| 1. Gotta Find a Way |
| 2. Castle of Thought |
| 3. Fatback |
| 4. Double Cross |
| 5. Timepiece |
| 6. Wicked Truth |
| 7. Gimme Your Head |
| 8. Fantastic Piece of Architecture |
| 9. Melvin Laid an Egg |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
1995 reissue on One Way of the hard rockin' Texans' debut album, originally released on Capitol in 1969. Contains the original artwork and all nine of the record's original tracks, including 'Gotta Find A Way' & 'Castle Of Thoughts'.
Bloodrock's second album immediately caught me by surprise with elements of progressive rock combined with the style of hard rock found on the previous album. It's like Bloodrock was listening to the way Black Sabbath were throwing in all sorts of wild tempo changes and time signatures into their music at the time, and the band members wanted to do the same thing. Did it work? Yes! I'm convinced there's not a decrease in quality from the debut.
The production on Bloodrock 2 is definitely leaning towards a brighter, poppier and friendlier sound. Well, back in the day it may have sounded like that. By todays standards, it's a dirty hard rock sound quite similar to the James Gang or Humble Pie.
I think it's funny that the album cover was supposed to be scary with blood dripping on the band members. Ha! Well, the band needed a gimmick to take off and be successful, and for a small amount of fans, it worked. I wasn't around back in the early 70's but believe me, if I WAS around, I'd be a fan too.
Anyway, the vocal melodies are clearly a step up from the previous effort. This time, Bloodrock made sure to write melodies that were not only catchy, but ones that weren't repetitive either. Just about every song on their second album repeats two or three times. You know, about as much as a tune should. Remember on the debut when they were repeating melodies over and over, and didn't know when to stop? That problem has been fixed here.
"Lucky in the Morning" is a very good upbeat "feel good" song. I love it. It speeds up and rocks out during the second half of the song, indicating that the band was paying attention to the progressive rock movement at the time. "Cheater" continues the theme of being an extremely melodic song on an extremely melodic album (well, melodic by hard rock standards).
"Sables and Pearls" rules. A very beautiful vocal melody, and fantastic guitar playing. It reminds me of the Doors song "Tell All the People". It's kind of funny to think that the song constantly goes back and forth between a peaceful and instantly likeable vocal melody to a really awkward Kiss-sounding rocker. Somehow, it works. I can't explain it.
"Fallin", "Children's Heritage" and "Dier Not a Lover" all seem to blend together in that they are short and snappy little tunes. All three of them rock quite hard, though. "Dier Not a Lover" has some tricky bass work and a nifty organ solo that doesn't sound out of place after all. It's quite good.
"D.O.A." was the song that supposedly was a hit back in the day, but you know, that song hasn't been played on the radio in years. I guess people can't handle lengthy songs anymore. I can. I love the spooky build-up in the verse melody, and the loud screaming chorus. It's memorable. It should have been the last song on the album because "Fancy Space Odyssey" is just a Free-sounding mid-tempo rocker. Good song, though.
Overall, great album for hard rock lovers.
I received the first two Bloodrock albums as a Christmas present back in 2002. Funny story- my dad and his girlfriend went to a music shop looking for Bloodrock, and a guy working there said to them "You will NEVER find any Bloodrock, ever". Luckily a store DID in fact have the first two albums available, or else my Christmas wouldn't have been complete!
So, what does Bloodrock sound like? Well, you can imagine that because it's early 70's rock, there's a blues influence, and a Zeppelin influence as well. When it comes to how HEAVY the music is, I'd say it's somewhere in between Cream and Black Sabbath. Much heavier than Cream's "Politician" but not as heavy as the song "Black Sabbath" or "Iron Man". Maybe that's why Bloodrock never caught on- they were doomed to be stuck in between two great artists.
Anyway, this is hard rock at its finest. It's not a flawless album, however. Mainly because the band just didn't know when to stop playing. The first song is a perfect example. "Gotta Find a Way" with a catchy chorus and solid guitar playing and keyboards, is just a couple minutes overlong. At the end of the song, the chorus repeats over and over. It should have been trimmed a couple minutes.
"Castle of Thoughts" is a great little pop song. You can tell it was influenced by Cream. "Fatback" is pretty good too. It has a certain mellow vibe flowing throughout the song, very familiar to anyone who grew up in the 70's. Good lyrics too.
"Double Cross" and "Gimmie Your Head" are more great pop songs. Very catchy, very good. "Timepiece" is a perfect example of a hard rock song from the classic years. Memorable vocals, and I especially like the part when the guitars and keyboards go back and forth, jamming between the two instruments. That's actually a really special moment in the song. "Wicked Truth" reminds me of the Partridge Family for some reason, and Donald Duck makes an appearance near the end. I kid you not!
"Fantastic Piece of Architecture" is WAY too long. If the band chose to trim it down 4 minutes, it would have been perfect. It's a really eerie and quiet song, with vocals that might remind you of going to church. "Melvin Laid an Egg" has a really heavy guitar riff that's really not that different from Sabbath's "Iron Man". I love the way the song was written too. In fact, I'm convinced the song was influenced for Sabbath's "Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath" song because of the way the tune goes back and forth between a mellow piano vocal melody and a heavy guitar riff and melody. Black Sabbath did the same thing but with an acoustic guitar instead of piano.
I also want to mention that the album features quality and melodic guitar soloing in nearly every song. Solid hard rock.
It was in the late sixties that hard rock and heavy metal first began to surface. Although it was Black Sabbath that would be credited for ultimately creating the new genre, the fact of the matter is that there were other hard rock groups around before them. One such group is the Texas-based band, Bloodrock. In an era when hard rock was still taking off, these guys had one of the more advanced sounds - one that was ahead of its time. The band didn't release a whole lot of albums, but managed to release some good material in their days together. Read on for my review of the band's self-titled debut.
Bloodrock doesn't waste any time kicking off the hard rock on their debut. This is their rawest, most down-to-earth rocking album. It lacks the polish of later efforts, and on this album only, the band's lead vocalist also does the percussion (a full-time drummer would first appear on the band's sophomore effort, Bloodrock 2.) The sound the band manages to create on here is an excellent one - one that is very similar to Rod Evans-era Deep Purple, but heavier on guitars than on organs (although there is plenty of organ usage here nonetheless.) Despite being from Texas, Bloodrock sounds very well like they could have been a British hard rock group. Most of the tracks here stick to the straight-up hard rock stylings, with heavy guitars playing all the way through alongside a backing organ track. But that's not the limit of this album. There are a few tracks that sound almost like ballads, and those ones are good too. In the end, this is a solid album, even if it is one of the group's more uneven efforts.
Despite their being an American band, Bloodrock is pretty much unknown in the United States. This is a shame since they managed to put out some damn good tunes over the years. Fortunately, in the case of most of the group's albums, there are import versions that are still in production. If you want to hear Bloodrock, that's the way to go.
Bloodrock's debut album was an excellent beginning, and the group would only get better on future releases. Sadly though, they never really got the credit they deserved in their day and age, and they sure as hell aren't getting it now, either. If you're a fan of classic rock, don't make the mistke so many others have made of overlooking this group. Pick up some of their albums, and you'll discover a seriously underrated hard rock band.
