Groundhogs ~ England

Thank Christ for the Bomb (1970)

This is one of Groundhogs legendary albums and I was certain I'd love it. After three straight listens, I just can't feel it. Yes, it's very good blues rock but it's falling into that familiar 3.5 range. There are some great moments but it's inconsistent. It seems the Groundhogs weren't sure if they wanted to be blues, hard rock, or psych. More of the latter two would have been for sure a keeper.

Source: 1970 Liberty (LP). Gatefold.

5/11/23 (review)   

Hogwash (1972)

Groundhogs were one of the iconic groups of the British blues underground that proliferated throughout the late 60s and early 70s. Some bands - like Led Zeppelin - transcended the genre to its greatest heights. But most of the groups didn't stretch out much, and are now a footnote in history. Many also come with a healthy price tag as they didn't sell much originally given that competition was fierce. From Ashkan to Zior the number of groups operating in this space in England were extensive.

By the early 70s, Groundhogs had made the necessary changes to survive the ever changing customer base. Namely adding progressive rock elements including mellotron. They also managed to maintain their psychedelic past, noted in Tony McPhee's blistering (at times) guitar work. Hogwash is not as easy album to describe because it does possess a multitude of styles without any kind of special songwriting. There isn't anything head turning, with 'Earth Shanty' being the most overtly prog number here. This is one of those albums that probably will need more time and listens to fully penetrate. With that in mind, I'll stick it in the collection for another round in the future.

Former ownership: LP: 1973 United Artists (USA). Tri-fold. Acquired in 2022. Downsized in 2026.

10/30/22 (new entry)