Groundhogs ‎–United Artists Years (1972-1976) [3 CD, 2013/FLAC]

British blues band that backed John Lee Hooker in the mid-'60s, and went on to explor acid rock and prog during the '70s.

The United Artist Years 1972-1976 is the follow up to Thank Christ For The Groundhogs. That 3cd featured the first five albums while this set features three more studio albums, Hogwash, Black Diamond, Crosscut Saw and bonus live BBC concerts material. Switching labels from Liberty to United Artists, the band recorded Hogwash with drummer Clive Brooks, formerly of progressive/jazz-rockers Egg. The album surprisingly was a chart failure, but the next album with Brooks, Solid managed to reach #31. Because it was recorded for the short-lived WWA label it is not included here. This line-up also performs on both BBC concerts. Briefly disbanding in 1975, the next year found McPhee reforming the band with a new line-up. It’s surprising that Hogwash didn’t make more of an impact. McPhee continues experimenting with the changing prog-rock-like time signatures and sparing use of mellotron and keyboards.

 

Groundhogs - Thank Christ For Groundhogs: The Liberty Years 1968-1972 [3 CD, 2010/FLAC]

2010 three CD set that contains their first five albums for Liberty Records (1968-72) plus bonus tracks. With a career that spans an impressive five decades, the Groundhogs are a veritable British Blues-Rock institution. With a line-up cemented around Peter Cruickshank on bass guitar, Ken Pustelnik on drums and fronted by singer, guitarist and principle songwriter Tony (T.S.) McPhee, this bluesy power trio were joined by harmonica toting Steve Rye for their full length debut, Scratching The Surface released on Liberty Records in 1968. With a reputation hard won by their incessant touring schedule, the band recorded Blues Obituary as a three piece in 1969, followed by Thanks Christ For The Bomb (1970), then hitting #5 with their most successful record, Split, in 1971 and rounded off by the fabulously titled Who Will Save The World? The Mighty Groundhogs (1972).

CD 1

1968 Scratching The Surface

01. Rocking Chair

02. Early In The Morning

03. Waking Blues

04. Married Men

05. No More Doggin’

06. Man Trouble

07. Come Back Baby

08. You Don’t Love Me

09. Still A Fool

10. Still A Fool (Single Edit) *

1969 Blues Obituary (side one)

11. B.D.D.

12. Daze Of The Weak

13. Times

14. Mistreated

* Previously Unavailable on CD

CD 2

1969 Blues Obituary (side two)

01. Express Man

02. Natchez Burning

03. Light Was The Day

04. BDD (Mono Mix) *

1970 Thank Christ For The Bomb

05. Strange Town

06. Darkness Is No Friend

07. Soldier

08. Thank Christ For The Bomb

09. Ship On The Ocean

10. Garden

11. Status People

12. Rich Man, Poor Man

13. Eccentric Man

1971 Split (side one)

14. Split - Part One

15. Split - Part Two

16. Split - Part Three

17. Split - Part Four

* Previously Unavailable on CD

CD 3

1971 Split (side two)

01. Cherry Red

02. A Year In The Life

03. Junkman

04. Groundhog

1972 Who Will Save The World? (The Mighty Groundhogs)

05. Earth Is Not Room Enough

06. Wages Of Peace

07. Body In Mind

08. Music Is The Food Of Thought

09. Bog Roll Blues

10. Death Of The Sun

11. Amazing Grace

12. The Grey Maze