Author Archives: brianmc

Album review : FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS – You Were Made For Me, The Complete Recordings, 1963-70

Posted on January 25, 2026 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date: 30.01.26] The Complete Recordings’ Boxset is a feat of logistics and research in itself, for which it deserves 5 stars, never mind the music. 136 tracks, 5 CDs. In the “Swinging Sixties” Manchester band Freddie And … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Cherry Red, Freddie and the Dreamers, Freddie Garrity, John Carter, Mitch Murray, review, Roger Greenaway, The Sixties, You Were made For Me | Leave a comment

Album review : ANDREW GOLD – Lonely Boy – The Asylum Years Anthology (6 CDs + DVD)

Posted on January 20, 2026 by brianmc

Esoteric Recordings / Cherry Red [Release date : 30.01.26] Andrew Gold was one of the finest musicians and songwriters to emerge from the Los Angeles music scene in the mid 70s. Most will remember him as being one half of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 10CC, Andrew Gold, boxset, Cherry Red, Graham Gouldman, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Sedaka, review, The Beatles, The Eagles, Wax | Leave a comment

Album review : MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP – Bad Boys, The MSG Story 1987-92 (4 CD boxset)

Posted on January 17, 2026 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 30.01.26] Axeman Michael Schenker’s considerable CV has been well documented over the years and it’s clearly delineated in these liner notes. Brief version: between 1972 and 1984 he cycled through The Scorpions, UFO and MSG Version … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged Cherry Red, Frank Filipetti, hard rock, Michael Schenker, MSG, Perfect Timing, review, Robin McAuley, Save Yourself, Scorpions, UFO | Leave a comment

Album review : FRANCIS ROSSI – The Accidental

Posted on January 16, 2026 by brianmc

earMUSIC [Release date : 30.1.26] Francis Rossi’s fifth solo album, The Accidental, sees him reconnecting with the bricks and mortar foundation that underpinned Quo’s music over the years. It’s a recording studio free-for-all eventually shaped by a longing for simple, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Andy Brooks, Bob Young, Francis Rossi, John 'Rhino' Edwards, Leon Cave, review, Status Quo, The Accidental | Leave a comment

Album review : EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS – Teenage Depression &ife On The Line (2CD set)

Posted on January 15, 2026 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 23.01.26] So much crammed into these “two CD” reissues from punk/ new wave/ R’n’B legends Eddie and The Hot Rods’. So much history here. Of the band, of the nascent sound of Punk. Of the talent … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Barrie Masters, Canvey Island, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Graeme Douglas, Kursaal Flyers, punk, review, seventies | Leave a comment

Album review : AUTUMN’S CHILD – Melody Lane

Posted on January 13, 2026 by brianmc

Pride & Joy Music [Release date 23.01.26] Mikael Erlandsson: 9 solo albums, 17 albums with Last Autumn’s Dream, 10 collaborations (with Tom Galley, Tommy Denander and others). Melody Lane is his 6th (since 2019) with Autumn’s Child, his fourth on … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Autumn’s Child, Last Autumn’s Dream, melodic rock, Melody Lane, Mikael Erlandsson, Pride&Joy, review, Tom Galley, Tommy Denander | Leave a comment

Album review : SO HIGH I’VE BEEN European Rock Anthology 1967-73 (V/A 3CDs)

Posted on January 8, 2026 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 16.01.26] Time was you could tell a friend that John Peel likes this band. They would either shy away like you’ve got the plague, or embrace the band like an old friend. There was no middle … Continue reading →

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Album review : ROB MORATTI – Sovereign

Posted on December 16, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 12.12.25] Rob Moratti’s all star cast is arguably more famous than he is : Joel Hoekstra, Tony Franklin, Felix Borg, Fredrik Bergh and Pete Alpenborg. Alpenborg’s written stuff for Harry Hess, Robin McAuley, Kee Marcello, Tommy Heart … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Epica, Fredric Bergh, Frontiers, Joel Hoekstra, melodic rock, Pete Alpenborg, review, Rob Moratti, Sovereign | Leave a comment

