{"id":27971,"date":"2026-02-16T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=27971"},"modified":"2026-02-12T21:02:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:02:42","slug":"kevin-steele-one-thing-left-to-do-steele-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=27971","title":{"rendered":"Kevin Steele – \u2018One Thing Left to Do\u2019 (Steele Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I was 14, and 99% of my music listening involved hard rock, metal, thrash, and what we now refer to as hair metal. Z-Rock was something of a pioneer at the time, as I believe it was a national radio station, instead of just being heard locally. I remember hearing a mix of hard rock and metal back then, where it might transition from Rigor Mortis to this new band called Roxx Gang. The first time I heard \u2018No Easy Way Out\u2019 by Roxx Gang was one of those magical moments where a song just flows through your soul. Kevin Steele\u2019s vocals had a unique charisma all their own. I picked up their debut album \u2018Things You\u2019ve Never Done Before\u2019 and put it on repeat. While I\u2019m convinced someone could have just made a spark and sent them into a collective ball of fire with all the aqua net they had in their hair, they did provide some differences from their peers. Some of their lyrics were a little darker, but at other times, they were as juvenile as the stereotypes of the time. The musical world changed with grunge\u2019s arrival in the mainstream. Roxx Gang continued on with an independent label, and I remember buying their second album through Perris Records, as well as the Mojo Gurus albums. That second Roxx Gang album has received more and more listens over the years. Steele has now delivered his first solo album, and, while I find it a frustrating listen at times, there is a lot I also enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The title track gets the album started with a bass-heavy mix that leaves me wishing the guitars had more presence in the mix. They pop up a couple of times but seem to get swallowed by the rhythm section in the overall mix. It\u2019s always great to hear Steele\u2019s vocals, but it\u2019s a rocky start for me. Lead single \u2018Snake Charmer\u2019 has grown on me with repeated listens, but I didn\u2019t connect with it at all on first listen. This one features a cool groove, and the mix allows the guitar to weave its way around the rhythm. Up next, \u2018The Bedspring Boogie\u2019 has a title which could have been used in the early Roxx Gang days. I love the piano here, and the swagger of the song. I get frustrated again when the guitar gets lost in the verse,s but really like the way it is used elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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