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Album review: BEYOND THE BLACK – Break the Silence
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Tag Archives: review
Album review: DANNY BRYANT – Revelation

Jazzhaus Records [Release date 20.04.18] For an album that Danny Bryant tells us features songs that: “confront memories and emotions I didn’t really want to face”, and material with: “dark subject matter”, it might have made sense to include a … Continue reading
Album review: TINSLEY ELLIS – Winning Hand

Alligator Records [Release date 12.01.18] Tinsley Ellis has long been a dependable roadhouse rocke who is equally happy tearing things up as he is searching for an emotive connection. Following in the slipstream of his last CD the soulful ‘Red … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alligator Records, B.B. King, blues, funk, guitar, Kevin McKendree, Leon Russell, review, Robert Cray, Robin Trower, rock, Tinsley Ellis, Winning Hand
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Album review: MITCH WOODS – Friends Along The Way

eOne Music [Release date 29.09.17] It takes a brave musician to oversee a mostly unplugged, all star duo and trio compilation album spanning over 30 years. But West coast pianist Mitch Woods is as fearless as he is musically talented … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, boogie, Champion Jack Dupree, Charlie Musselwhite, Cyril Neville, Elvin Bishop, Friends Along The Way, James Cotton, John Hammond, John Lee Hooker, Jump, Kenny Neal, Marcia Ball, Mitch Woods, piano, review, Ruthie Foster, Taj Mahal Joe Louis Walker, Van Morrison
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Album review: TOM TOOMEY – Turquoise

Pete Feenstra chatted to Tom Toomey in his Feature show broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sunday 25 February 2018, including tracks from ‘Turquoise’. Giant Records [Release date 06.01.18] Tom Toomey is best known as the guitarist with The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, Colin Blunstone, David Bowie, Flora Purim, Frank Zappa, fusion, guitar, interview, John Devine, Jon Anderson, Latino, Mark Knopfler, Melissa Kaplan, Pat Metheny, Paul Young, pop, review, rock, soul, Steely Dan, The Zombies, Tom Toomey, Turquoise, William Purefoy, world music
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Album review: JOHN MAYALL – Three For The Road – A 2017 Live Recording

Forty Below Records [Release date 23.02.18] Now here’s a British blues legend of ever there was one. A noted vocalist, pianist and guitarist, John Mayall is probably best known for his band The Blues Breakers, part of the 60s blues … Continue reading
Album review: KEN HENSLEY – Rare & Timeless

In this exclusive non-broadcast extract Ken Hensley chats to Pete Feenstra about pre-Uriah Heep and beyond. The full version of this interview was first broadcast on Sunday 18 March 2018 on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, repeated Thursday 22 March … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Blackfoot, John Lawton, Ken Hensley, Rare & Timeless, review, rock, Uriah Heep, WASP
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Album review: STERLING BALL, JOHN FERRARO, JIM COX – The Mutual Admiration Society

Mascot [Release date 19.01.18] Guitarist Sterling Ball, bassist John Ferraro and drummer Jim Cox explore a musical lineage which their label tells us, is: “A celebration of up to forty years of friends making music together.” The label in this … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged ALBERT LEE, album, blues, country, Dobie Gray, funk, guitar, Jay Grayson, Jim Cox, John Ferraro, John Petrucci, pop, review, rock, Sterling Ball, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Steve Vai, The Jackson 5, The Mutual Admiration Society
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Album review: KATHRYN ROBERTS & SEAN LAKEMAN – Personae

IScream Records [Release date 09.03.18] Husband and wife duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman have been recording and performing for over two decades, during which time they have won twice Best Duo at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Their … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, folk, Kathryn Roberts, Personae, review, Sam Kelly, Sandy Denny, Sean Lakeman, Seth Lakeman, singer songwriter
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Album review: JON BUTCHER AXIS

Escape Music [Release date 19.01.18] If like me you were one of those who spent every fortnight reading Kerrang! and the Wimpwire column by Derek Oliver, Jon Butcher’s name came up quite often and indeed he got a feature in the AOR/melodic … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged 80s, album, Escape Music, JK Northrup, Jon Butcher, Jon Butcher Axis, melodic, re-issue, review, rock
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Album review: DRIVE, SHE SAID – Real Life

Escape Music [Release date 23.03.18] ‘Real Life’ was originally released back in 2003 by Drive, She Said the band who featured vocalist/guitarist/bassist Al Fritsch and keyboards wizard Mark Mangold. This album has been re-mixed in 2017 by Brian Anthony and Mark … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Al Fritsch, album, Drive, Escape Music, Mark Mangold, melodic, pomp, re-mastered, Real Life, remixed, review, rock, She Said
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EP review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – Phoenix Volume 1

