Tag Archives: eighties

Album review : CRUZH – The Jungle Revolution

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Frontiers [Release date : 22.03.24] Welcome to The Jungle Revolution, third album on the Frontiers label from Swedish band, Cruzh, and their second with vocalist, Alex Waghorn, winner of Idol Sweden in 2017 (singing Journey’s ‘Faithfully’). Among their admitted influences … Continue reading

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Album review : LIPZ – Changing The Melody

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Frontiers [Release date : 15.03.24] Debut album from young Swedish quartet, Lipz, in which they attempt to breathe life into a dying genre, Glam Rock. We’re told. But how do you define “Glam Rock”? Would that be the early eighties, … Continue reading

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Album review : CLIMIE FISHER – Coming In For The Kill (4CD Boxset)

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Cherry Red [Release date 23.02.24] Climie Fisher’s 1988 hit single ‘Love Changes Everything”, taken from their debut album, truly was a pop classic. Still is. None of the songs on Coming In For The Kill replicated its considerable chart success. … Continue reading

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Album review : MAMA’S BOYS – Runaway Dreams 1980-92 (5 CD boxset)

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Cherry Red [Release date : 26.01.24] CD1: Official Bootleg (1980) CD2: Plug It In (1982) CD3: Turn It Up (1984) CD4: Relativity (1992) CD5: Singles, B Sides and Rarities Three boys from Co. Fermanagh conquer the world. Well no, it … Continue reading

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Album review : VENOM – Live From The Hammersmith Odeon (CD/DVD Deluxe Digipak)

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Cherry Red [Release date : 27.10.23] Formed in England’s industrial North East in 1979, there was none heavier, none more extreme and indeed none more influential in the heavy metal genre than Venom. The band’s reputation was born out of … Continue reading

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Album review : AUTOGRAPH – Beyond

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Frontiers Records [Release date 18.11.22] We all want to love this album because it’s Autograph. Even though they’re one-hit-wonders, and even though bassman Randy Rand is/was the only remaining original member. (Rand took part in the recording sessions, but died … Continue reading

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Album review: KIDS ON THE STREET, UK POWER POP AND NEW WAVE 1977-81 (3 CD Boxset)

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Cherry Red [release date: 25.11.22] Kids On The Street is a great title for this 3 CD, 77 track compilation, emphasising the uncomplicated vitality of that era’s popular music. The better informed will know it’s from The Stiffs’ song of … Continue reading

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Album Review: C85 (3CD Various Artists)

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Cherry Red [release date: 21.10.22] Taking its lead from NME’s ultra successful C86, this 72 track, triple CD release, C85, celebrates the rise and rise of the Indie band in the UK. In 1986, NME scribe Neil Taylor had the … Continue reading

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Album review: HOUSE OF LORDS – Saints And Sinners

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Frontiers [Release date: 16.09.22] On this, their 11th studio album, House Of Lords deliver aggressive, in your face melodic rock. The music comes out of its corner swinging, ready for the fight. James Christian now has Mark (Touch, Drive She … Continue reading

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Album review: LESSMANN VOSS – Rock Is Our Religion

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Atomic Fire Records [Release date: 22.07.22] This Lessmann Voss, Rock Is Our Religion album would be easy to write off because it seems so out of time. Bonfire’s Claus Lessmann and Mad Max’s Michael Voss are clearly not keen to … Continue reading

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Album review: ICON – Icon (Remaster)

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Rock Candy Records [release date: 18.03.22] Icon’s debut album from 1984 has recently been remastered by leading UK Reissue label, Rock Candy Records. The fact that the band’s set list in those early days included material by Deep Purple and … Continue reading

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Album review: RONNIE ATKINS – Make It Count

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Frontiers [release date: 18.03.22] When Denmark’s Paul Christensen founded the Pretty Maids with Ken Hammer, he changed his name to Ronnie Atkins. And this despite assurances that his birth name sounded pretty cool. None of this matters now, he lives … Continue reading

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Album review: FIND ME – Lightning In A Bottle

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Frontiers [Release date: 11.03.22] Find Me is Robbie LaBlanc, a rock vocalist who enjoys iconic status, and Daniel Flores (and his band) who’s on the same path, if not the same trajectory. The duo have been breathing new life into … Continue reading

