When releasing new music, many bands try for originality or to do something different from their previous album, but this was rarely an issue for Motörhead, who’d hit on a formula which worked, was liked by their fanbase and gave them a solid identity. They very rarely strayed far from what gave them their name, which led to the inevitable jibes of “every album sounds the same,” but since when was it so wrong for a band to play to its strengths?

Despite the disquiet about sound quality, Orgasmatron is as solid and uncompromising as the great man himself ever was, with fine performances from all concerned. It’s also the first album to feature the four-piece Motörhead line-up… Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel and Pete Gill, though Pete is now the only one still with us. The album glistens with quality and was probably by some distance the heaviest album they’d recorded up to this point. It’s a mix of hard rock and metal with a punk underlay, with tracks like ‘Ain’t My Crime’, ‘Built for Speed’ and ‘Nothing Up My Sleeve’ leaning towards classic rock. There’re a few rehearsal tracks which’ll be of interest mainly to diehard fans, alongside blistering versions of ‘Killed by Death’ and ‘Nothing Up My Sleeve’ from the Friday Rock Show.

The album was originally released in 1986, with a deluxe reissue in 2010, and now there’s this… how many copies does one fan need? There’s probably no answer to this, but one thing’s certain, which is the 2026 remix versions are the best-sounding tracks… ‘Deaf Forever’, ‘Doctor Rock’ and ‘Orgasmatron’ are now so much clearer. The guitar separation on ‘Mean Machine’ is easier to pick out and the music sounds much crisper and cleaner.

The remastering and remixing have undoubtedly improved the sonic quality of the album, but it’s very much one for the diehard fan or the completist.

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Country rock is notoriously hard to pin down but, like other genres, it’s very much in the ear of the beholder… you know it when you hear it. Whether a track is country rock or country and western is something purely for the listener to decide, and the distinction between Ry Cooder‘s ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ and Dillard & Clark‘s ‘No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine’ is probably negligible, though both are really superb songs.

Safe At Home, from The International Submarine Band, was possibly the first album to be referred to as country rock. The band were led by Gram Parsons, a seminal figure in the genre whose desire to create what he referred to as ‘Cosmic American Music’ led to the band fusing folk, country and rock to evolve a new sound. Parsons then joined The Byrds, whose 1968 album, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, saw the band moving towards a more countrified sound. During this same period, a number of other albums were released which, at the time, sold poorly but which have since become revered as seminal in the evolving of country rock as a genre. Even Bob Dylan got in on the act with albums like Nashville Skyline.

Many of the usual suspects are to be found on this release, with fine tracks from the Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Buffalo Springfield, John Prine, Pure Prairie League, Allman Brothers, Mike Nesmith and The Lovin’ Spoonful. The influence of bands like The Byrds, on tracks like ‘Brother John’ by The Dillards and Turnquist Remedy‘s ‘Cowboy Song’, and Buffalo Springfield, on Rick Nelson‘s ‘Things You Gave Me’, is very noticeable. There are several songs which may or may not be country rock but, whatever, are gorgeous pieces of music, in particular Little Feat‘s ‘Willin” and The New Riders‘ glorious tune ‘Last Lonely Eagle’. Inevitably, on a set with 76 tracks, one or two don’t quite make the grade and, great band though they are, by 1973 The Byrds were just a shadow of their former selves, and it shows on a very lame version of Neil Young‘s classic tune ‘Cowgirl In The Sand’.

The only downside here is, for several of the artists included, there never was a gold rush because, as good as their songs were, songs like JD Souther‘s ‘How Long’ somehow got lost in the mix and didn’t get the recognition they deserved.

Country rock probably peaked in the mid-1970s with The Eagles, who took it into the mainstream to achieve global success, and its ramifications can still be felt in modern Americana. This set does exactly what it says on the cover, offering plenty of really good tracks, irrespective of genre, for fans to get enthused about.

The post Before The Gold Rush: An American country rock Anthology 66-73 appeared first on RAMzine.

