Early 70's Underground Heavy Metal

Anyone ever heard Chickenhawk?

I had the first 5 Uriah Heep records on vinyl, loved them (my favorite was Look At Yourself). Mountain got played at a lot of parties. Blue Cheer's Summertime Blues was on many a mix tape I put together - plus anyone that records a song called "Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger" is alright with me.

Angel I was never that excited about...they were too blond.

I bought some Angel on ult's recommendation, also because I love Giuffria. I got rid of all the discs. Angel just didn't appeal to me at all, but then I'm an 80's baby.

I had never heard of Angel in all the years of my life. When I heard the Zappa song, I really thought he was talking about a fictional band. Then I saw a photo, and still, really thought that someone was spoofing an over-the-top 70's band. Ya gotta understand, I thought I was being punk'd when folks over at one forum kept telling me that they were real. I checked Amazon, and the only way I was having my leg pled at that point was if Amazon was in on it too. lol. So, then someone mailed me a copy of the debut and I loved it. Not too far away from what the other proto-metal bands were doing at the time. I found out that it was Kiss, Gene I think, who basically gave them their shot and got them on Casablanca. But, they musta been real small-scale, because I never heard of them even in any context. But, sure as schitt, I now have a life-sized inflatable Punky doll in my merry-rage. It gives me a good work-out every time I go out there.

SpectreFate wrote:

I bought some Angel on ult's recommendation, also because I love Giuffria. I got rid of all the discs. Angel just didn't appeal to me at all, but then I'm an 80's baby.

Which Angel album did you pick up?

Yup, Angel sounds nothing like Giuffria or House of Lords.

White Hot, On Earth As It Is In Heaven.....They weren't bad, just not for me.

I gotta get me some Uriah Heep one of these days. The little bit I'm familair with I like and they seem to garner some favorable reviews among the folks 'round here.

This is as good a place to start as any:



Contains the classics Gypsy & Bird Of Prey. Plus you get that awesome album cover, which gave me the creeps when I was a kid.

That is pretty creepy. Thanks for the recommendation. Is that their debut?

If it's a band I'm not too familiar with, I usually start out with a best of or greatest hits comp, then based on the strength of that, I'll dig deeper into their discography. It's not a perfect system, but it's worked out pretty well for me so far.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

That is pretty creepy. Thanks for the recommendation. Is that their debut?

If it's a band I'm not too familiar with, I usually start out with a best of or greatest hits comp, then based on the strength of that, I'll dig deeper into their discography. It's not a perfect system, but it's worked out pretty well for me so far.

Yes that is debut, the album internationally is know as 'Very 'eavy, very 'umble', greatest usually are not a bad place to start but in the case of Uriah Heep that have had 20 plus members in a recording career that has lasted 39 years, in the case of Uriah Heep most are unhelpful, but if you are going get a greatest hits package start with this one, it is easy to find, it is cheap and focous on the first five years of their career,

manny wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

That is pretty creepy. Thanks for the recommendation. Is that their debut?

If it's a band I'm not too familiar with, I usually start out with a best of or greatest hits comp, then based on the strength of that, I'll dig deeper into their discography. It's not a perfect system, but it's worked out pretty well for me so far.

Yes that is debut, the album internationally is know as 'Very 'eavy, very 'umble', greatest usually are not a bad place to start but in the case of Uriah Heep that have had 20 plus members in a recording career that has lasted 39 years, in the case of Uriah Heep most are unhelpful, but if you are going get a greatest hits package start with this one, it is easy to find, it is cheap and focous on the first five years of their career,

Yea, doing a little digging around, I see they have quite a few compilation albums out. I'll keep an eye out for that one though. Chances are, I'd be most interested in their "early years" material. A band that's been around as long as they have, I'm willing to bet they hit a record-label pressured "radio-friendly period" around the early to mid 80's before going "back to their roots". Thanks.

Hey detuned, how 'bout I tell you that these next two pages house a nice portion of my vinyl LP collection. Check it, son:

http://walcirchalas.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

http://walcirchalas.blogspot.com/

I'm charging $5 a head to come in, have a cup of joe and leave a joe ring on one of the time capsule....Nice collection, huh? Whoever the guy is, he knows what goes on in music.

Very impressive collection Mr. Mason, anyone who owns Bob Dylan and Venom has not only great taste in my music but obviously a true music lover, son.

Highway Robbery, nice MM. And tell me that Leaf Hound is not vinyl.....otherwise your the richest person i know.

My fave of the stash posted so far is definately Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief.

There be some sweet classic stuff there, kids. Maybe I'll have all you cats over one day and we can listen to some vinyl plates out by the pool whilst smoking some exotic greenery. Sounds fun to me.

I just had to show you guys, but here's an amazing album that has blown my mind, especially the first and second to last tracks: "The Question Mark" and "Shadows of the Mind". Just an amazing psychedelic, heavy, progressive, Japanese band. This is their only album they've ever made.

Love Live Life + One - Love Will Make a Better You (1971)



http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2007/06/love-live-life-1-love-will-make-better.html

rattpoison wrote:

My fave of the stash posted so far is definately Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief.

I do have much love for Sandy Denny and Fairport. Liege & Leaf, Unhalfbricking and Rising for the Moon. Basically, just the ones where she is there. After I saw your comment, I had to pull L & L out today, friend. So good is the voice of Ms. Denny. My violent Metal side makes me want to force my love upon her in a grimy toilet stall, but my peace-loving beatnik side makes me want to pick rasberries and figs with her in an open meadow. Ah, the interior struggles of a workin' joe.

