LUCIFER'S FRIEND s/t & Where The Groupies Killed The Blues Rare 2LP Vertigo Prog
£
27
$
36
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Description
Lucifer's Friend
Lucifer's Friend & Where The Groupies Killed The Blues
Rare German 2LP set released on Atlantic Records in 197?. Comes on the Blue Philips label in a gatefold sleeve.
Although they would develop a more prog-influenced style, this debut album finds Lucifer's Friend living up to their sinister name by performing heavy, keyboard-textured rock in the vein of Deep Purple or Uriah Heep. It gets off to a thunderous start with "Ride the Sky," a punchy rocker built on a rumbling, guitar-fuelled melody reminiscent of "The Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin. From there, the band works its way through a series of songs that combine heavy guitar riffs with often-complex arrangements that border on prog rock: "Keep Goin'" builds from organ-led verses into a guitar-dense jam driven home by John Lawton's wailing vocals, and the title track effectively contrasts heavy guitar-laden verses with an eerie chorus full odd keyboard and vocal effects to create its spooky atmosphere. Another highlight is "In the Time of Job When Mammon Was a Yippie," an eccentric but fun rocker featuring Lawton delivering an odd take on biblical history over a steady hard rock groove from the band. A downside of the album is that it lacks the varied instrumental textures that would make Lucifer's Friend's later work so interesting, but it makes up for this problem with a consistently high level of energy, clever arrangements, and a full-throttle vocal performance from Lawton. All in all, Lucifer's Friend is a solid debut and a worthwhile album for any listener interested in the roots of heavy metal.
On their second album, Lucifer's Friend pushes their sound in a more straightforward prog-rock direction with mixed results. The resulting album, Where the Groupies Killed the Blues, shows the band had the instrumental dexterity necessary for this style of music but lacked the discipline to create focused and coherent art rock. The album is riddled with instrumental solos that seem so different from the songs surrounding them that they often feel like they have been arbitrarily added to the songs. A good example of this problem is "Rose on the Vine": it features an arresting, Black Sabbathish guitar riff that is effectively doubled by the vocal melody but makes the mistake of burying these hooks in a series of noodly keyboard and guitar solos. The numbers that work the best are the ones that cut back the excesses and play up the group's songwriting skills: "Hobo" is a keyboard layered rocker built on a solid array of riffs and a dramatic vocal from John Lawton, and "Burning Ships" is an acoustic-based number that utilizes the band's instrumental chops to create a compelling atmosphere for the strong tune at its core. Ultimately, Where the Groupies Killed the Blues is neither fish nor fowl: it is too artsy and jazzy to please heavy metal fans, yet is too full of guitar bombast to make a comfortable listen for prog fans. It has enough moments of interest for anyone seriously interested in the work of Lucifer's Friend, but will most likely be seen by casual listeners as an interesting misfire.
TRACKS ARE :-
Side One
1 Ride The Sky
2 Everybody's Clown
3 Keep Goin'
4 Toxic Shadows
Side Two
1 Free Baby
2 Baby You're A Liar
3 In The Time Of Job When Mammon Was A Yippie
4 Lucifer's Friend
Side Three
1 Hobo
2 Rose On The Vine
3 Mother
Side Four
1 ...Where The Groupies Killed The Blues
2 Prince Of Darkness
3 Summerdream
4 Delirium
5 No Reason Or Rhyme
6 Burning Ships
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Released on Philips Records in 197?
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Catalogue Number 6623 132
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Records are in Mint condition
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Sleeve is in Near Mint condition
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