Tag Archives: pop rock

Album review: DAVE EDMUNDS – 5 Originals

Posted on October 4, 2020 by jason

Floating World Records [Release date 6.11.20] This new 3CD set comprises five Dave Edmunds solo albums. It kicks off with 1975’s “Subtle As A Flying Mallet”, his second solo effort, which consists of covers of late 1950s and early 1960s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged box set, CD, classic rock, Dave Edmunds, Originals, pop rock, re-issue, review, rock 'n' roll | Leave a comment

Album review: BIG COUNTRY – Out Beyond The River, The Compulsion Years Anthology

Posted on September 18, 2020 by jason

Cherry Red [Release date 25.09.20] The late great Stuart Adamson and his band, Big Country, made an indelible musical mark on UK popular culture. Their history is well documented. This anthology focuses on a very narrow, but hugely fertile period … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged Big Country, box set, Celtic, Cherry Red Records, melodic, Out Beyond The River, pop rock, review, rock, Stuart Adamson, The Compulsion Years Anthology | Leave a comment

Album review: VARIOUS – Girls Go Power Pop!

Posted on August 31, 2020 by jason

Big Beat/Ace [Release date 28.08.20] Ace (via their Big Beat imprint) follow 2019’s impressive “Come On Let’s Go” power pop collection with a new 25 tracker. This time, compiler Dave Burke varies the theme by focussing on female-fronted acts. As … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Ace Records, album, Girls Go Power Pop!, Go-Gos, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review, The Bangles, The Runaways, various | Leave a comment

Album review: ROY WOOD AND WIZZARD – Mainstreet/Eddy &The Falcons

Posted on August 28, 2020 by jason

Main Street Cherry Red Records [Release date 28.08.20] Two years later, apparently stifled by the “hit machine” expectations that weighed upon him, Wood wrote, recorded and released “Main Street”. It was his first real attempt to climb off the pop … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged albums, avnat garde, Eddy and The Falcons, ELO, jazz, Mainstreet, melodic, pop, pop rock, re-issue, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Roy Wood, The Move, Wizzard | Leave a comment

Album review: JOEY MOLLAND – Be True To Yourself

Posted on August 26, 2020 by jason

Omnivore Recordings [Release date 16.10.20] As the sole surviving member of the classic line-up of Badfinger, Joey Molland’s pedigree in power pop circles is second to none. Over the years he has regularly produced solo albums, notably “After The Pearl” … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Badfinger, Be True To Yourself, Chicago, Joey Molland, Julian Lennon, melodic, Micky Dolenz, pop rock, power pop, review, Ringo Starr | Leave a comment

Album review: KATRINA – Hearts, Loves & Babys

Posted on August 21, 2020 by jason

KATRINA & THE WAVES – Hearts, Loves & Babys

Independent [Release date 28.08.20] Now a solo artist, Katrina, ex of The Waves, will always be known for her monster, worldwide hit, ‘Walking On Sunshine’. It can be an albatross as much as it can be a permanent passport to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, country pop, Darren Loveday, Hearts Loves & Babys, Katrina, Katrina & the Waves, Kimberly Rew, melodic, pop, pop rock, review | Leave a comment

Book review: On track…10cc and Godley & Creme (Every album, every song) – Peter Kearns

Posted on August 11, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 17.08.20] In the hot summer of 1976 I was checking roll-on roll-off cargo at Liverpool Docks and realised I was looking at a consignment of music gear. It turned out that 10cc were coming over from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged 10CC, book, Eric Stewart, Godley & Creme, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, Lol Creme, pop, pop rock, review | Leave a comment

DVD review: INXS – Live Baby Live

Posted on August 7, 2020 by jason

Eagle [Release date 26.06.20] INXS are one of the few bands that could blend rock, pop and dance music and successfully take it to the stadiums all over the world. They were an absolute machine of a band, and no … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged Bluray, DVD, Eagle Vision, INXS, Kick, Live Baby Live, Michael Hutchence, pop rock, review, rock, Wembley | Leave a comment

