Search - Groundhogs :: Blues Obituary

Sundazed Music's tradition of making rare vintage rock gems available again on vinyl continues with the dual release of Scratching the Surface and Blues Obituary, the first two albums by '60s British bluesrock legends The Groundhogs. Out of print for decades and never before reissued domestically, these two cult classics have been meticulously restored, using Sundazed's usual exacting standards; each is pressed on high-quality audiophile vinyl, and features original cover art. Originally released in 1968 and 1969 respectively, Scratching the Surface and Blues Obituary are landmarks of Britain's blues-rock movement. Led by master guitarist/singer/songwriter Tony McPhee, the bandformed in the mid-'60s, borrowing their name from a John Lee Hooker song. Prior to launching their recording career, the Groundhogs developed a reputation as a powerful live act, and backed such visiting American blues greats as Champion Jack Dupree and Hooker himself. The raw, rootsy Scratching the Surface ranks among the finest albums to emerge from the British blues-rock boom, matching McPhee's memorable original tunes with a blistering reworking of the Muddy Waters classic "Still a Fool." The album features the Groundhogs' original recording lineup of McPhee, bassist Peter Cruickshank, drummer Ken Pustelnik and harmonica player Steve Rye. Blues Obituary finds the group beginning to stretch beyond traditional blues forms, as demonstrated on the seven-minute epic "Light Was the Day." Beyond its memorable cover art, Blues Obituary, marks the Groundhogs' first effort as a power trio, the format in which the band would do its most acclaimed and popular work. In the four decades since these albums were originally released, Tony McPhee and the Groundhogs have continued to tour and record in Britain, while maintaining a rabidly loyal cult following on both sides of the Atlantic. These two rare classic LPs remain the cornerstone of the band's seminal body of work.