Bloodrock's second album immediately caught me by surprise with elements of progressive rock combined with the style of hard rock found on the previous album. It's like Bloodrock was listening to the way Black Sabbath were throwing in all sorts of wild tempo changes and time signatures into their music at the time, and the band members wanted to do the same thing. Did it work? Yes! I'm convinced there's not a decrease in quality from the debut.
The production on Bloodrock 2 is definitely leaning towards a brighter, poppier and friendlier sound. Well, back in the day it may have sounded like that. By todays standards, it's a dirty hard rock sound quite similar to the James Gang or Humble Pie.
I think it's funny that the album cover was supposed to be scary with blood dripping on the band members. Ha! Well, the band needed a gimmick to take off and be successful, and for a small amount of fans, it worked. I wasn't around back in the early 70's but believe me, if I WAS around, I'd be a fan too.
Anyway, the vocal melodies are clearly a step up from the previous effort. This time, Bloodrock made sure to write melodies that were not only catchy, but ones that weren't repetitive either. Just about every song on their second album repeats two or three times. You know, about as much as a tune should. Remember on the debut when they were repeating melodies over and over, and didn't know when to stop? That problem has been fixed here.
"Lucky in the Morning" is a very good upbeat "feel good" song. I love it. It speeds up and rocks out during the second half of the song, indicating that the band was paying attention to the progressive rock movement at the time. "Cheater" continues the theme of being an extremely melodic song on an extremely melodic album (well, melodic by hard rock standards).
"Sables and Pearls" rules. A very beautiful vocal melody, and fantastic guitar playing. It reminds me of the Doors song "Tell All the People". It's kind of funny to think that the song constantly goes back and forth between a peaceful and instantly likeable vocal melody to a really awkward Kiss-sounding rocker. Somehow, it works. I can't explain it.
"Fallin", "Children's Heritage" and "Dier Not a Lover" all seem to blend together in that they are short and snappy little tunes. All three of them rock quite hard, though. "Dier Not a Lover" has some tricky bass work and a nifty organ solo that doesn't sound out of place after all. It's quite good.
"D.O.A." was the song that supposedly was a hit back in the day, but you know, that song hasn't been played on the radio in years. I guess people can't handle lengthy songs anymore. I can. I love the spooky build-up in the verse melody, and the loud screaming chorus. It's memorable. It should have been the last song on the album because "Fancy Space Odyssey" is just a Free-sounding mid-tempo rocker. Good song, though.
Overall, great album for hard rock lovers.
Any trace of "evil" that the band may have had in the past is now all but completely gone. "Jessica" rules. It's a mid-tempo rocker. No, it's not like the Allman Brothers song of the same name. Not at all. It's just a short hard rock song. "Whiskey Vengeance" is memorable for the chorus "vengeance rips my flesh". It's actually a chorus that's recognizable for having a haunting sound.
"Song for a Brother" is the best song on the album. This song disturbs me in a way I can't explain. It reminds me of something bad coming around the corner, like death or something extreme. It's one of those songs that sticks with you forever. It's the same kind of scary atmosphere that the Guess Who was doing with their music at the time. Music with a lot of meaning and importance.
"You Gotta Roll" is a really pleasant rocker. Not evil at all- just really pleasant and good. "Breach of Lease" is a bit overlong, though. Bloodrock always liked to put one eerily-quiet and overlong song on every album they released. "Kool Aid Kids" is decent, though not quite as good as anything on the first two albums. Some of the guitar work is nice though. It sounds kind of tacky, though. Like a throwaway song the band only put on the album because they didn't have anything else at the time. "A Certain Kind" is definitely an indication that the band was taking their music in a different direction. It's a nice ballad that unfortunately will forver be stuck in the 70's. "America America" is memorable.
Bloodrock is an interesting band in that, even though they're from Texas, it's not really southern rock. The band clearly wanted to be a hard rock band that focused on writing original and memorable music. They succeeded, too.
Overall, not quite as the same level as the first two Bloodrock albums, but worth owning.
And on and on... Plug it in and discover it for yourself. My guess is that it will lead you to the rest of their albums.
This is an album that holds up over time....something to play again and again.
Buy the CD
Something tells me "these" guys had run-ins in with "those" guys in the same part of the country all the way back to the Lewisville Pop festival in Texas back in 1969. Kerry Livgren from Kansas was a long time fan of another group that Bloodrock's previous producer, Terry Knight, was producing, called Grand Funk Railroad, and had come down interstate 35 from Topeka to attend that festival, at the same time Bloodrock was there, waiting in the wings to be signed by Mr. Knight. Kerry says to this day he was looking for a singer like GFR's singer to emulate. I think he was also looking for a hard-rocking band, with more progressive-jazz leanings to emulate, as well. All the while he was looking at GFR, I think he was also secretly eye-balling their little brother, Bloodrock. And it was that slight change from the gruff-vocals of Jim Rutledge to the silky ones of Warren ham, less of the Ritchie Blackmore-like riffing of Lee Pickens, and more of the organ and synth of Stevie Hill, that Kerry Livgren finally found the template for his group, Kansas. He was probably listening hours on an end to this album to get his ideas. You should as well.
The recording quality is excellent...hats off to Eddie Grundy for superb job....I like the material from all 3 albums...am a diehard Bloodrock fan.....I would say that this set places them further up into the realm of what "progressive rock" is all about....the earlier albums were more straight forward rock....aside from where Bloodrock 3 took more of a jazzy approach and revealed that these guys had some serious chops...
I would recommend this to anybody who ever liked Bloodrock....listen with an open mind and open heart....dont think you'll be disappointed at all.
took with these early 70's releases. And yes they GOT a lot of critcism for it TOO! But So What? Sure they were original discovered by Grand fLunk head Svehali, Terry Knight, but ONE MARK FARNER HEADTRIP WAS ONE TOO TOO MANY ALREADY!!!!! And they finally relealized THAT too!!! According to a 1972 interview with Dennis Gray @ WXFM Chicago, the band-esp STEVIE NICK AND ED all UNAMINOUSLY and EMPHATICALLY stated that 'this version with NEW MEMBER WARREN HAM was a lot MORE COHESIVE than with the orig guys JAMES RUTLEDGE and LEE PICKENS.' 'It was also more self sufficient instead of being just rock and rollers, having EVERYONE else do things for the band , like in the past!' And as Mr. Hill (Stevie) disclosed in this interview, 'We're more compatible than ever with each other now.' 'We can bring ideas to each other and compromise within reason-we couldnt do THAT before!' Now if someone like Warren or Nick or Ed brings something in, we ALL can embellish the idea without having it left out.' As for the change in the 'new complex rhythm structure of the songs, Mr. Grundy (Ed), referring to 'Help Is On the Way', by stating,
'With a song like that being 13/8, the key here is for the people to see it visually.' 'Some of them cant get behind the beat, but if they SEE US, jumping around, then they CAN get into it.' 'Its like coming around to the 26th beat/phrase where it becomes an illusionary 4/4 time, which of course they can appreciate.' Points WELL taken, thanks guys!!!
