I just realised that today is 54 years to the day since this album was released and so it deserves dusting off and to be given a mention. Described variously on one end of the spectrum as "a glorious celebration of rock & roll primitivism" (Mark Deming) and conversely "a howling mess." (Martin Popoff) this album has a particular claim to fame.
In 1961 William S. Burroughs wrote “Uranian Willy the Heavy Metal Kid" and a few years later Steppenwolf put the term into music history with their track 'Born to be Wild' when Mars Bonfire wrote - "I like smoke and lightnin', heavy metal thunder". It wasn't until 1970 though that the term 'Heavy Metal' was used to describe a genre of music. Once the term was coined and accepted, bands began to be labelled retrospectively.
Top of the heap to be given that label, and touted by many to be first, were Blue Cheer. This was their debut album and the lead-off track, a cover of Eddie Cochran's 'Summertime Blues' had all the elements needed to deserve the credit. Made up of a powerhouse trio, Blue Cheers members gave no quarter. Dickie Petersons uncompromising vocals and driving bass along with Leigh Stephens playing Jimi Hendricks guitar before Jimi did were pushed along by Paul Whaley's drumming and above all it was LOUD !!!
When they appeared on the Steve Allen Show in 1968 to play 'Summertime Blues' the introduction went like this ..
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Blue Cheer. Run for your lives."
Blues aficionados can try to find something in B.B. King's 'Rock Me Baby' or a variation of Mose Allisons 'Parchman Farm' which is titled 'Parchment Farm' here. For everyone else, the best taste of what Blue Cheer is all about is to turn up the volume and be assaulted by 'Doctor Please'.
It was good to hear this album again 54 years later - I wonder how it will hold up in another 54 years time. BTW, the Band's name was also the name of a laundry detergent and an LSD variant. I'll leave you to figure out which one they had in mind.
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