GROUNDHOGS

This album was released in 1970 and Tony McPhee the leader, composer, guitarist, singer etc. decided to take the blues based sound that they were known for on their previous two albums out of this one. The first half of this album which is four tracks are part of a suite dealing with alienness. Each song deals with alienness on different scales, the first in a community, the second in a small town, the third in a country and then fourth in the world. I have to say that this record along with the followup "Split" from 1971 are both must-haves as far as I'm concerned. Quite different from one another but both really impressed me.

That first track is pretty good especially the instrumental sections. A fairly heavy and determined sound. The second track is not that great, kind of a pale version of the opener. The next two songs to end the suite deal with war. Both are exceptional tracks. The album cover and especially the album's title would have been so controversial in 1970. A bold move and then John Peel starts playing that third track about soldiers with such meaningful and passionate words. An anti-war track that Peel would play regularly giving this band a huge spotlight. And what a song! No doubt there were many haters for this one but the lyrics are right on. The biting words and the way he says "...you know " after certain lines just works so well. The fourth one of the suite ends with a nuclear explosion but we get some walking bass and killer guitar as well. Such a good song.

The last five tracks don't quite measure up to the last two before it but this is a fairly consistent album and there's something about each of the last five that works for me. "Garden" might be my favourite of those for the lyrics and sound. The closer "Eccentric Man..." is little heavier and a little slower and quite catchy, a highlight. 4 stars.

Difficulties in life often bring out the best in artistic people like guitarist/vocalist Tony McPhee who suffered a nervous breakdown after smoking weed. The twisted black and white over is perfect for this record and the music certainly comes as advertised as this British trio offers up their brand of hard rocking blues. In my early 20's I loved blues based rock like LED ZEPPELIN, CREAM, FREE, early AEROSMITH etc. and while this album wouldn't out rank most of what these bands put out I have much respect for this band and in particular Tony McPhee who does it all from the compositions, to producing, the writing and of course being the lead guitarist and singer he is the focus but of course he needs a rhythm section and they are good just not top tier in my opinion.

The title track is split, yes it is into four parts but to be honest these four tracks sound nothing alike although the lyrics are the uniting factor here. Man we get some killer guitar throughout this four part section and some experimental stuff too reflecting Tony's mental state at the time. "Cherry Red" is the song to check out. Could have been a hit no? Catchy with that chorus bringing it home. Love when they jam on this song and album.

"A Year In The Life" might bring THE BEATLES to mind but to hear it always brings KRAAN to mind surprisingly. KRAAN at their most laid back as the vocals here sound very similar to them. The only weak track for me is "Junkman" but then the closer "Groundhog" makes up for it. A John Lee Hooker cover and a song that Tony named the band after. An old school sounding blues track with Tony even sounding the part vocally. Kind of cool.

A strong album that goes far beyond the straight forward blues/rock style. A solid 4 stars.

So, occasionally I go through these pages looking out for some of my favorite albums and this is definitely one of them. This is undoubtedly a masterpiece, an epic sonic wave of visceral guitar bliss, with a psychic almost Hendrix - like, casual accompanying vocal. A four part stream of consciousness. The fact that I cannot find any five-star reviews for this album, perhaps makes me question the maturity of some this sites contributors, with one review mentioning outdated production. Seriously?, The Martin Birch production on this is sublime, warm, guttural, and at high volume an incredible thing to behold. Please, put your prog rock sensibilities to one side and pleasure yourself with this incredible album. Listening in one go, and the four parts merge and flew effortlessly is an incredible experience. An amazing album.

An Escape from Blues Rock Mundanity is an Escape to Your Emancipation Apparently haha.

