Review: Baby Scream - Things You Can Say To A Stranger EP (2019)

Genre - Power pop / Rock

Label - Self Released.

Track listing:

01. Aching Life

02. Fake It 'Til You Make It

03. Roundabouts

04. Live While You Can

05. Somebody Kill Me Now

Ok, so I have to admit to feeling rather guilty about this one. Juan Pablo Mazzola sent me this EP late last year, as it was released and has therefore been available since the beginning of this year!. Ohh well better late than never I guess, but to Juan, I am so sorry that this has taken so long!

Now to the EP. Baby Scream return with their latest EP in the form of Things You Can Say To A Stranger, a great little five track slice of power pop heaven. To be fair Baby Scream seem to have become a one man band as of recent years with Juan Pablo Mazzola handling everything from the song writing, all instruments and production duties, as well as publicity and marketing, along with his various other projects, but the quality has always remained extremely high, as can be heard here.

The EP opens with Aching Life, a mellow, melancholic affair. A great vocal line and some really subtle keyboards / strings backing up  a great acoustic guitar and piano track. Great track. Up next we have Fake It Til  You Make It. this track has a slightly more stripped back feel to it, and a slightly more venomous vocal delivery. Another great song. Roundabouts follows, another great laidback mellow track. The energy and dare I say attitude picks up a little on Live While You Can, which for some reason reminds me of late 70's Alice Cooper in places, only with Baby Screams classic sound of power pop guitars. I really love this song. The EP closes with Somebody Kill Me Now, a sentiment I can totally relate to at the moment with all of this continuous Brexit drama going on here in the UK. The song itself is probably the most up-tempo track on the EP, a great song that blends some great Guitar leads with a great honest vocal some what similar to The Rembrandts.

Things You Can Say To A Stranger is a great addition to the Baby Scream catalogue, a band who are still grossly under-rated.

Buy It!!

Rating: 10/10

Review: Ginger Wildheart - Headzapoppin' (2019)

Genre - Hard Rock / Pop

Label - Round Records

Track listing:

01. Meet My Killer

02. Catch That Stranger

03. Saturday Matinee

04. Yorvik (My Hood)

05. Love Is

06. As Theodos Spoke

07. Boxes

08. The Answer Is Yes

09. Poundcoins & Kitchen Roll

10. Zap.

So it was little over a week ago that Ginger Wildheart started teasing the release of a new album, then bang, there it is titled Headzapoppin,  available to pre-order straight away through the Round Records website. The 10 track album will be released later this year, but those buying it now will get an instant digital download. Now that has to be the perfect way to get your Ginger fix on! Well as I have been a huge fan of both Ginger and The Wildhearts since around 1992 and the controversial Mondo Akimbo EP how could I resist? So what's the album all about? Well I will let Ginger explain that himself, 

Ginger says: “Writing music is a form of therapy for me. It keeps my mind occupied and ensures that I live in the moment.

“This album is a collection of songs written while walking my dog Maggie on early mornings with very few people around and tons of ideas not suited to either The Wildhearts or my more rootsy solo albums.

“I figured if this album merely pays for itself, through a modest amount being actually available, then my work was worth it, and I subsequently will try to release one of these mixed packages every year. 

“As of now, before anyone has heard this grab-bag of brain zaps, I have no idea if people are going to love this collection of musical mutts or hate it.

“My work here is done for now. Next stop, your ears. Wish me luck.”

The best way to describe the overall sound of Headzapoppin is that is more akin to Gingers solo out- put prior too his Ghost In The Tanglewood and Pessimists Companion albums. Giving the fans of Gingers work such as Valor, Yoni, Market Harbour, 555%, Albion and GASS a much needed fix, after his recent change in musical direction where he has been following a more rootsy musical path. The album opens with the excellent Meet My Killer. A great riff that drops into some almost ethereal vocal melodies, and a great chorus hook line! A great start to any album! Catch That Stranger follows, opening with a great melodic vocal melody before breaking down into a great guitar driven track that wouldn't have sounded out of place on either the Valor Del Corazon or Yoni albums. The refrain just before the chorus also brings to mind Gingers Mutation project or even the Wildhearts glorious Endless Nameless era for a brief moment, before the melody of the chorus kicks back in. A great song!

Up next we have the simply beautiful and melodic Saturday Matinee. A wonderfully soft track that I could have imagined easily worked into something that would have fitted onto Gingers more rootsy Ghost in the Tanglewood or Pessimists Companion albums. Once again a great song with some great heartfelt and honest lyrics too! Next we have Yorvik (My Hood). The song opens with a great bass line which leads into a little ditty where Ginger regales us with a description of his neighbourhood. Once again a great song that instantly worms its way into your brain. Love Is follows, a great song with a darkish moody feeling, in which Ginger describes his views on love, both the good and not so good points in a way that only Ginger can. A ballad of sorts I guess, a fantastic atmospheric and moody song none the less. As Theodos Spoke is strange little number. Opening with guitar feedback and a stomping bass line before Ginger slightly distorted vocals kick in. The song feels like its constantly building towards the chorus section. The best way that I can describe this track is imagine a cross somewhere between How I Won the Punk Wars from the 555% sessions and Gingers Mutation projects Frankenstein Effect. Boxes is a great little melodic rocker with tons of pop sensibilities thrown in. Next we have The Answer Is Yes, yet another great melodic song that could have been a great Hey Hello track in my opinion. A great singalong chorus and some atmospheric guitar arrangements. Love it. The albums penultimate track, Pound coins and Kitchen Roll has to feature some of the most down to earth introspective and honest lyrics ever written! Once again a lovely simple melodic song that just works so well. The album closes out with Zap. The track opens with a great single guitar riff, with Ginger singing over it, before more guitars kick in and the song explodes into life. Once again the lyrics are brilliantly honest and down to earth!.

A great way to close out any album.

As previously stated Headzapoppin provides a much needed fix, after his recent change in musical direction where he has been following a more rootsy musical path.

Rating: 10/10.

Pre-order this great album here!

