Reviews

[Retrospect Records]

POWERPLAY ISSUE 87

 

Retrospect Records are still keeping busy. The following overview is just a selection of some of their Hair-Metal titles that are currently available. We'll start with Canadian mob, Jester who play stereotypical glam/hair metal that's in a similar vein to the likes of Poison or Danger Danger. Standout cuts are the likes of "Hard To Be On Top" and the bluesy swagger of "No More".

 

Looking like the bastard offsprings of Teeze (watch for a review of that album, next issue), Sweet Pain and Lizzy Borden and sounding like early Pantera meets the NWOBHM, Axtion are an Interesting band. "Look Out For The Night" is a glorious throwback to a long lost era. Eighties hard rock/Heavy Metal is whats on offer and Axtion do it well. The killer cuts are the likes of "Road Runnin'", the pulsating "Look Out For The Night" (Ozzy meets Icon) and "Shoot For The Stars".

 

XL New York deliver a style of music that brings to mind the likes of Herricane Alice, Bangalore Choir and Gypsy!!!!! "Ice Cold Katie" is a brash opening statement whilst "Walkin' New York" is a hard hitting song wrapped around some cool backing vocals. If hair metals your thing then "Walkin' New York" should be right up your street.

 

Poor old Blind Gypsy would love to be Cinderella, it's as simple as that. Throw in a few Badlands pretensions, and you have the Blind Gypsy sound, down to a tee. Whilst musically it presses all the right buttons, I found that vocalist Kelly Jones' style started to grate after a few tracks.

 

 

POWERPLAY ISSUE 86

 

Retrospect keep on rollin' at an alarming rate. With an Imminent release schedule that would put Frontiers to shame, they've also released the Sharx and The Blitz CD's. The Blitz are purveyors of prime-time Autograph style AOR. Check out the Intro to the titular "Get It On", this could belong on "Sign In Please", and before we had time to call Steve Plunketts lawyers "Angel" and "Untouchable Lady" were going for Autographs jugular. Seriously, this is a great slice of AOR, all done on an Indy budget. Originally released in 1988, "Get It On" features ten tracks of eighties AOR that we all love and adore. The likes of "We Are One" is an AOR ballad of the highest order, whilst "I Need Love" is as anthemic, as it is Infectious. This is another winner for Retrospect.

 

Equally as good is the "On The Rock" album from, Sharx. This was originally released in 1985, as a seven track album. With a surprisingly good sound, for an Indy, Sharx deliver a blend of AOR that wouldn't be out of place on albums by the likes of Preview, 2am and All Sports Band, hell, they've even got the obligatory dodgy AOR perms and moustaches! This album will appeal to the people that bought the likes of Boulevard, AOR Basement and AOR Classics Magazines, and devoured every page for the more obscure bands. Not for them the likes of Journey or Boston, oh no, they wanted stuff like Bystander, Moscara, Freelance and 8084. If you were one of those people (I certainly was) then Sharx will be right up your street. Both releases are available from www.retrospectrecords.com

 

Once again the packaging on these albums may be minimal, but let's not forget that Retrospect are serving the collector with cheap, hard-to-find rarities that may not otherwise see the light of day. Long may they continue.

[hardrock80srule]

Cool read but what is it? By the way I havent heard the name All Sports Band since I went on my quest to get every song to top the 100 Billboard charts in the 1980 Decade. I never did find anything available for download for that band. Its one of the few bands from the 80s I dont have on cd.

[Retrospect Records]

They are reviews from a magazine in the UK called POWERPLAY.

 

I'll see if I can hook you up with the All-Sports Band material :+)

[Swazi]

Cool read but what is it? By the way I havent heard the name All Sports Band since I went on my quest to get every song to top the 100 Billboard charts in the 1980 Decade. I never did find anything available for download for that band. Its one of the few bands from the 80s I dont have on cd.

 

This is the one, I guess:

 

 

Unfortunately I only have a copy from vinyl.

[Fat Freddy]

 

Good grief! What a weird gimmick for a band! This looks like something you'd find on one of those "Bad Album Covers" web sites.

[Recordjnky]

yeah apparently it was an idea generated by the same guy behind the Village People. And as cheezy as this album looks - don't let it fool you -- the music is fantastic!! The singer is unreal. Go to Youtube.com and type in All Sports Band Jet Set and you will see a video of them.

Peace Out.

Recordjnky

[melodicrockoz]

yeah apparently it was an idea generated by the same guy behind the Village People. And as cheezy as this album looks - don't let it fool you -- the music is fantastic!! The singer is unreal. Go to Youtube.com and type in All Sports Band Jet Set and you will see a video of them.

Peace Out.

Recordjnky

 

S P O T O N ! ! !

[Gringo]

yeah apparently it was an idea generated by the same guy behind the Village People. And as cheezy as this album looks - don't let it fool you -- the music is fantastic!! The singer is unreal. Go to Youtube.com and type in All Sports Band Jet Set and you will see a video of them.

Peace Out.

Recordjnky

 

S P O T O N ! ! !

 

LOL... ya gotta love the drummer's drum set surrounded by a miniature boxing ring!