Album Reviews

I’ll throw my two cents into the “greatest rock vocalists” ring: Steve Marriott. He’s the one for me. His work with the original Small Faces stands above all else, but later Marriott joined Peter Frampton and the two formed Humble Pie with bassist Greg Ridley and drummer Jerry Shirley.

They released the monumental As Safe As Yesterday Is (IMSP025) in 1969 on Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate label in the UK. The album included an astonishing version of Steppenwolf’s John Kay’s “Desperation” among other memorable tunes, but the album wasn’t issued stateside I don’t think. Someone needs to dig up the original tape and reissue it on vinyl.

The follow up, Town and Country was more of an acoustic effort and then, after three more including the live at the Fillmore twofer considered by many to be one of rock’s greatest live albums, came this blues/metal extravaganza, which went on to be the group’s biggest seller.

Frampton was gone, replaced by former Colosseum guitarist Dave “Clem” Clempson. Though Colosseum was a jazz/rock outfit, Clemson brought heavy chops to the band to which this appropriately named album attests.

This album is both heavy and tuneful, with Marriott’s soaring vocals backed by strong harmonies. The pacing is slow, deliberate and thick, with elastic electric guitars, gospel organ and machine gun drumming.

Boogie-rock with a thick bottom end and lots of cowbell topped by Marriott’s searing strutting cock voice is as much fun now as it was back then. The group’s tear through Eddie Cochrane’s “C’mon Everybody” will have oldsters acid flashbacking and youngsters tapping their feet.

The Olympic Studio recording, probably done to 4 track is clean, direct, transparent and perfectly raw. The perspective is close, the voices spread across the stage when there’s harmony and the instruments have a sparkly, lively sheen. Listen to this so-called “primitive” early ‘70s recording, compare it to the ProTools dreck we have now and weep.

The only guy who seems to get it right now is Jack White. Smokin’ is what he’s doing now.

I’ve got an original brown label A&M and it’s always sounded good because A&M was a sound-conscious label with its own mastering room and recording studio but this Kevin Gray remaster smokes it in every way!

Who needs Guitar Hero or Rock Band when you can slap this on your turntable and rock out!!! Very highly recommended!