BullAngus ~ USA ~ New York

BullAngus (1971)

Hudson Valley's finest BullAngus (name stylized as such) broke onto the American stage with a grittier hard rock sound than most of their contemporaries. The dual guitarists are clearly the focus. BullAngus were certainly of their era, and you might find yourself pining for some cowbell. They also brought a few more ideas to the table than what was expected in North America at this time. Great organ work and even a little recorder (those high school private lessons finally paying off no doubt). They've got that Rare Earth and Grand Funk Railroad white boy funk thing going too. They never go off the leash for extended jamming (though there's plenty of solos), preferring to stay close to the song. 

Interesting to note that the producer says "Riff-rock should be played loud." So they called it that, eh?

Ownership: 1971 Mercury (LP)

No reissues exist as I enter this post.

1993 (first listen); 11//05; 1/7/25 (review)

Free For All (1972)

Free For All is the sophomore and final album from BullAngus. Similar in construction to the first album, Free For All is a mix of hard rock, bar boogie, late psych, and proto progressive rock. Organ and guitar are the focal instruments. I also picked up a distinct "Midwest Progressive Rock" sound on a couple of tracks, despite their New York roots, which prompted me to do a little research. Turns out they did embark on some extensive touring in the Midwest region. They opened for major acts of the day like Fleetwood Mac and Deep Purple, which appears to have had some impact on their sound. A good friend of mine will tell you BullAngus were the best US band ever, and he's heard a ton of music (way more than I), so they definitely had something going on here. Unfortunately their talent didn't result in sales, and this was to be the end for BullAngus.

Former ownership: 1972 Mercury (LP)

Not reissued as I update this post.

1/13/07 (first listen); 5/24/19 (review)

5/24/19 (new entry)