• last year
Tear Gas - Tear Gas (1971 uk, superb hard progressive rock)

These Glasgow-based progressive/heavy rockers were originally known as Mustard. Their first vocalist Andy Mulvey had previously been with The Poets. However, he was soon replaced by David Batchelor and around the same time Gilson Lavis (their original drummer, who later played with Squeeze) was replaced by Richard Monro from Ritchie Blackmore's Mandrake Root. This line-up recorded Piggy Go Getter, which made little impact. In 1970, Hugh McKenna took over Batchelor's vocal role and Ted McKenna (ex-Dream Police) relieved Monro on drums. They recorded a second album and tried to establish themselves on the underground scene but were going nowhere with their brand of tired boogie heavy rock, until they teamed up with Alex Harvey in August 1972 to become The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

ZAL CLEMINSON gtr
CHRIS GLEN bs, vcls
HUGH McKENNA keyb'ds, vcls
TED McKENNA drms

1 That's What's Real 0:00
2 Love Story 6:06
3 Lay It on Me 13:07
4 Woman for Sale 16:52
5 I'm Glad 21:17
6 Where Is My Answer 27:05
7 Jailhouse Rock & All Shook Up 33:05
8 The First Time 38:55
Bonus Track
9 The Temptation of St. Anthony (live) 43:48

Great and underated hard and proto-heavy album. Really excellent production, great sound and great playing. Brilliant guitar, bass and drum work, good compositions and really a great hard combo. This album was produced in 1970 but the quality of the sound and of the musicianship could have been made later. In some songs sounds very heavy for the time and with a really "killer" guitar sound. Hard Rock and Heavy Rock in its best.

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