Album review : BRAZEN ABBOT – Live And Learn and Guilty As Sin (CD reissues)

Posted on December 13, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 12.12.25] Classically trained Bulgarian multi-instrumentalist, Nikolo Kotzev founded Brazen Abbot in 1995. He could play every stringed instrument known to rock’n’roll mankind, but needed a singer. Over these two reissues, released simultaneously, the cream of European … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Brazen Abbot, Bulgaria, Frontiers, Glenn Hughes, Goran Edman, Joe Lynn Turner, Jorn Lande, melodic rock, Nikolo Kotzev, review, Thomas Vikstrom | Leave a comment

Album review : GRAHAM BONNET – Lost In Hollywood Again (Live)

Posted on December 11, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date 12.12.25] Old Rock Stars never die, and judging by Lost In Hollywood Again, they never fade away either. A 77 year old Graham Bonnet is testament to that. Recorded in the legendary Whisky A Go Go, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Frontiers Music, Graham Bonnet, live, Lost In Hollywood, Rainbow, review, Schenker, Sunset Strip, Whisky A Go Go | Leave a comment

JIM PETERIK AND WORLD STAGE – River of Song – The Power Of Duets, Volume 1

Posted on December 10, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 12.12.25] Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Jim Peterik led his own band, The Ides Of March, prior to forming Survivor in 1978. His subsequent history is well documented on Wiki. River of Song is his third … Continue reading →

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Album review : JIMI JAMISON – 1998 Live Hits

Posted on December 8, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date 12.12.25] A live Nashville gig in 1998 from the late Jimi Jamison, who died in 2014, aged 63. Survivor’s fifth album, Vital Signs (1984), the first with Jamison on board as the band’s vocalist, was a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Jimi Jamison, Nashville, review, Survivor, Too Hot To Sleep, Vital Signs, When Seconds Count | Leave a comment

Album review : KEITH WEST – Cross That Bridge, The Anthology 1965-99 (2 CDs)

Posted on December 7, 2025 by brianmc

Strawberry Music [Release date 5.12.25] Like most musicians, Keith West’s life as a professional musician began inauspiciously. His career cycled through several bands in the early sixties, including most notably, Four Plus One and The In Crowd, before settling on … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Andrew Loog Oldham, Cross That Bridge, Excerpt From A Teenage Opera, John Peel, Keith West, Mark Wirtz, My White Bicycle, Tomorrow | Leave a comment

Album review : COUSINS & WILLOUGHBY – The Bridge

Posted on December 4, 2025 by brianmc

Witchwood Records [Release date 28.11.25] Brian Willoughby, a sought after session guitarist, worked with many musicians, most notably Dave Cousins and Mary Hopkins, ultimately joining Cousins in the Strawbs. The Bridge, a collaboration between Cousins and Willoughby, was recorded in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Blue Weaver, Cousins, Mary Hopkins, review, Roberto Cacciapaglia, The Bridge, The Strawbs, Venice, Willoughby, Witchwood | Leave a comment

Album review : WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – Covers of The Beatles 1967-70

Posted on December 3, 2025 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date [28.11.25] The Beatles are the gift to the music world that just keeps on giving. It’s a neat twist that the band who made their name initially by doing cover versions on stage in Germany in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Aretha Franklin, boxset, Cherry Red, cover versions, fats Domino, Mike Batt, review, Richie Havens, The Beatles, Wilson Picket | Leave a comment

Album review : LYNCH MOB – Dancing With The Devil

Posted on November 30, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 28.11.25] Now white haired and bearded, Septuagenarian Lynch had said a few years back that he would soon be retiring the Lynch Mob name, due to its racist connotations. And so, Dancing With The Devil, the second … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Dancing With The Devil, Dokken, George Lynch, hard rock, Last Waltz, Lynch Mob, review, Wicked Sensation | Leave a comment

Album review : STRYPER – The Greatest Gift Of All

Posted on November 25, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 21.11.25] The Greatest Gift Of All is Stryper’s 16th studio album. The line up remains Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Oz Fox and Perry Richardson, solid for 8 years now. When we reviewed their last two … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Christmas, classic metal, festive, Frontiers Music, Gene Krupa, hard rock, Michael Sweet, review, Silent Night, Stryper | 1 Comment

