Crank - A Night In The cave (US Hard Rock)

 

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Crank is partly the reason this blog exists. I first heard it last year after Ogmonster and Kismeth posted it on www.stonerrock.com. I was so impressed ('Don't Push Me Away' is a stand-out) I was inspired to release my own compilations, evolving into this blog.

It rekindled a woefully neglected interest in obscure rock that I developed some years earlier, after finding uploads by 'ChrisGoesRock'. He ripped a huge rare rock vinyl collection and shared it with the world in the early 2000's when torrent sites were just emerging, introducing me to amazing albums by bands like Sir Lord Baltimore, Bang, Captain Beyond and Leaf Hound. I made a bunch of tape compilations for myself and friends, the rest is history as they say.

[Edit in 2025. Recently the true identity of Crank was confirmed, you can read more at ancientgreaserecords.com]

It's the b-side of a split LP, featuring the bands 'Thump Theater' and 'Crank'. It's not clear when it was recorded (69-71 approx) or what became of the bands.

Here's a description I have found on a few mail-order sites:

"Heavy-rock with progressive touch, split lp unearthed by the rockadelic label featuring ultra-rare underground 70s hard rock sounds (c. 1971) with one side by each band. these tapes came from the cavern sound studios (stoned circus, bulbous creation, phantasia, trizo 50); the crank tape had ‘zep jr.’ written on the box, which is pretty accurate frame of reference. Thump Theater offers a more progressive rock sound with some good guitar breaks and catchy lyrics. last copies from a long gone edition from 1997 of around 600 copies."

As for Crank's music, it's consistently heavy, tightly played energetic hard blusey rock, packed with sharp riffs. Owing a debt to Led Zep no doubt, but with it's own brand of aggression it stands on it's own merit as the sound of a young and extremely talented band that could have gone on greater success. The final track regresses slightly in to standard blues-rock, but this is eminently forgivable, acknowledging the influences this music emerged from. This really deserves to be on here, so ENJOY!

Tracks:
01. Let Go
02. Give You My Love
03. Want You Back
04. Don't Push Me Away
05. N F T B

Cheers, Rich

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The Day After The Sabbath 28: Thor's Hammer [Nordic pt.1]

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The Day After The Sabbath 28: Thor's Hammer [Nordic 1] by Rich Aftersabbath on Mixcloud

Volume 28 of TDATS: Thor's Hammer, features bands from Scandinavia and related Nordic countries (Edit: Since doing this I have also made 72: Denmark | 81: Norway | 75: Sweden | 88: Finland | 124: Iceland). As we know, they have an awesome track record in heavy music, their dedication, seemingly instinctive musical talent and made-for-metal cultural heritage will continue to amaze.

01. Trúbrot (Iceland) - I. Forleikur / What We Believe In (1970)
02. Blues Addicts (Denmark) - 5/4 (1970)
03. Apollo (Finland) - Ajatuksia (1970)
04. Høst (Norway) - Samhold (1974)
05. Trettioåriga Kriget (Sweden) - Röster Från Minus Till Plus (1974)
06. Rhapsody (Sweden) - Strange Vibrations (1978)
07. Sume (Greenland) - Nye Tider (1973)
08. Moses (Denmark) - Changes (1971)
09. Plebb (Sweden) - Tankar Om Natten (1979)
10. Råg i Ryggen (Sweden) - Det kan väl inte vara farligt (1975)
11. Shaggy (Sweden) - Destination Nowhere (1975)
12. Hurdy Gurdy (Denmark) - Spaceman / Improv (1971)

Trúbrot kick off the proceedings, one of Iceland's foremost rock bands from the late 60s, they played many styles and had some decent heaviness here and there. Blues Addicts introduce themselves with some nice honest heavy blues, lead vocalist and guitarist Ivan Horn later joined C.V. Jørgensen amongst many other "big" Danish bands. Apollo, who were mostly made up from members of the popular Finnish band Topmost, play some loose psych with doom feel.