EP review: SEMISONIC – You’re Not Alone

Posted on August 1, 2020 by jason

Order link [Release date 18.09.20] Back in 2001 Semisonic went on hiatus before returning in 2017 with a series of shows. In between times singer and main songwriter Dan Wilson enjoyed a successful career as a songwriter and producer for … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged alt rock, EP, indie pop, melodic, pop, pop rock, review, Semisonic, You’re Not Alone | Leave a comment

Album review: ENUFF ZNUFF – Brainwashed Generation

Posted on July 10, 2020 by jason

Frontiers Records [Release date 10.07.20] There was a time Enuff Z’Nuff’s lineup seemed to go into an endless revolving door spin, but now, with founding member Donnie Vie apparently leaving for good, Chip Z’Nuff has assembled a solid, talented line … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Beatles, Brainwashed Generation, Chip Z'nuff, Donnie Vie, Enuff Z'Nuff, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review | Leave a comment

Album review: SHRED KELLY – Like A Rising Sun

Posted on June 27, 2020 by jason

Devil Duck Records [Release date 03.07.20] Where do these excellent bands keep appearing from? Shred Kelly are another one, a five piece alt folk rock band (and not a speed metal band as their name may suggest) hailing from Canada … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, alt folk, folk, folk rock, Like A Rising Sun, melodic, pop rock, review, Shred Kelly | Leave a comment

Album review: JOHNNY HATES JAZZ – Wide Awake

Posted on June 11, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

[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 →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged 80s, album, Clark Datchler, eighties, interview, Johnny Hates Jazz, Mike Nocito, pop, pop rock, review, synth pop, Wide Awake | Leave a comment

Album review: BUZZCOCKS – Sell You Everything 1991-2014

Posted on June 8, 2020 by jason

Cherry Red [Release date 29.05.20] The recent release of new single ‘Gotta Get Better’ marked the beginning of “Phase 3” of Buzzcocks, now solely fronted by Steve Diggle following the death of Pete Shelley in December 2018. With most “Phase … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged box set Sell You Everything 1991-2014, Buzzcocks, Cherry Red Records, melodic, Pete Shelley, pop, pop rock, punk, punk pop, review, rock, Steve Diggle | Leave a comment

EP review: THE LICKERISH QUARTET – Threesome Vol. 1

Posted on May 25, 2020 by jason

Lickerish Quartet/Label Logic [Release date 15.05.20] The Lickerish Quartet formed in 2017, featuring former Jellyfish members Roger Manning Jnr. (Imperial Drag), Eric Dover (Slash’s Snakepit, Alice Cooper, Imperial Drag) and Tim Smith. All three of them toured in support of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Cheap Trick, ELO, EP, Jellyfish, melodic, pop rock, power pop, quirky pop, review, SPARKS, the Lickerish Quartet | Leave a comment

Quick plays: DELAIN, JESSICA WOLFF, BEFORE SUNDAY

Posted on May 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

DELAIN Apocalypse & Chill (Napalm Records) [Release date 07.02.20] There was a time – around 10 years ago – when I was rather taken with Delain, and for that matter, Within Temptation. Both brought a slightly more commercial edge to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Anticipation, Apocalypse & Chill, Before Sunday, Delain, Jessica Wolff, Para Dice, pop rock, review, symphonic metal | Leave a comment

Feature: Albums that time forgot – KEATS

Posted on May 1, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

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 →

Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged Alan Parsons, Alan Parsons Project, album, Colin Blunstone, David Paton, eighties, Ian Bairnson, interview, Keats, pop rock, review, soft rock, Stuart Elliott | Leave a comment

Feature: Bands that time forgot… LOVE AND MONEY (James Grant)

Posted on April 15, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Love And Money formed out of Glasgow-based ‘Friends Again’ in the early eighties and whilst their debut album ‘All You Need is…’ hinted at the funky tunesmithery to come it wasn’t until 1988′s Strange Kind Of Love that the band … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Bands that time forgot, FEATURES | Tagged feature, introduction, James Grant, Love And Money, pop rock, review, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Feature: Bands that time forgot…RIVER CITY PEOPLE