This, The Groundhogs' third album, starts off with a bombastic new confidence on the opener "Strange Town". This is 1970, and as we all know, there is just so much going on at this point in time. We are on the backend of Psychedelic Rock's most popular blast; and, with this album and many of its contemporaries, we see ourselves at the fore of more overtly "progressive" music (certainly as we currently understand it) coming to prominence. Especially across the European continent, Progressive Rock itself was then coming into further popularity. This song has an interesting mix of Artsy over their Blues Rock base. It's a fantastic song; a must-hear.

The Blues Rock is somewhat more strongly displayed on "Darkness is No Friend". Pretty decent melody, this'n, and it features a forward-driving rhythm. Hard to say exactly what it's most reminiscent of for me. "Soldier", then, has a beat that feels very very timeless; like something that could have happened in the late '80s or early '90s in Alt Rock [I take note of this feeling later on as well]. A compliment, I assure you. We're still in a Bluesy sort of jive, but this song has some special sauce for sure. Kind of Psychedelic, if I can say [and I shall]. The theme of war continues on the wonderfully-named title track, "Thank Christ for the Bomb". This song's first 2+ minutes is an acoustic-vocals-only ballad, of sorts. It shifts, more noticeably around minute 3, with quieter electric instrumentation, really to a very interesting effect. It builds on this section to heavier and heavier echelons with drums wildly rolling underneath the rest. Purty good. The ending... Now, that was unexpected. [And I meant it.]

Mid-album starts off with the bombastic, fun Art-Psych number "Ship on the Ocean". This song has an upbeat rhythm, a light Psychedelic feel (especially thanks to the wild drumming and the melodic bass). The guitar is twangy and reminds me of some of the best of The Kinks. It's at this point that I would like the say just how much stronger this album is than their first two... Just wow. Big jump in quality and focus. Big props. Up next, we have the quieted, reflective "Garden". The drums continue to roll and... the vocals are... Did Robert Plant steal this too?! This vocal melody is incredibly familiar. And knowing that the Groundhogs really are coming from a similar place/scene as Led Zep it makes me wonder all the more. I am blown away... Not surprised, but... Again, just wow.

Over a sweet and steady groove, "Status People" is a meditative number with still-rolling drums and a hypnotic layering of guitar riffage. Even in its simplicity, this is a great example of early Prog Rock. Fantastic. I like being impressed by... [what may on its surface appear] little haha. The main riff that opens up "Rich Man, Poor Man" is yet another moment that feels just plain timeless. This sh*t would live and breathe well in the Alternative scene of the mid-to-late-80s. I mean, it's just really interesting to hear this in 1970. Like a cross between late-60s Garage Rock and '80s Alt? I dig it. Finally, we have "Eccentric Man", the track that I very likely first heard from them. This features a very confident, striding group of concentric and overlapping riffs as well. Very cool, to say the least. No wonder, given the very riff-heavy instrumentation and the highly memorable vocal melodies, that this track is one that's perhaps better known than others. I would say, though, here and now, there is much more progressive and daring songs/compositions throughout this. Nevertheless, as implied, a great great song. Therefore, as I sometimes say elsewhere, a great album closer.

True Rate: 4.25/5.00

Better Seasoned and Better Reasoned Blues Rock Here!

This is the 1969 sophomore release by this, to me at first, sophomoric British Blues Rock band. The first thing I want to say, the first thing that comes to mind, is thank God this album is shorter than their debut. I just don't have time for bullsh*t that offers me nothing anymore. Hedonism utterly and unabashedly embraced. Do things you love, Familie.

And from the start, I do have some optimism with the first few bars of "B.D.D." Now, is this Blues Rock, as I've been expecting since listening to their debut? Yeah. Is it better so far? Also yes. Good start. I think, for one thing, this album is mixed a bit better than their debut. This is noticeable to me on the next song, "Daze of the Weak" [I'm honestly a little slow this morning and I only now caught that wordplay haha]. Though, to me, it was a bit weak (ironic). I will say, despite the fact that this is very of the time Blues Rock (to me, to a fault, at times), it is, ultimately, in the grand scheme of things, a clear creative progression for the band. [Editing this later on, I only have one thought. How many comma-separated segments can one man use in one sentence? haha.]

