Tag Archives: AOR

Gig review: ROCKINGHAM FESTIVAL- Nottingham Trent University Student Union, 20-22 October 2017

Loverboy -  ROCKINGHAM FESTIVAL, 20-22 October 2017

Though this was the third year of Rockingham Festival , the natural successor to the much loved Firefest in its autumnal Nottingham position, it really felt as if the Festival came of age. Having settled on a format that works … Continue reading

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Quick plays: DANTE FOX, CHEAP TRICK, KATE RUSBY, LOTS HOLLOWAY

DANTE FOX Six String Revolver

DANTE FOX Six String Revolver AOR Heaven [Release date 24.11.17] This album sees Dante Fox re-record ten songs from their first two albums ‘Under Suspicion’ (1996) and ‘The Fire Within’ (1999) – five songs from each album. Joining the band … Continue reading

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News: Albums of the Month (September 2017 – November 2017)

The Best of 2017

Albums of the Month September 2017 BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION BCCIV (Mascot) “…a set of tunes that rock up, for my money, a significant cut above ‘Afterglow’ and stand shoulder to shoulder with anything on the band’s first two albums…This is … Continue reading

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News: Albums of the Month (May-August 2017)

The Best of 2017

Albums of the Month May 2017 COCO MONTOYA Hard Truth (Ruf Records) “It’s rare for an artist in the middle of his career to push himself up to another level, but ‘Hard Truth’ does precisely that … an album that … Continue reading

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News: Albums of the Month (February-April 2017)

The Best of 2017

Albums of the Month February 2017 BLACK STAR RIDERS Heavy Fire (Nuclear Blast) “The band have thrown off the shackles of the ‘used to be Thin Lizzy’ moniker and have solidly established themselves as a major player in their own … Continue reading

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Album review: MOONLIGHT DESIRES – Just The Hits 1981-1985

MOONLIGHT DESIRES - Just The Hits 1981-1985

Infamous Butcher Records [Release date 15.09.17] Moonlight Desires hail from Canada and have produced a set of very enjoyable covers, and not the usual suspects either as they have gone for 80′s synth led pop rockers. The band’s name comes from … Continue reading

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Album review: ROADCASE ROYALE – First Things First (Nancy Wilson, Liv Warfield)

ROADCASE ROYALE - First Things First

Loud & Proud Records [Release date 22.09.17] When the first track released by Roadcase Royale was circulating earlier this year it became an instant favourite on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio and bode well for the band’s debut album.  ‘Get … Continue reading

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Album review: SCHERER/BATTEN – BattleZone

MelodicRock Records [Release date 22.09.17] Scherer/Batten is vocalist Marc Scherer (who released an album with Jim Peterik in 2015) and guitarist Jennifer Batten, who has worked with Jeff Beck and Michael Jackson amongst others. Former Survivor member Jim Peterik wrote … Continue reading

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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) October-December 2017

Mollie Marriott - Truth Is A Wolf

Compiled by Jason Ritchie October 6th AUTOGRAPH ‘Get Off Your Ass’ EMP JEFF BECK ‘Live at the Hollywood Bowl’ JON BODEN (ex-BELLOWHEAD) ‘Afterglow’ THE DARKNESS ‘Pinewood Smile’ Cooking Vinyl LIAM GALLAGHER ‘As You Were’ HEAVEN & EARTH ‘Hard To Kill’ … Continue reading

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Album review: BOULEVARD – IV Luminescence

BOULEVARD - IV Luminescence

MelodicRock Records [Release date 22.09.17] Here’s a band I thought I’d never hear new music from and I am very glad to be proved wrong. Boulevard are a Canadian band who released two albums – 1988′s self-titled debut and 1990′s ‘Into … Continue reading

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Quick plays: MARTIN SIMPSON, RIVERDOGS, HIRSH GARDNER

MARTIN SIMPSON Trails & Tribulations Topic Records [Release date 01.09.17] Trails & Tribulations’ is Martin Simpson’s twentieth album in a career spanning over 40 years. As he says the album “is a collection of songs about nature, about travels and … Continue reading

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Quick plays: DA VINCI, LEPROUS

