This is a heavy psych rock monster from UK. Originally released on RCA label in 1971 and , like a lot hard rock bands of this era , some of them featured in this blog , was overlooked or had no commercial use for the record industry .The great guitarwork of this album ,is obviously influenced by the UK psychedelic scene .In fact , the British psychedelic rock of this era , seemed like the next natural step of the garage-psychedelic scene.And even if the vocals needed some better touch (for some reviewers), still is a great album .Their drummer ,Rick Parnell ,joined Atomic Rooster after this album. A part of the missing chapters of the great hard rock British history I'd say...
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Formed in Cleveland Ohio in the early '70s , they released only one album in 1973 , which is an absolute gem!We speak for a lot of gems and lost diamonds in these pages and we have to mark some things.The most of them existed between 1966-1976. Most of the reviewers say , like in the Granicus case , that the public just wasn't ready for them and so they were a commercial failure! I'll say that seems that there was an effort for less "dangerous" hearings for the public in the days of Vietnam war! Acoustically AND politically!
Granicus are often reviewed as a band heavy influenced by Led Zep , it was even said that their singer , Woody Leffel , was to replace Robert Plant! But , the fact was , that Granicus were more dangerous than these commercial mega-stars!The great guitar work , influenced by the experimental psychedelic- progressive - garage scene , the mixture that gave the definition "hard rock classic" sound and the vocals of Leffel reaching sometimes a level that Robert Plant only wished he could , along with the lyrics about Vietnam , sex , dysfunction made this , we can say , true rock album.Yes , an absolute gem!
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This is a hard rock classic!Many reviewers say that this band was heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin , but i think that all this psychedelic explosion of the late sixties in Texas (with bands like 13Th Floor Elevators) was the real influence! Banned from the Houston's club "Love Scene" which was much affiliated to the local big record company International Artist (home of 13Th Floor Elevators , Chaparrals e.t.c.) started playing free concerts until they got a record deal in 1969. They recorded a whole album then, but their producer Jim Musil wanted them to change their name to "Come" .The band didn't wanted to do so and thought that they'll convince Musil to keep their original name. He released only a 7" single (with the name Come) in his "Dandelion" label.Rumors say, that because of their name , Musil didn't passed them to a big record company! So the band went back in studio and re-recorded the same album which was released from their own "Hookah" label in 1970,named "Dead Man", in a 3.000 pcs pressing! The new recording was slightly different from the original (which was finally released in 1993 titled "Get Off My Case") because guitarist Dave Mitchell plays all the guitar parts (guitarist Phillip White left the band just before the recording sessions).For many , this album is the bridge from 60s hard rock to 70s heavy metal! Well , i don't know!Heavy metal came some years later , with bands like Judas Priest! But if you listen to Stone's "Gimme Shelter" cover maybe you'll feel that it's better and more powerful from the original!Not to mention the psychedelic-hard rock track "Dead Man"! As i said...a hard rock classic!
To be continued with the next post...
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After "Dead Man's" release the band started touring around Texas.They opened for major acts and were headliners in smaller cities.The road trips were increasing, the concerts were kicking but the band didn't spent enough time together creating music!So when "Mainstream" wanted a new record , the band was tired ,the members were frustrated and the album that came out , a self titled album , was a disappointment for all!The band didn't wanted to follow the company's plans for major concerts in New York and saw everything around them falling apart! They just played out their remaining commitments and broke up!But even if "Josefus" wasn't in the "Dead Man's" level , it was a good album from one of the pioneers of hard rock...
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One of the leading bands of the German rock movement which started in 1968.Groups like Guru Guru ,Faust, Amon Duul ,Can , Tangerine Dream and many more , created an underground rock scene which was not influenced by the English-American sound.This scene is known as Kraut rock and because of its experimentation and sound innovation became a major influence for thousands of bands!Guru Guru was (is) one of the bands that gave a definition to that term. Their music was highly experimental and sometimes with big dose of comic elements! As their drummer Mani Neumeter said when he was asked by a journalist if they play Cosmic rock he replied: No, we are playing comic rock!It was a band with many musical styles from jazz to pop ,even middle-eastern sounds (depending from the band's line-up )!This album , featured in this post, was released in 1972 and it was their fourth.An exiting experimental and highly recommended album ,a perfect sample of the first period of this great band as for the whole Kraut rock scene!
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Formed in Michigan in 1967,they were linked to the MC5 , as they were in the same artistic commune (Detroit Artistic Commune , Trans Love Energies) and opened almost all of their gigs at that time , including the legendary concert at Union Ballroom which offered a contract from Electra records for MC5 and the Stooges but not for them!Often described as proto-punk (what about the Sonics?) because of their political attitude and their primitive sound (which , i think sometimes is very close to the Stooges sound).
In 1970 they released their first single called "Just Like An Aborigine".They were the primary musical outlet of John Sinclair's(poet,musical activist,manager of the MC5 for sometime)White Panthers Party along with the MC5 (they broke up later).After John Sinclair's imprisonment they released their second single called "Free John Now" , included in this comp along with Allen Ginsberg's "Prayer For John Sinclair" (the flip side of the single).The song became the anthem of "Free John Sinclair" campaign.They broke up in 1970 but they left enough material of their primitive "Detroit Rock" sound for John Sinclair to make this compilation in 1995.GET IT HERE
One of the hundreds of hard rock bands that remained hidden under the shades of the big groups of the ‘70s and the last 15 years have begun to come out in the surface, due to the work of some collectors!
They were formed in the late 60’s in Japan and their sound had been influenced by the hard rock groups of the time and from electric blues, of course. It is not accidental that the ' 75 made tour in Japan with Mountain (which they broke up a little after the Japan tour because of hearing problems of Felix Pappalardi!).
Their first self titled album was released in 1969.All the tracks were covers of blues songs (almost all the groups at that time had at least one blues cover in their album). The second however,named "Demon & Eleven Children" released in 1971 ,shows an exceptional hard rock group! Songs as “Atomic Bombs Away” and “Sorrow”, written by the band’s leader and guitarist Kazuo Takeda , as almost all of their material, show a very interesting group, with an excellent guitar work. A classic hard rock sounding album, from those that in their time didn't find their way (or didn't had any commercial interest if you want) and god only knows how many we will still hear! They put however their own mark in the history and glory of dynasty of rock! GET IT HERE
This is a heavy psych rock monster from UK. Originally released on RCA label in 1971 and , like a lot hard rock bands of this era , some of them featured in this blog , was overlooked or had no commercial use for the record industry .The great guitarwork of this album ,is obviously influenced by the UK psychedelic scene .In fact , the British psychedelic rock of this era , seemed like the next natural step of the garage-psychedelic scene.And even if the vocals needed some better touch (for some reviewers), still is a great album .Their drummer ,Rick Parnell ,joined Atomic Rooster after this album. A part of the missing chapters of the great hard rock British history I'd say...