Speaking of progression, and I'm not sure exactly what it is (the rhythmic sonic choices, perhaps?), but "Times" feels ahead of its time in a way. But also, I guess it reminds me of, maybe, "Lemon Song", to go back to my previous comparisons to Led Zeppelin. I mean, that does grant a judgement of "progressive" in my mind. I really don't search this sort of thing out in general... So, I mean, I don't need to hear it again haha. But it's really pretty alright. Continuing in this sort of Led Zep familiarity, but to a greater strength is the driving "Mistreated". Despite using a cleaner guitar tone, this song is heavy. For me, this was the sure highlight of the album.

"Express Man" is a pretty decent tune, but didn't offer me much that we haven't heard from the Groundhogs already. "Natchez Burning" starts off and ends off very traditionally. I didn't need it. The sure lowlight of the whole release. We are back into something very interesting, I assume because Psychedelia, on "Light was the Day". This track slowly rises with a bass-driven drone over pounding toms and crashing cymbals. Perhaps with greater purpose, there's also something, aside from Psych-Blues Rock, goin' on that makes me think Space Rock. Very likely. I think the only weakness in this, if you would consider it likewise, is that it crescendos and rises and rises, but doesn't arrive anywhere. Regardless, I feel it was a solid closer. Good bookends.

True Rate: 2.5/5.0

The debut album by this (not-yet-experimental) Blues Rock band, I would say broadly, released in 1968, the Groundhogs are of the same ilk of early Jethro Tull or even Led Zeppelin. To give a general overview: boring to decent Blues is infused with Rock with varying results...

"Rocking Chair" is certainly a fine forward-driving Blues Rock song [In retrospect, the highlight, if I can call it that]. Certainly very of the time. "Early in the Morning" offers quite a different vibe. More stripped down Blues with a solid, clean guitar riff matched with harmonica and a very straight-forward rhythm section at first. Some of the vocal harmonies are pretty nice, but the song overall offers little. "Waking Blues" feels a bit like early Rock 'n' Roll. Pretty decent guitar performances here.

Back to the straight backbeat of the heavy kick drum on "Married Men", the simple Blues vocalizations and guitar riffs are... just that. Simple. I don't care for it. These are some tired moves, I'm sure even at this point. Popular then or not. "No More Doggin'" features more harmonica, and all this is is basic, boring old Blues to my ears. Not sayin' the album is getting worse as it goes, but... to this point it certainly was.

Getting plenty of ear fatigue from this, but really that's just the boredom setting in. "Man Trouble" has a pretty solid backbeat. Some decent ideas, if anything. Over it, though. "Come Back Baby" is taking us back and... I'm just like... The British really loved this sh*t, huh? Moving on, "You Don't Love Me" has some decent vocals... But this is just the same ol'. "Still A Fool" is one of the better songs, at least on paper. Sort of the vibe that Led Zep were trying to exploit a bit at this time. But it's like... boring Zep.

That's it. Moving on.

