Zen motion dumptruck on fire
fred udrah | south california | 04/22/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Reviewer: udrah (see more about me) from south california Side 1: the "stoned acid crazy biker sound " of the first 2 LPS is gone and in its place is some wacky surf psychedelia that occasionally 'works'. BUT the white blues stuff is even less successful....HOWEVER...Side 2 is dominated by guitarist Randy Holden, who offers 3 slow zen metal heavy pieces that growl & grumble like a slow motion dumptruck on fire. Holden creates a unique sound (that he himself ) or other guitarists have not been able to replicate since. 2 stars for side one, but 8 for side 2 ....hence the 5 star rating."
Blue Cheer - 'New Improved! Blue Cheer' (Repertoire)
Mike Reed | USA | 10/11/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Originally released in 1969,as this was Blue Cheer's third album. Almost as good as their first two lp's,'Vincebus Eruptum' and 'Outsideinside' (see my reviews on both). Even though bassist/vocalist Dickie Peterson and drummer Paul Whaley are joined by two 'new' guitarists Randy Holden and Bruce Stephens,'New Improved!' is still a worthy pick.Tracks that impressed me the most were "West Coast Child Of Sunshine"(a good psychedelic piece),"Aces 'N Eights",their Dylan cover "It Takes A Lot To Laugh,It Takes a Train To Cry" and "Honey Butter Lover".Find a site that offers sound clips of this CD,then go from there."
Cheers to BLUE CHEER
Gregory A. Smerdon | Bath, NY USA | 10/05/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I bought NEW!IMPROVED!BLUE CHEER originally on LP in the early '70's because I'd heard the name from others 'in the know' and besides, loved the primary colors and cartoonish graphics, sort of reminding me of those CHEAP THRILLS album graphics. In those days, often you might find one side of an album was your favorite, so my side 2 got worn out (Peace of Mind/Fruit & Icebergs/Honey Butter Lover) while I ignored side 1.
Well, as is often the case, I was wrong about side 1, and it only took me 33 years to realize that fact. Instead of trying to describe the influences I hear, take a listen yourself...you might find BLUE CHEER was actually ahead of so many other later groups that caught on; yepper, they were influencers instead of influencees. Even as members moved on, they hooked up with other 'obscure' names which you will find in any number of retrospectives and liner notes for years to come, appearing with such entities as Norman Mayell, ex-member Sopwith Camel, (who at one time played with Mike Bloomfield in a band called THE GROUP, which included a bass player called Silver Sid, ex-bassist for Roy Rogers, of all people).
BLUE CHEER even had Hank Cicalo as a mixer and engineer (he also did the first post Don Kirschner Monkees album, HEADQUARTERS); on it, Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith scribbled down some control room jibberish lyrics set to a Chuck Berry knock-off progression/melody, and gave Cicalo songwriting credits, of which he purchased a house with his royalties.
My only reservation in listening to this CD, even with 2 great bonus tracks, and Bob Dylan's "It Takes a Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry", is the fact it does not seem to come up to current digital remastering standards (this copy produced in 1994)...HONEY BUTTER LOVER, a way too short, beautiful end/counterpoint of the heavier songs of "side" 2, for example, is too quiet and unclear in it's equalization; somehow it sounds more muffled than the scratchy sounds of the original abused LP I have stored in my own memory banks...and...what WERE those lyrics?
My recommendation is to buy this album; it is the closest thing you may ever come to in terms of the old 'underground/heavy' groups. Known in it's day as 'the world's loudest band' they were precursors to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and all their generations of progenies and imposters."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1