Post by ginnie on Sept 3, 2008 20:27:46 GMT -5
Good evening boys and girls.
Let me introduce to the Sensational Alex Harvey Band:
In 1972, Harvey formed the Sensational Alex Harvey Band with guitarist Zal Cleminson, bassist Chris Glen, and cousins Ted and Hugh McKenna on drums and keyboards respectively, all previous members of progressive rock act "Tear Gas".
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (often shortened to SAHB) produced a succession of highly regarded albums and tours throughout the 1970s, and would give Harvey his greatest successes, both musically and commercially.
Initially considered a part of the burgeoning glam-rock movement, Harvey's wild imagination and unusual skiffle background led the band to explore an extremely diverse range of topics and styles in the course of their career, from film-noir ("The Man In The Jar") to surf music-tinted tales of shark attacks ("Shark's Teeth") to ominous odes to demented faith healers ("The Faith Healer") and epic symphonies about witchcraft ("Isobel Gowdie"). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Harvey#SAHB
That is what Wikipedia says.
What I say is this :
In the early and mid seventies, the SAHB were one of the most exciting and interesting bands in the world.
Alex Harvey, an old timer who had been around singing the blues since the late fifties and appeared in the "Hair" musical teams up with Tear Gas, a Scottish band going nowhere.
Fusing Alex's experience, charisma and voice with a talented group of young musicians results in an original and forceful group.
Key to this would be their sense of humour, and stage presence. Drawing on the blues, rock'n roll and comics their original compositions are loud, funny and bawdy. Also, they could interpret a song very well - well, they would re-invent it really. When Alex sings "Delilah", (yes, that song Tom Jones sang), you can see him using the knife too!
Hear "Framed", an old blues number and you can picture Alex in handcuffs.
The great superhero Vambo - "a cross between SpiderMan and Santa Claus", Alex called him appears in "Vambo" and "Vambo Marble Eye" (hear the opening guitar riff here!).
Listen to the throbbing, pulsating "Faith Healer" or the buildup of "Anthem" ending with a chorus of bagpipes and vocals. I love that snare.
SAHB put out a few decent albums:
Framed - twisted blues. "Framed", "Saint Anthony" "Midnight Moses", "The Hammer Song" A must.
Next - who else could sing a song called "Gang Bang" ? ""Faith Healer", "Next" and the of course "The Last of the Teenage Idols". Another essential.
The Impossible Dream - "I know its time to say goodbye, when I feel your warmth against my thing - Hey! Is that you pissing on my leg..." The characters - The Man in the Jar, Sgt. Fury, Tomahawk Kid and of course Vambo. Get this album now!
These three albums are the best. Listen to "The Penthouse Tapes" if you want to hear them take on Alice Cooper, The Osmond Brothers, Lead Belly and Irving Berlin. SAHB's "Pinups" album.
Oh, and also their LIVE album is excellent too, and LIVE AT BBC1.
A lot of their CD's now have two albums on one CD. e.g. www.amazon.com/Impossible-Dream-Tomorrow-Belongs-Me/dp/B000063KFX/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1220492018&sr=8-9
When I first started jamming in 1975 or so, one of the first things we learned we SAHB songs - Faith Healer, Vambo, Swampsnake...
Faith Healer is almost all one note, but it sure is fun to learn timing that way. Plus the throb and pulse part.
FRAMED
ANTHEM
FAITH HEALER
MIDNIGHT MOSES
INTERVIEW WITH ALEX
Surely one of the most underrated bands of all time! I'd be very interested on what ye all out there think them - good or bad.
Let me introduce to the Sensational Alex Harvey Band:
In 1972, Harvey formed the Sensational Alex Harvey Band with guitarist Zal Cleminson, bassist Chris Glen, and cousins Ted and Hugh McKenna on drums and keyboards respectively, all previous members of progressive rock act "Tear Gas".
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (often shortened to SAHB) produced a succession of highly regarded albums and tours throughout the 1970s, and would give Harvey his greatest successes, both musically and commercially.
Initially considered a part of the burgeoning glam-rock movement, Harvey's wild imagination and unusual skiffle background led the band to explore an extremely diverse range of topics and styles in the course of their career, from film-noir ("The Man In The Jar") to surf music-tinted tales of shark attacks ("Shark's Teeth") to ominous odes to demented faith healers ("The Faith Healer") and epic symphonies about witchcraft ("Isobel Gowdie"). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Harvey#SAHB
That is what Wikipedia says.
What I say is this :
In the early and mid seventies, the SAHB were one of the most exciting and interesting bands in the world.
Alex Harvey, an old timer who had been around singing the blues since the late fifties and appeared in the "Hair" musical teams up with Tear Gas, a Scottish band going nowhere.
Fusing Alex's experience, charisma and voice with a talented group of young musicians results in an original and forceful group.
Key to this would be their sense of humour, and stage presence. Drawing on the blues, rock'n roll and comics their original compositions are loud, funny and bawdy. Also, they could interpret a song very well - well, they would re-invent it really. When Alex sings "Delilah", (yes, that song Tom Jones sang), you can see him using the knife too!
Hear "Framed", an old blues number and you can picture Alex in handcuffs.
The great superhero Vambo - "a cross between SpiderMan and Santa Claus", Alex called him appears in "Vambo" and "Vambo Marble Eye" (hear the opening guitar riff here!).
Listen to the throbbing, pulsating "Faith Healer" or the buildup of "Anthem" ending with a chorus of bagpipes and vocals. I love that snare.
SAHB put out a few decent albums:
Framed - twisted blues. "Framed", "Saint Anthony" "Midnight Moses", "The Hammer Song" A must.
Next - who else could sing a song called "Gang Bang" ? ""Faith Healer", "Next" and the of course "The Last of the Teenage Idols". Another essential.
The Impossible Dream - "I know its time to say goodbye, when I feel your warmth against my thing - Hey! Is that you pissing on my leg..." The characters - The Man in the Jar, Sgt. Fury, Tomahawk Kid and of course Vambo. Get this album now!
These three albums are the best. Listen to "The Penthouse Tapes" if you want to hear them take on Alice Cooper, The Osmond Brothers, Lead Belly and Irving Berlin. SAHB's "Pinups" album.
Oh, and also their LIVE album is excellent too, and LIVE AT BBC1.
A lot of their CD's now have two albums on one CD. e.g. www.amazon.com/Impossible-Dream-Tomorrow-Belongs-Me/dp/B000063KFX/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1220492018&sr=8-9
When I first started jamming in 1975 or so, one of the first things we learned we SAHB songs - Faith Healer, Vambo, Swampsnake...
Faith Healer is almost all one note, but it sure is fun to learn timing that way. Plus the throb and pulse part.
FRAMED
ANTHEM
FAITH HEALER
MIDNIGHT MOSES
INTERVIEW WITH ALEX
Surely one of the most underrated bands of all time! I'd be very interested on what ye all out there think them - good or bad.