Climax Blues Band - Stamp Album (1975 uk, fantastic funky blues rock
- 9 months ago
Climax Blues Band - Stamp Album (1975 uk, fantastic funky blues rock
England's Climax Blues Band saw their first taste of mainstream acceptance with 1975's Stamp Album, a solid mix of blues rock, funk, and jazzy pop that paved the way for their eventual platinum success with Gold Plated a year later. Led by the stellar guitar work & vocals of Pete Haycock, the band was completed by Colin Cooper (sax, clarinet, flute, keyboards), Derek Holt (bass, vocals), Richard Jones (keyboards, bass, guitar, vocals), and John Cuffley (drums, vocals), in what is considered one of the strongest line-ups the band had.
Haycock's stinging guitar licks & Cooper's melodic sax drive the catchy, upbeat blues rocker "Using the Power", a great opener to Stamp Album that sets the stage for the rest of the record. "Mr. Goodtime" is a smoldering slice of bluesy, jazzy funk, littered with Jones' clavinet and Haycock's biting lead guitar, and the hook laden, rootsy "I Am Constant" was the albums hit single, a catchy rock number that will appeal to any fan of Little Feat or the Doobie Brothers. "Running Out of Time" is a pulsating funk rocker with a great vocal from Cooper and more delicious clavinet & guitar.
The band dives into melodic pop on the engaging "Sky High", a song I'm surprised the band didn't release as a hit single, and burst through with scorching Lynyrd Skynyrd styled southern rock on the nasty slide guitar attack of "Rusty Nail/The Devil Knows". Haycock really nails it with some searing slide on this gritty bluesy hard rock song, and the tune also features some wild Jethro Tull inspired flute from Cooper and Jones' great piano lines. Jones and his honky tonk piano & Cooper's soaring sax are all over "Loosen Up", and the closing instrumental "Cobra" sees the band combining rock, blues, and jazz-fusion styles for an exciting, yet brief ride.
Tracks:
All tracks written by Climax Blues Band.
01. Using The Power - 0:00
02. Mr. Goodtime - 4:34
03. I Am Constant - 9:53
04. Running Out Of Time - 13:04
05. Sky High - 18:28
06. Rusty Nail/The Devil Knows - 23:38
07. Loosen Up - 27:55
08. Spirit Returning - 33:00
09. Cobra - 35:56
Personnel:
- Colin Cooper - saxophones, clarinet, flute, vocals
- John Cuffley - drumkit, percussion, vocals
- Peter Haycock - lead, slide & acoustic guitars, vocals
- Derek Holt - Fender bass, Fretless bass, vibes, vocals
- Richard Jones - Rhodes, Tack & Grand pianos, clavinet, Haven & Hammond organ, bass, acoustic guitar, vocals
England's Climax Blues Band saw their first taste of mainstream acceptance with 1975's Stamp Album, a solid mix of blues rock, funk, and jazzy pop that paved the way for their eventual platinum success with Gold Plated a year later. Led by the stellar guitar work & vocals of Pete Haycock, the band was completed by Colin Cooper (sax, clarinet, flute, keyboards), Derek Holt (bass, vocals), Richard Jones (keyboards, bass, guitar, vocals), and John Cuffley (drums, vocals), in what is considered one of the strongest line-ups the band had.
Haycock's stinging guitar licks & Cooper's melodic sax drive the catchy, upbeat blues rocker "Using the Power", a great opener to Stamp Album that sets the stage for the rest of the record. "Mr. Goodtime" is a smoldering slice of bluesy, jazzy funk, littered with Jones' clavinet and Haycock's biting lead guitar, and the hook laden, rootsy "I Am Constant" was the albums hit single, a catchy rock number that will appeal to any fan of Little Feat or the Doobie Brothers. "Running Out of Time" is a pulsating funk rocker with a great vocal from Cooper and more delicious clavinet & guitar.
The band dives into melodic pop on the engaging "Sky High", a song I'm surprised the band didn't release as a hit single, and burst through with scorching Lynyrd Skynyrd styled southern rock on the nasty slide guitar attack of "Rusty Nail/The Devil Knows". Haycock really nails it with some searing slide on this gritty bluesy hard rock song, and the tune also features some wild Jethro Tull inspired flute from Cooper and Jones' great piano lines. Jones and his honky tonk piano & Cooper's soaring sax are all over "Loosen Up", and the closing instrumental "Cobra" sees the band combining rock, blues, and jazz-fusion styles for an exciting, yet brief ride.
Tracks:
All tracks written by Climax Blues Band.
01. Using The Power - 0:00
02. Mr. Goodtime - 4:34
03. I Am Constant - 9:53
04. Running Out Of Time - 13:04
05. Sky High - 18:28
06. Rusty Nail/The Devil Knows - 23:38
07. Loosen Up - 27:55
08. Spirit Returning - 33:00
09. Cobra - 35:56
Personnel:
- Colin Cooper - saxophones, clarinet, flute, vocals
- John Cuffley - drumkit, percussion, vocals
- Peter Haycock - lead, slide & acoustic guitars, vocals
- Derek Holt - Fender bass, Fretless bass, vibes, vocals
- Richard Jones - Rhodes, Tack & Grand pianos, clavinet, Haven & Hammond organ, bass, acoustic guitar, vocals