This Bloodrock WAS different than the first one-the other two memebers just wanted to rip their shirts off in concert and play loud, louder, loudest...migraine to their own advantage! Not so with the others. (BTW, I dont know what happened to RUTLEGE, but PICKENS put together the LEE PICKENS BAND and that was VERY FULL OF ONE DIMENSIONAL DREARINESS)
So, if blame is to be PLACED on anyone for this 'new' direction it goes to mainstay ED GRUNDY and producer PETER GRANET who produced all of 'WHIRLWIND TONGUES.' The title track A-L-O-N-E is worth the price of admission to this double pak cd. Talk about progressive music with its jazz leanings toward the middle break of the song-WOW!!! Still cuts the mark some 30 years plus later!! The bluezy-ness of 'Sunday Song' w/ Warren Ham on Lead Vocals and harmonica definetly set a new precesdent for the group at this point just as well. And the phlange-like intro from guitarist NICK TAYLOR proceeds into a very off meter rhythm on 'Parallax' and the next track, 'Voices', rocks without shame! I saw the band in 1973 when 'Whirlwind' came out and they WERE JUST INCREDIBLE. I had also seen the old version both as support and headliners and, to be honest, WAS throughly UNIMPRESSED! Glad the label the boys were with, Capitol, supported them, especially at a time when a band who hailed from TEXAS, was doing prog music and werent out of ENGLAND New York or LA either! Though, still today, there are some who KNOW the band and cant appreciate this change-oh well! (BTW again, if anyone has the orig. album-I do, bassist ED GRUNDY was doing the STEVIE RAY look WELL BEFORE it became hip to do so!!! Goes to show you, even in that aspect, were ahead of what was going done) Again thanks Warren Stevie Ed and Nick (and of course drummists Rick Cobb and Randy Reeder)
Spoken Words is produced by Ed Grundy as were the previous two albums. Listening to the three of them consecutively, Ed's strength as a producer is apparent with each album taking the music to greater heights. "Words" is, as Steve notes, "...an expansion of the writing style begun with Passage and Whirlwind." This is indeed the case, although "Words" also demonstrates what appears to be a new level of confidence and maturity in their playing.
The album overall has a distinct jazz flavor with a touch of blues and takes Bloodrock even further from its original heavy sound. The transformation, however, is an honest one. "Words" doesn't sound like a band trying to reinvent itself. It's a personal and finely crafted effort with plenty to enjoy. Steve Hill continues to explore the then emerging synth and electronic keyboard sounds, employing them tastefully throughout the album. Warren Ham also delivers. His vocals are strong as on the previous albums but he sacrifices the urgency of "Passage" and "Whirlwind" in favor of a more thoughtful and measured approach. The vocal arrangements are well defined and on target. As well, Warren offers some exquisite flute and saxophone work. This, along with Steve's tremendous keyboard work, creates a synergy that carries each song to a satisfying conclusion. Bill Ham doesn't take too many bows, but offers an understated but tasty guitar solo on "For The Ladies" and some down to earth licks on "Chicken Fried". With the steady rhythm of Ed Grundy on bass and Matt Betton on drums/percussion, "Unspoken Words" is without doubt as pleasing a swan song as any Bloodrock fan could hope for. Like the rest of Bloodrock's albums, the next listen is as good as the first.
Some fans won't be able to get past the original sound of Bloodrock to fully appreciate their growth or the impressive work of their last three albums. I suppose there's a case to be made for either continuing with their original sound or changing the band name to reflect such a marked change in direction. For whatever reasons, they carried on as Bloodrock. One can only admire them for taking a chance even if it ultimately failed them commercially. Nonetheless, I'm proud to add this to my CD collection. It was a long time coming but sure as hell worth the wait.
'rouser rock.' Most of these songs were performed way too much in a GFR vein. (okay so there was a second guitar and keyboards- but that didnt help any...so) For those WHO CANT get enough-this one definetly fits in with the Uriah Heeps, Deep Purples, Cactus',Black Sabbaths, GFRS, and all the others who had that 'particular interchangle sound.'
Will say this.....the songs are a bit rushed....compared to the studio versions.....and they are fairly consistent with the studio arrangments....aside from the tempo.....There really isnt all that much reason to own this CD...except if you want to complete your Bloodrock collection.....the sound isnt all that great....is just a live concert....dont know what that other guy was raving about....If you want to hear great Bloodrock...check out all the oether cd's
I received the first two Bloodrock albums as a Christmas present back in 2002. Funny story- my dad and his girlfriend went to a music shop looking for Bloodrock, and a guy working there said to them "You will NEVER find any Bloodrock, ever". Luckily a store DID in fact have the first two albums available, or else my Christmas wouldn't have been complete!
So, what does Bloodrock sound like? Well, you can imagine that because it's early 70's rock, there's a blues influence, and a Zeppelin influence as well. When it comes to how HEAVY the music is, I'd say it's somewhere in between Cream and Black Sabbath. Much heavier than Cream's "Politician" but not as heavy as the song "Black Sabbath" or "Iron Man". Maybe that's why Bloodrock never caught on- they were doomed to be stuck in between two great artists.
Anyway, this is hard rock at its finest. It's not a flawless album, however. Mainly because the band just didn't know when to stop playing. The first song is a perfect example. "Gotta Find a Way" with a catchy chorus and solid guitar playing and keyboards, is just a couple minutes overlong. At the end of the song, the chorus repeats over and over. It should have been trimmed a couple minutes.
"Castle of Thoughts" is a great little pop song. You can tell it was influenced by Cream. "Fatback" is pretty good too. It has a certain mellow vibe flowing throughout the song, very familiar to anyone who grew up in the 70's. Good lyrics too.
"Double Cross" and "Gimmie Your Head" are more great pop songs. Very catchy, very good. "Timepiece" is a perfect example of a hard rock song from the classic years. Memorable vocals, and I especially like the part when the guitars and keyboards go back and forth, jamming between the two instruments. That's actually a really special moment in the song. "Wicked Truth" reminds me of the Partridge Family for some reason, and Donald Duck makes an appearance near the end. I kid you not!
"Fantastic Piece of Architecture" is WAY too long. If the band chose to trim it down 4 minutes, it would have been perfect. It's a really eerie and quiet song, with vocals that might remind you of going to church. "Melvin Laid an Egg" has a really heavy guitar riff that's really not that different from Sabbath's "Iron Man". I love the way the song was written too. In fact, I'm convinced the song was influenced for Sabbath's "Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath" song because of the way the tune goes back and forth between a mellow piano vocal melody and a heavy guitar riff and melody. Black Sabbath did the same thing but with an acoustic guitar instead of piano.
I also want to mention that the album features quality and melodic guitar soloing in nearly every song. Solid hard rock.
It was in the late sixties that hard rock and heavy metal first began to surface. Although it was Black Sabbath that would be credited for ultimately creating the new genre, the fact of the matter is that there were other hard rock groups around before them. One such group is the Texas-based band, Bloodrock. In an era when hard rock was still taking off, these guys had one of the more advanced sounds - one that was ahead of its time. The band didn't release a whole lot of albums, but managed to release some good material in their days together. Read on for my review of the band's self-titled debut.