Album review : TREAT – The Wild Card

Posted on November 23, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 21.11.25] Wild Card is Swedish melodic rock band, Treat’s 10th studio album since the debut in 1985. They’ve enjoyed the same line up since reforming 20 years ago. There’s not a moment here that isn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Brother Firetribe, Classic Melodic Rock, Frontiers Music, Poodles, review, Treat, WET, Wild Card | Leave a comment

Album review : URIAH HEEP – The Shadow And The Wind: 1973-74 (5 CD Boxset)

Posted on November 23, 2025 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 28.11.25] CD1: Live 1973 CD2: US Radio Show plus Radio shows, Mixes for radio, Love Machine Rock’n’Roll Medley CD3 : Sweet Freedom +5 bonus (1973) CD4: Wonderworld +6 bonus (1974) CD5 : Live At Shepperton Another … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 1974, Cherry Red, classic rock, Donald Guarisco, Malcolm Dome, review, Sweet Freedom, Uriah Heep, Wonderworld | Leave a comment

Album review : THE BLUES BROTHERS – The Lost Recordings (blue vinyl)

Posted on November 22, 2025 by brianmc

Z2Comics [Release date : 21.11.25] “From The Vaults Of John Belushi Comes 13 Unreleased Live Performances of THE BLUES BROTHERS” An apocryphal tale you might think, but apparently the tapes referenced were found by his late wife, Judy Belushi, in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Blues Brothers, Booker T, Elwood, John Belushi, Joliet Jake, review, rhythm and blues, Sonny Boy Williamson, Steve Cropper | Leave a comment

Album review : CASSIDY PARIS – Bittersweet

Posted on November 19, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 21.11.25] Bittersweet is Australian songbird, Cassidy Paris’s second long player on the Frontiers Music label, a follow up to the debut, New Sensation. Paris was “discovered” in her youth, and subsequently mentored, by Paul (Danger … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Alex Rogowski, Bittersweet, Cassidy Paris, classic rock, Frontiers Music, melodic rock, Paul Laine, review, Steve Brown, Tom Rogowski | Leave a comment

Album review : SPIRIT – Sea Dream (4CD Expanded and Remastered boxset)

Posted on November 16, 2025 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 28.11.25] Californian band, Spirit, blossomed in the fertile fields of psychedelic rock. They came together in 1967, the year of “The Summer Of Love”, a year later they released their self titled debut. Its febrile … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged expanded, live, posthumous, Randy California, remastered, review, rock, Sea Dream, Spirit, studio | Leave a comment

Album review : CHEAP TRICK – All Washed Up

Posted on November 16, 2025 by brianmc

BMG [Release date 14.11.25] Cheap Trick’s best since Rockford. Some people thought it was all over, thus the tongue-in-cheek title. It’s no exaggeration to call this 40 minute album’s worth of expertly crafted songs a heavy hitting tour de force. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged All Washed Up, Cheap Trick, Daxx, melodic rock, review, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersen | Leave a comment

Album review : TOKYO BLADE – Beware The Blade – Classic, Rare and Unreleased, 4 CD Boxset

Posted on November 12, 2025 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 21.11.25] A 4CD boxset of the best of Tokyo Blade’s 14 albums (and more). It’s not called a “Best Of”, but that’s what it is. CD1 : selections from Midnight Rendezvous (1984) and Night Of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Beware The Blade, boxset, Cherry Red, Fury, heavy metal, Midnight Rendezvous, Night Of The Blade, NWOBHM, review, Tokyo Blade | Leave a comment

Album review : HELL IN THE CLUB – The Joker In The Pack

Posted on November 2, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date 7.11.25] The Hell In The Club line up comprised originally of ex-members of better named bands, like Elvenking (Dave Moras), Secret Sphere (Andrea Buratto) and Wrathchild (Andrea Piccardi). Of course the HITC band name is old … Continue reading →