The Fiascos New Lyric Video for Livin' On Nothing

Dirt Box Disco - Poppycock (2017)

Genre - Punk / Rock

Label - STP Records

Track listing:

01 - The Bullshit Kids

02 - Fingerblast

03 - Punk Rock Riot

04 - Little White Lie

05 - Working For Wankers

06 - Fat Kid

07 - Snorting Crack From A Girls Top Rack

08 - Lazy Bastard

09 - Slapdash And Haphazzard

10 - Geronimo

11 - Imaginary Friend

12 - Somethings Are Better Off Left Unsaid

13 - I Hate This City

The mighty Dirt Box Disco return with latest slab of unadulterated social commentary in the form of their latest album, Poppycock.
The album opens with "The Bullshit Kids", a song about certain elements of todays youth that is becoming more and more prevalent. Next up the album launches into "Fingerblast", a song about a woman's love of self pleasure! "Punk Rock Riot" follows and to be honest I think for me this is the weakest track on the entire album, although it will no doubt be lots of fun live . Things pick up again with "Little White Lie", almost a ballad without being a ballad, and a story with a moral to it!
the next song, "Working For Wankers", will ring true with many of us, and will I will no doubt be singing it to myself during my endless shifts at hells pit!
"Fat Kid" is rather cruel but still fun, "Snorting Crack..." whizzies by, before the excellent "Lazy Bastard" slows the pace down a little. A great song and we all know a person that fits the subject matter all too well!
"Slapdash and Haphazzard" is up next, a great song about that half arsed attitude that plagues elements of todays society, that just happens to have a little rock n roll feel to it. Next we have "Geronimo", a two minute blast about having a leap of faith. "Imaginary Friend" follows, a great song destined to become a dirt Box classic!
The albums penultimate track is the rather excellent "Somethings Are Better Left Unsaid", something that I have personally learnt all too well over the years!
The album closes out with "I Hate This City" which proves to be a real ska fest.

So there we have it, the latest slab of punk rock angst from Dirt Box Disco, thirteen tracks closcking in at thirty seven minutes long.

Well worth checking out as Dirt Box Disco are proving to be one the best English Punk bands around today!

Highly Recommended

Rating: 10/10

Spunk Volcano and the Eruptions - Ram Raid EP (2017)

Genre - Rock / Punk

Label - STP Records

Track listing:

01 - Ram Raid

02 - Stop Looking At Your Phone

03 - Hanging Around The Shops

04 - I Think Her Name Was Tracey?

05 - Snap Backbone

The indomitable Spunk Volcano and the Eruptions return with their latest slab of angst filled social commentary in the form of their Ram Raid EP.
The EP opens with the angst driven title track, a song that addresses the mind set of delinquent car thieves and boy racers. A great start. Next up we have the blistering "Stop Looking At Your Phone", which funnily enough address the modern day obsession people seem to have with their mobile phones. "Hanging Around The Shops" follows, addressing the problems of getting your fix of booze and fags when you are underage. Another great song forged in typical Spunk Volcano fashion. Next comes "I Think Her Name Was Tracey?"  another blistering angst filled track, discussing a poor girls life. The EP closes out with "Snap Backbone", which also happens to the EP's most melodic and commercial track. A song and a great closer for a five track EP that clocks in at just twelve minutes in length!

Check these guys out!

Rating: 10/10

 

Ginger Wildheart - Ghost In The Tanglewood (2017)

Genre - Rock / Country / Folk / Roots

Label - Pledge Music / Round Records

Track listing:

01 - The Daylight Hotel

02 - Paying It Forward

03 - Golden Tears

04 - Phantom Memories

05 - Minus You

06 - Remains

07 - The Words Are Gonna Have To Wait

08 - My Old Friend The Blues (Stevie Earle Cover)

09 - The Reaper

10 - Don't Say Goodbye

available as part of the "This Is Not A Raffle" pledge.

11 - A Few Old Memories (Acapella) (Dolly Parton Cover)

12 - Has She Got A Friend For Me? (Richard and Linda Thompson Cover)

13 - I Could Have Cared For You

So here we have it folks, "Ghost In The Tanglewood", that album the Ginger Wildheart has promised and threatened to make since time began. In all seriousness Ginger has been hinting at this kind of album for years now, with the folksy Wildhearts classic, "Geordie In Wonderland", through the spoof country album World Of Filth, released under the pseudonym Howling Willy C##T, and through the Rootsy tracks that emerged as part of the tremendous G.A.S.S. project such as "Toxins & Tea", "Last day Of Summer", "The Pendine Incident" and "Cear Urfa". Now he delivers a full 10 track album of sublime heartfelt country / folk music
As Ginger himself puts it, "My fairly unavoidable accent means that the songs come off less Willie Nelson and more Bobby Thompson, but every lyric is purely heartfelt and every song is as true a story as you’ll ever hear in roots based music. This is Country music, played by a working class Geordie raised on Country and Northern Folk music. This stuff has always been in my blood since I was a wee nipper and it’s an honour to finally get to play it for you."
And what an album it is, sure it lacks the venom and attitude that has made some of Ginger's Wildhearts songs such classics, but here was have out favourite Geordie once again opening up his heart and bearing his soul in such a moving and tender way that you would have to be one cold hearted mutherpuger not to be moved, especially with the way in which the albums closing track, "Don't Say Goodbye" tugs at the old heart strings. The album really does run the full range of emotions, with songs such as "Golden Tears" and "Paying It Forward" giving hope and imploring faith and "Minus You" and "The Words Are Gonna Have To Wait" and the aforementioned "Don't Say Goodbye" giving glimpses of Ginger's more fragile side, together with the honest genius of "The Reaper". Plus Gingers cover of the Stevie Earle classic, "My Old Friend The Blues" is simply sublime!
This really is an album that needs to be digested and absorbed. Quite possibly Gingers crowning glory that tops off his long, long list of song writing achievements.

