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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Gig review: SQUEEZE – Roundhouse, London, 22 November 2024
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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
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Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS
Album review: FARA – Energy Islands
Faramusic [Release date 26.08.22] Fara are from the Orkney’s, where they developed their distinctive sound that blends the three fiddles and vocals of Jeana Leslie, Catriona Price and Kristan Harvey against piano. On this album Fara introduce a new pianist Rory … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Energy Islands, Fara, folk, instrumental, Orkney Islands, review, traditional music
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Album review: STEELEYE SPAN – Live At The Rainbow Theatre 1974
Chrysalis Records [Release date 07.10.22] A vinyl only (double LP in old money!) of a classic concert from Steeleye Span that has never been released in full before. A handful of tracks from the concert have popped up down the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, folk, folk rock, Live At The Rainbow Theatre 1974, Maddy Prior, Peter Knight, review, Steeleye Span, Vinyl
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Album review: DYNAZTY – Final Advent
AFM Records [Release date: 26.08.22] Guided by Love Magnusson and Nils Molin, the band’s influential guitarist and vocalist respectively, Dynazty successfully transitioned from melodic rock to symphonic rock several albums ago, with 2018′s Firesign getting the target “formula” just right. … Continue reading
Album review: JOE MACRE – The Dream Is Free
Cuppa Joe Records [Release date 01.08.22] This is one of those strange albums where the song intros are the most impressive aspect. Once the vocals cut in, the promise dissipates. Joe Macre has a lot to answer for. He mainly … Continue reading
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Tagged album, bass, Crack The Sky, fusion, Joe Macre, progressive, review, rock, The Dream Is Free
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Album review: LILLIAN AXE – From Womb To Tomb
Global Rock [Release date : 19.08.22] There’s a thin line between pretension and serious minded rock’n’roll. Lillian Axe do a high wire balancing act on this, their first album for ten years, titled From Womb To Tomb. Mainman, songwriter, guitarist, … Continue reading
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Tagged album, arrangements, hard rock, heavy metal, melody, MTV, review, Saigon Kick, Steve Blaze, symbolism, Trance metal
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Album review: LONELY ROBOT – A Model Life
Inside Out [Release date 26.08.22] Lonely Robot originally started out as a planned trilogy of album’s by John Mitchell (Arena, Frost*, It Bites) and luckily for us listeners & fans he decided to carry on with Lonely Robot, which brings … Continue reading
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Tagged A Model Life, album, Arena, Frost*, It Bites, John Mitchell, Lonely Robot, melodic, prog rock, progressive, review
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Album review: DURHAM COUNTY POETS – Out Of The Woods
Self release [Release date: 18.05.22] The Durham County Poets is a Quebec based, soul driven, horn powered roots-rock band that is equally at home playing white boy soul, blues, funk, boogie, r&b, gospel and Americana. Their strength lies in their … Continue reading
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Tagged Americana, blues, Bod Dylan, boogie, Chicago, Durham County Poets, funk, gospel, Kevin Harvey, Out Of The Woods, R&B, review, roots. album, soul, The Band, Van Morrison
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Album review: WHITE SPIRIT – Right Or Wrong
Pete Feenstra chatted to Mal Pearson and Mick Tucker of White Spirit for his show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 7 August 2022. Conquest Music [Release date: 29.07.22] ‘Right Or Wrong’ is White Spirit’s first album for … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, AOR, Asia, Brian Howe, classic rock, Deep Purple, FM, Foreigner, HammerFall, Jeff Scott Soto, Journey, Lee Small, Lionheart, Mal Pearson, Mick Tucker, Neil Murray, NWOBHM, Pontus Norgren, Rainbow, review, rock, Russell Gilbrook, Steve Overland, Van Halen, White Spirit, Whitesnake
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Album review: JOHN SLOMAN – Two Rivers
Red Steel Music [Release date: 12.08.22] John Sloman’s ninth solo album is a tale of two cities. His life has been a neverending musical quest to find success and certitude. All the time torn between his hometown of Cardiff, where … Continue reading
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Tagged blues, Captain Beefheart, Cardiff, Frank Zappa, gospel, groove, John Sloman, London, Memphis, psychedelic, review, rock, Todd Rundgren
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Album review: SOIL – Play It Forward
Cleopatra Records [Release date 26.08.22] A covers album from Soil whose last studio album was released back in 2013, so this covers album should keep their fans happy, even if it contains no new original songs. ‘Playing It Forward’ is … Continue reading
Album review: SLADE – All The World Is A Stage
