Blue Cheer - New! Improved! (1969)

Blue Cheer - New! Improved! (1969)

Rock - Psychedelic - Blues-Rock
Year 1969 Label Philips
Type CD Catalog # AK 016
Year 2003 Label Akarma

The title is a bit misleading for, although this is certainly "new" Blue Cheer, it is hardly an "improvement." It is important as a document of a band with some influence and certain cult status. Now that the Velvet Underground have achieved true cult superstardom, it is bands like Blue Cheer that continue to get rediscovered by devotees of '60s music. Here, bassist Dick Peterson and drummer Paul Whalley present two distinctly different Blue Cheers. Side two works much better. It is 14 minutes and 43 seconds of three Randy Holden originals, "Peace of Mind," "Fruit & Iceburgs," and the brief "Honey Butter Lover." "Peace of Mind" is great, a lilting hard rock riff, and a refinement of the blistering Blue Cheer sound that launched them into the consciousness of the public. This is the stuff Grand Funk should've listened to — or better still, should have covered. Although both sides of this album were produced by Milan Melvin, Dot recording artists Burns Kellogg on piano and organ, and Bruce Stephens on guitars, sandblocks, and tortoise shell, cannot help Peterson lift the basement tape vibe of side one to a place where it can compete with Holden's contributions on the second side. Even covering Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry does not bring the effort anyway near the majesty of "Peace of Mind." Blue Cheer "As Different As Night and Day" would've been a better title for this disc. "Fruit & Icebergs" is heavy psychedelia. Black Sabbath's "Rat Salad" meets San Francisco's Big Brother & the Holding Company without Janis Joplin. The final track, "Honey Butter Lover," is a cute acoustic piece with more spirit than anything on side one, which makes this a real Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde album of Blue Cheer in transition.

Musicians :

Dickie Peterson : Bass, Lead Vocals
Bruce Stephens : Guitar, Lead And Back-Up Vocals
Ralph Burns Kellogg : Keyboards
Norman Mayell : Drums, Percussion

Tracklist:

New! Improved! (32:07)
01 When It All gets old (03:01)
02 West Coast Child Of Sunshine (02:41)
03 I Want My Baby Back (03:19)
04 Aces 'N' Eights (02:47)
05 As Long As I Live (02:20)
06 It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry (03:16)
07 Peace Of Mind (07:22)
08 Fruit & Iceburgs (06:05)
09 Honey Butter Lover (01:16)