What was to be Blue Öyster Cult, one of the most popular and influental bands of the 70's was from 1967 named Soft White Underbelly and they recorded material for an album as early as 1968 but it was never released. They changed their band name in 1971 and the line-up was completed as the recordings for this album were made.

The album sold well enough and they toured with The Byrds, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Alice Cooper.

I really really like this album. It contains everything that I like with 70's rock and hard rock music. Variated, simple, almost progressive songs with heavy riffs and raspy vocals as well as a lot of melody. BÖC made this superbly already on their first album and there were many to follow. Some songs are a bit too...weird and the lyrics and names of the songs are...well I don't know if they were very serious or just trying to be mystic. Anyway it suits the music.

1)Transmaniacon MC (7,5) Groovy and psychadelic.

2)I'm on the lamb but I ain't no sheep. (8,0)

3)Then came the last days of may (8,5) Slow bluesy song with a lot of feeling.

4)Stairway to the stars (8,5) Uptempo with a very strong refrain.

5)Before the kiss, a redcap (7,5)

6)Screams (7,0) Psychadelia-rock.

7)She's as beautiful as a foot (5,0) Very strange but very BÖC.

8)Cities on flame with rock and roll (8,0) A very good slow and heavy classic rocker!

9)Workshop of the telescopes (6,5)

10)Redeemed (7,5) Happy banjo-country mixed with psychadelic 70's rock! The way to go!

Score: 7,40

Eric Bloom-vocals, guitars and keyboards (b.1944)

Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser-vocals and guitars (b.1947)

Allen Lanier-guitars and keyboards (b.1946)

Joseph Bouchard-vocals and bass (b.1948)

Albert Bouchard-vocals and drums (b.1947)

This hardrock/southern rock band from Edmonton, Kentucky started out in 2001 and began recording in "The Kentucky Headhunter's" old studio, in which they had used since 1968. Singer Robertson and drummer Young has known eachother since the age of 5. This album is their debut and from the beginning they focus on heavy riffing, strong whiskey-vocals, blistering guitar solos and melodic songs with an attitude perfectly suited for live performances, and that I can say because I saw them at the Getaway Rock Festival i Gävle, Sweden in 2012. Not a foot or head were still for a second! They have also been related to Southern Rock and, yes maybe that's not all wrong but more so this is a band of bone crushing riffs and party rock'n'roll of the new age. It's a really good album that I can highly recommend! Reese Wynans from Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble is guesting on two songs. Cool since SRV is one of my favorite artists all time.

1)Rain wizard (7,5)

2)Backwoods gold (7,5)

3)Lonely train (7,5)

4)Maybe someday (8,0)

5)When the weight comes down (8,5)

6)Crosstown woman (7,5)

7)Shooting star (8,0)

8)Hell and high water (7,5)

9)Shapes of things (6,5)

10)Violator girl (8,5)

11)Tired of the rain (8,0)

12)Drive (7,0)

13)Rollin' on (7,0)

Score: 7,62

Chris Robertson-vocals and guitars (b.1985)

Ben Wells-guitars

Jon Lawhon-bass

John Fred Young-drums

+

Reese Wynans-organ on 11. and 13.

Another release by British proggers Gentle Giant, this time with a concept made out of interviews the band had been in during the years. Questions from interviewer can be heard here and there on the album. And, yes, this is not music for the masses or hit lists, not even in the 70's! It's jazzy progressive rock with complex vocal arrangements and music with very weird and strange twists. At this time Gentle Giant toured with Sha Na Na, Yes and Jethro Tull. Do I like this? Well, it's not easaly accessable music, sometimes it's just to strange and crazy but at other times I crank up the volume, such as in Another Show, I lost my head and Empty City, songs that are somewhat more towards "normal" rock.

1)Interview (6,5)

2)Give it back (6,5)

3)Design (5,0)

4)Another show (7,0)

5)Empty city (6,5)

6)Timing (6,0)

7)I lost my head (8,0)

Score: 6,50

Derek Schulman-vocals, bass, percussion and saxophone (b.1947)

Gary Green-guitars and percussion (b.1950)

Ray Schulman-guitars, bass, percussion, violin and trumpet (b.1949)

Kerry Minnear-keyboards, percussion and cello (b.1948)

John Weathers-drums and percussion (b.1947)

Sadly Jimmy "Fast Fingers" Dawkins died in april 2013, just when I heard this album, his first, for the first time. It's blues with the typical end of the 60's and beginning of the 70's feel with heavy comp and loud electric guitar playing leaning towards rock popular at the time. For me there's too much noisy guitar playing on the album. It tends to take overhand over the music but there are some really good playing and good songs on the album. Dawkins was born in Mississippi.

Guitarrist Mighty Joe Young had played with many of the bluesmen of the 50' such as Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Rodgers and Magic Sam. He died in 1999.

Lafayette Leake played with Chuck Berry and also with many blues greats as Otis Rush, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells and Little Walter. He died in 1990.

1)It serves me right to suffer (6,0) Monotone riff in this slow shuffle.

2)I wonder why (7,5) Uptempo Chicago blues.

3)I'm good for nothing (8,0) Very nice slow blues with great guitarpicking and dark powerful vocals.

4)Triple trebles (6,5) Instrumental shuffle. Too loud and noisy guitarplaying.

5)I finally learned a lesson (6,5) Too much guitar.

6)You got to keep on trying (6,0) Ordinary slow blues.

7)Night rock (7,5) Very nice instrumental shuffle.

8)Little angel child (7,0)

9)I don't know what love is (6,5)

10)Breaking down (7,0)

11)Sad and blues (7,0) New vocals added 1998.

12)Back home blues (6,5) Partly new vocals 1998.

Score: 6,83

Jimmy Dawkins-vocals and guitars (1936-2013)

Mighty Joe Young-guitars (1927-1999)

Joe Harper-bass

Ernest Gatewood-bass

Lester Dorsie-drums

Lafayette Leake-piano and organ (1919-1990)

This album is a 2004 remix of the 1998 album Courtstone Blues. It came together with a book Hoffsten released that year. It includes some versions of old blues classics as well as her own compositions. In typical Hoffsten-style she mixes rock, pop and blues, sometimes it sounds really good but here and there it gets a bit boring and too poppy but that's just her style that so many people in Sweden like about her. She always have feeling in her music, singing and playing though. The bassist Backa Hans Eriksson has played with many many Swedish artists since the 1970's.

1)The seduction of sweet Louise (7,5) Heavy Chicago-blues written by Frankie Miller.

2)Baby don't you tear my clothes (7,0) Nice very slow low key shuffle.

3)Love to love you (6,0)

4)Belly up blues (7,0) Old time slow stomp but with electric guitar.

5)I pity the fool (6,0) Too noisy heavy blues.

6)I guess I'm a fool (8,0) Another sweet and mellow slow jazzy song with nice sensitive vocals.

7)God don't ever change (8,5) Wonderful acoustic blues guitar playing! Shivers... Great vocals.

8)I just wanna make love to you (7,0) A Willie Dixon-classic.

9)Slow down (5,0) Noisy and chaotic.

10)Weak brain, narrow mind (4,0) Strange Willie Dixon song.

11)It serves you right to suffer (6,0) Heavy and funky modern version of John Lee Hookers song, also with modern effects. Spacy!

12)Darling, do you remember me? (6,5) Acoustic root blues.

Score: 6,54

Louise Hoffsten-vocals and harmonica (b.1965)

Stefan Astner-guitars

Backa Hans Eriksson-bass (b.1952)

Christer Jansson-drums