I have included three bonus tracks in the track listing that do not appear on the album proper, primarily because they were recorded as part of the albums sessions and are available through the albums pledge campaign, but also because they are great songs. The three part acapella harmonies of "A Few Old Memories", the melancholy bleakness of "Has She Got A Friend For Me" and the pure brilliance of "I Could Have Cared For You". All worth having and adding to any Ginger fans collection.


Rating: 10/10

The Scaramanga Six - As We Take The Stage (Single) (2017)

Genre - Rock / Alternative

Label - Self Released / Bandcamp

Track listing:

01 - As We Take The Stage (Parts 1 and 2)

02 - Owned

The mighty Scaramanga Six return with a taster for their forth coming new studio album (Pledge campaign to be launched soon), in the form of a two track digital single available through the bands bandcamp page.

The first track, 'As We Take The Stage' is driven along by some thunderous drums, some very tribal and organic rhythm patterns, with slight detours into a western feel. Love it!
The second track, 'Owned' has a darker more sci-fi feel to it as it begins, before blossoming into a great moody monster of a track.

If these are signs of what to expect from the bands new album then personally I simply can not wait to hear it!

Rating: - 10/10

Ryan Hamilton and the Traitors - The Devil's in the Detail (2016/17)

Genre - Rock / Pop / Alternative

Label - Pledge Music

Track listing:

01 - Smarter

02 - We Should Never Have Moved To LA

03 - Anywhere

04 - Heavy Heart

05 - Scottish Mud

06 - Back In Time

07 - The Gulf Of Mexico

08 - Cheaters Never Change

09 - Drugs and Fashion

10 - Strength In Numbers

11 - Don't Say I Told You So

12 - It Ain't Easy

The Devil's In The Detail is the brand spanking new album from Ryan Hamilton and the Traitors, a trans Atlantic rock n roll band hailing from Texas and the UK. And what a bloody debut. Great bounce filled rock n roll, with a tremendous sense of melody. Incorporating so many musical elements its unbelievable, from country to blues to punk to out and out rock n roll. What a refreshing band. This, their debut album has been financed through a blinding pledge music campaign, hence the 2016/17 release dates (pledgers were lucky enough to get their hands on this brilliant album last year!).
The albums kicks off with the bouncy and rather excellent 'Smarter', which flows into the equally brilliant 'We Should Never Have Moved To LA', before the tempo slows a little for the rather laid back 'Anywhere', with its bluesy overtones. Next up comes the beautiful 'Heavy Heart'. A really beautiful ballad with some great harmonies and soul searching lyrics! Surely one of the albums many highlights. The rather fun 'Scottish Mud' is up next, picking up the pace a little. Yet another great song. Next up is the excellent acoustic driven 'Back In Time', a beautiful song that features Ryan taking a look back in time. 'The Gulf Of Mexico' follows, with its chugging main riff. possibly the heaviest song so far on the album, bloody brilliant non the less. Hot on its heels we have 'Cheaters Never Change', a real blues country mix. Yet another brilliant song! 'Drugs and Fashion' picks up the tempo and the mood once again, returning to the bouncy rock of the albums first couple of tracks.
'Strength In Numbers' is a great song about a defiant spirit, a great up-tempo song that has a brilliant energy to it. This could be killer live!
The albums penultimate track is 'Don't Say I Told You So', a beautiful duet. this song sends tingles down my spine. Beautiful and haunting!
'It Ain't Easy' closes the album out, a great fun song with a proper country feel to it, and a nice snarling surprise hidden inside if you are patient enough to wait for it!

This is one of the best and strongest debuts that I have heard in many a year, and very well worth checking out. Definitely one of the most complete and rounded releases that I have heard in quite a while, and possibly a contender for release of the year!

Rating: 10/10

The Dowling Poole - Deep Breath EP (2016)

Genre - Rock / Pop / Alternative

Label - 369 Music

Track listing:

01 - Deep Breath

02 - A Kiss On The Ocean (Live Acoustic from Manchester)

03 - Paper, Scissors, Stone (Live Acoustic From Manchester)

Released very late in 2016, The Dowling Poole issued their brilliant Deep Breath EP. Once again following the formula of its two predecessor releases, Myles Checks Out and Bright Spark EP's, of featuring three tracks, one new exclusive studio cut, in this case the rather excellent 'Deep Breath', and once again two more live acoustic tracks recorded in Manchester (UK).
This time around the new studio track, 'Deep Breath', has a darker more menacing atmosphere about it, once again show casing another side of this mega talented combo's song writing. A really great track that really leaves the listener longing for album four, or at the very least, more new EP's!
The two live acoustic tracks are taken from the same session / show as the ones released on the previous two releases, once again having a brilliant sound quality and feel to them, and once again showing just how good these guys are live!
Please, Willie Dowling, Random Jon Poole and Givvi Flynn, stop teasing us and get album four underway!

Very well worth checking out!

Rating: 10/10

Love Zombies - Passionfruit (2016)

Genre - Pop / Rock / Punk

Label - Pledge Music

Track listing:

01. Oblivion

02. Lighten Up

03. Robots & Aliens

04. Spiders

05. Favourite Song

06. Big and Strong

07. Backwards World

08. Fast & Frantic

09. Birthday

10. Who The Fuck Are They?

11. Love Zombies Theme Song (Bonus Track)

 So finally the wait is over and the Love Zombies pledge final comes to an end with the release of the bands debut album. Not that I am complaining as there have been plenty of pledge bonus pledge's along the way with around six or seven pledge EP's whilst the band have been hauled up recording this little beauty. Now Love Zombies first came to my attention through singer Hollis Mahady's involvement with Ginger Wildhearts Hey! Hello! project, where she fronted the band last year for various live dates and even recorded an album with them only to leave the project on the eve of the albums release resulting in the album being pulled, re-recorded with new vocalists and released last month, some five months after its original planned release.
The album opens up with the fast paced 'Oblivion' which really sets the tone for the bands infectious blend of bubblegum pop / rock / punk. 'Lighten Up' follows and keeps things moving along as does the brilliant 'Robots & Aliens' before 'Spiders' slows the tempo down a little. 'Favourite Song' sees the tempo stay rather relaxed even though it does start to rock things up a little again before 'Big and Strong' throws us a curve ball with its weird laid back feel. A great song though. The tempo picks up a little with 'Backwards World' before 'Fast & Frantic' kicks in, which is a great put down to over eager lovers lol. The fun is at an all time high with 'Birthday', a song about not wanting to dump someone on their birthday,  before the albums closer sends a message to all the bands haters in the form of 'Who The Fuck Are They?'. We have a bonus track in the form of 'Love Zombies Theme' which is a good bit of fun.

