Exploring unheralded rock songs from many genres including classic rock, hard rock, psych, garage, metal, proto-punk, punk, post-punk, and the occasional blues tune...
Stampede is a largely forgotten NWOBHM band that were only together a few years before calling it quits in early 1984. The band would get back together decades later in 2009 and release an album. For today's post though, this track is off of their 1983 release, Hurricane Town. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HejOantkna0
Buzzy Linhart, onetime roommate of John Sebastian and accomplished vibraphone session musician, broke out on his own to release his first solo album in 1969. He then went on to record four more albums in the early 70's. Here he is with a really unique track off of his fourth LP, a self-titled effort on the Kama Sutra label.
When reading up on French rockers Trust, you often see references to their music sounding like AC/DC. I listened to their first album and don't really hear it(aside from the lead singers' slight vocal similarity to Bon Scott's . But they did make some arena style hard rock that works. Here they are with a track off of that debut album.
By late 1971, the glory days of Blood, Sweat, and Tears were coming to an end and lead singer, David Clayton-Thomas knew it. That's when he left the band to start a solo career. Here he is off of this first self-titled debut album.
Sometimes, the lines between blues and jazz could get fuzzy. This is the place that you might find the late, great Jimmy Smith. Here is the organist from his 1972 live album, Root Down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1jGgiWbOAs
Today, let's enjoy a late 60's blues rock instrumental from the UK that was only released (initially) on a private press. For more info on this band, check out the Rockasteria blog here.
Tampa Red, born Hudson Woodbridge in Georgia in 1904, moved to Chicago in his twenties and learned to play the blues. He released several singles over the years, but it wouldn't be until 1960 when he would record his first album, Don't Tampa With the Blues. Here is a track off of that great first LP.
With a band name like Heavy Balloon and a song named Lead Zeppalin, you might think that this one album studio-only band was making sport of Led Zeppelin. Maybe they were, maybe this was a tribute. We may never know. While the album is an eclectic mix, today's featured track is a nice heavy rocker.
Now Goodbye Brains by Coley is a rare record. Expect to pay over $100 for a copy of this British fusion gem that was only released on a limited private press back in 1972. Still, in my opinion, it would be worth the investment as this album cooks. Here is one small track as a sample.
Edge was not one of the U2 guitarists really early efforts, rather it was a short-lived spinoff band from an LA psych pop band, American Revolution. They released one album in 1970 before calling it quits.
As Tina Turner was in the process of breaking away from abusive husband Ike Turner, she was able to release a couple of strong albums in her own name. Here she is with a track off of her 1975 release, Acid Queen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDvf1DkkqoQ
If you haven't had a chance to listen to the first two albums by Manchester's post punkers, The Fall, go do so. Today! Both Live At the Witch Trials and Dragnet are masterpieces for 1979 IMHO. Here is a track off of their second long player.
Now, here's a real rarity for this space, a track from an album released in the last year. In this case, it comes from hard rock/stoner rockers Mammoth Mammoth, the pride of Melbourne, Australia. Like other current day hard rock bands that I like, they sound like their music was recorded in the early 80s. See if you agree.
With the benefit of hindsight, the Searchers were probably the second most successful band to come out of Liverpool's Merseybeat scene. And since it's not fair to compare them with that most successful group of Liverpudlians, I'll just say that the Searchers were a quality band who deserve to be heard. Here is a hip B side to their 1967 single, Secondhand Dealer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDMRxEh25mg
I don't know about these German rockers, aside from the fact that this is the B side to the only release by this band and it was released in about 1971. I do know that I really like the track.
I have yet to really sink myself deep into industrial music, but I imagine that it's only a matter of time. So why not start at the beginning. Here is one of the genre's early innovators, off of their confusingly titled 1979 LP, 20 Jazz Funk Greats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsB69pzANik&feature=youtu.be
The Undisputed Truth was one of the few psychedelic soul acts on the Motown label. As the 1970's progressed, the band got funkier, peaking around 1975. They eventually left Motown for the Whitfield label, but would break up after releasing a couple more albums. Here they are off of their Higher Than Hell LP.
Some Chicken was a punk band from Nottingham, England who managed to release a couple of singles during the height of the original punk scene. The band even got to open for XTC, X-Ray Spex, and Cheap Trick, among others. Here they are with their first single.
As an adolescent, the Beatles were my favorite band. Yoko Ono often got a bad wrap as the cause of the Fab Four's breakup. I've actually talked about it before in this post from 2015. However, in light of the recent and ongoing revelations of misogyny in our society, I thought it would be appropriate to recognize the mistreatment and/or misguided disdain towards Yoko Ono by Beatle fans(myself included at one point).
To be clear, Yoko was not the cause of the Beatles breakup. She influenced John Lennon to create some of the best, most memorable music he created with the Beatles and on his own. She was key in influencing John's decision to use his fame to promote peace through peaceful measures. Before meeting John, Yoko was already an accomplished artist. And when she started making music, a lot of it was light years ahead of its time.
Here she is with the single version of her 1971 avant-garde epic, Mind Train.
Zoo, a French band that formed in the studio in 1969 has been described as psych and prog, but sound more like fusion to me. Here they are from their final LP, Hard Times, Good Times, with a tight little instrumental.
Magic was a psych rock band from Michigan that released a really good album, Enclosed, in 1969. However, there were more than a few great albums released that year, and not much notice was taken of the band. Still, they did start to record a f/up album in 1971, but the band split up before work could be completed. Fortunately, the recordings were salvaged and released as bonus tracks with a CD re-issue of their debut album in 1998. Here is one of those unearthed tracks.
When I was stumbled on today's song that I had downloaded and forgotten about a few years ago, I started to research the band. I was shocked that this track was from 1968. It doesn't sound any earlier than 1973, IMHO. Listen to this German band and see if you agree.
Rough Diamond was a Tier 2 supergroup. That is, they were comprised of members of bands you may have heard of, but they themselves were not household names. Namely, lead singer David Byron was originally with Uriah Heep. Clem Clempson had played guitar with Humble Pie, and drummer Geoff Britton played with Wings during the Venus & Mars recordings. In any case, Rough Diamond released one good mid 70's party album before calling it quits. Here is the first track off of that album.
My original introduction to Suzi Quatro was her Happy Days character, Leather Tuscadero. While Leather was a cool character, Suzi was cooler, as I would later discover. By the time of her recurring role on Happy Days, Suzi had already been in a cool 60's garage band, The Pleasure Seekers. She had also developed a successful solo career in Europe and in the U.S. to a degree. She would also go on to heavily influence many future rockers, including Joan Jett, pictured below.
Here is from Suzi from her first eponymously-titled solo record.
I just discovered the only full length release from a studio only band called the Animated Egg. This was an instrumental psych rock album that checked off all the boxes for me. Now, I just need to find a vinyl version! Here they are with the third song on Side 1.
Daevid Allen, one of the founding members of both Soft Machine and Gong, was never one to do what was expected. As a result, his 1971 solo album sounds much different than a Soft Machine or Gong fan might imagine. Different, that is, but still very good.