Bloodrock doesn't waste any time kicking off the hard rock on their debut. This is their rawest, most down-to-earth rocking album. It lacks the polish of later efforts, and on this album only, the band's lead vocalist also does the percussion (a full-time drummer would first appear on the band's sophomore effort, Bloodrock 2.) The sound the band manages to create on here is an excellent one - one that is very similar to Rod Evans-era Deep Purple, but heavier on guitars than on organs (although there is plenty of organ usage here nonetheless.) Despite being from Texas, Bloodrock sounds very well like they could have been a British hard rock group. Most of the tracks here stick to the straight-up hard rock stylings, with heavy guitars playing all the way through alongside a backing organ track. But that's not the limit of this album. There are a few tracks that sound almost like ballads, and those ones are good too. In the end, this is a solid album, even if it is one of the group's more uneven efforts.
Despite their being an American band, Bloodrock is pretty much unknown in the United States. This is a shame since they managed to put out some damn good tunes over the years. Fortunately, in the case of most of the group's albums, there are import versions that are still in production. If you want to hear Bloodrock, that's the way to go.
Bloodrock's debut album was an excellent beginning, and the group would only get better on future releases. Sadly though, they never really got the credit they deserved in their day and age, and they sure as hell aren't getting it now, either. If you're a fan of classic rock, don't make the mistke so many others have made of overlooking this group. Pick up some of their albums, and you'll discover a seriously underrated hard rock band.
Two favorites of mine, Hangman's Dance and Magic Man, illustrate the sometimes confusing dichotomy of their work. The former is a heavy handed tune that embodies what most people remember them for. The latter is an understated masterpiece that takes the listener on an exquisite mystical journey. It also serves as a vehicle for some of Steve Hill's most hauntingly beautiful keyboard work and an incredible guitar solo by Lee Pickens that still gives me shivers when I hear it. As the final album with Jim Rutledge and Lee Pickens, USA brings the first chapter of Bloodrock's story to a close in fine style, and gives an overdue middle finger to critics who never really got what they were about or gave them proper credit for what they did.
Side two is even better:starting with - boom - American Burn - hard lyrics, hard rock, amazing. Jaw still drops when I hear it. Rock & Roll Candy Man is a fast little fun song that'll have the ladies dancing. Then - shift - Abracadaver - "I'm in heaven, and you're in hell" - to "it's not the thing you want if it's filled with pain" - some of the other lyrics are uneven, but the music absolutely kick-ass.
Finale: Magic Man - nobody I know was talking magic - spells and such - as other than kids' fare back in 1972. This one, I place up there with "Lucky Man", by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and the album up with King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King". Just writing this review, I can hear the whole album, note-for-note.
1995 reissue on One Way of the hard rockin' Texans' debut album, originally released on Capitol in 1969. Contains the original artwork and all nine of the record's original tracks, including 'Gotta Find A Way' & 'Castle Of Thoughts'.
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Bloodrock
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Bloodrock 2
Bloodrock Manufacturer: Repertoire ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
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ASIN: B000024TG7 Release Date: 1995-05-20 |
Tracks:
- Lucky in the Morning
- Cheater
- Sable and Pearl
- Fallin'
- Children's Heritage
- Dier Not a Lover
- D.O.A.
- Fancy Space Odyssey
Album Description
1995 reissue on One Way of their second album, originally released on Capitol in 1970. Contains all eight original tracks by these hard rockin' Texans, including 'D.O.A.'!Album Details
The Second Album from the Hard Rockers Slowed Things Down a Bit, but Kicked their Career Into High Gear. Out of Left Field, the Album Track of "d.o.a." Was Picked Up by Freeform FM Radio Stations and Became an Instant Classic with It's Brooding, Macabre Subject Matter and Dark Instrumentation. The Song was Quickly Released as a Single and the Band Found Themselves on American Top 40 with the Biggest Hit of their Career.Customer Reviews:
nearly perfect.......2007-06-19
Bloodrock's second album immediately caught me by surprise with elements of progressive rock combined with the style of hard rock found on the previous album. It's like Bloodrock was listening to the way Black Sabbath were throwing in all sorts of wild tempo changes and time signatures into their music at the time, and the band members wanted to do the same thing. Did it work? Yes! I'm convinced there's not a decrease in quality from the debut.
The production on Bloodrock 2 is definitely leaning towards a brighter, poppier and friendlier sound. Well, back in the day it may have sounded like that. By todays standards, it's a dirty hard rock sound quite similar to the James Gang or Humble Pie.
I think it's funny that the album cover was supposed to be scary with blood dripping on the band members. Ha! Well, the band needed a gimmick to take off and be successful, and for a small amount of fans, it worked. I wasn't around back in the early 70's but believe me, if I WAS around, I'd be a fan too.
Anyway, the vocal melodies are clearly a step up from the previous effort. This time, Bloodrock made sure to write melodies that were not only catchy, but ones that weren't repetitive either. Just about every song on their second album repeats two or three times. You know, about as much as a tune should. Remember on the debut when they were repeating melodies over and over, and didn't know when to stop? That problem has been fixed here.
"Lucky in the Morning" is a very good upbeat "feel good" song. I love it. It speeds up and rocks out during the second half of the song, indicating that the band was paying attention to the progressive rock movement at the time. "Cheater" continues the theme of being an extremely melodic song on an extremely melodic album (well, melodic by hard rock standards).
"Sables and Pearls" rules. A very beautiful vocal melody, and fantastic guitar playing. It reminds me of the Doors song "Tell All the People". It's kind of funny to think that the song constantly goes back and forth between a peaceful and instantly likeable vocal melody to a really awkward Kiss-sounding rocker. Somehow, it works. I can't explain it.
"Fallin", "Children's Heritage" and "Dier Not a Lover" all seem to blend together in that they are short and snappy little tunes. All three of them rock quite hard, though. "Dier Not a Lover" has some tricky bass work and a nifty organ solo that doesn't sound out of place after all. It's quite good.
"D.O.A." was the song that supposedly was a hit back in the day, but you know, that song hasn't been played on the radio in years. I guess people can't handle lengthy songs anymore. I can. I love the spooky build-up in the verse melody, and the loud screaming chorus. It's memorable. It should have been the last song on the album because "Fancy Space Odyssey" is just a Free-sounding mid-tempo rocker. Good song, though.
Overall, great album for hard rock lovers.
70's.......2007-02-16
WHAT D.O.A. IS ABOUT.......2006-09-18
DOA- Great song from a Great album.......2006-08-01
"DOA" MAKES THE EFFORT A+!.......2006-07-02
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Bloodrock
Bloodrock Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Alternative Rock
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ASIN: B000024TG5 Release Date: 1995-05-20 |
Tracks:
- Gotta Find a Way
- Castle of Thought
- Fatback
- Double Cross
- Timepiece
- Wicked Truth
- Gimme Your Head
- Fantastic Piece of Architecture
- Melvin Laid an Egg
Album Description
1995 reissue on One Way of the hard rockin' Texans' debut album, originally released on Capitol in 1969. Contains the original artwork and all nine of the record's original tracks, including 'Gotta Find A Way' & 'Castle Of Thoughts'.Customer Reviews:
rock on Bloodrock.......2007-06-19
I received the first two Bloodrock albums as a Christmas present back in 2002. Funny story- my dad and his girlfriend went to a music shop looking for Bloodrock, and a guy working there said to them "You will NEVER find any Bloodrock, ever". Luckily a store DID in fact have the first two albums available, or else my Christmas wouldn't have been complete!
