Reviews roundup – Suzi Quatro vs. Hardland vs. Gina Sicilia vs. Abbygail

Reviews roundup – Suzi Quatro vs. Hardland vs. Gina Sicilia vs. Abbygail

SUZI QUATRO
Legend
Chrysalis

This is the latest in a long line of Suzi Quatro best of albums but at least this time you know you’re getting the real thing instead of service station only live albums and re-recordings. ‘Legend’ has been personally curated by Suzi which probably explains why it ends with three songs from her 2006 ‘Back to the Drive’ release.

As you would expect the early part of the album is chock full of seventies hits including “Can The Can”, “48 Crash”, “Devil Gate Drive”, and “Stumblin’ In”. I’ve always had a soft spot for Ms Quatro as it was while watching her on Top of the Pops that the eight year old me realised I liked girls! Musically however, it’s a mixed bag.

There’s half a dozen tracks in the middle of the album which pass in a blur of so what but the first half and the second half make up for it. It ties in with the release of Suzi’s four original RAK studio albums that she originally released between 1975 and 1979 have been digitally remastered and will be made available to download and stream. There’s also an upcoming Legends tour with David Essex, a couple of Osmonds and whoever is singing Hot Chocolate songs these days. It’s also available as a gold coloured 2LP release.

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HARDLAND
Hardland
New Dream Records

To Greece now  for some eighties styled hard rock. Although this is the debut album from a band who only started life back in 2016.

The various members have all got form in the Greek music scene and comprise Michalis Protopsaltis (who has been performing since the eighties), Kostas Tanis, who has worked with him for decades along with new associates Aggelos Gouzetos and Stavros Papadopoulos.

And they’re very good at what they do which is melodic riffs, strong choruses and a particularly fine vocal turn from Aggelos. It’s an album which will be well suited to fans of melodic hard rock with the likes of “Don’t Give a Damn”, “”Love Is Blind” and “My Angels, My Devils” the highlights of a very enjoyable release.

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GINA SICILIA
Tug Of War
Blue Elan

I’m getting tired of telling you how good Gina Sicilia is. So listen up or I’ll have to send the boys round to see youse.

Her latest record is another wee gem, albeit one which has a few more roots / country influences which may be connected to her new home in Nashville. I should point out, though, that those of you who bought her ‘Sunset Avenue’ EP last year may feel a wee bit short changed as all five of those songs reappear here.

So you’re paying for six new songs but they’re good ones, with ” I Don’t Want To Be In Love” the best of the newbies while the still astounding “Abandoned” and “I Cried” from the EP are songs that everyone needs to hear. The one clunker is her cover of the Beatles tune “All My Loving” which confirms that you can’t polish a turd. But that aside, this is another excellent release from Ms Sicilia.

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ABBYGAIL
Electric Lady
Independent

We’re off to France now for some seventies inspired hard rock on the second full album from the oddly named Abbygail. Mainly due to the lack of any Abbygail. Or indeed Abby or Gail.

But that aside the band make a decent fist of their chosen genre with nods to the likes of early Aerosmith, Sabbath and Hendrix as well as a few proggy licks hither and thither. The record sounds really good so the studio and engineer deserve a big pat on the back for helping to make this as in your face as many a major release.

And when the songs match the sound then it makes for a solid listen. Numbers like “Backdoor Man”, “Snakebite” and “Rock N Roll Man” may look like cliches on paper but the band spit them out with venom. France may not be notorious for rock and / or roll but Abbygail are an exception to the rule.