Bitesize: Trollheart's Daily Album Mini-Reviews

Trollheart · 04-07-2017, 01:05 PM

Artiste: David Roberts
Nationality: ?
Album: Better Late Than Never
Year: 2011
Label: Avenue of Allies Music
Genre: AOR
Tracks:
Best thing I never had
Better late than never
Someone else's song
Before I go
Stay with me tonight
Be gentle with my heart
Eighth wonder
This is how I say goodbye
If I woulda been there
What I've been missing
Chronological position: Second album
Rank: Noob
Comments: Try as I might, I have not been able to find a scrap of information on this guy. Even the nationality tag on Discogs says “Europe”. Thanks a lot! So I've no idea who he is, if he was with some big AOR band, or if he's even still alive. No thanks to Wiki or even Google, who keep sending me to the wrong pages. Anyway, this is his second album and I'm in the mood for some AOR I've not heard before. Fergie Frederiksen was a real find a few years back, so maybe we'll hit gold again. Or regret ever hearing the name David Roberts. Meh, nothing really grabbing me so far. “Stay with me tonight”, though a nice ballad, borrows way too much of its melody from Steinman's big hit for Air Supply, “Making love out of nothing at all” to impress me on its own merits. “Be gentle with my heart” reminds me of another song (Richard Marx's “Quit playing games with my heart” I think) and “Eighth wonder” is just terrible. I'm hearing a hodge-pog of third-rate AOR, disco and some soft rock/pop; almost a pastiche of everything that is bad in the genre. This guy ain't no Fergie! Oh, and a trite Country ballad to end. Sigh.
Intention: Never again

Trollheart · 04-07-2017, 02:03 PM

Artiste: Pretty Maids
Nationality: Danish
Album: Pandemonium
Year: 2010
Label: Frontiers
Genre: Hard Rock
Tracks:
Pandemonium
INVU
Little drops of Heaven
One world one truth
Final day of innocence
Cielo Drive
It comes at night
Old enough to know
Beautiful madness
Breathless
Chronological position: Twelfth album
Rank: Noob
Comments: I remember reading about these guys in Kerrang! And thinking what an odd name they chose for their band. If they were all women I would understand, but no, not a pair of tits between them. Nevertheless, to date they've released fifteen albums, so they must be doing something right! Woo-hoo! Four tracks in and I already love this! And it just gets better. Not even a single track I would consider weak, and most of them are just totally kickass perfect.
Intention: Must hear more

The Batlord · 04-07-2017, 02:32 PM

^^^

Got that album on my hard drive but haven't listened to it yet (just started it though). Got into their Future World album a little while ago and it's quite a'ight.

Trollheart · 04-07-2017, 03:17 PM

Artiste: John Martyn
Nationality: British
Album: Grace and Danger
Year: 1980
Label: Island
Genre: Folk Rock
Tracks:
Some people are crazy
Grace and danger
Lookin' on
Johnny Too Bad
Sweet little mystery
Hurt in your heart
Baby please come home
Save some (for me)
Our love
Chronological position: Tenth album
Rank: High Priest
Comments: Superb stuff, as I remember. Right from the off, “Some people are crazy” is a great slab of smoking soul folk, if you can imagine such a thing, whereas the title track rocks all over the place before “Lookin' on” takes Martyn back to his jazz roots. Unsurprisingly, not one of my favourites on the album. Not too crazy about “Johnny Too Good” either; it's okay but nothing special. But then we get the sublime “Sweet little mystery”, just beautiful, and from here it just keeps getting better. “Hurt in your heart” is a bittersweet ballad almost on a par with the previous, better-known track, with some gorgeous fretless bass and soft tender percussion from Phil Collins. “Baby please come home” is simple and yearning, but “Save some” has Collins's annoying handprints all over it, very poppy, even electronic and teeth-grindingly aggravating. Back to the soul of the opener for the closer, with “Our love” being the only song on the album co-written by his wife.
Intention: I have all his albums. Must make time to check out some more.