So, what does Bloodrock sound like? Well, you can imagine that because it's early 70's rock, there's a blues influence, and a Zeppelin influence as well. When it comes to how HEAVY the music is, I'd say it's somewhere in between Cream and Black Sabbath. Much heavier than Cream's "Politician" but not as heavy as the song "Black Sabbath" or "Iron Man". Maybe that's why Bloodrock never caught on- they were doomed to be stuck in between two great artists.
Anyway, this is hard rock at its finest. It's not a flawless album, however. Mainly because the band just didn't know when to stop playing. The first song is a perfect example. "Gotta Find a Way" with a catchy chorus and solid guitar playing and keyboards, is just a couple minutes overlong. At the end of the song, the chorus repeats over and over. It should have been trimmed a couple minutes.
"Castle of Thoughts" is a great little pop song. You can tell it was influenced by Cream. "Fatback" is pretty good too. It has a certain mellow vibe flowing throughout the song, very familiar to anyone who grew up in the 70's. Good lyrics too.
"Double Cross" and "Gimmie Your Head" are more great pop songs. Very catchy, very good. "Timepiece" is a perfect example of a hard rock song from the classic years. Memorable vocals, and I especially like the part when the guitars and keyboards go back and forth, jamming between the two instruments. That's actually a really special moment in the song. "Wicked Truth" reminds me of the Partridge Family for some reason, and Donald Duck makes an appearance near the end. I kid you not!
"Fantastic Piece of Architecture" is WAY too long. If the band chose to trim it down 4 minutes, it would have been perfect. It's a really eerie and quiet song, with vocals that might remind you of going to church. "Melvin Laid an Egg" has a really heavy guitar riff that's really not that different from Sabbath's "Iron Man". I love the way the song was written too. In fact, I'm convinced the song was influenced for Sabbath's "Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath" song because of the way the tune goes back and forth between a mellow piano vocal melody and a heavy guitar riff and melody. Black Sabbath did the same thing but with an acoustic guitar instead of piano.
I also want to mention that the album features quality and melodic guitar soloing in nearly every song. Solid hard rock.
Blood Red Greasy Grungy Seventies Underbelly.......2007-01-02
Brutally uncompromising..........2005-12-08
"Anyone Who Is Stupid Enough To Play This Record Backward Deserves What He Is About To Hear...".......2005-08-10
A solid debut album.......2005-03-02
It was in the late sixties that hard rock and heavy metal first began to surface. Although it was Black Sabbath that would be credited for ultimately creating the new genre, the fact of the matter is that there were other hard rock groups around before them. One such group is the Texas-based band, Bloodrock. In an era when hard rock was still taking off, these guys had one of the more advanced sounds - one that was ahead of its time. The band didn't release a whole lot of albums, but managed to release some good material in their days together. Read on for my review of the band's self-titled debut.
Bloodrock doesn't waste any time kicking off the hard rock on their debut. This is their rawest, most down-to-earth rocking album. It lacks the polish of later efforts, and on this album only, the band's lead vocalist also does the percussion (a full-time drummer would first appear on the band's sophomore effort, Bloodrock 2.) The sound the band manages to create on here is an excellent one - one that is very similar to Rod Evans-era Deep Purple, but heavier on guitars than on organs (although there is plenty of organ usage here nonetheless.) Despite being from Texas, Bloodrock sounds very well like they could have been a British hard rock group. Most of the tracks here stick to the straight-up hard rock stylings, with heavy guitars playing all the way through alongside a backing organ track. But that's not the limit of this album. There are a few tracks that sound almost like ballads, and those ones are good too. In the end, this is a solid album, even if it is one of the group's more uneven efforts.
Despite their being an American band, Bloodrock is pretty much unknown in the United States. This is a shame since they managed to put out some damn good tunes over the years. Fortunately, in the case of most of the group's albums, there are import versions that are still in production. If you want to hear Bloodrock, that's the way to go.
Bloodrock's debut album was an excellent beginning, and the group would only get better on future releases. Sadly though, they never really got the credit they deserved in their day and age, and they sure as hell aren't getting it now, either. If you're a fan of classic rock, don't make the mistke so many others have made of overlooking this group. Pick up some of their albums, and you'll discover a seriously underrated hard rock band.
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Bloodrock 2
Bloodrock Manufacturer: One Way Records Inc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000002R0B Release Date: 1995-05-30 |
Tracks:
- Lucky In The Morning
- Cheater
- Sable And Pearl
- Fallin'
- Children's Heritage
- Dier Not A Lover
- D.O.A.
- Fancy Space Odyssey
Album Description
1995 reissue on One Way of their second album, originally released on Capitol in 1970. Contains all eight original tracks by these hard rockin' Texans, including 'D.O.A.'!Album Details
The Second Album from the Hard Rockers Slowed Things Down a Bit, but Kicked their Career Into High Gear. Out of Left Field, the Album Track of "d.o.a." Was Picked Up by Freeform FM Radio Stations and Became an Instant Classic with It's Brooding, Macabre Subject Matter and Dark Instrumentation. The Song was Quickly Released as a Single and the Band Found Themselves on American Top 40 with the Biggest Hit of their Career.Customer Reviews:
nearly perfect.......2007-06-19
Bloodrock's second album immediately caught me by surprise with elements of progressive rock combined with the style of hard rock found on the previous album. It's like Bloodrock was listening to the way Black Sabbath were throwing in all sorts of wild tempo changes and time signatures into their music at the time, and the band members wanted to do the same thing. Did it work? Yes! I'm convinced there's not a decrease in quality from the debut.
The production on Bloodrock 2 is definitely leaning towards a brighter, poppier and friendlier sound. Well, back in the day it may have sounded like that. By todays standards, it's a dirty hard rock sound quite similar to the James Gang or Humble Pie.
I think it's funny that the album cover was supposed to be scary with blood dripping on the band members. Ha! Well, the band needed a gimmick to take off and be successful, and for a small amount of fans, it worked. I wasn't around back in the early 70's but believe me, if I WAS around, I'd be a fan too.
Anyway, the vocal melodies are clearly a step up from the previous effort. This time, Bloodrock made sure to write melodies that were not only catchy, but ones that weren't repetitive either. Just about every song on their second album repeats two or three times. You know, about as much as a tune should. Remember on the debut when they were repeating melodies over and over, and didn't know when to stop? That problem has been fixed here.
"Lucky in the Morning" is a very good upbeat "feel good" song. I love it. It speeds up and rocks out during the second half of the song, indicating that the band was paying attention to the progressive rock movement at the time. "Cheater" continues the theme of being an extremely melodic song on an extremely melodic album (well, melodic by hard rock standards).
"Sables and Pearls" rules. A very beautiful vocal melody, and fantastic guitar playing. It reminds me of the Doors song "Tell All the People". It's kind of funny to think that the song constantly goes back and forth between a peaceful and instantly likeable vocal melody to a really awkward Kiss-sounding rocker. Somehow, it works. I can't explain it.