Love Zombies are a great band, but they aren't really going to set the world on fire, but their music is a good old dose of solid fun to keep the listeners entertained.

Rating: 9/10

Meat Loaf - Braver Than We Are (Deluxe Edition) (2016)

Genre - Rock

Label - Caroline International S&D

Track listing:

01. Who Needs The Young
02. Going All The Way Is Just The Start (a song in 6 movements)
03. Speaking In Tongues
04. Loving You Is A Dirty Job (But Somebody's Gotta Do It)
05. Souvenirs
06. Only When I Feel
07. More
08. Godz
09. Skull Of Your Country
10. Train Of Love

11. I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Wont Do That) (Song Writers Demo)

12. Dirty Water (Song Writers Demo)

13. Prize Fight Lover (Song Writers Demo)

14. Who Needs The Young (Song Writers Demo)

15. Going All The Way Is Just The Start (Radio Edit)

Now Meatloaf albums have always a certain amount of hit or miss about them, but in general whenever Meatloaf has collaborated with song writer / producer extraordinaire Jim Steinman they have been hits. These collaborations have included the mighty Bat Out Of Hell and Bat Out Of Hell Two albums and Dead Ringer release. So I had huge hopes for this album, and even wondered why it wasn't being released as Bat Out Of Hell Four, but upon giving it a few good listens I understand them deciding not to tarnish the Bat Out Of Hell legacy. Don't get me wrong, Braver than We Are is by no means a poor album, in fact it is a bloody good solid album, but when it is compared to the previous collaborative releases of Messrs Meatloaf and Steinman it just falls short. The project also showcases another reunion with vocalists Ellen Foley and Karla DeVito (from the smash hit 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light') on the epic song and first single ‘Going All The Way’.
Put simply... Meat Loaf can't perform like he used to. The man is sixty-eight years old. His last few albums, 2010's Hang Cool Teddy Bear and 2011's Hell In A Handbasket have shown a massive drop in vocal quality. He just can't belt it out like he used to. His voice just simply lacks the power that it used to have, and that is such a pity, because had this album been recorded when Meat's voice was at its most potent then this album could have been truly great.
The ten tracks on the album are mostly songs pulled from musicals Steinman has written, and a rehashing of Bonnie Tyler's hit 'Loving You Is A Dirty Job', and I'm not sure how I can ever listen to 'Skull Of Your Country' without being reminded that it was turned into something so much better in "Total Eclipse Of The Heart". I understand Steinman recycles, but leaving in the "turn around bright eyes" motif, when it's already world famous in another song, is a decision that begs me to compare this album to ones that are worlds better. The larger than life character of Meat Loaf has been reduced to a singer who can't keep up with any of the women guesting on these tracks. He is flat out out-sung not only by them, but in places by his own backup singers. It's shocking how old he sounds, missing notes and lacking any of the power or passion we've come to know from him. And that is such a shame as had his voice been up to  the job then this album could have been something special. I love the fact that I get to hear Steinman tracks that I hadn't heard before such as a song written for the defunct project The Dream Engine, 'Speaking In Tongues' and 'More' which was written for the Batman musical.
Meat Loaf is a legend, but this new album sadly fails to live up to the high standards that Meatloaf and Jim Steinman have set with their previous collaborations.

Rating: 7/10

FREDDIE MERCURY - Messenger Of The Gods; The Singles Collection (2016)

Genre - Rock / Pop

Label - Mercury Records/ Universal / Hollywood Records

Track listing:

Disc 1:
01 - Living On My Own (Single Edit)
02 - The Great Pretender
03 - In My Defence
04 - Love Kills
05 - Barcelona (Single Version)
06 - Made In Heaven (Single Remix)
07 - Time
08 - Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow
09 - I Was Born To Love You
10 - The Golden Boy (Single Edit)
11 - I Can Hear Music
12 - How Can I Go On (Single Version)
13 - Living On My Own (No More Brothers Radio Mix)

Disc 2:
01 - Goin' Back
02 - Let's Turn It On
03 - My Love Is Dangerous
04 - She Blows Hot And Cold
05 - Living On My Own (Julian Raymond Mix)
06 - Stop All The Fighting
07 - Time (Instrumental)
08 - Exercises In Free Love (Freddie vocal)
09 - Exercises In Free Love (Montserrat vocal)
10 - The Fallen Priest (B-Side Edit)
11 - Overture Piccante
12 - Love Kills (Wolf Euro Mix)

The legendary Freddie Mercury was a man of many talents and many different sides. The songs he wrote for and with Queen filled stadiums around the globe and have rightly gone down in history, but he also embarked on a solo career that took him from the clubs of Munich and New York to the great opera houses of the world.
He was the ultimate showman, but he kept his private life away from the prying eyes of the media; a larger than life rock star who loved disco, classical music and ballet. He was a restless spirit, a true chameleon who revelled in his own contradictions.
All the different sides of this iconic musician can be found on Freddie Mercury: Messenger Of The Gods – The Singles. Fittingly released on Mercury Records for the world outside North America, and on Hollywood Records in North America, this box set brings together all thirteen of Freddie’s solo singles on individually coloured vinyl and two CD set.
From his debut solo single "I Can Hear Music", released under the name Larry Lurex, through the dance floor-influenced solo anthems of the 80s and up to his collaborations with legendary Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé including the timeless Barcelona, this is a journey through the career of a unique talent.