Trollheart · 04-07-2017, 06:28 PM

Artiste: Raven
Nationality: British
Album: The Pack is Back
Year: 1986
Label: Atlantic
Genre: Heavy Metal
Tracks:
The pack is back
Gimme some lovin'
Screamin' down the house
Young blood
Hyperactive
Rock dogs
Don't let it die
Get into your car and drive
All I need
Nightmare ride
Chronological position:Fifth album
Rank: I covered Raven in my NWOBHM article, so have heard a few of their albums
Comments: So this is the one that almost made Raven into Def Leppard/Praying Mantis, eh? The one where they were convinced to soften their music and tailor it more to the American AOR market than the headbanging thrashy UK metal one? This could be interesting. Hmm. The opener tries so hard to be, well, hard, but fails miserably, and putting Spencer Davis Group's “Gimme some lovin'” on the album sounds like a desperate attempt to get a single. It failed. The album didn't even chart. “Young blood” shows us the Raven we had come to know and love, though it sounds like there are keyboards in there. Keyboards? Oh Jesus! And horns on “Hyperactive”? Horns? It's a terrible song too. As is “Don't let it die”. Yeah, it's pretty much a fail. No wonder it didn't sell. Thank God Raven went back to doing what they do best after this abortion.
Intention: Try to wash the memory of this from my mind and ears!

Anteater · 04-09-2017, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

David Roberts' debut, 1982's All Dressed Up, is a soft rock classic along the lines of the first Christopher Cross album with a killer studio lineup of musicians and players. The one you reviewed here is just a hodgepodge of stuff he wrote long after the first album and I agree that it sucks.

Trollheart · 04-09-2017, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

^^^

Got that album on my hard drive but haven't listened to it yet (just started it though). Got into their Future World album a little while ago and it's quite a'ight.

Yeah, I definitely need to listen to more of these guys. Very impressed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anteater

David Roberts' debut, 1982's All Dressed Up, is a soft rock classic along the lines of the first Christopher Cross album with a killer studio lineup of musicians and players. The one you reviewed here is just a hodgepodge of stuff he wrote long after the first album and I agree that it sucks.

So he's nobody really? I thought, as I said in the comments, he might be from some band I knew, but after listening to him, I'm glad I didn't. Urgh. Also, did you know Fergie Frederiksen died? I was so shocked... what a talent, cut short so early.

The Batlord · 04-09-2017, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah, I definitely need to listen to more of these guys. Very impressed.

Their first two are pretty fantastic.

Trollheart · 04-09-2017, 01:55 PM

Artiste: Jennifer Rush
Nationality: American
Album: Out of My Hands
Year: 1995
Label: EMI
Genre: Pop
Tracks:
Tears in the rain
Out of my hands
In the arms of love
Fortress
Shocked
Who wants to live forever
Untouchable
Only Heaven knows
Crazy 'bout you
Cry, baby
Nights in white satin
Chronological position:Seventh album
Rank: Apprentice
Comments: When I first heard “The Power of Love” I wrote Jennifer Rush off as another one-hit wonder, but something made me buy the album Heart Over Mind and man was I impressed! Not a duff track and some really excellent ones. I thought, here may be a proper star in the making. So I bought her other albums, listened to them but somehow was never quite as impressed as I had been by that first listen to her material. I haven't heard much from her in the last few years – wasn't even sure if she was still alive; you never can be sure these days – but it seems she's still churning out the albums and having the odd hit. So I decided to check this one out.

I'm a shade disappointed to find so many covers on it – Robin Beck's “Tears in the rain” is beautiful, and an excellent opener, and her version of Queen's “Who wants to live forever” (one of my favourite Queen songs) with Brian May on guitar and vox is decent but not a patch on the original (don't like the ending) – but then you have some standard disco/synthpop dross like the title track and I'm beginning to think that HOM was her best, or at least most mature album, the one I would venture to describe as rock, which may be why I was so let down by the other albums I heard from her. Still, as it goes on it seems that title track might be the exception and the rest is proving pretty solid if not mindblowing. Her version of the Moody Blues' classic “Nights in white satin” is a decent closer.
Intention: I'll probably drop the odd album in now and then, in the hope of her ever recording a worthy successor to Heart Over Mind. This is quite close, but it ain't it.

