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MiG records [Release date 30.09.22]
Having just completed an overview of the current “state of play” in rock music for our 20th anniversary I mentioned that there has been a void in recent times allowing old stagers to reform and bagging some of the action that they may not have experienced originally.
And what lands on the desk but Steamhammer. Do you remember them? Their debut came out in 1969 with the opening (and closing) track called ‘Water’ complete with sound effects (perhaps not one to listen to in a drought situation or if miles from a loo) and one of their songs ‘Junior’s Wailing’ was covered by Status Quo in 1970. And that’s about it. (The song appears again here).
Now founder member Martin Pugh and early keyboard player Pete Sears (who, now playing bass, subsequently worked with Rod Stewart and Jefferson Starship) have reunited with drummer John Lingwood and enlisted new vocalist/guitarist Phil Colombotto.
The band’s rhythm and blues roots are well displayed (early on they provided the backing band for Freddie King’s UK tours). There’s a funky undertow to the album and it’s like the early 1970s never went away.
Listen to the insistent groove on ‘Hi Lo Jick Jack Johnny’, ‘Wailing Once Again’, and ‘Fool For You’. The latter is a co-write with original vocalist Kieran White one of several including ‘I Wouldn’t Have Thought’ which first appeared on the 1970 live album ‘Mountains’.
The title track is a great example of this album’s appeal: a rather nice breakdown section attests the musicality and maybe reflects Sears’ jam-band work with Hot Tuna in the 1990s.
‘Man In The Blue Suede Shoes – Megans Song’ has a Jeff Beck ‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers’ vibe and is the only instrumental. ’24 Hours’ is a remake of the Eddie Boyd song included on their 1969 debut.
This latest iteration of the band is closer to the bluesier side shown on their first two albums although even on 1969′s ‘MK II’ there were elements of the prog present on the later album ‘Speech’ and the spin-off Armageddon (with Keith Relf). Fans of Tull and Blodwyn Pig during this period will find something of interest.
It may have taken Steamhammer 50 years, but the fact they can re-emerge and produce something as vibrant as ‘Wailing Again’ says perhaps more about the current scene.
Old but not obsolete? ****
Review by David Randall
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