Now for a man, no matter how much of a musical genius and legend he was, who only ever released two solo studio albums in his career, this is the seventh compilation release to date, and that included a ten disc box set back in 2000.
But saying that, this compilation is primarily based around the seven inch vinyl option so all can be forgiven.
Freddie Mercury was a unique talent, a soaring, powerful voice and superhuman grasp of showmanship. This was always evident with Queen but also in his solo career, and what you have here is a bumper collection of his seven inch single solo releases. In all, twenty five tracks. Yes, this includes three versions of "Living on My Own", two versions of "Love Kills", the hard to find "Time" and "Exercises in Free Love", but there is still more than enough to justify the asking price. And with "Living on My Own", the versions are different enough to warrant their inclusion. Throughout, Freddie's extraordinary vocal prowess shines through, and even when the material dips a little bit below excellent, his brilliant voice ensures that you remain utterly transfixed.
One thing that I have always admired about Freddie's solo work is the way he kept it fresh and adventurous, pushing musical boundaries (especially as per the Barcelona album that fused pop rock with opera!), and did not revert to using the Queen trademark sound. Very underrated music by a legend who may one day fully receive the credit he deserves.
The only real fault that I have is that I would have liked to have seen a couple of previously unreleased items, but then again this is a compilation of Freddie's singles, so I guess that can be forgiven.
Well worth checking out!


Rating: 9/10

FREDDIE MERCURY:

MESSENGER OF THE GODS – THE SINGLES

COLOURED 7” SINGLES VINYL BOX

 DISC 1 - BLUE

(A) I Can Hear Music - Larry Lurex (1973)

(B) Goin’ Back – Larry Lurex 

 DISC 2 - ORANGE

(A) Love Kills (1984)

 DISC 3 - YELLOW

(A) I Was Born To Love You (1985)

(B) Stop All The Fighting

 DISC 4 - RED

(A) Made In Heaven [Single Remix] (1985) 

(B) She Blows Hot And Cold

 DISC 5 - WHITE

(A) Living On My Own [Single Edit] (1985) 

(B) My Love Is Dangerous

 DISC 6 - RED

(A) Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow (1985)

(B) Let’s Turn It On 

 DISC 7 - CYAN

(A) Time (1986)

(B) Time [Instrumental] 

 DISC 8 - ORANGE

(A) The Great Pretender (1987)

(B) Exercises In Free Love [Freddie’s Vocal]

 DISC 9 - CLEAR

(A) Barcelona [Single Version] (1987) 

(B) Exercises In Free Love [Montserrat’s Vocal]

 DISC 10 - GOLD

(A) The Golden Boy [Single Edit] (1988) 

(B) The Fallen Priest [B-Side Edit]

 DISC 11 - GREEN

(A) How Can I Go On [Single Version] (1989) 

(B) Overture Piccante

 DISC 12 – NEON PINK

(A) In My Defence (1992)

(B) Love Kills [Wolf Euro Mix]

 DISC 13 - YELLOW

(A) Living On My Own [No More Brothers Radio Mix] (1993)

(B) Living On My Own [Julian Raymond Album Mix]  

Cat Southall - Call Of Distress (2016)

 

Genre - Pop / Rock / Concept

Label - Art Head Records

Track listing:

01 - Hospital Scene (feat. Dr Bernard John Kane Jr)

02 - Hello

03 - Call Of Distress

04 - 8 Years Previously (feat. Dr Bernard John Kane Jr)

05 - Look at Me (feat. James Kennedy)

06 - Advertisement (feat. Dr Bernard John Kane Jr)

07 - One Day at a Time

08 - Scream My Thoughts

09 - Telephone Call (feat. Dr Bernard John Kane Jr)

10 - If I Tell You

11 - Angels (feat. Dr Bernard John Kane Jr)

12 - Cruel to Be Kind (feat. James Kennedy)

13 - Me and You

14 - Go to War

15 - Creation of Man (feat. James Kennedy)

16 - Superheroes (feat. James Kennedy)

Cat Southall has most recently come to my attention through her involvement with Ginger Wildhearts Hey! Hello! project, with in which she has put in some rather stellar live performances and contributed some of the strongest lead vocals on the Hey! Hello! Too! album. Cat Southall's professional vocal career has spanned several decades, working in all genres of Music. Cat spent 12 years fronting popular rock band Sal, gigging and touring nationally and internationally sharing stages with Saxon, Dodgy, Ocean Colour Scene. Cat has also worked as a session artist backing name bands such as 'Gun', 'John Cale', 'Catatonia' and  the legendary 'Tom Jones', she joined forces with local legends The Manic Street Preachers, arranging and performing gospel vocals on their hit album 'Postcards from a Young Man', which also led to Cat performing with the band on the legendary 'Later With Jools Holland' show and Strictly Come Dancing where she worked with Dave Arch and the Strictly Come Dancing band.
Cat wrote and recorded this solo concept album, working with Sal band mate Noog and Kyshera front man James Kennedy,
'Call Of Distress' is an album of soaringly anthemic theatrical pop/rock, complete with superheroes, evil villains, comic style artwork, spoken narrative & sound FX. She fuses influences from David Bowie to Queen; Kate Bush to The Beatles. Through her music you’ll find beautiful melodies, dramatic rock, huge choruses and lyrics, sincere and affecting. Building on the vocal and performance dynamics learned through operatic training, a love of musical theatre and rock music, Cat’s performance is as affecting, fun and memorable as her songs.

As mentioned above, 'Call Of Distress' is a concept album, where after waking up in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there, Cat, Having suffered massive head trauma starts experiencing unexplainable powers which can only be described as Super-human. The more she believes, the more she begins to express her latent super-abilities. To keep her secret, Cat creates an alter ego known as Nancy Neuron and uses her powers to save humanity from the evil Dr Lukas Vent and his Army of Robots.

Now releasing a concept album in today's world of the ever decreasing attention span is rather a brave decision to make, but one that Cat and crew pull off really well. The albums sixteen tracks clock in at around the forty five minute mark, and trust me that time just flies by. Cat's vocals are awesome, as she sings her way through the characters adventure, journeying through various musical genres and landscapes along the way, from the gentle and subtle piano led tracks suck as 'Hello' and 'Scream My Thoughts' to the rocking 'Look At Me'  and ' Me To You'. In places 'Call Of Distress' brings to mind some of Meatloafs better moments, but always maintains its own distinct identity.

