Forgotten Seventies UK Rock Bands S/D

Were Greenslade English?

search: Cressida, Clear Blue Sky, Clark-Hutchinson Band.
destroy (with extreme prejudice): The Enid

Search: The Neutrons - Black Hole Star

"six pieces" and "touch me" by the enid are great.

Search (a bit too prog- or jazz-rock for some, maybe, but i liked): Argent, Colosseum II

Destroy: all pub rock bands

except for Dr Feelgood.

Destroy: Sailor, Darts, Racey...

But, if we're including chart-pop-rock, search: Blackfoot Sue

What I've heard of Atomic Rooster was great. Where do I start with them?

Other than "Hold Your Head Up", I don't think I have ever heard any other songs by Argent. Being such a fan of 'Odessey & Oracle', I have been curious about Argent and if their music.

I was suprised to realize that Free recorded six studio albums, I figured they only had a couple. They are a band that I would like to check out some of their albums.

This is making me remember a whole bunch of stuff I always mean to check out - the Deviants, Third Ear Band, Stackwaddy...

Ghosts and Grave New World are probably their best (they went through various phases). The album with Sandy Denny is a lost gem (her voice was at an apex then). Wakeman was actually very restrained while he was in the Strawbs; it was pre-Yes, pre-solo career.

'Destroy: all pub rock bands '

Ducks Deluxe were great!!

First album, drummer was Carl Palmer. Uncredited guitar by John DuCann. Many of the songs are powerful dirges to depression and mental illness, Vincent Crane writing about what he knew very well. "Banstead" is wonderful: "Please get me out of this place..." wails the inmate at the mental decrepitude home.

"Death Walks Behind You" and "In Hearing of Atomic Rooster" are also top shelf in the Rooster catalog.

Crane changed the personnel of the band quite a bit and it often caused radical shifts in Rooster's atmospherics. "Made In England" with Chris Farlowe, for example, is almost completely unlike any other Atomic Rooster album. It's a recording of a twisted r&b soul brother band, sort of...

Most of the anthologies, and there are lots, are good. Often they contain material from the 80's when Crane reorganized Atomic Rooster to try and tap some of the fans of British heavy metal.

I'm really hard-pressed to find an Atomic Rooster record that I don't like, if only in parts.

Stray -- "Suicide."

And, as has been mentioned, Stackwaddy. "Bugger Off" -- very raw, fuzzy and squawling guitar r&b with a singer who sometimes aped Beefheart.

Now you've opened a can of worms. Some BeBop haters and fans on here. I was a big fan of "Sunburst Finish" and "Futurama" which were the band's loudest records. Bill Nelson's "Red Noise" was also worthwhile -- jagged, scratchy guitar pop tunes, cold and bleak in execution.

And then I checked out. Bill Nelson has apparently done lots and lots of quirky solo records, some of which tend to appear in clumps in the local store.

I've only heard the first MEdicine Head album, but it's a real personal favorite. Guitar and drums duo, just like Doo Rag and the White Stripes! Really sparse and atmospheric the way they did it, though. Very pleasant. I guess on later albums they became a full quartet or something, but who needs to hear that?

I think Raindancer has the wrong Man album; Be Good to Yourself Once A Day is the one to get. WAit, I take that back, they're pretty much all good. I've only heard Deke's Iceberg but it's cool. It's kind of just good-timey rock though; not on a par with the Man stuff. Oh and get all three Help Yourself albums, of course.

Other festival bands - Skin Alley, first two albums pretty great. Last two Stax-era lps fairly forgettable. Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come! Third World War! Tractor! Ancient Grease! Jericho! Quatermass / HArd Stuff!!

There are lots of threads in the archives on stuff that maybe one or two people posted to. Here's a few that died pitiless deaths-

The Strawbs C/D
Spooky Two: Classic or Dud?
Atomic Rooster...C/D?

That mantle is Humble Pie's all alone, which is kind of suprising considering how acoustic their early records sound.

Someone should remaster or make a bootleg CD-R copy at once! First Hustler album was also good but had more a party-down-at-the-fighting-bar vibe.

And Nutz -- first album, a dry mix of finely underproduced hard rock with the oddly sung pop tune for spice.

Thanks for that Stretch recommendation, too. I've never heard 'em, but I'm definitely going to seek out some stuff. Thank god for the Repertoire label.

Destroy :
Badger
most Wishbone Ash
Bruford

But what this thread really needs is someone to read out the names of these bands in suitably portentous tones after this.

I hope all the usual suspects read the great piece on Armageddon in the last Ugly Things. I'm looking at you, George, Broheems, and Udu.

(although they weren't strictly U.K.)

And, yeah -- Scott, I did read the Ugly Things special on Armageddon. Everything you ever wanted to know and then even a whole lot more!

search the whole album! The whole thing is great. and search their other stuff too, while yer at it.

I heart Jane Relf!

Also a shout out to the Canterbury groups, Hatfield and the North, National Health, and Egg (who may not qualify as Cant.)

UK [featuring Eddie Jobson Bill Bruford John Wetton Allan Holdsworth Terry Bozzio]

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=&sql=Afd5gtq4ztu47

That U.K. debut album is available only on Japanese import for $35 as far as I can tell. I want it, but not that badly. Yet. Argh, I'm an addict. Will try to download a copy first.

Or you can pick it up on vinyl for about £2 everywhere.

Edgar Broughton Band

Pilot gotta be in there.

(And BJH were great through 1977)

the first side of the 2nd Free album is absolutely one of the best 20 minute British hard rock moments of all time. Now, what the other, say, top 5 albums would be is up for debate ( sure Zep and Sab would be repped...)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/319Y6HT3TWL._SS500_.jpg

god DAMN does this album slay all comers

The cover's one of my all-time favourites, I'll give you that