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Latest Album Reviews
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Album review: ROSS HARDING – The Blood and the Blues
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Album review: PETE KOSANOVICH – Beauty Within You
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Album review : ROB MORATTI – Sovereign
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Album review : BRAZEN ABBOT – Live And Learn and Guilty As Sin (CD reissues)
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Album review : GRAHAM BONNET – Lost In Hollywood Again (Live)
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JIM PETERIK AND WORLD STAGE – River of Song – The Power Of Duets, Volume 1
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Gig review: STEVE OVERLAND AND JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Weir, Brentford, Middlesex, 9 December 2025
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Gig review: JOHN OTWAY – Face Bar, Reading, Thursday 11 December 2025
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Gig review: CURVED AIR – The Sub Rooms, Stroud, 20 November 2025
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Gig review: MARTIN BARRE & FRIENDS – Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, 18 November 2025
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Tag Archives: review
Gig review: CONNOR SELBY – Amazing Grace, London, 16 May 2023

A new venue for this intrepid reviewer, and one that he will want to return to soon. The Church of St Thomas, dating from the 18th Century now hosts a small auditorium with something of a cocktail bar, modern jazz … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 16 May 2023, Amazing Grace, blues, blues rock, Connor Selby, gig, live, Logan J Parker, review
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Album review: LAZARUS HEIGHTS – Strangers

Self release [Release Date 22.03.23] Lazarus Heights is an experienced Anglo-French quartet based in South West France, who put the emphasis on undulating melodies, memorable hooks and fine musicianship that always supports the song. The band comprises the rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Calvin Russell, Chanson Francaise, Christophe, David Bowie, David Gilmour, Dick Grisdale, Fanny Lassagne, French, Jean Michel Jarre, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Jeff Gautier, Lazarus Heights, Michale Stipe, Paul Mouradian, Paul Personne, prog, REM, review, rock, Simon Pearson, Simple Minds, U2
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Gig review: JOE BONAMASSA – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, 14 May 2023

Joe Bonamassa is a regular visitor to these shores. Having wrapped up a short tour last Spring, he was back with his band for another five UK dates playing venues he skipped last time. Indeed this was his first gig … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 14 May 2023, Birmingham, blues, blues rock, gig, guitarist, Joe Bonamassa, live, Reese Wynans, review, rock, Utilita Arena
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Album review: KRIS DREVER – Best Of

Website [Release date 19.05.23] Kris Drever has now made five solo albums (debuting in 2006 debut with ‘Black Water’), as well as five studio albums with the folk trio Lau, and recordings with various collaborators including Fine Friday, Roddy Womble … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, best of, Boo Hewerdine, folk, Kris Drever, Lau, review, Roddy Womble, singer songwriter
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Album review : V/A Let’s Stomp (Merseybeat 1962-1969) 3 CD set

Cherry Red [Release date: 26.05.23] Heavily influenced by US Blues and Rock, Merseybeat was a sixties pop music phenomenon, originating in Liverpool, that swept all before it. First the UK, then Europe, ultimately invading the USA and the ROTW. Across … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, Beatles, Billy J Kramer, Cilla Black, Doc Pomus, Gerry and The Pacemakers, Jackie DeShannon, Joe Meek, Lennon & McCartney, Let's Stomp (Merseybeat 1962-1969), Liverpool, Merseybeat, Mojos, Mort Shuman, pop, review, rock, Shel Talmy, Swinging Blue Jeans, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Searchers, The Sixties, US Blues
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Album review: MICK PINI & AUDIO54 – Way Ahead

House Of Happiness [Release Date 22.03.23] Described in some quarters as; “blues for the 21st century”, Mick Pini and Audio 54 (aka producer Craig Marshall) ‘Way Ahead’ album, is the strongest restatement of the view that blues is at its … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Audio 54, beats, blues, Captain Beefheart, Craig Marshall, dance, Dr John, dub-step, Fantastic Negrito, funk, jazz, Mick Pini, Miles Davis, Mothers of Invention, Prince, psychedelia, review, rhythm & blues, RL Burnside, swamp, Yerba Buena
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Album review: URIAH HEEP – Wonderworld, High And Mighty

BMG [Release date 26.05.23] BMG are continuing their fine picture disc reissue campaign by Uriah Heep, and what lovely items they are too. These British prog legends have had their catalogue reissued more times than I care to imagine, but … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), Reissues
Tagged album, BMG, coloured vinyl, David Byron, High And Mighty, John Wetton, Ken Hensley, Mick Box, reissues, review, Uriah Heep, Wonderworld
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Album review: THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT – The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Blu-Ray Edition)

Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red [Release date; 26.05.23] The Turn Of A Friendly Card (1980) was Alan Parsons’ fifth long player, and if you will, a concept album. Parsons and Eric Woolfson, one a producer/songwriter and the other a songwriter/studio engineer, enjoyed … Continue reading
Album review: MIKE ROSS – Third Eye Open

Taller Records [Release date 28.04.23] This latest album Mike Ross certainly hits the listener like the proverbial musical freight train. Joining Mike Ross (vocals, guitar, organ) on engine’s footplate are Derek Randall (vocals, bass) and Darren Lee (drums). Jack Hutchinson adds … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, guitarist, hard rock, Jack Hutchinson, Mike Ross, review, rock, Third Eye Open
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Album review: GNOSS – Stretching Skyward

Bandcamp [Release date 12.05.23] Gnoss – Aidan Moodie (vocals, guitar), Graham Rorie (fiddle, mandolin), Connor Sinclair (flute, whistles) and Craig Baxter (bodhrán, percussion) – released their last album ‘The Light of the Moon’ in 2021. On the subsequent tour supporting … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, folk, Gnoss, instrumental, review, Stretching Skyward, traditional
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Album review : HOUSE OF SHAKIRA – XIT

Frontiers [Release date: 19.05.23] Those melodic rock fans who mainline the uncut version of the brand might not have time for artists who add their own distinctive musical seasoning. But they might just find that this shiny new album from … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Eagles, Frontiers, funk, Glenn Frey, House Of Shakira, melodic rock, New Wave, review, Valensia, Valentine, XIT
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Album review: STEVE LUKATHER – Bridges

The Player’s Club/Mascot [Release date 16.06.23] Early despatches suggested that Steve Lukather’s latest solo album might merely be a continuation of Toto especially with the contributions of several band members. Sure, we have writing and vocal back up contributions from … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bridges, classic rock, David Paich, guitar, guitarist, Joseph Williams, review, Steve Lukather, Toto
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Album review: RAMSEY LEWIS – Legacy/ Ramsey/ Live At The Savoy/Chance Encounter (Remasters)

BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date 30.03.18] In the fourth of our series of reviews summarising the Ramsey Lewis reissues (see links below) here are four late-1970s/early 1980s Ramsey Lewis albums on two CDs. Once again reproducing the original credits and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, Chance Encounter, classical, Grover Washington Jr., jazz funk, Legacy, Live At The Savoy, Ramsey, Ramsey Lewis, reissue, review, soul jazz, Wayne Henderson
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Album review: IVY GOLD – Broken Silence

A1 Records [Release date 26.05.23] Ivy Gold’s ‘Broken Silence’ is a step up from their debut ‘Six Dusty Winds’ album. It’s built round the same muscular rock antecedents, but features stronger songs which are unafraid to let the funk, blues … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Anders Olinder, blues, Broken Silence, funk, gospel, Ivy Gold, Kevin Moore, Manou, review, rock, Sebastian Eder, soul, sprechgesang, Tal Bergman
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Album review: REDBONE – A’s And B’s

BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date 17.03.23] For most readers of a certain age (i.e. ancient, this writer included) Redbone may be best known for their one big hit single ‘Witch Queen Of New Orleans’ which made No.2 in the UK … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 1970-1977, A's and B's, album, compilation, funk, pop, Redbone, review, rock, singles, soul, swamp rock
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Album review: RICHIE RAMONE – Live To Tell

Cargo/Livewire [Release date 21.04.23] If you think of the famed Ramones logo, amongst the four names around the outside you wouldn’t find Richie, however, a Ramone he was, on drumming duty between 1983 and 1987. In fact, the story is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Live To Tell, pop rock, punk pop, punk rock, review, Richie Ramone, rock 'n' roll, The Ramones
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Album review: THE BALLADMONGRELS – Trouble

Cargo/Livewire [Release date 12.05.23] Whether it be his work with the Dogs D’Amour, his solo albums or here in new project The Balladmongrels, there is a warmth and familiarity to the vocals of Tyla J Pallas, a man whose lyrics … Continue reading
Album review: JIM KIRKPATRICK – Dead Man Walking

US One Records [Release date 21.04.23] Second solo album from FM guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick, who is joined by fellow FM band member Jem Davis on keyboards and Status Quo’s rhythm section of bassist John ‘Rhino’ Edwards and drummer Leon Cave. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, Dead Man Walking, FM, guitarist, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, review, rock, Solo
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Album review: KORITNI – Long Overdue

Verycords [Release date 14.04.23] Koritni, the band formed around vocalist & guitarist Lex Koritni, are now on their seventh studio album (and first in five years) since first appearing back in 2006. Lex Koritni is joined by guitarist Tom Fremont and drummer Daniel … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, album, blues rock, hard rock, Koritni, Lex Koritni, Long Overdue, review, rock, rock 'n' roll
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