True Rate: < 2/5

There are two albums from 1973 with "Two Sides" in its title. One from Peter Banks, the other of Tony McPhee of Groundhogs fame. With the Peter Banks album it consists of one side of compositions and the other sides of jams with side one considered the superior side. With that album the flaws were obvious as he was being rushed to get his solo album out exactly the same time as the final Flash album Out of Our Hands. Now with Two Sides of Tony (T.S,) McPhee the two sides are even more striking. Side one consists of unaccompanied largely acoustic blues pieces with just vocal and guitar. This type isn't actually too shocking given this type of approach did find their way occasionally on Groundhogs albums. Side two consist of the side-length "The Hunt" and is simply amazing. Tony McPhee was clearly not just another white British blues guy, here's it's full-on electronic music utilizing the ARP 2600 (which isn't what you see in the insert with those awful mess of wires, it's simply an awful mess of wires attached to some other electronic equipment, the ARP 2600 interior is actually rather clean and clutter-free). Lots of spoken dialog criticizing fox hunting as practiced by the English aristocracy. His anti-establishment views was likely the big reason the Groundhogs appealed to John Peel. Anyways, it's hard to believe that a white British bluesman created such creative and innovative use of the ARP 2600 like you do here. It does sound a bit dated, but it's an amazing piece and those into progressive electronic, "The Hunt" is a must hear. Strangely the blues-influence can still be felt, especially during the sung parts. McPhee was already experimenting with the ARP 2600 on Hogwash, but was kept strictly in a band context. Without a band, he lets the ARP run loose on "The Hunt". This album all comes down to taste. If you like the acoustic blues side of the Groundhogs then you should have no trouble with side one. So even more so than Two Sides of Peter Banks, Two Sides of Tony (T.S.) McPhee shows a striking contrast between the sides. "The Hunt" is truly something that would be totally out of place on a Groundhogs album. So glad it was released and that I now own a copy.

Crosscut Saw is the 9th album by the Groundhogs, it was released in February 1976, and marked quite a big change from their early 70's stuff in style but especially in production. Long time band mates Pete Cruikshank on bass and drummers Ken Pustelnik and Clive Brooks are not here anymore, they are replaced by Martin kent and Mick Cook respectively. I'm not sure why Tony Mcphee felt the need to recruite another guitarist but Dave Wellbelove is here to accompany Mcphee, although I'm not sure what's his contribution. Unfortunately just when it seemed the band were onto a new road with a fresh new sound and approach, Mcphee decided to put the band on hold in the end of the year after Black Diamond was released, that will last for almost a decade until their next release in 1985.

This is the least blues influenced album they've released in the 70's, it is much more rock oriented than before. Of course the blues is always there under the surface throughout the album and in 2 or 3 songs is much more evident, but clearly reduced to a minimum on a Groundhogs scale. Another big change is the production, this album (and its follow up) sounds very different than previous albums, out goes that dry, rough, muddy sound of Split and Who Will Save The World? not that it was bad in any way but now it's clearly improved, the album sounds brighter and fresh and everything is well balanced. Being a more produced album Tony uses more layers of guitars than before, his guitar tone is different now, taking in all kinds of varied and other colorful sounds, I especially love that furious high voltage sound that he brought.

Although for some reason I've seen both those 1976 albums especially Crosscut Saw are considered to be inferior to other works, I don't agree with that at all. The songwriting is really good, inspired and sometimes very adventurous, for example take the main piece here which is Groundhogs most progressive song Fulfilment and you'll know what I mean. Starting nicely with a phased acoustic guitar strumming it then aligns to a steady rhythm with vocals and electric guitar on top, beautiful. It gets more intense later when drums join in and you kinda get the feeling you're walking on top of a volcano and it's true, the band goes into a long intense crescendo when Tony unleashes one of his most ferocious solos ever. Synth is added to help and create this climax while Tony's guitar seem to be caught fighting an inner demon, it gradually gets more intense as it goes along with a relentless synth lead and an anguished guitar sounding like a cat choking on a fur ball, it fades out slowly when the demon has got the upper hand, outstanding! The band's blues attempts are also good, Boogie Withus is a nice rocker, Mean Mistreater shows Mcphee's love for those old acoustic delta blues songs and Promiscuity is another strong highlight, love that merge of acoustic and ripping electric guitar sounds. Three Way Split is another interesting track when it changes half way to this cool instrumental where Tony is exploring the art of noise and sound effects.

This is another undeniably good album by the band, I don't see Mcphee having a hard time coming up with original new material in spite of being surrounded with all new musicians. This will of course change later in the 70's when Tony struggled to come up with sufficient good material. But here even the less attractive songs on the album all enjoy Mcphee's fiery and energized guitar playing. 3.5 stars rounded up.

