Description

4 Groundhogs albums and six bonus tracks on a 3 disc set

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. The first track alone, I Love You Miss Ogyny, a sly rumination on his continuing yin and yang relationship with women, should have at least generated some controversy. McPhee also continues to show his concern for the planet with the poetic and pastoral “Earth Shanty.” “3744 James Road” is classic Hogs with it’s churning rhythms and stinging guitar attack, and “Mr. Hooker, Sir John” is a touching tribute to their long-tine inspiration. “The Ringmaster” wouldn’t sound out of place on a Hawkwind album and “You Had A Lesson’s” shifting time-signatures would make most prog-rockers proud. The excellent BBC sessions are also a highlight of this set as the boys burn through cuts from ‘Thank Christ,’ ‘Split’ and “Hogwash’….great stuff! Their last great stab at the ring. Crosscut Saw and Black Diamond usually split Groundhogs fans, probably because they’re closer to standard rock fare then the previous blues-informed releases, but if you chart the musicality from Thank Christ to here, they seem a natural, if not totally successful, progression. The second guitarist and keyboardist somewhat dilute the Hogs signature off-kilter nerve-wracking power, but even when he’s using a synth-guitar McPhee burns brightly. The music here, when not compared to their past classics, still blows away many of their contemporaries working in the same genre. Crosscut Saw is the stronger and best produced of the two, but if there’s any one thing that brings both albums down it’s the lyrics. McPhee’s favorite subject, when not focusing his thoughts on society’s mental, political and environmental ills, is women, and usually the unresponsive, cheating, tore-my-heart-out-but-I-can’t-stay-away kind. On previous releases the subject was balanced by his other views and causes, but on Crosscut Sawn and Black Diamond its unabated and becomes tiresome after awhile. Always an acquired taste as a vocalist, McPhee nonetheless has a very expressive voice, but the more straight forward song structures with their abundance of lyrics seem to amplify the issue. Fans of the band that already owns the normal albums might want to know that there are five unreleased BBC tracks and a single edit of Live A Little Lady added to this 3 cd set

Track list:
1. I Love Miss Ogyny-from Hogwash 1972
2. You Had A Lesson-from Hogwash 1972
3. The Ringmaster-from Hogwash 1972
4. 3744 James Road-from Hogwash 1972
5. Sad Is The Hunter-from Hogwash 1972
6. S’one Song-from Hogwash 1972
7. Earth Shanty-from Hogwash 1972
8. Mr. Hooker, Sir John-from Hogwash 1972
9. Split I-from BBC In Concert 1972
10. I Love Miss Ogyny-from BBC In Concert 1972
11. You Had A Lesson-from BBC In Concert 1972
12. Earth Shanty-from BBC In Concert 1972
13. 3744 James Road-from BBC In Concert 1972
14. Sad Is The Hunter-from BBC In Concert 1972
15. Split II-from BBC In Concert 1972
16. Split IV-from BBC In Concert 1972
17. Cherry Red-from BBC In Concert 1972
18. Ship On The Ocean-from BBC In Concert 1974
19. I Love Miss Ogony-from BBC In Concert 1974
20. Split I-from BBC In Concert 1974
21. Soldier-from BBC In Concert 1974
22. Split II-from BBC In Concert 1974
23. Live A Little Lady-single edit
24. Crosscut Saw-from Crosscut Saw 1975
25. Promiscuity-from Crosscut Saw 1975
26. Boogie Withus -from Crosscut Saw 1975
27. Fulfilment-from Crosscut Saw 1975
28. Live A Little Lady-from Crosscut Saw 1975
29. Three Way Split-from Crosscut Saw 1975
30. Mean Mistreater-from Crosscut Saw 1975
31. Eleventh Hour-from Crosscut Saw 1975
32. Body Talk-from Black Diamond 1976
33. Fantasy Partner-from Black Diamond 1976
34. Live Right-from Black Diamond 1976
35. Country Blues-from Black Diamond 1976
36. Your Love Keeps Me Alive-from Black Diamond 1976
37. Friendzy-from Black Diamond 1976
38. Pastoral Future-from Black Diamond 1976
39. Black Diamond-from Black Diamond 1976