This set looks at the three albums Budgie recorded for MCA during the early to mid seventies period, Never Turn Your Back On A Friend (NTYBOAF), In For The Kill (IFTK) and Bandolier (B). These three very likely represent Budgie‘s career peak, with two of the albums entering the top forty and, whilst their ability to rock out onstage ensured they continued to pull in the crowds as a good ‘live’ draw, no other albums came close to matching the quality on offer here, and they didn’t come close to troubling the charts again.

Together, these three albums contain a number of the tracks which helped ensure Budgie stayed in rock’s top division, though without ever seriously competing for the top of the tree. There’s some fine playing from all involved, with guitarist Tony Bourge showing he’s a consistently underrated musician, while Burke Shelley‘s voice, like Geddy Lee‘s and Brian Johnson‘s, is an acquired taste.

‘Breadfan’ (NTYBOAF) is one of the great riffs of classic rock, easily on a par with many other much vaunted riffs of the genre. Budgie were quite adept at performing lengthy rock tunes, such as the epic ‘Parents’, ‘You’re The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk’ and ‘In The Grip Of A Tyrefitter’s Hand’ (NTYBOAF), ‘Zoom Club’ and ‘Living On Your Own’ (IFTK) plus ‘Breaking All The House Rules’ and ‘Napoleon Bona Parts 1 and 2’ (B). On these, rather than just remorseless riffing, they were able to combine driving hard rock with a bluesy underlay, as shown on their cover of Big Joe Williams‘ ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’, a staple which many bands of the era attempted, and while Big Joe would’ve been horrified at what Budgie did to his song, they nailed it completely.

They also showed their more sensitive side with quieter songs like ‘You Know I’ll Always Love You’ (NTYBOAF) and ‘Wondering What Everyone Knows’ (IFTK), with Burke‘s high register voice surprisingly in accord with the sentiments expressed, plus also ‘Slipaway’ (B) which steers very closely to the middle of the road. ‘Living On Your Own’ (IFTK) even saw Budgie hinting at prog with a middle section which brought Welsh band Man to mind.

As mentioned, these three albums were Budgie‘s recording peak. They released other albums, but on different labels and with changing personnel, with only Burke Shelley staying the course. Who knows what Budgie might have achieved had they received the right level of support from record labels? But, nonetheless, their place in rock history is assured. They carved out their own niche and, in any classic rock Hall of Fame, they richly deserve a place.

The post Budgie: Running From My Soul, The MCA Years reviewed appeared first on RAMzine.

Kiss Of Death followed on from 2004’s Inferno, and it’s being reissued after being newly half-speed mastered from the original tapes, with new liner notes that include a tribute to the now sadly departed Phil Campbell. It also comes with a bonus disc, a previously unreleased radio broadcast from the Lowlands festival, Holland, 2007, with Motörhead onstage displaying more attitude than an armadillo.

Right from the stonkin’ opener, ‘Sucker’, Kiss Of Death is typical hard hitting rock ‘n’ roll. It’s simply Motörhead staying close to their playbook, and is a ferocious reminder of Lemmy and his merry men doing what they do best .. playing fast, relentless, grinding, foot-pressed-hard-against-the-pedal, bone crunching rock music with no quarter asked, no prisoners taken and with solid musicianship. Yes, you can argue what they play is simple .. whoever said rock ‘n’ roll had to be complicated? .. but they play it extremely well. How else to explain their longevity and Lemmy’s status as a rock icon?

It’s hard to be objective about this album. Like AC/DC, Quo and the rest, Motörhead know their target audience and what they give them doesn’t disappoint. Most of the songs are fast paced rockers, with sledgehammer riffage on the likes of ‘Devil I Know’, ‘Trigger’, ‘Living In The Past’ and ‘Sword Of Glory’, Lemmy’s take on military madness, all continuing in the same vein, though ‘Under The Gun’, by Motörhead standards, is almost a ballad. Lemmy’s lyrics are often insightful, and ‘God Was Never On Your Side’ sees him venting his distaste for organised religion .. they claim to heal, but all they do is steal. Played extremely fast, ‘R.A.M.O.N.E.S.’ pays homage to the thin white mooks, and the album concludes with Metallica‘s ‘Whiplash’, albeit with slightly amended lyrics.

