Category Archives: Music

Steve Lukather, Transition. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Following up from the 2010 album All’s Well That Ends Well, Steve Lukather once more comes up with guitar gold in his latest release Transition.

Transition is perhaps an apt title for the album for the former Toto man. It is by far his most biographical release and as each track flows over the listener thoughts and nestles into the conscious, the songs hit home hard that this is a man, a musician, who is looking back at his life and taking issue with the past fall outs and people and who acknowledges that he is bigger and better than any argument.

Steve Lukather, Transition. Album Review. full post

(351 words, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)

Maschemon, Various Propositions. E.P. Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

It seems that not only is Mashemon’s live sound something superb to behold but they can also carry that same sense of illicit strength into the studio also. Their latest E.P. Various Propositions has all the hallmarks of something that should be shouted from the top of the Liver Building with passion.

Maschemon, Various Propositions. E.P. Review. full post

(330 words, estimated 1:19 mins reading time)

Megadeth, So Far, So Good, So What!. 25th Anniversary Retrospective.

Megadeth’s third album So Far, So Good, So What! carried on the fine work made by Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson on Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? Megadeth in the space of two consecutive albums became one of the quintessential American Heavy Metal bands, of which the core group of Mustaine and Ellefson certainly rivalled the Metallica foursome of Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett and the much missed Cliff Burton and Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello and Joey Belladonna as leaders of a brand new pack and iconic American Heavy Metal.

Megadeth, So Far, So Good, So What!. 25th Anniversary Retrospective. full post

(1140 words, estimated 4:34 mins reading time)

AC/DC, Blow Up Your Video. 25th Anniversary Retrospective.

Any serious rock fan has to only mention AC/DC’s name in any conversation to get sage old head nodding in approval and younger fans salivating as they prepare to hear more tales of one of the hardest rock acts to grace the genre in 40 years. From their 1975 debut High Voltage (Australia, 1976 elsewhere) through to the superb Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, the career defining Back In Black and finally the 1988 Blow Up Your Video, fans knew what to expect and they devoured each album in their droves.

AC/DC, Blow Up Your Video. 25th Anniversary Retrospective. full post

(688 words, estimated 2:45 mins reading time)

Paul Raymond Project, Terms & Conditions Apply. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Terms & Conditions Apply may sound as foreboding as it is ominous but in the hands of cult hard rock band U.F.O.’s songwriter and rhythm guitarist Paul Raymond it is a statement of musical intent that shows just how influential and talented this talismanic Hertfordshire man is.

Paul Raymond may be better known for his work U.F.O. and the Michael Schenker Group but Terms & Conditions Apply by the Paul Raymond Project is an album of quality and distinction with some incredible small surprises mixed into the venture. Always endeavouring to make sure that the sound he creates is uppermost in the thoughts of the multitude who have listened to his work, whether in the early days with Savoy Brown or in his beloved U.F.O. band.

Paul Raymond Project, Terms & Conditions Apply. Album Review. full post

(365 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This). 30th Anniversary Retrospective.

It was the album that made Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox household names and gave life to the blurring of female sexuality in its songs and many accompanying videos. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) saw the pair, in the form of their band Eurythmics, break away from their past music lives completely and take on established bands who had carved out success as part of the electronic revolution that had taken place. Driven by Dave Stewart’s excellent grip on the flourishing medium and Annie Lennox’s distinctive vocals, the pair made their commercial breakthrough with Sweet Dreams… and it was well worth it.

Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This). 30th Anniversary Retrospective. full post

(804 words, 1 image, estimated 3:13 mins reading time)

Ashbury Keys, Wake Up. E.P. Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The gentle refrain of well observed lyrics and well played music is not a usual thought when people think of Texas or its arts side. Although Pantera and Bowling For Soup, arguably two of the better known bands that British audiences will be aware of, divide music opinion, one with their own particular brand of Thrash Metal and the other for their party driven image, they still have a considerable following.

Ashbury Keys, Wake Up. E.P. Review. full post

(369 words, 1 image, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

The Stranglers, Feline. 30th Anniversary Retrospective.

The Stranglers are arguably one of the finest bands to have come out Britain. The four men in black boast a huge dedicated following that turn up in their droves to gigs in this country and abroad and with albums and singles that have sold beyond measure. However even the most dedicated of Stranglers fans must have been surprised the direction the seventh studio album, Feline, took when released in the New Year of 1983.

The Stranglers, Feline. 30th Anniversary Retrospective. full post

(966 words, 1 image, estimated 3:52 mins reading time)

David Garside, End Of The Pier. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

David Garside seems to have always ploughed his own furrow when it comes to making and performing music, however he certainly follows in the footsteps of some of the great and musically innovative musicians that have hailed from the realms of Birmingham. In his latest album, the appealing and beguiling End Of The Pier, the emotion and haunting nature of David’s love of his favourite music and determination to stretch his and the audience’s attention have made for a sound that grabs the listener.

David Garside, End Of The Pier. Album Review. full post

(348 words, 1 image, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)

Norman Kelsey, A Talent For Loving. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

As debut albums go, Norman Kelsey’s unveiling as a solo star was nothing short of excellent. A Talent For Loving takes the young man on a ride that is heavily influenced by the sounds of Prince, soul masterpieces and the best that pop can inspire, a disparate range of emotions and one of the sweetest voices captured on disc.

Norman Kelsey, A Talent For Loving. Album Review. full post

(356 words, 1 image, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)