Express man (Groundhogs) (LP 2657 - 2663)

Groundhogs  Blues Obituary (CD, Parlophone Records, 1968) ***  

Groundhogs  Thank Christ For The Bomb (CD, Parlophone Records, 1970) **** 

Groundhogs  Split (CD, Parlophone Records, 1971) ***** 

Groundhogs  Who Will Save The World? The Mighty Groundhogs (CD, Parlophone Records, 1972) **** 

Groundhogs  Hogwash (CD, Parlophone Records, 1972) **** 

Groundhogs  Black Diamond (Vinyl, United Artists Records, 1976) *** 

Groundhogs  Hogs In Wolf's Clothing (CD, HTD Records, 1998) ***  

Genre: Blues rock

Places I remember: The original album series 5 CD set is from Fopp; Black Diamond from Slow Boat Records; Hogs In Wolf's Clothing - The Warehouse

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Cherry Red (Split)

Gear costume: Groundhog (Split)

Active compensatory factors: The Groundhogs have compiled an impressive back catalogue that I continue to add to in my collection.

The band of Blues Obituary, Thank Christ For The Bomb, Split and Who Will Save The World? The Mighty Groundhogs was a power trio (Tony McPhee guitar, Peter Cruickshank bass, and Ken Pustelnik drums). Indeed, they were a powerful unit!  

Blues Obituary was their second album and their identifiable sound is fully in place by now. 

Over the course of this and their third album (Thank Christ For The Bomb) they just got better and better without losing their identity (mainly coming from the rumbling bass, McPhee's vocal delivery and his thrusting guitar style). This is well illustrated by last song on that third album - Eccentric Man.

The band liked concepts (Thank Christ For The Bomb has one for each side). On fourth album Split, they were looking at the idea of schizophrenia - split personalities. 

Split (the song) comes in four parts on side one and is amazingly well thought out and played. Cherry Red kicks off (no better expression) side two in a spectacular way - apparently done in one take and maybe their best song.

It gets a bit freaky on side two (suitably so) and Split remains, for me, their best album. It's so intense, but great to listen to.

Who Will Save The World? The Mighty Groundhogs is another favourite album of mine.

The cover is brilliant and the music expands somewhat to include mellotron to great effect. It's also brilliantly recorded again, thanks to Martin Birch. The guy was an absolute genius with sound.

Hogwash, their second album of 1972, continues the stellar run of exceptional records. It was certainly a purple patch. The band are still exploring new sounds - Hogwash has a lot of progressive rock experimentation while still keeping the signature Groundhog sound intact.

The first two expansive tracks are especially effective - I Love Miss Ogyny and You Had A Lesson. 

My Groundhogs' collection post Hogwash is a little spotty - just Black Diamond from 1976 and much later on in their history - Hogs In Wolf's Clothing from 1998. 

Only Tony McPhee is present once he rebooted the band post 1975.

Black Diamond, having more of a mainstream rock approach, is good but not great. Fair play to Tony though - he's still brave enough to go for new sounds/ approaches. Some work, some don't.

I do like a lot of Hogs In Wolf's Clothing. Blues titans like Howlin' Wolf were a huge influence of the original band and so it's only fit and proper that this album pays homage to him and Willie Dixon by working through a collection of covers.

Where do they all belong? I'm still looking for a copy of Crosscut Saw and a few other Groundhog albums.