Lowlands saw the band end in style with a coruscating set of Motörhead classics from right across their storied career, reaching back to 1979’s Overkill for ‘Metropolis’ and ‘Stay Clean’ and up to 2004’s ‘In The Name Of Tragedy’. They round it off with a blistering ‘Killed By Death’, by which time Lemmy’s voice, usually as smooth as a gravel pit, was struggling a little, and the obligatory ‘Ace Of Spades’.

They rocked to the bitter end, and after Lemmy’s passing Phil Campbell carried the flame right up until his own death earlier in 2026. ‘Age shall not wither them’, and Motörhead’s place in rock’s high canon is assured.

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The Recordings 1969-74 is a worthwhile collection for anyone interested in the blues boom of the period, featuring remastered Pig studio albums, Ahead Rings Out and Getting To This, both with bonus tracks, plus a couple of rare singles and tracks from a 1974 In Concert performance. The two studio albums include lots of exciting music, and are fine examples of the musical diversity many bands of the time were attempting to incorporate into their music. Jack Lancaster could play clarinet and sax simultaneously, giving the band a wider sonic edge, while Andy Pyle and Ron Berg were an extremely tight rhythm section.

Ahead Rings Out (ironically released on the same day as Jethro Tull‘s Stand Up) features a mix of styles, with proto hard rock in the form of ‘Ain’t Ya Comin’ Home Babe’, rocking blues like opener ‘It’s Only Love’, slower bluesy numbers like ‘Up And Coming’ and the gorgeous slide guitar blues of ‘Dear Jill’. Lancaster shows his jazzy credentials on ‘The Modern Alchemist’, which features fine playing from all in the band, and there’s a Pig classic in pulsating rocker ‘Sing Me A Song That I Know’. The bonus tracks include a couple of alternate versions of ‘Change Song’ and ‘It’s Only Love’, plus the curiosity that is ‘McGregor Muckabou’.

Getting To This is another eclectic mix of styles, though slightly more all over the place than the previous album, further demonstrating Blodwyn Pig were far more than Jethro Tull clones. Jack Lancaster‘s ‘San Francisco Sketches’ shows a little known arty side of the Pig, while ‘Drive Me’ is a jazzy funky number. ‘Toys’ and ‘Long Bomb Blues’ are solo Mick Abrahams pieces, after which he gets to stretch out on ‘The Squirreling Must Go On’, a sort of follow up to ‘Cat’s Squirrel’. There are also Pig classics with the rocky pair of ‘Send Your Sons To Die’ and ‘See My Way’. Bonus tracks include the single ‘Same Old Story’, which was backed with a rocked up version of Larry Williams‘ 1958 classic, ‘Slow Down’.

There’s a third disc of songs taken from BBC Radio 1’s Sounds of the Seventies and In Concert between 1969 and 1974. The band had reformed again in 1974 though without Abrahams, his place taken by Peter Banks (ex-Yes) and Barry Jenkins, who’d played in Jack Lancaster‘s previous band. They perform several tracks from their two studio albums, including ‘The Modern Alchemist’, ‘Ain’t Ya Comin’ Home Babe’ and ‘See My Way’, plus several pieces the band didn’t release on album, including a credible version of Dave Dudley‘s country classic ‘Six Days On The Road’, plus Abrahams’ account of being a trucker in ‘Dunstable Truck Driving Man’, with the guitar in ‘Cosmografication’ showing Abrahams can do more than just play the blues. However, without him, the Pig gradually lost direction, which shows on tracks like ‘Baby Girl’, ‘I Know’ and ‘Leaving Song’, all of which are decent tunes but lacking the spark Abrahams brought to the band.