This is a really enjoyable album and one that I really do recommend that you check out. Plkus Cat has an awesome set of pipes on her too!

Rating: 9/10

STEVEN TYLER - We're All Somebody From Somewhere (2016)

Genre - Rock

Label - Universal Ltd.

Track listing:

01 - My Own Worst Enemy
02 - We're All Somebody From Somewhere
03 - Hold On (Wont Let Go)
04 - It Ain't Easy
05 - Love Is Your Name
06 - I Make My Own Sunshine
07 - Gypsy Girl
08 - Somebody New
09 - Only Heaven
10 - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly And Me
11 - RED, WHITE And YOU
12 - Sweet Louisiana
13 - What Am I Doin' Right?
14 - Janie's Got A Gun
15 - Piece Of My Heart (feat. The Loving Mary Band)

So Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has gone country. Well actually he hasn't, but it has to be said that on this his debut solo album, we see him incorporating a strong country music influence whilst slowly moving away from the brash stadium rock that Aerosmith have become world famous for. Indeed on We're All Somebody From Somewhere there’s something for everyone – the die-hard Aerosmith fan, the adventurous Tyler fan and the fan fearing the worst.  It does have some country-ish moments such as "It Ain't Easy", "Gypsy Girl" and the catchy and enjoyable "Love is Your Name",  and "Red White and You" is fairly modern country. This is a rock album with a sometime country feel but not much of one. So if you are looking for a country album a bit like Cyndi Lauper's you might be disappointed. If you’re looking for a hint of the cheeky lustfulness that powered Aerosmith’s best early songs, head straight for the title track. There’s also a slow-burn take on the band’s 1989 hit “Janie’s Got a Gun,” which emphasizes the song’s notoriously dark subject matter.
And “Only Heaven” gamely attempts to revive Aerosmith’s power-ballad prowess from the same era, and quite succeed. The cover of “Piece of My Heart” (made famous by Janis Joplin) works rather nicely. Tyler is at his best here when he focuses on blending those two impulses, adding a rootsy undertow to the familiar Aerosmith sound. “My Own Worst Enemy,” the album’s episodic opener, is perhaps the perfect example.  He also unleashes a thunderous, blues-drenched performance on the harp during the Jeff Beck-ish “Hold On (Don’t Let Go).” The former — which includes the lyric, “I could blame Jesus, I could blame Momma, I could blame Brahma for all the bull that’s in my head” — shows Tyler has lost none of his way with a winking lyric either.
This is a fine album that has something for everyone, but will undoubtedly not be to everyone's taste,  me personally rather like it!

Worth Checking Out

Rating: 8/10

Lawson - Perspective (2016)

Genre - Pop / Rock

Label - Polydor Group

Track listing:

01. Perspective (Intro)
02. We Are The Fire
03. Money
04. Where My Love Goes
05. Rio
06. When I’m Old
07. Only Water
08. Lion’s Den
09. Roads
10. I Look Anyway
11. Used To Be Us
12. Love & War

Lawson is an English pop rock band that originated in England, United Kingdom, consisting of Andy Brown (guitar, lead vocals), Ryan Fletcher (bass guitar, backing vocals), Joel Peat (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Adam Pitts (drums).
The band's debut album "Chapman Square", was released on 22 October 2012 and reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. To date, the band have achieved six UK top 20 hit singles. They are named after Liverpool-based surgeon Dr. David Lawson who performed life-saving surgery on Brown.
But how do they sound? Well to be fair not half bad if this new album is anything to go by. Think Thunder's popier moment's, Little Angels, Skin, Dan Reed Network, Kings Of Leon,  etc and get an idea.
Lawson produce a slick melodic pop/rock type of music, filled with texture and dynamics and never dull sterile or lifeless. Andy Brown's vocals are a perfect fit for the bands blend of pop rock managing to add that little something etc. to some very, very well written songs. "When I'm Old" is a lot more up-tempo than its title may suggest, whilst "Only Water" is a wonderful ballad with its piano lead and strings. "Lion's Den" is a great song, "I Look Away" is another well crafted ballad whilst "Love & War" is simply just a wonderful song.
Whilst Perspective may not be the type of music that I would usually listen too, a little more pop that rock for me, I have to say that every single track on offer here is very well crafted and executed perfectly.
Lawson ae a great band, and quite possibly the UK's answer / equivalent to The Kings Of Leon, plus Perspective is damn fine album ta boot!

Rating: 9/10

Matty James - The Road To No Town (2015)

Genre - Rock / Rock N Roll

Label - Pledge Music / Pirate Heart Recordings

Track listing:

01 - The Road To No Town

02 - Sticks & Stones

03 - Heavy Heart

04 - Oh My Darlin'

05 - Win Or Lose

06 - Gunpowder

07 - Money & The Devil

08 - Hold On

09 - Dissatisfied

10 - Cut With Dust

In similar style that of a certain Dog's D' Amour front man Tyla J Pallas, Matty James delivers his sophomore album in the form of the rather excellent 'The Road To No Town'. With  'The Road To No Town,’ Matty James is building upon an acclaimed debut and showcases just how he is developing as both a performer and more importantly as a songwriter. The album opens with a the foot stomping title track, 'The Road To No Town' before launching into the albums lead single, the defiant 'Stick's & Stones'. Next we have the 50's rock n roll inspired 'Heavy Heart', one of the albums many highlights in my honest opinion. 'Oh My Darlin'' follows which is another beautiful acoustic driven track with an old time rock n' roll, even rockabilly feel to it. 'Win or Lose' come next and is another highlight of the album, purely because of its pure uncomplicated simplicity. 'Gunpowder' increases the tempo a little with its more Celtic folk feel, a really great song. 'Money & The Devil' follows, this time bringing a slightly more sinister if not over dark feel to it, like an old time Chicago gangsta soundtrack, another great song. 'Hold On' is up next, with its acoustic driven ballad feel to it. A really good song. 'Dissatisfied' is a nice up tempo track that leads nicely into what is most definitely the albums crowning glory, its closing track, 'Cut With Dust', which is just a brilliant song, as simple as that.