DA VINCI Ambition Rocks

DA VINCI Ambition Rocks AOR Heaven [Release date 25.08.17] It has been a mere 25 years since Da Vinci last released an album, the rather good ‘Back In Business’. The 2017 version of the band appears to only feature guitarist … Continue reading

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Gig review: SUMMERFEST – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 28 June-9 July 2017

In a world of constant change in popular music, for a festival to celebrate its 50th year, as Milwaukee’s  Summerfest did this year, represents a lifetime. I’d been to the festival certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s biggest … Continue reading

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Album review: ALL 4 1 – The World’s Best Hope

Frontiers [Release date 07.07.17] All 4 1 are another Frontiers project, with this one overseen by Alessandro Del Vecchio, who produced the album as well as playing keys and co-writing a few songs. The band consists of half of Alliance (about time … Continue reading

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Album review: BRYAN ADAMS – Wembley 1996 Live

 BRYAN ADAMS - Wembley 1996 Live

Eagle Rock [Release date 30.06.17 ] Back in 1996 Bryan Adams was riding the crest of a wave, some might say a tsunami.  The placement of ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It for You’ in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves … Continue reading

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Album review: DON BARNES – Ride The Storm

MelodicRock Records [Release date 20.06.17] Hats off to MelodicRock Record’s Andrew McNeice who finally got this long lost album released. Don Barnes, of southern rockers .38 Special fame, recorded this album back in 1989, however due the time honoured label … Continue reading

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Interview: CORNERSTONE

We caught up with Alina Peter (Vocals/Guitars) and Michael Wachelhofer (Bass/Keyboards/Vocals) of Cornerstone to see what they have planned for this year and beyond, plus how their latest album ‘Reflection’ has been doing… Have you been pleased with the response … Continue reading

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Album review: THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Amber Galactic

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA - Amber Galactic

Nuclear Blast [Release date 19.05.17] There are a good number of bands paying homage to the classic 70′s and 80′s hard rock/AOR/pop sound, with Brother Firetribe (another band who’s members are drawn from heavier sounding bands) and Cats In Space being … Continue reading

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Album review: HONEYJACK – 8 Track

www.honeyjackband.com Honeyjack are a duo of Mark Summerlin (vocals/guitars) and T.J. Scarlett (guitars). Mark Summerlin has been the guitarist and musical director for Seal and he was planning this to be a solo album, that was until he hooked up … Continue reading

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

BOBBY KIMBALL - We

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

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Album review: LITTLE RIVER BAND – The Big Box (6 Disc incl DVD)

LITTLE RIVER BAND - The Big Box

The Store For Music [Release date 28.04.17] The only problem with this welcome 5-CD/DVD boxed set is repetition.  In more recent years Little River Band have seemingly sought to reinvent their past with not a lot of new material.  (Some … Continue reading

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Album review: DIRTY WHITE BOYZ – Down And Dirty

Escape Music www.escape-music.com [Release date 24.03.17] Not the classic one album band from the late 80′s featuring Earl Slick and David Glenn Eisley, this is a new band and they have a ‘z’ on the end of their name. The … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL AOR – Pwllheli, 9-12 March 2017

Lita Ford - HARD ROCK HELL AOR - Pwllheli, 9-12 March 2017

The HRH franchise is probably the most successful of these three day indoor events and rightly so, they found a spot in the market and have developed a fluid, tightly run operation that always delivers. The AOR weekend was slightly … Continue reading

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Album review: UNRULY CHILD – Can’t Go Home

UNRULY CHILD - Can

Frontiers [Release Date 24.02.17] It’s been six long years since Unruly Child made a triumphant comeback with their original line up featuring Marcie Free, as she now is, releasing the excellent ‘Worlds Collide’ album and headlining Firefest that year. Opening … Continue reading

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Gig review: MIKE + THE MECHANICS – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 15 March 2017

MIKE + THE MECHANICS - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 15 March 2017

With only two tracks from the album featured in the set, the Word Of Mouth Tour 2017 billing – to celebrate that album’s 25th anniversary last year, turned out to be something of a misnomer. But, let’s be honest, the … Continue reading

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