In their heyday, Blodwyn Pig were very likely one of the most underrated bands of the time. It was their misfortune to be around when bands like Steamhammer, Groundhogs, Chicken Shack (featuring a very young Christine McVie) and others were also active, and while few bands had a front line of guitar and sax, this occasionally gave them a jazzy edge which negated their appeal to blues fans. But nonetheless, there’s some extremely fine music on this set and it’s a timely reminder of just how good Blodwyn Pig were.

(NB: Sadly, Mick Abrahams died in December 2025 before the release of this set.)

The post Blodwyn Pig: The Recordings 1969-74 Review appeared first on RAMzine.

This album, however, performed live at the Barbican along with several other pieces, is Phaedra being reimagined for a new generation by the same band, now comprising three different musicians, none of whom were even born when the original Phaedra was recorded. Band leader Thorsten Quaeschning had, however, played with original band leader Edgar Froese, who gave his blessing for the band to continue just before his death.

The two pieces, ‘Phaedra 22’ and ‘Phaedra 24’, between them capture the spirit, though not the intensity and precision, of the original.

The other three tracks on Phaedra open the show, with ‘Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares’ reimagined as more dreamlike and floaty. If you know TD, you’ll have a good idea what the rest of the set sounds like, and you won’t be wrong. It’s mostly a series of short pieces taken from across the fifty year history of the band, with mesmerising meditative sounds and sonic landscapes being created. Most pieces performed are from previous albums, though the ‘Hippolytos Sessions 1–8’ are mostly improvisational pieces. It’s worth noting ‘Rare Bird’ sounds like a Jean Michel Jarre piece. The sounds and images created make it easy to see why the band has provided the score to so many films, such as Sorcerer, which is performed here, as their pulsating synths and the mesmeric landscapes fire the imagination.

Phaedra was arguably the first album to put the Mellotron to more effective usage, rather than just being used for the standard ‘orchestra in a box’ approach taken by many of the prog bands of the time. Most bands used Mellotron to create a backdrop behind more traditional instruments, whereas TD used it to weave a whole new sonic universe, mindmaps for the imagination, creating synth lines and patterns of sound as the three performers conjured up ethereal and abstract sounds.

The current TD are nowhere near as revolutionary or improvisational as when Froese, Baumann and Franke comprised the band who recorded Phaedra, which slotted in nicely with the prog ethos of the time, but they’ve captured their spirit of adventure, which clearly comes across in how they employ the sounds created.

The post Tangerine Dream: 50 Years of Phaedra Live Review appeared first on RAMzine.

In many ways, this is a prequel to Pushin’ Too Hard, also a 94-track 3CD set covering the period between 1964 and 1967. It serves as a precursor to Lenny Kaye‘s seminal 4CD box set Nuggets, which included many tracks now considered garage classics and which, but for Kaye’s diligent research, might well have been lost forever.

Garage bands, so called because this was where they rehearsed, proliferated in the early to mid 60s, making music which mostly revolved around three basic chords, guitars using fuzzed-up distortion, the occasional Farfisa organ and vocals which were usually shouted rather than sung. If you’re unclear about what a classic garage track sounded like, the second track on disc one, ‘Hot Pastrami’ by The Dartells, immediately gives you a textbook example, containing all the above ingredients.

One problem many bands faced at this time was the absence of national radio, meaning a band could have a massive hit in their home state yet be unknown the next state over. However, some of the artists featured here went on to achieve national hits: The McCoys with ‘Hang On Sloopy’, Tommy James & The Shondells with ‘Hanky Panky’, The Standells with ‘Dirty Water’ and Shadows of Knight with ‘Gloria’. Some artists even went on to become garage band superstars with the quality of their songs, like The Seeds and The Sonics, versions of which are still playing today. Other bands issued songs which went on to become standards and are still in rotation, such as ‘California Sun’ by The Rivieras, ‘Surfin’ Bird’ by The Trashmen, ‘Outer Limits’ by The Marketts and, most famous of all, ‘Louie Louie’ by The Kingsmen, the basic simplicity of which has rarely been bettered. How many rock bands can truly say the first guitar chords they learnt weren’t these?