'The Road To No Town' is a terrific album from an uber talented singer songwriter in the shape of Matty James, perfect for those times when you just want to wind down a little and listen to some soothing music that you know comes straight from the soul!

Very Highly Recommended!

Rating - 10/10

Buckcherry - Rock 'N' Roll (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock / Rock

Label - Pledge Music / F-Bomb

 

Track listing:

01 - Bring It On Back
02 - Tight Pants
03 - Wish To Carry On
04 - The Feeling Never Dies
05 - Cradle
06 - The Madness
07 - Wood
08 - Rain's Falling
09 - Sex Appeal
10 - Get With It
11 - I've Done Everything For You [Japan Bonus Track]
12 - Mama Kin [Japanese Bonus Track]
13 - Cannonball [Best Buy only Bonus Track]

One of the greatest clichés in Rock music or brave statement of intent? That's the question that I ask myself whenever an artist labels the song or album Rock 'N' Roll. I mean just look at the pedigree that it has to live up too from previous greats suck as AC/DC, Kiss, Led Zepplin and such. In this case I believe that its a statement of intent with Buckcherry, but do they pull it off?
Well to be fair, yes. Rock 'N' Roll is the bands sixth album and follows hot on the heals of last years 'Fuck' Ep and the pledge exclusive 'Singles Club'.
From the start, with 'Bring It On Back', you get classic American hard rock that hearken back to Eighties glory days.  'Tight Pants', is a typical Buckcherry lusty ode to the ladies, with a rockin' groove, that comes complete with a horn section. Sex and sax. Can't beat that for a combination!
 Another lascivious rock behemoth is 'Sex Appeal', where the rhythm section, bass and drums, lay down this infectious beat and groove for this fast paced song. After this other rockers include the raucous 'Get With It', speedy riff heavy 'The Madness', and 'Wood', with some solid gang vocals in a dense arrangement.
Alternatively, there some additional variety. 'Wish To Carry On', while definitely hard rock, puts the focus more onto the melody and harmony.  The guys take their foot off of the gas for 'The Feeling Never Dies' and 'Rain’s Falling', two beautiful songs that just invite the listener to kick back, relax and reflect a while.
On a whole  "Rock N Roll" is a feel-good rockin' album that is an excellent summertime soundtrack.
Fans will love "Rock 'N' Roll" and it may even draw in a few new fans.

Well worth checking out

Rating - 9/10

The Poodles - Devil In The Details (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock / Melodic Rock

Track listing:

01. Before I Die

02. House Of Cards

03. The Greatest

04. Crack In The Wall

05. Baby

06. Everything

07. Stop

08. Need To Believe

09. Alive

10. Life Without You

11. Creator And Breaker

12. Borderline

 

 

THE POODLES launch their 6th rocket full of catchy melodic hard rock tunes titled "Devil In The Details".
Following the evolution of the band's sound evident on the previous, celebrated CD, The Poodles continued their collaboration with producer Mats Valentin and on "Devil In The Details" they sound bigger than ever.
All in all, The Poodles have had over ten 'top 10' singles in Scandinavia so far - which makes them one of Sweden’s most successful Rock bands - and I'm sure this new album won't be an exception of success.
We already heard the advanced singles "The Greatest" and "House Of Cards", the first a cool, anthemic midtempo ballad full of magic, while the latter shows a groovy, marching melodic rock feel with a punchy riff and a scorching guitar solo.
Both are good tracks, but the best is yet to come.
Opener "Before I Die" is a terrific Melodic Hard Rocker with pumping verses and a glorious, quasi-epic chorus. The aggressive guitar is softened by orchestrated synths, and the solo is really original. A highlight for me.
After the aforementioned advanced singles, "Crack In The Wall" brings some mysterious and interesting sounds, then on the chorus the melodic magic explodes. It's a very elaborated, different song and one of the most personal ever created by The Poodles.
"(What The Hell) Baby" adds catchiness and even a bit of modernity, while "Everything" is a little Melodic Rock GEM (akin H.E.A.T) and of course another highlight.
"Stop" is an ok rocker, just a bit generic, but next "Need To Believe" raise the bar again, a slick mid-tempo semi-ballad with a lot of AOR charm and a classy Swedish feel.
"Creator And Breaker" has a punchy commercial refrain, while "Borderline" finds The Poodles adding a poppy smell to the song's melodic rock skeleton. I'm not completely convinced with the result on this last tack, but at least the band are trying something different.
As said, "Devil In The Details" continues with the evolution of The Poodles' sound evident on the previous CD, but here is more notorious.
And how it sounds The Poodles 2015?
Half of the album is in the trademark Poodle's fashion full of catchiness, while the other, although still melodic, finds the band exploring new frontiers. Don't be scared, always on a Melodic Rock foundation.
Some tracks are really elaborated musically speaking, featuring a prominent bass sound to add more groove, but not in the heavy manner, but more power-pop oriented. On some songs works really well with the band offering something new. On a couple, not that good.
Anyway, "Devil In The Details" is a great record. I like The Poddle's bravery to explore new sonic territories avoiding the repetitive safe side. Most of the album rocks, and in a very, compelling melodic way.
Recommended.