"Fallin", "Children's Heritage" and "Dier Not a Lover" all seem to blend together in that they are short and snappy little tunes. All three of them rock quite hard, though. "Dier Not a Lover" has some tricky bass work and a nifty organ solo that doesn't sound out of place after all. It's quite good.
"D.O.A." was the song that supposedly was a hit back in the day, but you know, that song hasn't been played on the radio in years. I guess people can't handle lengthy songs anymore. I can. I love the spooky build-up in the verse melody, and the loud screaming chorus. It's memorable. It should have been the last song on the album because "Fancy Space Odyssey" is just a Free-sounding mid-tempo rocker. Good song, though.
Overall, great album for hard rock lovers.
70's.......2007-02-16
WHAT D.O.A. IS ABOUT.......2006-09-18
DOA- Great song from a Great album.......2006-08-01
"DOA" MAKES THE EFFORT A+!.......2006-07-02
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Bloodrock 3
Bloodrock Manufacturer: One Way Records Inc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00000FXV8 Release Date: 1998-10-27 |
Tracks:
- Jessica
- Whiskey Vengeange
- Song For A Brother
- You Gotta Roll
- Breach Of Lease
- Kool-Aid-Kids
- A Certain Kind
- America, America
Album Description
CD debut of the hard rockin' Texans' third album, originallyreleased on Capitol in 1969 & produced by Terry Knight, who produced many Grand Funk Railroad albums. Eight tracks, including 'Jessica', 'You Gotta Roll', 'Kool-Aid-Kids' and 'America, America'. Also features the original cover art. 1998 One Way Records release.Customer Reviews:
time to rock out some more.......2007-06-19
Any trace of "evil" that the band may have had in the past is now all but completely gone. "Jessica" rules. It's a mid-tempo rocker. No, it's not like the Allman Brothers song of the same name. Not at all. It's just a short hard rock song. "Whiskey Vengeance" is memorable for the chorus "vengeance rips my flesh". It's actually a chorus that's recognizable for having a haunting sound.
"Song for a Brother" is the best song on the album. This song disturbs me in a way I can't explain. It reminds me of something bad coming around the corner, like death or something extreme. It's one of those songs that sticks with you forever. It's the same kind of scary atmosphere that the Guess Who was doing with their music at the time. Music with a lot of meaning and importance.
"You Gotta Roll" is a really pleasant rocker. Not evil at all- just really pleasant and good. "Breach of Lease" is a bit overlong, though. Bloodrock always liked to put one eerily-quiet and overlong song on every album they released. "Kool Aid Kids" is decent, though not quite as good as anything on the first two albums. Some of the guitar work is nice though. It sounds kind of tacky, though. Like a throwaway song the band only put on the album because they didn't have anything else at the time. "A Certain Kind" is definitely an indication that the band was taking their music in a different direction. It's a nice ballad that unfortunately will forver be stuck in the 70's. "America America" is memorable.
Bloodrock is an interesting band in that, even though they're from Texas, it's not really southern rock. The band clearly wanted to be a hard rock band that focused on writing original and memorable music. They succeeded, too.
Overall, not quite as the same level as the first two Bloodrock albums, but worth owning.
A sincere and underrated effort.......2006-07-20
smack in your face rock, WHOW!.......2006-07-18
Quintessential Bloodrock.......2005-03-06
And on and on... Plug it in and discover it for yourself. My guess is that it will lead you to the rest of their albums.
Without a doubt...their best effort.......2005-02-28
This is an album that holds up over time....something to play again and again.
Buy the CD
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Triptych
Bloodrock Manufacturer: One Way Records Inc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00004XSSQ Release Date: 2000-09-12 |
Tracks:
- Help Is On The Way
- Scottsman
- Juice
- The Power
- Life Blood
- Days And Nights
- Lost Fame
- Thank You Daniel Ellsberg
- Fantasy
- It's Gonna Be Love
- Sunday Song
- Parallax
- Voices
- Eleanor Rigby
Tracks:
- Stilled By Whirlind Tongues
- Guess What I Am
- Lady Of Love
- Jungle
- Gonna Help You
- The Right Time
- Unspoken Words
- Afternoon
- Chicken Fried
- Pogo Stick
- For The Ladies
- Cerberus
- Follow
Album Description
This 2 CD set features their final two albums, 'Passage' and 'Whirlwind Tongues' as well as the unreleased recording 'Unspoken Words' all totally remastered, repackaged and released for the first time on CD. 2000 release. Slimline double jewel case.Customer Reviews:
Awesome seller.......2007-01-18
From being influenced by Deep Purple--to influencing Kansas.......2006-04-09
Something tells me "these" guys had run-ins in with "those" guys in the same part of the country all the way back to the Lewisville Pop festival in Texas back in 1969. Kerry Livgren from Kansas was a long time fan of another group that Bloodrock's previous producer, Terry Knight, was producing, called Grand Funk Railroad, and had come down interstate 35 from Topeka to attend that festival, at the same time Bloodrock was there, waiting in the wings to be signed by Mr. Knight. Kerry says to this day he was looking for a singer like GFR's singer to emulate. I think he was also looking for a hard-rocking band, with more progressive-jazz leanings to emulate, as well. All the while he was looking at GFR, I think he was also secretly eye-balling their little brother, Bloodrock. And it was that slight change from the gruff-vocals of Jim Rutledge to the silky ones of Warren ham, less of the Ritchie Blackmore-like riffing of Lee Pickens, and more of the organ and synth of Stevie Hill, that Kerry Livgren finally found the template for his group, Kansas. He was probably listening hours on an end to this album to get his ideas. You should as well.
Fantastic CD....the last 2 Bloodrock albums and unreleased "unspoken Words" album.......2005-07-24
The recording quality is excellent...hats off to Eddie Grundy for superb job....I like the material from all 3 albums...am a diehard Bloodrock fan.....I would say that this set places them further up into the realm of what "progressive rock" is all about....the earlier albums were more straight forward rock....aside from where Bloodrock 3 took more of a jazzy approach and revealed that these guys had some serious chops...
I would recommend this to anybody who ever liked Bloodrock....listen with an open mind and open heart....dont think you'll be disappointed at all.
Thank YOU Warren Stevie Ed & Nick!.......2005-03-01
took with these early 70's releases. And yes they GOT a lot of critcism for it TOO! But So What? Sure they were original discovered by Grand fLunk head Svehali, Terry Knight, but ONE MARK FARNER HEADTRIP WAS ONE TOO TOO MANY ALREADY!!!!! And they finally relealized THAT too!!! According to a 1972 interview with Dennis Gray @ WXFM Chicago, the band-esp STEVIE NICK AND ED all UNAMINOUSLY and EMPHATICALLY stated that 'this version with NEW MEMBER WARREN HAM was a lot MORE COHESIVE than with the orig guys JAMES RUTLEDGE and LEE PICKENS.' 'It was also more self sufficient instead of being just rock and rollers, having EVERYONE else do things for the band , like in the past!' And as Mr. Hill (Stevie) disclosed in this interview, 'We're more compatible than ever with each other now.' 'We can bring ideas to each other and compromise within reason-we couldnt do THAT before!' Now if someone like Warren or Nick or Ed brings something in, we ALL can embellish the idea without having it left out.' As for the change in the 'new complex rhythm structure of the songs, Mr. Grundy (Ed), referring to 'Help Is On the Way', by stating,
'With a song like that being 13/8, the key here is for the people to see it visually.' 'Some of them cant get behind the beat, but if they SEE US, jumping around, then they CAN get into it.' 'Its like coming around to the 26th beat/phrase where it becomes an illusionary 4/4 time, which of course they can appreciate.' Points WELL taken, thanks guys!!!