Several artists on this collection had already made their name: Dion, Everly Brothers and The Beach Boys, while others would go on to become national names, like Beau Brummels, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Bobby Fuller Four and The Lovin’ Spoonful. There are a few acts who later achieved fame under a different type of music, including The Spades, who became The 13th Floor Elevators, and The Misunderstood, both becoming exponents of psychedelia later in the 1960s. And who would have guessed The Byrds, who are almost unrecognisable here, and Johnny Winter would go on to become superstars based on what’s included here?

One of the pleasures of sets like these is the discovery of great tracks from bands who barely made a ripple beyond their home district. ‘My Baby’s Barefoot’ by The Syndicate, ‘Grim Reaper’ by Twelfth Night and ‘Farmer John’ by The Premiers are three such examples, and there are many more spread across the set. Meanwhile, the little known ‘Hey Joe’, performed here by The Leaves, would go on to be immortalised by one Mr Jimi Hendrix within two years.

But whether or not the acts concerned featured in this set made a national breakthrough, what’s clearly evident is the sheer level of energy and enthusiasm generated in the music. Basic it may be, but it’s played as though lives depended upon it. These young kids weren’t to know it yet, but they were in on the ground floor of what was to become a social, musical and, ultimately, political revolution as the sixties unfolded. The sounds being made here were to influence many musicians who went on to make names for themselves. The influence the music included in this set had was to become extremely significant as the sixties progressed.

The post Steepin’ Out Review: Unearthing 60s Gems appeared first on RAMzine.

At the time of release, Thunder had been in existence for the best part of a decade and had built a solid following with their synthesis of bluesy-tinged rock wrapped around classic hooks and melodies. They became one of the most enduring rock bands of their time, though they’ve always been about rock with a little soul rather than straight-up power riffage. Listen to tracks like ‘Until My Dying Day’, the harmonica-laden ‘A Better Man’, and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’, with its Stonesy early seventies feel, and you can hear it.

This rerelease is a straight-up, fine quality live album from a band who’ve consistently rocked over the years and who’ve released an impressive body of work. All tracks are taken from their first four albums, plus a couple of cover versions in the mix. Thunder set their stall out right from the start with the lively ‘Welcome To The Party’, and they go on to perform several of the songs which helped build their live rep, such as ‘Higher Ground’, ‘Does It Feel Like Love’, ‘Backstreet Symphony’, ‘Laughing On Judgement Day’, and the very impressive ‘Empty City’. They also perform two covers: a decent version of Sly Stone‘s ‘Dance To The Music’, though ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ lacked the up front keyboards of the original and the emotive vocal power of Stevie Winwood. They conclude a fine set with a trio of Thunder classics: ‘Love Walked In’, ‘River Of Pain’, and ‘Dirty Love’. The nine extra bonus tracks include ‘Stand Up’ and ‘Everybody Wants Her’ which, given their quality, makes it somewhat surprising they weren’t included on the original release back in the day.

Thunder have released some good albums, and they’ve deservedly made their mark. For me, while Danny Bowes has a good rock voice, if Thunder had possessed a vocalist with a voice like Hughes, Coverdale, or Rodgers, their star may well have shone a lot brighter.

The post Thunder Live Review: 90s Rockers’ Best Captured Onstage appeared first on RAMzine.

Retracing Our Steps is the second such release commemorating the legacy of The Pineapple Thief, following on from 2023’s How Did We Find Our Way, 1999–2006, which serves as almost the definitive guide to the band and their early period history. On early releases like Abducting the Unicorn (1999) and One Three Seven (2002), the band was mostly mainman Bruce Soord with a couple of musically inclined friends helping out. It wasn’t until 2003’s Variations on a Dream that current bassman Jon Sykes came onboard, and 10 Stories Down (2005) when keyboard player Steve Kitch entered the fray. Soord, Sykes and Kitch, alongside superstar prog drummer Gavin Harrison, now comprise the present-day Thief.