Trollheart · 04-09-2017, 02:02 PM

Artiste: Pendragon
Nationality: British
Album: Men Who Climb Mountains
Year: 2014
Label: Toff
Genre: Progressive Rock
Tracks:
Belle Ame
Beautiful soul
Come home Jack
In bardo
Faces of light
Faces of darkness
For when the zombies come
Explorers of the infinite
Netherworld
Chronological position: Tenth album
Rank: Apprentice
Comments: Although I've only heard one full Pendragon album all the way through, I've managed to hear most of the rest of their stuff via playlists, and almost invariably, what I've heard I've liked, so I'm expecting big things from this, their latest offering. Three times now I've listened and three times I've missed the break which separates “Belle Ame” from “Beautiful soul”, though both appear to be excellent tracks. There's some beautiful reflective guitar in “Come home Jack”, the tale it would seem of a traveller and what he has seen, with a typical mix of styles and sections in the ten-minute opus. It's a pretty superb track, favourite so far, and given the quality of the other two tracks that's saying something. I really like the way that, although there's no title track, the idea of exploration and conquering obstacles runs pretty solidly throughout the album. Lovely piano work from Clive Nolan on “Faces of light”, and the song really builds up well, seguing nicely into its opposite, “Faces of darkness”, with some appropriately dark, breathy synth and ominous guitar, and just as ominous and creepy is “For when the zombies come”. This is absolutely excellent. Love everything on it, no exceptions. Truly tremendous.

Intention: I'm currently reviewing the entire Pendragon discography in depth in my Prog Journal, so there'll be a full review there at some point.

04-07-2017, 01:05 PM	#301 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Artiste: David Roberts Nationality: ? Album: Better Late Than Never Year: 2011 Label: Avenue of Allies Music Genre: AOR Tracks: Best thing I never had Better late than never Someone else's song Before I go Stay with me tonight Be gentle with my heart Eighth wonder This is how I say goodbye If I woulda been there What I've been missing Chronological position: Second album Rank: Noob Comments: Try as I might, I have not been able to find a scrap of information on this guy. Even the nationality tag on Discogs says “Europe”. Thanks a lot! So I've no idea who he is, if he was with some big AOR band, or if he's even still alive. No thanks to Wiki or even Google, who keep sending me to the wrong pages. Anyway, this is his second album and I'm in the mood for some AOR I've not heard before. Fergie Frederiksen was a real find a few years back, so maybe we'll hit gold again. Or regret ever hearing the name David Roberts. Meh, nothing really grabbing me so far. “Stay with me tonight”, though a nice ballad, borrows way too much of its melody from Steinman's big hit for Air Supply, “Making love out of nothing at all” to impress me on its own merits. “Be gentle with my heart” reminds me of another song (Richard Marx's “Quit playing games with my heart” I think) and “Eighth wonder” is just terrible. I'm hearing a hodge-pog of third-rate AOR, disco and some soft rock/pop; almost a pastiche of everything that is bad in the genre. This guy ain't no Fergie! Oh, and a trite Country ballad to end. Sigh. Intention: Never again __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

04-07-2017, 02:03 PM	#302 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Artiste: Pretty Maids Nationality: Danish Album: Pandemonium Year: 2010 Label: Frontiers Genre: Hard Rock Tracks: Pandemonium INVU Little drops of Heaven One world one truth Final day of innocence Cielo Drive It comes at night Old enough to know Beautiful madness Breathless Chronological position: Twelfth album Rank: Noob Comments: I remember reading about these guys in Kerrang! And thinking what an odd name they chose for their band. If they were all women I would understand, but no, not a pair of tits between them. Nevertheless, to date they've released fifteen albums, so they must be doing something right! Woo-hoo! Four tracks in and I already love this! And it just gets better. Not even a single track I would consider weak, and most of them are just totally kickass perfect. Intention: Must hear more __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

04-07-2017, 03:17 PM	#304 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Artiste: John Martyn Nationality: British Album: Grace and Danger Year: 1980 Label: Island Genre: Folk Rock Tracks: Some people are crazy Grace and danger Lookin' on Johnny Too Bad Sweet little mystery Hurt in your heart Baby please come home Save some (for me) Our love Chronological position: Tenth album Rank: High Priest Comments: Superb stuff, as I remember. Right from the off, “Some people are crazy” is a great slab of smoking soul folk, if you can imagine such a thing, whereas the title track rocks all over the place before “Lookin' on” takes Martyn back to his jazz roots. Unsurprisingly, not one of my favourites on the album. Not too crazy about “Johnny Too Good” either; it's okay but nothing special. But then we get the sublime “Sweet little mystery”, just beautiful, and from here it just keeps getting better. “Hurt in your heart” is a bittersweet ballad almost on a par with the previous, better-known track, with some gorgeous fretless bass and soft tender percussion from Phil Collins. “Baby please come home” is simple and yearning, but “Save some” has Collins's annoying handprints all over it, very poppy, even electronic and teeth-grindingly aggravating. Back to the soul of the opener for the closer, with “Our love” being the only song on the album co-written by his wife. Intention: I have all his albums. Must make time to check out some more. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