This is the 10th album by the legendary blues rock band Groundhogs, released in october 1976. While the band became moderately familiar in rock circles at the early 70's thanks to albums such as Split, Thank Christ For The Bomb and Hogwash, they never really managed to break through that glass ceiling. I believe this has to do a lot with the band lacking a charismatic singer, although I do enjoy Tony Mcphee's unmelodic and dry vocals which I always thought was a rougher version of Mark Knopfler, he wasn't exactly FM material to say the least. More over their sound had always been a bit muddy and rough around the edges for it to be accessible. Unfortunately the mid 70's brought even less interest in the band, 1976 was the year of their last recordings until they came back in 1985, they've released two albums, Black Diamond and Crosscut Saw before calling it quits. That was a real shame since those albums saw them take an even more mature, adventurous approach and a fresh new sound. In the early 70's their style was rooted heavily in blues rock, but after a while the band gradually began spicing things up with a mild psychedelic hazy kind of rock. Mcphee's guitar sound also started to change and by the mid 70's became monstrous, adding more sound effects and a brighter tone. The line up is pretty much the same as in previous Crosscut Saw, except for Rick Adams replacing Dave Wellbelove on guitar, again I'm not sure why Mcphee felt the need to include another guitarist. Like previous album, Groundhogs updated production is far superior to their early 70's albums, I must admit with Martin Kent and Mick Cook on bass and drums the band sounds tighter than before, they are doing a great job throughout the album.

From the first notes of the jubilant opener Body Talk you know you're into something bigger, Cook's drums are in your face, and the balance between everyone is just perfect. Mcphee's guitar is more present than before, he uses more layers to enrich the sound, and it does sound fuller unlike previous albums on which the guitar parts were a bit more modest like it is customary in old blues records. I love what he's done with the effects, I don't know what he's using but his spine tingling guitars sounds brighter and fresher but also raw and fuzzy like a steamroller chasing you. While the band never tried to go for prog rock at all, this might appeal to fans since the arrangements while still confined in basic structures are still interesting on their own. The songwriting is really good, his updated mix of blues and rocky guitars has come to perfection here, all songs are propelled by a strong riff or idea and perfectly executed. Tony of course is the main man here especially when he lets loose and goes out on his killer solo parts. The super groovy Live Right, Country Blues, Body Talk, well everything actually has some kind of a wild exhilarating twisted solo.

As I mentioned before their material has a more rocky approach, their blues influences are toned down a bit, it is always there to some extent and in some cases are more evident. Check out Fantasy Partner which is one of the best songs on the album, with its infectious groovy blues lead, Tony's vocals are great as well especially in that beautiful chorus. There are all kinds of different guitar parts flying around boasting with distortion backed up with a synthesizer for a good measure, great piece. Friendzy enjoys a shift of gears in the middle and goes into another boogy blues tinged riff which slides into the beautiful short instrumental of Pastoral Future, fantastic really. The closing piece Black Diamond sums up the album nicely with Tony sounding as most melodic as he can get, the song of course wouldn't be perfect without another mesmerizing solo.

So this is a different Groundhogs album if you're looking to try something fresh from the band, it is a personal favorite of mine although other albums are just as good as this one. I'd say It's a good album to start with and definitely worth your while if you're already a fan. Rounded up a bit to a well deserved 4 stars.

Purveying a deeply nuanced brand of blues rock with significant psych influences, the Groundhogs bridge the ground between psychedelia and proto-prog on the one hand and hard rockin' blues-influenced chugging on the other, with the side-long title track perhaps being the best example of this. Band leader Tony McPhee gets the (distorted) cover shot but really richly deserves it, with his distinctive vocals and guitar playing really being the foundation stone of the group's sound. Though the title track really feels like four different songs mashed together than one single coherent piece, this is still a very distinctive artifact replete with the transitional spirit of 1971.