Well this is a grim looking release week folks. Unless you are looking for some quality material from Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Theory of a Deadman, Dark Lotus, or a soundtrack for Guardians of the Galaxy, then unfortunately AFGM cannot accommodate your needs. With all respect though, some of this material seems to be getting quite the positive reviews (such as Tom Petty and TOADM) so the quality is still there...just lacking quantity and selection.
So I'll keep it short, show the love and buy the album from a local record store, online retailer, or an authorized digital source. Cheers and enjoy the tunes. I know I will be.
(Eric Clapton & Friends - The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale)
The Breeze is officially credited to Eric Clapton & Friends, and sure enough there’s a slew of high-profile guests here, most prominently on vocal duty. Clapton himself still does a fair share of the work himself in that respect - his turn on ‘Call Me the Breeze’ is endearingly rough and ready - and there’s varying degrees of success when others step up to the mic. Mark Knopfler’s performance on a very Straits-y ‘Someday’ is a treat, whilst Tom Petty steals the show on ‘I Got the Same Old Blues’ and ‘The Old Man and Me’; he clearly has a genuinely keen understanding of the Americana/blues crossover that Cale played such a crucial part in nurturing.
The difficulty with The Breeze is that, like most of Clapton’s late-career releases, it’s not going to win over the casual listener, and that’s kind of the point of it; to introduce Cale to the wider audience he always deserved. Purists will lap this up, but ultimately, as lovingly constructed a tribute as this is, there’s an unavoidable sense that Clapton is preaching exclusively to the choir. -Drowned In Sound
(Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Hypnotic Eye)
Nearly 40 years in, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are beyond the point of needing to give a shit. Yet the amount of heart and soul on their latest album, Hypnotic Eye, is clear.
A modern throwback, Hypnotic Eye recalls the band’s early Shelter Records releases. After the heavy-handed blues of Mojo, Hypnotic Eye is unabashed rock ‘n’ roll. The charging “Forgotten Man” is classic Petty. Even with its sense of purpose made clear, there is no urgency on the part of the Heartbreakers. Unhurried playing on the organic jam “Faultlines” and the Spanish-inflected meditation “Sins of My Youth” highlight the cohesiveness of the band. -Pop Matters
(Theory of a Deadman - Savages)
Canada! A Canadian band! THEORY OF A DEADMAN's fifth album "Savages" is probably their most ballsy and daring and its great! Being on the same record label that has TRIVIUM and had KING DIAMOND/MERCYFUL FATE this better be an awesome release from Roadrunner Records.
"Savages" features Shock Rock/Heavy Metal god Alice Cooper, given a small section of lyrics and providing backings during the chorus, this is also one of the weakest songs on the album yet its still an incredible song so think that through with some awesome instrumentals and very catchy lyrics.
If you like yourself and well done, well paced Hard Rock check out "Savages" so you can stop thinking i'm crazy! -Metal Temple
(Dark Lotus - The Mud Water Air & Blood)
*No reviews as of yet
(Various Artists - Guardians of the Galaxy OMPST)
Whatever the precise plot machinations that led Guardians of the Galaxy to rely so heavily on the Super Hits from the '70s doesn't quite matter when it comes to regarding the soundtrack. Here, the record works as a sampler of the soft rock and Yacht rock hits that are familiar not only from constant exposure on the radio, but also their use in movies. "Hooked on a Feeling" played a pivotal role in Reservoir Dogs, "Spirit in the Sky" opened up Miami Blues, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" was in Boogie Nights, "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" has been in countless films and TV shows -- as has almost everything else here with the possible exception of David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream," which touches upon the space age futurism of this comic book caper. -All Music
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