Speakin' 'bout joes. That's a track on Jethro Tull's 'A' recording, which I have on right now. That album is from 1980, playa. Many folks tried to disuade me from checking that one out. They said that it wasn't worthy of a place amongst the other Tull titles. Mainly because the lineup of musicians here forced out all the long-time blokes who had become a mainstay of the Tull organization. But, I think that the new influx of personnel steered Anderson towards a much needed re-invention/re-invigoration of an old formula. The music gets a real jolt of creativity on this one. More peppy and more progressive to boot. I see a big similarity between this one and YES' Drama outing from the same year. Neither one are to be overlooked.

Marc Mason wrote:

rattpoison wrote:

My fave of the stash posted so far is definately Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief.

I do have much love for Sandy Denny and Fairport. Liege & Leaf, Unhalfbricking and Rising for the Moon. Basically, just the ones where she is there. After I saw your comment, I had to pull L & L out today, friend. So good is the voice of Ms. Denny. My violent Metal side makes me want to force my love upon her in a grimy toilet stall, but my peace-loving beatnik side makes me want to pick rasberries and figs with her in an open meadow. Ah, the interior struggles of a workin' joe.

Yeah Fairport and Sandy are definately one of my alltime faves. Are you a fan of Richard & Linda Thompson.......I Want The Bright Lights Tonight (1974) is the best post Fairport album. But man is it dark, a song on there called "The End of the Rainbow" is basically a life terminator......

"I feel for you, you little horror
Safe at your mother's breast
No lucky break for you around the corner
'Cause your father is a bully
And he thinks that you're a pest
And your sister she's no better than a wh*re


All the sad and empty faces
That pass you in the street
All running in their sleep, all in a dream
Every loving handshake
Is just another man to beat
How your heart aches just to cut him to the core

Life seems so rosy in the cradle,
But I'll be a friend I'll tell you what's in store
There's nothing at the end of the rainbow.
There's nothing to grow up for anymore"

Thanks RP. My favorite Richard Thompson tune is "The Dimming Of The Day".

By the way...you were totally right about Leaf Hound...they are quite a find!

detuned wrote:

Thanks RP. My favorite Richard Thompson tune is "The Dimming Of The Day".

By the way...you were totally right about Leaf Hound...they are quite a find!

They're like the Garage Led Zeppelin!

rattpoison wrote:

Yeah Fairport and Sandy are definately one of my alltime faves. Are you a fan of Richard & Linda Thompson.......I Want The Bright Lights Tonight (1974) is the best post Fairport album. But man is it dark, a song on there called "The End of the Rainbow" is basically a life terminator......

I don't know nuthin 'bout all of that. I just know the three titles that I mentioned. I hope I get to live a bit longer. There's still so much to check out. Although, do you ever feelt that you blew your nugget on all this stuff a bit too soon? Like, do you ever wish that you didn't uncover some of the stuff that you already have, so that some of it could stored away for dem rainy days? Over the last five years I went on a Rock and Jazz bender that had me unearthing a nice fat chunk of the 'total' booty. Thank goodness folks are busy hammering away and creating new stuff every day. lol. But, there's only so much of the old stuff.

Marc Mason wrote:

Although, do you ever feelt that you blew your nugget on all this stuff a bit too soon? Like, do you ever wish that you didn't uncover some of the stuff that you already have, so that some of it could stored away for dem rainy days?

I'd rather be listening to something i like now then discovering it 10-20 years down the track, that's 10-20 years of not listening to something great.....that's a tragedy in my book.

Marc Mason wrote:

Thank goodness folks are busy hammering away and creating new stuff every day. lol.

That's the part that keeps the first part in check.

Yeah, and we'll probably lose our taste for all of this great stuff eventually. I remember thinking that I was going to outgrow Rock music at some point. lol. I think I remember believing that around 30 year of age was the cutoff point for me, and that I would lose my taste for good music thereafter. I actually had a girlfriend from the ages of 25 to 29 who, while sharing many of the same tastes as I, still laid down the law that I would be giving up Hard Rock/Metall by the age of 30. I don't know what she thought was going to happen after that date, but we never found out 'cause she split. I never did give up the Rock, but began incorporating more sophisticated forms of music like Jazz and Progressive Rock. And, hopefully, The Metals will be with me to the end. How utterly foolish we will look listening to Slayer at the age of 80. lol.

---- - - "Hey, lemme get in that grave."

How about that one-off squadron of progsters named Asgard? In The Realm Of Asgard is H_O_T. It's a must, really. Also, love that jazz-infested self-titled release from a unit calling themselves Samurai. Classic all the way. DOES ANYBODY here have Goliath's Hot Rock and Thunder?

Not all of these bands are early 70's heavy metal but great early 70's bands nonetheless:




Captain Beyond
Cactus
Sir Lord Baltimore
Lucifer's Friend
Warhorse
The Groundhogs
Starcastle
The Nice
Curved Air
The Strawbs
Edgar Broughton Band
Bakerloo
Horslips
Rarebird
Camel
Nitzinger
Toe Fat
Juicy Lucy
Atomic Rooster
Chicken Shack
Jackson Heights
Return To Forever
Montrose
Bloodrock
Chilliwack
Babe Ruth
Hydra
Chase