This Bloodrock WAS different than the first one-the other two memebers just wanted to rip their shirts off in concert and play loud, louder, loudest...migraine to their own advantage! Not so with the others. (BTW, I dont know what happened to RUTLEGE, but PICKENS put together the LEE PICKENS BAND and that was VERY FULL OF ONE DIMENSIONAL DREARINESS)
So, if blame is to be PLACED on anyone for this 'new' direction it goes to mainstay ED GRUNDY and producer PETER GRANET who produced all of 'WHIRLWIND TONGUES.' The title track A-L-O-N-E is worth the price of admission to this double pak cd. Talk about progressive music with its jazz leanings toward the middle break of the song-WOW!!! Still cuts the mark some 30 years plus later!! The bluezy-ness of 'Sunday Song' w/ Warren Ham on Lead Vocals and harmonica definetly set a new precesdent for the group at this point just as well. And the phlange-like intro from guitarist NICK TAYLOR proceeds into a very off meter rhythm on 'Parallax' and the next track, 'Voices', rocks without shame! I saw the band in 1973 when 'Whirlwind' came out and they WERE JUST INCREDIBLE. I had also seen the old version both as support and headliners and, to be honest, WAS throughly UNIMPRESSED! Glad the label the boys were with, Capitol, supported them, especially at a time when a band who hailed from TEXAS, was doing prog music and werent out of ENGLAND New York or LA either! Though, still today, there are some who KNOW the band and cant appreciate this change-oh well! (BTW again, if anyone has the orig. album-I do, bassist ED GRUNDY was doing the STEVIE RAY look WELL BEFORE it became hip to do so!!! Goes to show you, even in that aspect, were ahead of what was going done) Again thanks Warren Stevie Ed and Nick (and of course drummists Rick Cobb and Randy Reeder)
Unspoken Words finally spoken.......2005-01-26
Spoken Words is produced by Ed Grundy as were the previous two albums. Listening to the three of them consecutively, Ed's strength as a producer is apparent with each album taking the music to greater heights. "Words" is, as Steve notes, "...an expansion of the writing style begun with Passage and Whirlwind." This is indeed the case, although "Words" also demonstrates what appears to be a new level of confidence and maturity in their playing.
The album overall has a distinct jazz flavor with a touch of blues and takes Bloodrock even further from its original heavy sound. The transformation, however, is an honest one. "Words" doesn't sound like a band trying to reinvent itself. It's a personal and finely crafted effort with plenty to enjoy. Steve Hill continues to explore the then emerging synth and electronic keyboard sounds, employing them tastefully throughout the album. Warren Ham also delivers. His vocals are strong as on the previous albums but he sacrifices the urgency of "Passage" and "Whirlwind" in favor of a more thoughtful and measured approach. The vocal arrangements are well defined and on target. As well, Warren offers some exquisite flute and saxophone work. This, along with Steve's tremendous keyboard work, creates a synergy that carries each song to a satisfying conclusion. Bill Ham doesn't take too many bows, but offers an understated but tasty guitar solo on "For The Ladies" and some down to earth licks on "Chicken Fried". With the steady rhythm of Ed Grundy on bass and Matt Betton on drums/percussion, "Unspoken Words" is without doubt as pleasing a swan song as any Bloodrock fan could hope for. Like the rest of Bloodrock's albums, the next listen is as good as the first.
Some fans won't be able to get past the original sound of Bloodrock to fully appreciate their growth or the impressive work of their last three albums. I suppose there's a case to be made for either continuing with their original sound or changing the band name to reflect such a marked change in direction. For whatever reasons, they carried on as Bloodrock. One can only admire them for taking a chance even if it ultimately failed them commercially. Nonetheless, I'm proud to add this to my CD collection. It was a long time coming but sure as hell worth the wait.
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Bloodrock "Live"
Bloodrock Manufacturer: One Way Records Inc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00000FXVB Release Date: 1998-10-27 |
Tracks:
- Castle Of Thoughts
- Breach Of lease
- Lucky In The Morning
- Kool-Aid-Kids
- D.O.A.
- You Gotta Roll
- Cheater
- Jessica
- Gotta Find A way
Album Description
CD debut/ reissue of the hard rockin' Texans' concert album,first released in 1972 on Capitol as a two LP set. Contains all nine of the cuts from the original release, which consists of roaring versions of cuts from their first three albums, including 'D.O.A.', 'Cheater', 'Castle Of Thoughts' & 'Kool-Aid-Kids'. Also features the original cover art. 1998 One Way Records release.Customer Reviews:
love 'em all.......2006-07-18
Not really live.......2005-05-09
I tried once again........2005-03-01
'rouser rock.' Most of these songs were performed way too much in a GFR vein. (okay so there was a second guitar and keyboards- but that didnt help any...so) For those WHO CANT get enough-this one definetly fits in with the Uriah Heeps, Deep Purples, Cactus',Black Sabbaths, GFRS, and all the others who had that 'particular interchangle sound.'
Is an OK live album...........2005-02-28
Will say this.....the songs are a bit rushed....compared to the studio versions.....and they are fairly consistent with the studio arrangments....aside from the tempo.....There really isnt all that much reason to own this CD...except if you want to complete your Bloodrock collection.....the sound isnt all that great....is just a live concert....dont know what that other guy was raving about....If you want to hear great Bloodrock...check out all the oether cd's
SOMONE TURN UP THE VOLUME.......2004-01-04
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Bloodrock
Bloodrock Manufacturer: One Way Records Inc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000002R0A Release Date: 1995-05-30 |
Tracks:
- Gotta Find A Way
- Castle Of Thoughts
- Fatback
- Double Cross
- Timepiece
- Wicked Truth
- Gimmie Your Head
- Fantastic Piece Of Architecture
- Melvin Laid An Egg
Album Description
1995 reissue on One Way of the hard rockin' Texans' debut album, originally released on Capitol in 1969. Contains the original artwork and all nine of the record's original tracks, including 'Gotta Find A Way' & 'Castle Of Thoughts'.Customer Reviews:
rock on Bloodrock.......2007-06-19
I received the first two Bloodrock albums as a Christmas present back in 2002. Funny story- my dad and his girlfriend went to a music shop looking for Bloodrock, and a guy working there said to them "You will NEVER find any Bloodrock, ever". Luckily a store DID in fact have the first two albums available, or else my Christmas wouldn't have been complete!
So, what does Bloodrock sound like? Well, you can imagine that because it's early 70's rock, there's a blues influence, and a Zeppelin influence as well. When it comes to how HEAVY the music is, I'd say it's somewhere in between Cream and Black Sabbath. Much heavier than Cream's "Politician" but not as heavy as the song "Black Sabbath" or "Iron Man". Maybe that's why Bloodrock never caught on- they were doomed to be stuck in between two great artists.