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Album review : DEGREED – Are You Ready

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Frontiers [Release date: 11.02.22] Are You Ready is Degreed’s sixth album, and their first on Frontiers. Robin Erikkson, Mats Erikkson, Mikael Blanc and Daniel Johansson have come a long long way in six albums. Their focus is clearly on the … Continue reading

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Album review: FASTER PUSSYCAT – Babylon, The Elektra Years (4 CD boxset)

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  Cherry Red [release date: 25.02.22] Faster Pussycat were one of a number of apparently identikit Glamrock bands who emerged from the LA Club scene in the mid eighties. Many fell by the wayside, but some stood out. Faster Pussycat … Continue reading

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Album review: KENT HILLI – The Rumble

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Frontiers [Release date 18.06.21] After two albums fronting A Perfect Plan, Kent Hilli has gone solo (helped by wunderkind, Michael Palace, who has arranged and produced), with The Rumble, on which he has written the bulk of the material. Unsurprisingly, … Continue reading

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Album review: JOHNNY HATES JAZZ – Wide Awake

JOHNNY HATES JAZZ - Wide Awake

[Release date 14.08.20] Johnny Hates Jazz’s return in 2013 was well received, with a comeback album ‘Magnetized’ gathering airplay and even a short tour in 2016 (when we saw them in downtown Darwen Library Theatre) and a handful of festival … Continue reading

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Feature: Albums that time forgot – KEATS

Keats (1984)

EMI [1984] Released in 1984 the eponymous album by Keats might be considered as an Alan Parsons Project off-shoot.  It was produced by Parsons and includes the core band members that feature on most of the Project albums, Ian Bairnson, … Continue reading

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Gig review: FLIGHT BRIGADE – Telford’s Warehouse, Chester, 4 October 2019

FLIGHT BRIGADE - Telford

What’s not to like? An architecturally interesting venue for food, drink and music.  A beer festival.  And a free gig!! The first thing you might say about Flight Brigade, two days into a 14-date tour, is “where are the girls?”.  … Continue reading

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Gig review: TREVOR HORN – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 31 July 2019

TREVOR HORN BAND - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 31 July 2019

It may be somewhat exaggerated to say that Trevor Horn single-handedly created the soundtrack to the eighties.  What is certain – as this concert demonstrated – he was associated with key artists and albums from that decade. This gig was … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE KORGIS featuring James Warren – Bristol Folk House, 27 April 2019

THE KORGIS featuring James Warren - Bristol Folk House, 27 April 2019

David Randall chatted to James Warren in June 2017 for an hour special on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.  This includes  tracks from all aspects of his career including Stackridge, The Korgis and solo. James Warren may well have channelled … Continue reading

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Album review: HOW WE LIVE – Dry Land (Steve Hogarth)

HOW WE LIVE - Dry Land (Steve Hogarth)

David Randall chatted to Steve Hogarth about his career in July 2014.  In this hour special, tracks include How We Live and Marillion, plus Steve’s solo work. Esoteric [Release date 26.08.16] ‘How We Live’ is an important part of the … Continue reading

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Album review: RUN LIBERTY RUN – We Are

RUN LIBERTY RUN - We Are

earMUSIC [Release date 22.07.16] There’s something in the ether.  Having just reviewed goth/metal revivalists Sinnergod I’ve also been privy to a new German band and their debut album.  The read across – albeit with less heavy guitars – is quite … Continue reading

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News: JOHNNY HATES JAZZ Interview Feature and UK Tour (28 February – 25 March 2016)

Johnny Hates Jazz

A special feature is broadcast in the first hour of ‘Assume The Position’, presented by David Randall on Sunday 28 February on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.  The sequence is repeated on Friday 4 March at 22:00 or you can … Continue reading

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Album review: MISSING PERSONS feat. Dale Bozzio – Missing In Action

Missing Persons feat. Dale Bozzio - Missing In Action

Cleopatra Records [Release date 04.03.14] The digipak at the top of the stack didn’t look that inviting.  Could it have been Dee Snider’s half-brother on the cover?  There’s an awful lot of ivory around that lady’s neck.  The name Dale … Continue reading

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