially in Europe which … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer
Tagged blues, blues rock, Joe Bonamassa, Pete Feenstra, primer, summary, survey, Walter Trout
Leave a comment
Album review: WINGER – Seven
Kip Winger chatted to David Randall for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, featuring tracks from the new album. First broadcast Sunday 7 May 2023. Frontiers [Release date 05.05.23] It’s a sign of the times that Metallica have apologised to Winger … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, hard rock, interview, Kip Winger, melodic, radio, Reb Beach, review, Seven, Winger
Leave a comment
Album review: LAST IN LINE – Jericho
earMUSIC [Release date 31.03.23] As far as recent ‘superbands’ go I think it is fair to say that Last In Line come from the heavier bluesy rock end of the spectrum when say compared to a band like Revolution Saints. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andrew Freeman, Dio, hard rock, heavy rock, Jericho, Last In Line, Phil Soussain, review, Vinny Appice, Vivian Campbell
Leave a comment
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