Facebook [Release date 26.01.18] The Darker My Horizon duo Paul Stead (lead vocals/guitar) and Mark Stephenson (guitars & backing vocals) used to be in Sacred Heart previously and on this EP they have re-recorded four songs from that band, partly as a stop … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged EP, Mark Stephenson, melodic, modern rock, Paul Stead, Phoenix Volume 1, review, rock, Sacred Heart, the Darker My Horizon
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Album review: DAVEY LANE – I’m Gonna Burn Out Bright

Capgun [Release date 16.03.18] Introspective opener ‘Hell (A Prelude)’ hardly prepares the listener for what’s to come on Davey Lane’s second solo album. Before you know it, the belting synth epic ‘Taurus All Apart’ swirls into your head – sonically … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, Davey Lane, I'm Gonna Burn Out Bright, pop, review, rock, singer, songwriter
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Album review: MARILLION – Holidays In Eden Live/Size Matters (reissues)

earMUSIC [Release date 19.01.18] Curious ‘mainstream’ releases for these two double CD sets, that fans will know were originally released on the band’s own Racket Records label (in fact, Size Matters is still currently available, albeit with a different sleeve), … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, Holidays In Eden Live, live, Marillion, progressive, review, rock, Size Matters, Steve Hogarth, Steve Rothery, weekend
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DVD review: YES – The New Director’s Cut

The Store For Music [Release date 16.02.18] Talk about milking it. It may have been a major event when Wakeman reunited with Anderson, Squire, Howe and White in time for the band’s 35th anniversary tour in 2004, but there continues … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged 2003, Alan White, Birmingham, Chris Squire, concert, DVD, Jon Anderson, live, review, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, The New Director's Cut, Yes
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Album review: THE DEAD SOUTH – Illusion & Doubt

DevilDuck Records [Release date 23.03.18] Outlaws, modern hillbillies? The opening strains of ‘Boots’ does, indeed, bring Jed Clampett and his clan to mind. And regrettably, not Elly May. No, more her half-witted half-brother Jethro, having a banjo/mandolin fuelled bluegrass hoedown … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, bluegrass, folk, Illusion & Doubt, review, rock, The Dead South
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Album review: MISSISSIPPI STOMP – Shine

[Release date 22.04.17] Mississippi Stomp are an Americana outfit from, yes, you guessed it [northeast] Mississppi. Tupelo, to be precise the home of the King. Shine is their sophomore release. Together since the early nineties, with the focal point husband … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, Mississippi Stomp, review, rock, Shine
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Album review: FRACTAL MIRROR – Close To Vapour

Bad Elephant Music [Release date 26.01.18] My heart sinks when I see a shallow Press Release signposting a band as being of the ‘Progressive/Art Rock’ genre, and then sinks several degrees further when I see the only other information (apart … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, art rock, Close To Vapour, Fractal Mirror, prog, Progressive Rock, review
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Album review: KORBY LENKER – Thousand Springs

[Release date 16.03.18] Nashville singer songwriter Korby Lenker chose to record his seventh album, not in the studio, but in places that resonated with him his guitar and vocals being captured in places as diverse as the edge of the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged acoustic, album, Korby Lenker, review, rock, singer, songwriter, Thousand Springs
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Album review: PRETTY BOY FLOYD -Public Enemies

Frontiers [Release date 01.1.17] For a band that have been together, on and off since 1987, Pretty Boy Floyd are one of the few bands from that era that pretty much sound exactly the same as they did 30 years … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frontiers, glam, Kristy Majors, Pretty Boy Floyd, Public Enemies, review, rock, sleaze, Steve Summers
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Album review: AL DI MEOLA – Opus

earMUSIC [Release date 23.02.18] Many will remember Al Di Meola from his three-album sojourn with jazz fusionists Return To Forever. After that time Di Meola pursued a solo career frequently incorporating world flavours and collaborating with other guitar icons. His … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Al Di Meola, album, fusion, guitar, jazz, jazz fusion, Jazz rock, Opus, Return To Forever, review
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Album review: GONG EXPRESSO – Decadence

Gong Expresso [Release date 20.02.18] Once upon a time there was a band called Gong. They were hippy, trippy and certainly dippy. In their ranks was percussionist Pierre Moerlen who evidently saw an eye to the main chance. Pierre established … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Benoit Moerlen, Decadence, Gong Expresso, Hansford Rowe, jazz, Pierre Moerlen, review
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Album review: OSMOSIS (reissue)

Esoteric [Release date: 24.11.17] If the ‘assimilation of ideas’ inherent in the meaning of the term osmosis is also a process of ‘almost unconscious gradualism’, it is not reflected in the 1970 debut (and only) release by this US Bostonian … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, jazz, Osmosis, progressive, reissue, review
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