BMG [Release date 09.09.22] British glam hard rock legends Slade ruled the world in the early to mid 70s, and quickly built up a fearsome live reputation. With Noddy Holder’s trademark vocals, the Holder/Jim Lea penned songs, Don Powell’s driving … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged All The World Is A Stage, BMG, box set, classic rock, Dave Hill, Don Powell, festival, glam rock, hard rock, Jim Lea, live, Noddy Holder, reading, review, Slade
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Album review: DEF LEPPARD – Euphoria (Vinyl reissue)
Universal [Release date 05.08.22] The Sheffield rock legends’ seventh studio album, originally released in 1999, gets the vinyl reissue treatment here. It was the second full album to feature guitarist Vivian Campbell, which returned the band to a five piece … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, classic rock, Damon Hill, Def Leppard, Euphoria, hard rock, melodic rock, reissue, review, Vinyl
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Album review: RUSTY SHACKLE – Under A Bloodshot Moon
Bandcamp [Release date 19.08.22] Welsh indie-roots band Rusty Shackle have not passed across the musical radar of this reviewer until now and I am gald that have finally. Rusty Shackle have been recording and touring around the globe since 2010. … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Ferocious Dog, folk, indie, Mumford & Sons, review, rock, roots, Rusty Shackle, Under A Bloodshot Moon
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Album review: STEAMHAMMER – Wailing Again
MiG records [Release date 30.09.22] Having just completed an overview of the current “state of play” in rock music for our 20th anniversary I mentioned that there has been a void in recent times allowing old stagers to reform and … Continue reading
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Tagged album, blues, blues rock, Martin Pugh, Pete Sears, review, rhythm and blues, Steamhammer, Wailing Again
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Album review: ESBE – I Might Be Dreaming
Pete Feenstra chatted to Esbe for his Feature show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 28 August 2022. New Cat Records [Release date 20.05.22] Esbe is a British composer, musician, arranger, producer and vocalist with a beautifully expressive … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, ambient, Bjork, electronica, Esbe, I Might Be Dreaming, interview, keyboards, Nico, review, The Velvet Underground, vocal
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Album review: FLASH – In The USA Live Recordings 1972-73 (3-CD set)
Think Like A Key Music [Release date 09.09.22] Flash were a post-Yes vehicle for guitarist Peter Banks. In the UK at least they may have attracted more attention for their “risqué” album covers after they’d signed for Sovereign/EMI in 1971. … Continue reading
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Tagged 3-CD, album, Colin Carter, Flash, In The USA Live Recordings 1972-73, Peter Banks, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Yes
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Album review: THE HOOTENANNY – Plays The Songs Of Ron Ryan
Think Like A Key Music [Release date 02.09.22] By all accounts, Ron Ryan was the writing force behind several of The Dave Clark Five’s hits in the sixties. He was introduced to Clark via his brother, early band member Mick … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Dave Clark Five, DC5, Joe Nontague, Plays The Songs Of Ron Ryan, pop, review, sixties, The Hootenanny
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Album review: SLYDER SMITH & THE OBLIVION KIDS – Charm Offensive
Ray Records [Release date 19.08.22] Slyder Smith you may know from glam-tinged power popsters, Last Great Dreamers, who have released four studio albums and one live album to date. He’s now decided to take the place behind the mic stand. … Continue reading
Album review: DIM GRAY – Firmament
English Electric Recordings [Release date: 02.09.22] In a world going to Hell in a hand-cart, we all need a quiet place where we can escape for a while, chill out and contemplate the infinite – some may choose the floatation … Continue reading
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Tagged Dim Gray, Firmament, Progressive Rock, review
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Album review: ALISON O’DONNELL – Hark The Voice That Sings For All
Talking Elephant [Release date 22.07.22] Until this album appeared at GRTR! Towers I’d not heard of Alison O’Donnell. Apart from, that is, the actress who plays “Tosh” in the superb “Shetland” TV series. The musical one has plied her trade … Continue reading
Album review: SUNSTORM – Brothers In Arms
Frontiers [Release date: 12.08.22] All that accumulated weight from the Joe Lynn Turner era has been thrown overboard, and Version 2 of the new, invigorated Sunstorm is writing and performing with confidence and skill. Ronnie Romero remains from Version 2′s … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Doro, hard rock, Joe Lynn Turner, Luca Princiotta, metal, review, Ronnie Romero, Simone Mulanari, Sunstorm
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Tagged albums, Bruce Hornsby, country rock, Dan Huff, Desert Rose band, Eagles, retrospective, review
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