The Hollywood Stars ~ Sound City

 

There was some real nice guitar on this album, so, if you’re a guitar fan, you’ll probably really like this album. The harmonies were real nice as well. The lead vocals weren’t great…but, they fit the band really well. Some songs were real good, others were just OK. I did like it, but, didn’t love it. I saw this band live when they opened up for the Kinks during their Sleepwalker tour. The band is Scott Phares on lead vocals, Chezz Monroe on guitar & vocals, Ruben De Fuentes on lead guitar, Michael Rummans on bass & vocals, & Terry Rae on drums & vocals. This is a good rock & roll album. After more than 40 years, this long lost album, finally sees the light of day. Phares, De Fuentes & Rae are all original members, while Rummans is from the 2nd formation of the band, & joined by newcomer Monroe. Let me know what you think. I give this 4 out of 5 Music Guru stars.

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The Doughboys ~ Running For Covers

 

The doughboys are covering some great songs on this album. The band is tight, the vocals are really good & the songs picked are perfect for for Gar’s range. Starting off strong with 96 tears, then going into a Kinks song which is more or less a B-side. The only problem with this song, is with a Kinks song, you really need Ray Davies vocals, otherwise the album is awesome. Neil Diamond’s “Solitary Man” was a little too fast for my taste, but, again, the Doughboys did it in their style. They do a great cover of the Band’s “The Shape I’m In”. Another one of my favorites was their cover of the Osmond Brothers “Yo-Yo”. Also covered was the Rolling Stones “Play With Fire”, & the Beatles “It’s All Too Much”. Most of these covers, but, not all of them, were B side songs. Great songs but, not the single. There are 13 songs total on this album & all are done with that fine Doughboys flavor. I rate this 4 out of 5 Music Guru stars.

Ruphus ~ New Born Day, & Ranshart

 

Considering that I consider myself a prog guy, I’ve never heard of this great progressive rock band before. Now that I have, I can’t wait to hear more. These albums are originally done in 1973, & 1974 & have just been re-released for a new generation. With a sound similar to Uriah Heep & early Journey before Steve Perry came into the band, you will find yourself really groovin’ to these tunes. I certainly did & I really liked both of these albums. New Born Day, the debut album from Ruphus, is a bit better, in my opinion, but, again, both albums are awesome. Most of the songs on New Born Day are within the 5-6 minute range with the exception of “Day After Tomorrow which comes in closer to the 9 minute mark. New Born Day is very keyboard driven, similar to Uriah Heep & the songs have that same great feel. No high male vocals for the most part. Ranshart is the album from 1974 & while it still has that great feel to it, it seems a little more clean & produced. Like the previous album, most songs are in the 6 minute range, but, this time, there are 2 songs over 8 minutes each. These 2 albums will most likely make it on my Best of 2019 list. I give both of these albums 5 Music Guru stars, but again, New Born Day beats out Ranshart by a bit. Give it a listen & tell me what you think.

Sweet Oblivion

 

Another great album featuring Geoff Tate. Anything that Geoff Tate puts his hands on, seems to work very well. The music is sweet. The vocals are right where they need to be & the production is wonderful. “Transition” starts off with a simple keyboard part, then goes off into rock & roll heaven. “Hide Away” is very bass heavy, but again, this works for this song. “Behind Your Eyes” makes me think that this could be a Queensryche song back in 1989. I give this 4 out of 5 Music Guru stars. This could go up with more spins.

Rendezvous Point ~ Universal Chaos

 

This second album from Rendezvous point doesn’t really do much for me. It sort of just keeps going but doesn’t really go anywhere. I don’t hate it. I would like it to take me somewhere. That’s what I need from music & I don’t get it from this album. It’s something that you can put on as background music without worrying about it. For a Progressive Metal band, I don’t hear that from this album. The vocals were very good at most times. I give this 2.5 out of 5 Music Guru stars.

The New Bardots ~ French Kisses

 

This band from New Jersey consists of Gar Francis (Doughboys), Wayne Olivieri (Rockids), Dan Skye (Oliver’s Twist) & Johnny Rago, who is a new guy to the previous three. This band has a garage band sound, playing that hardcore rock & roll sound. The album is neither great, nor bad. For me, this falls right in the middle. If you’re a fan of any of the bands listed above, I’m sure that you’ll like it. It does have a nice flair on some songs. “Raking It In” was a nice song. This one was probably my favorite. I give this 3.5 out of 5 Music Guru stars. This may go up with a few more spins. I love the cover. That by itself is worth the price of the album.

Nad Sylvan ~ The Regal Bastard

 

Another great album from Nad Sylvan. This one incorporates a bunch of great progressive artists including Steve Hackett, Guthrie Govan, Tony Levin, Jonas Reingold, Nick Beggs, Nick D’virgilio, & more. The album is great as a whole or in pieces. Everything floats together perfectly from the lead guitar parts to the keyboard sometimes adding tiny nuances to certain parts. I like this album more than I thought that I would. I give this 5 out of 5 Music Guru stars.