Humble Pie Complete

These New Haven rockers were already local garage heroes when they changed their name from the Shags to Pulse in 1968. Their sole album, a superb hard rock collection featuring searing guitar solos, appeared on the tiny Poison Ring label the following year, but failed to catch on, despite being released in Europe as well…

Awesome debut studio disc by this killer retro rock band from the deep woods of West Virgina featuring bad-ass, blues-based, "old-school" heavy guitar riffage and outstanding soul-powered vox that land down hard @ the 70s Classic Rock jam:house. Includes 12 tracks of straight up, authentic, bluesy hard rock that is highly recommended to fans of Bad Company, Free, Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, Montrose, James Gang, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Badlands & Cry Of Love. Grooveyard Records Re-issue of this way-kool essential guitar rock disc complete with an excellent unreleased, epic 8 minute bonus track. Dig deep and smell the awesome Stone Machine rock mojo.

If Fleetwood Mac, Humble Pie, and Foghat had never formed, Free would be considered one of the greatest post-Beatles blues-rock bands, and Fire and Water shows why. Conceptually fresh, with a great, roots-oriented, Band-like feel, the album found Free distinguishing itself with the public like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple did (in terms of impact only) in 1970. Free presented itself to the world as a complete band, in every sense of the word. From Paul Kossoff's exquisite and tasteful guitar work to Paul Rodgers' soulful vocals, this was a group that was easily worthy of the mantle worn by Cream, Blind Faith, or Derek & the Dominos.

The second album from this British jazz-rock quintet rocks harder than their first outing. Their take on Jack Bruce's "Rope Ladder to the Moon" is especially strong, and "Jumping off the Sun" has a similar feel. "Bolero" has been done to death, but guitarist Dave Clempson (who later replaced Peter Frampton in Humble Pie) uses it to launch a showcase of guitar fireworks. In fact, Clempson's blazing guitar licks shine throughout. Dick Heckstall-Smith once again impresses on his arsenal of saxophones and woodwinds, and the seven-and-a-half minute title cut which he co-wrote with drummer Jon Hiseman is a highlight of this disc.