Posted on April 15, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

River City People consisted of two brothers Tim and Paul Speed (guitars and drums respectively)and Dave Snell (bass) who in 1987 were all studying at Liverpool Polytechnic. Vocalist Siobhan Maher had previously worked with Snell in a band called Peep … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Bands that time forgot, FEATURES | Tagged feature, introduction, Liverpool, pop rock, River City People, Say Something Good, Siobahn Maher, This Is The World | Leave a comment

Feature: Albums that time forgot – IT BITES – Map Of The Past

Posted on April 14, 2020 by jason

Inside Out (2012) www.itbites.com The second (and final) album released by the reformed It Bites, that saw John Mitchell (Arena, Kino) take over from Francis Dunnery in fronting the band. John Beck (keyboards) and Bob Dalton (drums) remained from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES | Tagged Albums that time forgot, Bob Dalton, feature, Inside Out, It Bites, John Beck, John Mitchell, Map of the Past, melodic, pop rock, progressive, rock | Leave a comment

Quick plays: THE LOVETONES, JOE EDWARDS, PATSY THOMPSON

Posted on April 6, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

THE LOVETONES Myriad Cleopatra Records [Release date 28.02.20] I can’t say I’m familiar with The Lovetones – an Aussie indie psychedelic rock band previously active between 2002 and 2010. But main man Matthew J Tow’s song writing has been compared … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Americana, country, Fabulous Day, Joe Edwards, Keep On Running, Myriad, Patsy Thompson, pop rock, psychedelic, review, rock, roots, singer, songwrityer, The Lovetones | Leave a comment

Album review: STATUS QUO – Rock Till You Drop & Thirsty Work

Posted on March 1, 2020 by jason

UMC [Release date 06.03.20] “Rock Till You Drop” was something of a love/hate album for the band. Rossi loved it, Parfitt hated it. It was a look back in the band’s rear view mirror. It was never uncomfortably reverential, but … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, boogie, classic rock, Francis Rossi, pop rock, re-issue, review, Rick Parfitt, rock, Rock Til You Drop, Status Quo, Thirsty Work | Leave a comment

Album review: RUSS BALLARD – It’s Good To Be Here

Posted on February 15, 2020 by jason

On Thursday 20 February at 22:00 GMT Get Ready to ROCK! Radio replays a two-part special when David Randall chatted to Russ Ballard about his long career. BMG [Release date 21.02.20] If you’ve done any world travelling, out of desire … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, It's Good To Be Here, Kiss, melodic rock, pop, pop rock, Rainbow, review, rock, Russ Ballard | Leave a comment

Album review: LEAGUE OF LIGHTS – In The In Between

Posted on February 9, 2020 by jason

Website [Release date 27.09.19] Second album from League Of Lights, who are the husband and wife duo Farrah and Richard West – the latter best known for being a member of Threshold. Their self-titled debut album released back in 2011, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Farrah West, In The In Between, League Of Lights, pop rock, progressive, review, Richard West, rock, synth pop, Threshold | Leave a comment

Album review: LORDI – Killection

Posted on January 18, 2020 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 31.01.20] Finnish monsters Lordi have been rampaging through the planet since the first emerged from the deepest darkness in 1992. Over the years their own brand of twisted melodic and theatrical hard rock has won them … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AFM Records, album, Alice Cooper, glam, hard rock, Killection, Kiss, Lordi, melodic, pop rock, review, rock, shock rock | Leave a comment

Album review: JEFF LYNNE’S ELO – From Out Of Nowhere

Posted on December 31, 2019 by jason

Big Trilby/Colombia Records [Release date 01.11.19] Since relaunching ELO back in 2014 Jeff Lynne’s ELO have completed sell out world tours, been inducted to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and 2015’s comeback ‘Alone In The Universe’. Despite the … Continue reading →