So here we are again, in the great American Midwest, this time from the southern Illinois town of Carbondale. 1973 is a bit early in the game for the classic regional sound, but some of the earmarks of the scene are already in place.
With 3 part thematic tracks (or poems as the liner notes state), and titles all beginning with 'Document of...' (e.g. 'Enigma', 'Validation', 'Extrinsic Value', etc...) and each featuring a creative instrumental mid-section, one has to wonder how such a heady band ended up with the Thunderpussy moniker. I could see a band having this name as a blues rock cover band playing for drunks and dopeheads - but I would think a name change may have been appropriate by the time they laid down the recordings. In essence Thunderpussy are a guitar trio, with many acoustic sections including flute, and sometimes utilize harmony similar to maybe CSN. As the album wears on, it becomes heavier and more ambitious, to the point where it could be considered the great grandfather of epic progressive metal. I wonder if fellow Midwesterners Manilla Road (and Mark Shelton was a knowledgeable music fan) might have stumbled onto one of these LPs in the 1970s. Or perhaps other groups were performing in the area that were similar to Thunderpussy back in the day, but there's no aural documents remaining. This album is distinctly American, underground, creative and flat out freakin' cool.
CD: 1996 The Wild Places
The CD is awesome with 4 live bonus tracks and historical liner notes.
The comparison is up to the point Tom. The heavier guitar parts sound very close to an early Mark Shelton.
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