Anyway, this is hard rock at its finest. It's not a flawless album, however. Mainly because the band just didn't know when to stop playing. The first song is a perfect example. "Gotta Find a Way" with a catchy chorus and solid guitar playing and keyboards, is just a couple minutes overlong. At the end of the song, the chorus repeats over and over. It should have been trimmed a couple minutes.
"Castle of Thoughts" is a great little pop song. You can tell it was influenced by Cream. "Fatback" is pretty good too. It has a certain mellow vibe flowing throughout the song, very familiar to anyone who grew up in the 70's. Good lyrics too.
"Double Cross" and "Gimmie Your Head" are more great pop songs. Very catchy, very good. "Timepiece" is a perfect example of a hard rock song from the classic years. Memorable vocals, and I especially like the part when the guitars and keyboards go back and forth, jamming between the two instruments. That's actually a really special moment in the song. "Wicked Truth" reminds me of the Partridge Family for some reason, and Donald Duck makes an appearance near the end. I kid you not!
"Fantastic Piece of Architecture" is WAY too long. If the band chose to trim it down 4 minutes, it would have been perfect. It's a really eerie and quiet song, with vocals that might remind you of going to church. "Melvin Laid an Egg" has a really heavy guitar riff that's really not that different from Sabbath's "Iron Man". I love the way the song was written too. In fact, I'm convinced the song was influenced for Sabbath's "Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath" song because of the way the tune goes back and forth between a mellow piano vocal melody and a heavy guitar riff and melody. Black Sabbath did the same thing but with an acoustic guitar instead of piano.
I also want to mention that the album features quality and melodic guitar soloing in nearly every song. Solid hard rock.
Blood Red Greasy Grungy Seventies Underbelly.......2007-01-02
Brutally uncompromising..........2005-12-08
"Anyone Who Is Stupid Enough To Play This Record Backward Deserves What He Is About To Hear...".......2005-08-10
A solid debut album.......2005-03-02
It was in the late sixties that hard rock and heavy metal first began to surface. Although it was Black Sabbath that would be credited for ultimately creating the new genre, the fact of the matter is that there were other hard rock groups around before them. One such group is the Texas-based band, Bloodrock. In an era when hard rock was still taking off, these guys had one of the more advanced sounds - one that was ahead of its time. The band didn't release a whole lot of albums, but managed to release some good material in their days together. Read on for my review of the band's self-titled debut.
Bloodrock doesn't waste any time kicking off the hard rock on their debut. This is their rawest, most down-to-earth rocking album. It lacks the polish of later efforts, and on this album only, the band's lead vocalist also does the percussion (a full-time drummer would first appear on the band's sophomore effort, Bloodrock 2.) The sound the band manages to create on here is an excellent one - one that is very similar to Rod Evans-era Deep Purple, but heavier on guitars than on organs (although there is plenty of organ usage here nonetheless.) Despite being from Texas, Bloodrock sounds very well like they could have been a British hard rock group. Most of the tracks here stick to the straight-up hard rock stylings, with heavy guitars playing all the way through alongside a backing organ track. But that's not the limit of this album. There are a few tracks that sound almost like ballads, and those ones are good too. In the end, this is a solid album, even if it is one of the group's more uneven efforts.
Despite their being an American band, Bloodrock is pretty much unknown in the United States. This is a shame since they managed to put out some damn good tunes over the years. Fortunately, in the case of most of the group's albums, there are import versions that are still in production. If you want to hear Bloodrock, that's the way to go.
Bloodrock's debut album was an excellent beginning, and the group would only get better on future releases. Sadly though, they never really got the credit they deserved in their day and age, and they sure as hell aren't getting it now, either. If you're a fan of classic rock, don't make the mistke so many others have made of overlooking this group. Pick up some of their albums, and you'll discover a seriously underrated hard rock band.
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Bloodrock U.S.A.
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ASIN: B00000FXVC Release Date: 1998-10-27 |
Tracks:
- It's A Sad World
- Don't Eat The Children
- Promises
- Crazy 'Bout You Babe
- Hangman's Dance
- American Burn
- Rock & Roll Candy Man
- Abracadaver
- Magic Man
- Erosion
Album Description
CD debut of the hard rockin' Texans' 1976 LP for Capitol. Self-produced by the group, this was their last together with the entire original lineup. Includes all of the original tracks, plus the bonus track 'Erosion', which appears to be from the album's recording sessions. Also features the original cover art. 10 tracks total. 1998 One Way Records release.Customer Reviews:
CD Review.......2007-01-31
entering the border.......2006-07-19
remember I own you.......2006-03-24
Another Amazing Adventure..........2005-12-08
Two favorites of mine, Hangman's Dance and Magic Man, illustrate the sometimes confusing dichotomy of their work. The former is a heavy handed tune that embodies what most people remember them for. The latter is an understated masterpiece that takes the listener on an exquisite mystical journey. It also serves as a vehicle for some of Steve Hill's most hauntingly beautiful keyboard work and an incredible guitar solo by Lee Pickens that still gives me shivers when I hear it. As the final album with Jim Rutledge and Lee Pickens, USA brings the first chapter of Bloodrock's story to a close in fine style, and gives an overdue middle finger to critics who never really got what they were about or gave them proper credit for what they did.
Their Best Album - by my favorite band.......2005-09-21
Side two is even better:starting with - boom - American Burn - hard lyrics, hard rock, amazing. Jaw still drops when I hear it. Rock & Roll Candy Man is a fast little fun song that'll have the ladies dancing. Then - shift - Abracadaver - "I'm in heaven, and you're in hell" - to "it's not the thing you want if it's filled with pain" - some of the other lyrics are uneven, but the music absolutely kick-ass.
Finale: Magic Man - nobody I know was talking magic - spells and such - as other than kids' fare back in 1972. This one, I place up there with "Lucky Man", by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and the album up with King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King". Just writing this review, I can hear the whole album, note-for-note.
Average customer rating: 
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Bloodrock 'N' Roll
Bloodrock Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Hard Rock & Metal
| Styles
| Music
Hard Rock
| Hard Rock & Metal
| Styles
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ASIN: B00008EULW Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- D.O.A.
- Gotta Find A Way
- Cheater
- Jessica
- Lucky in the Morning
- You Gotta Roll
- Kool-Aid Kids
Average customer rating:
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777 Bloodrock
Smoke Blow Manufacturer: Loud ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00004D3I0 Release Date: 2000-04-03 |
Album Details
Second Full Length from this German 5-piece, Building on their Reputation as One of Germany's Finest Stoner/Punk Outfits! this is Rock in Its Rawest Form!!Rap Music:
- Blue Obsession
- Capture the Magic
- Chicago X [Original recording remastered]
- Contemplating the Engine Room [Enhanced]
- Creatures
- Do You Hear...Christmas With Heather, Cookie & Raylene Rankin [Import]
- Down by the Jetty
- Dylan's Gospel [Import]
- Electric Sweat [Enhanced]
- Elk-Lake Serenade
Recommended Music:
Son of a Junkie [Explicit Lyrics]
Premier Concours International de Voix d'Opera Placido Domingo: Paris 1993 [Live]
Our Man in Paris [Original recording remastered] [Import]
Take a Picture [Import] [Extra tracks]