Høst have featured on previous comps, a very talented Norwegian band who's heavy prog often veered into NWOBHM-like territory, well before it's inception. I really like the Trettioåriga Kriget track here, it's an involved piece with some jarring time-changes that I can imagine experimental metal bands like Meshuggah having fun covering. Rhapsody are a good example of where metal was heading towards the late 70s with the rise of bands like Judas Priest. Sume offer a chilled track for a pleasant half-time breather before the compilation ploughs to the end with some nice Sabbathy doom from Moses and more awesome prog showmanship from Råg i Ryggen.

Thanks for listening.
Rich

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The Day After The Sabbath 27: Psych Tentacles [heavy psych pt.1]

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Volume 27: Psych Tentacles, features 60's heavy psych, pure fuzz and wah worship! The Amboy Dukes were the starting point for Ted Nugent, and Art were the original version of a band you may know better, Spooky Tooth. The Bluestars were an NZ band with a cool 60s punk snarl, similar to The Who. The Attack had a revolving line-up and at various times featured musicians who would go on to The Nice, Atomic Rooster, Andromeda and The Marmalade. Mind Garage are touted as one of the first "Christian Rock" bands, not that you'd notice anything very religious in their sludgy sound and offers of clothes-tearing here! The Bonniwell Music Machine (aka The Music Machine) had some chart  success in the US, as did The Sparkles, who were produced by Roy Orbison's drummer, Larry Parks. There is an interview with The Open Mind's bassist Timothy Du Feu here at Psychedelic Baby webzine. The Vox Wah Wah ad at the end, according to Pebbles Volume 2 (1979), was played by San Fernando Valley's The Electric Prunes.

01. Giant Crab - Hot Line Conversation (1968)
02. The Glass Sun - Silence of the Morning (1971) [previously regarded as 1968] 
03. The Attack - Mr Pinnodmy’s Dilemma (1968)
04. The Amboy Dukes - Flight of the Byrd (1968)
05. Art - Room With a View (1967)
06. High Tide - Death Warmed Up (1969)
07. The Bluestars - Social End Product (1966)
08. Bulldog Breed - When The Sun Stands Still (1969)
09. The Bonniwell Music Machine - You'll Love Me Again (1968)
10. The Open Mind - Magic Potion (1969)
11. Eden's Children - If She's Right (1968)
12. The Sparkles - No Friend of Mine (1967)
13. Heavy Balloon - Barnyard Blues (1969)
14. Brain Police - World of Wax (1968)
15. Mind Garage - Asphalt Mother (1968)
16. Damnation of Adam Blessing - Cookbook (1969)
17. Vox - Wah Wah ad (1966)


Thanks for listening.
Rich

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The Day After The Sabbath 26

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Volume 26 of TDATS features a collection of straight out rocking tracks with a few famous individuals. Track 1 is hard rock with prog, Far East Family Band (formerly called 'Far Out') play some great mellow but groovy Floydish space rock. Black Sheep included Lou Gramm and Armageddon were a supergroup with drummer Bobby Caldwell (Captain Beyond), singer Keith Relf (Yardbirds/Renaissance), guitarist Martin Pugh (Steamhammer), and bassist Louis Cennamo (Renaissance/Steamhammer). One St. Steven is the work of Don L. Patterson, a one man band, who originally intended the music to be on a soundtrack to a movie that was never finished. On track 11 we have a cover of a Cactus classic, and Arthur Brown's varied space rock opus 'Come Alive'.

01. Young Man (1973)
02. Oda - Gabriel (1973)
03. Strife - Magic Of The Dawn (1975)
04. Far East Family Band - Timeless (1975)
05. Alkana - On Our Own (1978)
06. Black Sheep - Far Side Of The Sun (1975)
07. Armageddon - Last Stand Before (1975)
08. One St. Stephen - You May Be Religious/Junkies Lament (1975)
09. Dryewater - Winterground (1974)
10. Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You (1970)
11. Monster Magnet - Evil (Is Going On) [Cactus cover] (1993)
12. Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come - Come Alive [edit] (1973)

Cheers, Rich.

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