Everything old is new again, right? Well, the first time I heard a Groundhogs record was some time around 2015. There were a bunch of their records in a collection I had purchased and I decided to give them a whirl. It didn't take. What I heard was very serviceable British blues, but nothing that wowed me like Peter Green or early Savoy Brown.
As years passed, I started to notice Tony McPhee's name more and more, and not just when reading about the blues. (The) Groundhogs name would appear in articles about psychedelia, stoner rock and their songs would appear on compilations that also included Deep Purple, The Pink Fairies and The Move. One compilation, "I'm A Freak, Baby: (A Journey Through The British Heavy Psych And Hard Rock Underground Scene 1968-72)" found its way into my daily queue yesterday and the track that knocked me out was by (The) Groundhogs. And so, I mini-binged on Groundhogs and now I am in love.
Yes, you will hear the blues underneath it all, especially on the first two albums, which, truth be told, were the only two I was familiar with. But as the band progressed, McPhee got wilder and more experimental, think Fleetwood Mac's "Then Play On" crossed with Hawkwind's "X: In Search Of Space." Or maybe, Deep Purple's "Fireball" on twice as much acid. My cocktail works for me. You might hear something else. But regardless of how the music is described, what I heard on both 1971's "Split' and 1974's "Solid" was epic.
My plan is to listen to a few more this weekend, including "Thank Christ For The Bomb" and "Who Will Save the World," two records that along with "Split" are considered their essential trilogy.
It's one thing to discover a single lost classic. But discovering an entire catalogue by a fairly well known band 50 years after the fact, is one of my greatest musical thrills.
As always, your miles may vary.
Black Diamond is a great L.P.
ReplyDeleteWow - never heard of these guys. "Cherry Road" is a kickass song, and "Sins of the Father" is just NUTS!
ReplyDeleteSurely the headline should "It's Groundhogs Day"
ReplyDeleteBlimey! Good write up for the 'Hogs. Saw them touring "Split" several centuries ago and it remains one of my favourite albums to this day. Tony McPhee's live guitar work was wildly extraordinary and Ken Pustelnik's drumming suitably chaotic for the "Split" suite. Enjoy the catch up. Cheers!
ReplyDeletewhenI saw this I thought I'd be reading about one of my fave tracks ever Split II. alas not the case. I've listened to that tune surely over 100 times & ironically never another Groundhog track, maybe I'll do a catalogue spin as that is my new old man way of listening these daze. Give Split II a spin!
ReplyDeleteI've listened to the whole record. Awesome!
DeleteYou must hear "Hogwash"...every song is perfect! I've been enjoying T.S. McPhee from the moment my brothers and I first heard them back in the early seventies. It never grows old.
ReplyDelete