Rating - 9/10

Tony Wright (Terrorvision) - Thoughts 'n' All (2014)

Genre - Rock / Acoustic

Label - Pledge Music / Woodcut Records

 

Track listing:

01. Self Portrait (Rock a Boogie Merchant)

02. Love Hold On

03. You Changed

04. Little Things

05. Great Horton

06. Shallow Pool (Train Wreck)

07. Roll Over

08. Do You Love Me?

09. Gunner Getcha

10. All Of My Love ###### The following review is not my work, but I simply couldn't find a better way to describe things, therefore all credit must please go to the original author! ####### "For some reason, Terrorvision have never been a particularly cool band to like, although, it has to be said, “Tequila” did make them flavour of the month for a short while. However, from the moment I heard “Pretend Best Friend” and “Oblivion” back when I worked in a record shop in 1994, I was hooked on the Yorkshire band's material and have followed their career ever since, quietly resenting and trying to educate the people who seemed to think that the band's quasi-novelty hit was the only thing they'd ever really done. When I happened to stumble on Tony Wright's PledgeMusic solo album project, helping that happen was something I definitely wanted to get on board with. I've had “Thoughts 'n' All” for a few months now, have had plenty of time to get to know it and it's a rather fine acoustic album from Tony and Milly (Milton Evans, also of Terrorvision). I have to confess that I wasn't sure just how much Tony's material and voice would suit an acoustic-based record, but it instantly won me over. This is a collection of well-written, likeable, lovingly performed songs which have many characteristics of Terrorvision's work, but with a greater subtlety and finesse. The album kicks off with the very decent autobiographical “Self Portrait” which sees Tony taking a bit of a critical look in the mirror, followed by the tender “Love Hold On” relating the often told story of one person loving the other when the feeling is no longer mutual. “You Changed”, with a nice bit of slide guitar, continues the subject where the previous song left off and it's most definitely something that many listeners will be able to relate to. “Little Things” is a fairly pleasant song, but, if I'm honest, the lyrics in the chorus could have been slightly better. The first truly great song of the album is “Great Horton”, describing a typical night out in a suburb of Bradford, including drinking, covers bands, pool, club and curry; seriously, it's worth the price of the album alone. “Shallow Pool” has some great lyrics and an excellent light and shade character to the verse and chorus, whereas the mellow “Roll Over” is probably the most catchy, instantly likeable piece on the whole record. “Do You Love Me” is dramatic, pained, tortured and utterly brilliant, “Gunner Getchta” almost sounds like Terrorvision unplugged and would really benefit from the band's rock treatment, although it does boast a rather fine Spanish guitar solo, and final song “All Of My Love” is a passionate piece featuring some excellent acoustic guitar work. All-in-all, a gratifying forty minutes worth of music. I don't think that many people who have followed the band over the years will be too surprised by how good “Thoughts 'n' All” is and, perhaps, they will be the main audience for this album anyway. However, it would be a crying shame if this album was only listened to by such a limited circle of music lovers; Tony's début solo effort deserves to be heard by a much wider range of people, as it is a bloody good singer-songwriter album, boasting a high level of musicianship and a great deal of heart. For those not quite sure about the acoustic nature of the release, I would strongly recommend that you leave any of those reservations aside and give it a chance, as many of the elements that make up a classic Terrorvision song are all present and correct here, just in a slightly more refined form. With songs about drinking, nostalgia, love, longing and heartbreak, Tony has released a piece of work that most of his fans will be able to relate to, sing along with and will, most likely, love." (Reviewed By Andy Sweeney) Very highly recommended! Rating 10/10

BILLY IDOL - Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Pop / Punk

Label - BFI Records via Kobalt Label Services

 

Track listing:

01 - Bitter Pill
02 - Can't Break Me Down
03 - Save Me Now
04 - One Breath Away
05 - Postcards From The Past
06 - Kings & Queens of the Underground
07 - Eyes Wide Shut
08 - Ghosts in My Guitar
09 - Nothing To Fear
10 - Love And Glory
11 - Whiskey and Pills

12. Hollywood Promise (Bonus Track)

Iconic '80s singer BILLY IDOL will release his first new album in almost a decade with "Kings & Queens of the Underground".
It's mostly produced by the legendary Trevor Horn, so you can expect a big, bombastic sound and a CD plenty of anthemic tracks.
At his 59, Billy Idol is still more than capable of making a very good album, just like this one, if he find the right people to work with. Trevor Horn was the man properly chosen, providing the bombastic sounds, the bubbling synths and those stabs of '80s sounding keyboards. Greg Kurstin was responsible for tweaking two tunes, and both have done a good job by giving the album a dynamic and energetic sound.
"Kings & Queens of the Underground" is a very easy-listening FM Rawk album and no different to the rest of Billy’s solo output.
And Billy has an 'ace': 'atomic playboy' Steve Stevens on guitar, and you are guaranteed of superb riffs and killer solos.
Musically, Stevens is the driving force on the record, which is great news.
"Kings & Queens of the Underground" rocks much more than I expected, and there's even space for acoustics and string arrangements on the title track, a semi-ballad where Billy revisits his past on the lyrics.
Of course there are no mega hits like 'Rebel yell' or 'White wedding' to expect, this is a much more mature record. We have 11 solid rock (at places bordering hard rock) songs on the album that are dominated by Idol's unique vocals and Stevens' screaming guitar.
The start with "Bitter pill" couldn't be better. Stevens' guitar rocks already from the beginning and Idol's throat are as we know it from him, the man is still in good form. A great driving song well chosen as opener for the album.
With "Can't Break me Down" it gets even better. A song with all Billy Idol trademarks, with a catchy chorus.
"Save Me Now" is a more silent tune that reminds with its melody to the Eighties. The sound gets more venturous with "One Breath Away". The sphereful tracks shows a new side from Billy Idol which fits very well.
A song that reminds to the good ol' times is "Postcards from the Past". I think that 'Rebel Yell' was the blueprint for this song. At least a lot of elements incl. Stevens excellent solo reminds me the THE Idol anthem. I love the track.
"Whiskey and Pills" is the hardest song on the album, a pounding speed train that mercy less kicks you out of the album. This song rocks.
If you thought that the good ol' Billy was finished, you are terribly wrong.
"Kings & Queens of the Underground" Rocks greatly, and it's among Idol's best records of his career. The songs are all entertaining, while production is shiny, pumpin', vital.
And we have Steve Stevens... what a genius.
Much, much better than I expected, "Kings & Queens of the Underground" is a very, very recommended new CD from the rustless Billy Idol.

Rating - 10/10