Search - Blue Cheer :: Extended Versions [Live]

Blue Cheer Forever

Robert H. Knox | Brentwood, NH United States | 05/22/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dickie Peterson, Blue Cheer's bassist, vocalist and principal songwriter, and the only constant

in the many incarnations of the band, passed on in 2009. Blue Cheer's first two albums, VINCEBUS

ERUPTUM and OUTSIDEINSIDE, both released in 1968, have long been favorites of mine. They were

heavy headbanging metal records well before the heydays of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and AC/DC,

to say nothing of punk, grunge and the like. When guitarist Leigh Stephens departed, Blue Cheer

pressed on, releasing four more albums in the 1970s...but they changed their sound drastically,

morphing into a relatively ordinary rock group like a hundred others. Moreover, Peterson's

songwriting faded into the background. While these albums aren't bad-the best is undoubtedly

BC5: THE ORIGINAL HUMAN BEING- they are all a far cry from the groundbreaking mayhem of BC's

first two efforts. After the aptly titled OH! PLEASANT HOPE, Blue Cheer broke up. In the 1980s,

the band reformed, but this time stayed true to the original concept. Blue Cheer's best latter-

day lineup features founding drummer Paul Whaley and guitarist Andrew "Duck" MacDonald, who did

the best job in approximating the Leigh Stephens vibe. (Though no one has truly nailed it...)

This particular lineup is featured on EXTENDED VERSIONS, the latest in Sony's venerable series

of bargain-priced live albums from various classic rock bands.



I suspect that this CD is a reissue of LIVE IN JAPAN/HELLO TOKYO BYE BYE OSAKA. I don't have

these, so please correct me if I'm wrong. It was recorded in Tokyo and Osaka in 1999, and

features the same song selection as the aforementioned. In any case, the performance is a

worthy one, despite a somewhat muddy recording aggravated by MacDonald's overuse of reverb

and echo. We get a good blend of old and new...Dickie's comments preceding SUMMERTIME BLUES

are amusing. The warhorses OUT OF FOCUS and DOCTOR PLEASE (my fave BC song) are saved for last,

and should certainly please longtime fans. Younger metalheads should give this a listen, too.



Also check out the recently released DVD, BLUE CHEER ROCKS EUROPE. It has a better performance,

and picture/sound quality are top-notch. There's also a lengthy Peterson interview.



Thanks to Sony for this nice tribute to the career of one of rock's genuinely significant and

influential bands. And, need I add...R.I.P., Dickie."