Three Underrated Classic Rock Albums to Explore During Lockdown


If you’re anything like me at the moment, you’re finding yourself with a wealth of time on your hands and precious little to fill it with. Discovering new music to immerse yourself in during lockdown is a great way to take your mind off of what a mess the world is in right now and Diaries of Doom are here to help you do just that! Finding great new Rock to bang your head to does not always have to involve being up-to-date with trends at the cutting edge of the scene: sometimes it’s equally rewarding to look to the past and dig up some gems from the vast vaults of Classic Rock. To help you out with some sifting, DoD’s 'Friendly Neighbourhood Classic Rock Addict' has come up with three underrated albums that you should definitely know about if you don’t already! Let the Classic Rockdown (funny, aren't I?) begin...
Mountain - Climbing (1970)

Sure, everyone knows Mississippi Queen (even if it is only because they’ve played Guitar hero 3). Granted, it's possibly my favourite rock song of all time, but Mountain have a hell of a lot more to offer than Mississippi Queen alone. Their 1970 debut effort, Climbing!, is an absolute gem: a low-key forerunner to so much of the less doom-inclined Stoner Rock that followed it. Fuzzed-out guitars and riffs the size of, erm, mountains, underpin the album, most evidently on Silver Paper and the monstrous Never in My Life. Elsewhere the album explores some calmer waters, with the jangling acoustic guitars of The Laird and the piano-led closer Boys in the Band. At no point on the album, no matter what the volume knob on the amp is set to, are you not in awe at the screaming licks and soulful howl of band leader Leslie West, who plays and sings his heart out on this record. If you’re looking for where the the more blues-inclined Stoner Rock bands came from, you could do much worse than look to this album. 

For Fans Of: Clutch, Queens of the Stone Age, The Raconteurs
DEAL: Never in My Life



Groundhogs - Split (1971)

Often criminally overlooked by contemporary rock fans, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if many people reading this have never heard of Groundhogs before! If that is the case, then today is your lucky day. Split is a Progressive Blues Rock album full of jarring song structures and trippy weirdness that owes as much to its founding members’ time growing up in India as it does the Delta Blues that was so influential to many other key bands of the era. The result is a truly unique sound that combines almost-microtonal melodies and jazz-inspired drums with 70s Blues rock tropes in the best imaginable way, showcased to great effect on the fourth and final part of the album’s title track. This is not to say that the album doesn’t also pack a punch, though, because there are plenty of heavy moments and more chops than in your average butcher’s shop, particularly so with the thunderous riffage and screaming vocals of Cherry Red. It may be lacking in the stratospheric anthems of Led Zeppelin or the oppressive, crushing atmosphere of Black Sabbath, but this is an intriguing album that has more mood swings than your average nondescript teenager is likely to, even during lockdown: what better time than now to really try to get your head around it? 

For Fans Of: Blues Pills, Kyuss, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
DEAL: Cherry Red



Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country (1969)

Ok, this one is cheating a tiny bit, because CCR  are a massive band that have a lot of recognition (all deserved). As true as this is, though, most people only know their biggest hits, which is something that really should change because CCR have one of the most impressive discographies in Rock n Roll. While relatively light on the mega-hits, Bayou Country, their second album, arguably shines the brightest; packing feel-good Country Rock bangers, taut pop songwriting and extended blues jams into an album that is absolutely all killer and no filler. Songs like the laid back, slow burning title track and the irresistible sing-alongs of Bootleg and Proud Mary do not sit at odds with the meandering jam of Graveyard Train and the visceral guitar solos of Keep on Chooglin’ (never before or since has a song so audaciously, and successfully, pulled off a song that uses only one chord). Bayou Country is underpinned by a warm production and glaring authenticity that makes it difficult not to immediately fall in love with the thing, and you’ll never cease to wonder how so much can be said with so little. A truly dynamic album that crystallises the many facets of John Fogerty’s songwriting at the peak of their powers: essential listening.

For Fans Of: Kings of Leon, The Strokes, Pearl Jam
DEAL: Born on the Bayou

 
Stay safe, stay doomy and, most importantly, REMAIN ALERT!

BP

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW: Man in the Arena - a rebirth for The Sound of Origin

Image
The Sound of Origin are back with their second full-length in three years, Man in the Arena . After the release of the excellent The All Seeing Eye during lockdown, the band appeared at Bloodstock Festival for the first time in 2021 and recorded a cover of Alice Cooper's Sick Things for Pale Wizard Records. A rebrand followed, introducing a new drummer in Jack Walker, also of Gandalf the Green . On Man in the Arena , he brings a distinctly different flavour compared to the previous drummer, assuredly stamping his mark onto the band. Other than that, the deliciously fuzz-soaked riffs are still present and the other addition to personnel is Kyle Thomas, famously of Trouble , Alabama Thunderpussy and Exhorder , who lends his distinctive vocal prowess to two songs on the record. What does it sound like, then? Sound of Origin - Lockjaw/Morning Bird (live at Bloodstock 2021) The two Kyle Thomas-guested songs are a neat encapsulation of the two sides to Man in the Arena . Frail Old
Read more

ARTICLE: Why I love Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Image
On this day 50 years ago, Black Sabbath released Sabbath Bloody Sabbath on Vertigo I didn't grow up in a household of heavy music, so my first memory of hearing metal is being in my friend's kitchen at around seven years old, at the time when The Osbournes was on the telly. I didn't know what Black Sabbath or metal was back then, but I picked up on a couple of earworms that turned out to be Sabbath songs later down the line. Fast forward to the age of 13 and I was chatting to an older mate of mine about music. When I told him that I was listening to a lot of Green Day and Kings of Leon, he turned his nose up and told me I should try a bit of Black Sabbath and get into metal. I went to a youth club in my village back then and a few months after that conversation I noticed a CD lying by the player at the end of a night with 'Black Sabbath Greatest Hits' written on the front. I stole it, put it on my mp3 player (showing my generation here) and brought it back the n
Read more

LIVE REVIEW: Bands, breakdowns & beers on Sunday at Rabidfest 2023

Image
Rabidfest is a yearly event in Oxford that's seen the likes of Discharge , Diamond Head and Blaze Bayley headline through the years. I was there for the first time last year as a performer and was really impressed at how well-run the event was; this year is no different, with friendly security, bar staff, organisers and front of house, as well as a ton of incredible bands. I'm only able to make the Sunday this time unfortunately, but I'm still left with some serious local and national talent to enjoy for a full day.  I get to the Bullingdon to the sweet, dulcet tones of Fetus Destruction blaring out of the speakers. With a band name like theirs, and directly titled songs such as 'Kunt', you can make a good guess at what to expect, but what you wouldn't necessarily take for granted is just how tight they are as a live unit, with particularly intense drumming and an excellent lead vocal. Despite playing around two in the afternoon, there's a sizeable and
Read more