The road to becoming The Pineapple Thief as we now know them is largely the story of one man’s singular vision, and it hasn’t been an easy road to travel. Bruce Soord’s dream of making music for a living was only able to be realised with the support of his wife, plus family and friends—including several who worked as unpaid roadies at gigs—all of whom made financial sacrifices to keep his show on the road.

Much of this is made clear in the 78-page hardback booklet included with the set. Featuring interviews with and anecdotes from Soord and Kitch, plus friend and superfan Peter Clemens—someone who’s been in Soord’s corner almost since the very beginning—the book was compiled by Classic Rock writer Polly Glass and gives a rounded picture of what it’s really like to follow a dream. The rest of the booklet goes into detail about every studio release, with track listings, the context of each album (family issues, liaising with record companies, and more), as well as a list of every gig performed and lyrics to every song.

This, then, is everything you could ever possibly want to know and hear about The Pineapple Thief and their raison d’être during their middle years. But my reservation about this release is this: as good as the music now sounds after a 2025 remix and remaster by Soord and Kitch, any fan of The Pineapple Thief will already have most or all of these albums, with some having been previously re-released with bonus tracks. You’ll be quite the dedicated fan if you’re willing to pay for them all again—even with the 78-page hardback book.

The post The Pineapple Thief Box Set Review: Retracing Our Steps appeared first on RAMzine.

If you don’t know who Bad Wolves are, let me introduce them to you. The band have changed members over the years. The current members as of November 2025 are: Daniel ‘DL’ Laskiewicz doing the vocals, Chris Cain and AJ Rebollo both playing guitar, Kevin Creekman playing bass, and John Boecklin on the drums. The band are from Los Angeles, California, United States and formed back in 2017. They have released four albums, plus two deluxe editions which includes this one.

Die About It originally released with 14 tracks back in 2023. This deluxe edition released September 2025 and features 9 new tracks. They teased the album with two single releases: ‘Say It Again’ which features The Rasmus, released on 8th August 2025, and ‘Hanging On To Thunder’ which features Stand Atlantic and was released the same day as the album.

Drummer John Boecklin shared: “Hanging On To Thunder (feat. Stand Atlantic) preaches strength in moments of adversity. This song embodies what we do best: big hooks, raw emotion, and pure power. It’s an undeniable Bad Wolves classic. Stand Atlantic takes it to the next level with an absolutely insane vocal performance. We’re incredibly proud of this one.”

When I found out Bad Wolves were releasing a deluxe edition of Die About It, I was very excited! I loved the original release, so to find out they had 9 new tracks added to this release is such a treat!

I loved the whole album. The 9 new tracks made it even better! Heaviness, melodies, growled and screamed vocals, pop influences, and some Linkin Park style rapping. Such a great mix of genres in each track. Some tracks stuck out and took the highlight for me.

One of the tracks that stuck out is one of the new tracks, ‘Made For The Misery’. Catchy chorus, heavy breakdowns, and lots of brutality. This track is one you don’t want to miss out on. I was dancing along and headbanging a lot while listening to this track. The vocals are melodic with some brutal growling, and the drums are so loud which makes the song so heavy and enjoyable.

Another track that stuck out is ‘Legends Never Die’ (Orchestral version). So melodic, light, and combined the orchestra and choir together beautifully. They complemented the vocals and piano perfectly and it was so different to their other tracks. It was quite calming to listen to. Both the piano and the orchestra combined really make the song so peaceful and dramatic all at the same time. It was so impressive and incredible to listen to.

One more track that stuck out for me is the live version of ‘Bad Friend’. I have never seen the band live (one day I will!), but this track helped me imagine being there with them. They are a band you definitely want to see live. So amazingly recorded and tight as hell! The epic guitar riffs, impressive drumming, heavy basslines, and melodic catchy vocals. I definitely felt like I was at a gig with them, and one day it will happen for real!

Now what are you waiting for? Go listen to this incredibly sick album and enjoy every second of it!

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