04-07-2017, 06:28 PM	#305 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Artiste: Raven Nationality: British Album: The Pack is Back Year: 1986 Label: Atlantic Genre: Heavy Metal Tracks: The pack is back Gimme some lovin' Screamin' down the house Young blood Hyperactive Rock dogs Don't let it die Get into your car and drive All I need Nightmare ride Chronological position:Fifth album Rank: I covered Raven in my NWOBHM article, so have heard a few of their albums Comments: So this is the one that almost made Raven into Def Leppard/Praying Mantis, eh? The one where they were convinced to soften their music and tailor it more to the American AOR market than the headbanging thrashy UK metal one? This could be interesting. Hmm. The opener tries so hard to be, well, hard, but fails miserably, and putting Spencer Davis Group's “Gimme some lovin'” on the album sounds like a desperate attempt to get a single. It failed. The album didn't even chart. “Young blood” shows us the Raven we had come to know and love, though it sounds like there are keyboards in there. Keyboards? Oh Jesus! And horns on “Hyperactive”? Horns? It's a terrible song too. As is “Don't let it die”. Yeah, it's pretty much a fail. No wonder it didn't sell. Thank God Raven went back to doing what they do best after this abortion. Intention: Try to wash the memory of this from my mind and ears! __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

04-09-2017, 01:55 PM	#309 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Artiste: Jennifer Rush Nationality: American Album: Out of My Hands Year: 1995 Label: EMI Genre: Pop Tracks: Tears in the rain Out of my hands In the arms of love Fortress Shocked Who wants to live forever Untouchable Only Heaven knows Crazy 'bout you Cry, baby Nights in white satin Chronological position:Seventh album Rank: Apprentice Comments: When I first heard “The Power of Love” I wrote Jennifer Rush off as another one-hit wonder, but something made me buy the album Heart Over Mind and man was I impressed! Not a duff track and some really excellent ones. I thought, here may be a proper star in the making. So I bought her other albums, listened to them but somehow was never quite as impressed as I had been by that first listen to her material. I haven't heard much from her in the last few years – wasn't even sure if she was still alive; you never can be sure these days – but it seems she's still churning out the albums and having the odd hit. So I decided to check this one out. I'm a shade disappointed to find so many covers on it – Robin Beck's “Tears in the rain” is beautiful, and an excellent opener, and her version of Queen's “Who wants to live forever” (one of my favourite Queen songs) with Brian May on guitar and vox is decent but not a patch on the original (don't like the ending) – but then you have some standard disco/synthpop dross like the title track and I'm beginning to think that HOM was her best, or at least most mature album, the one I would venture to describe as rock, which may be why I was so let down by the other albums I heard from her. Still, as it goes on it seems that title track might be the exception and the rest is proving pretty solid if not mindblowing. Her version of the Moody Blues' classic “Nights in white satin” is a decent closer. Intention: I'll probably drop the odd album in now and then, in the hope of her ever recording a worthy successor to Heart Over Mind. This is quite close, but it ain't it. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

04-09-2017, 02:02 PM	#310 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Artiste: Pendragon Nationality: British Album: Men Who Climb Mountains Year: 2014 Label: Toff Genre: Progressive Rock Tracks: Belle Ame Beautiful soul Come home Jack In bardo Faces of light Faces of darkness For when the zombies come Explorers of the infinite Netherworld Chronological position: Tenth album Rank: Apprentice Comments: Although I've only heard one full Pendragon album all the way through, I've managed to hear most of the rest of their stuff via playlists, and almost invariably, what I've heard I've liked, so I'm expecting big things from this, their latest offering. Three times now I've listened and three times I've missed the break which separates “Belle Ame” from “Beautiful soul”, though both appear to be excellent tracks. There's some beautiful reflective guitar in “Come home Jack”, the tale it would seem of a traveller and what he has seen, with a typical mix of styles and sections in the ten-minute opus. It's a pretty superb track, favourite so far, and given the quality of the other two tracks that's saying something. I really like the way that, although there's no title track, the idea of exploration and conquering obstacles runs pretty solidly throughout the album. Lovely piano work from Clive Nolan on “Faces of light”, and the song really builds up well, seguing nicely into its opposite, “Faces of darkness”, with some appropriately dark, breathy synth and ominous guitar, and just as ominous and creepy is “For when the zombies come”. This is absolutely excellent. Love everything on it, no exceptions. Truly tremendous. Intention: I'm currently reviewing the entire Pendragon discography in depth in my Prog Journal, so there'll be a full review there at some point. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018