The Groundhogs (Official Thread)

[Sox]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

Great band, great thread Joe, the albums that have been put up are excellent IMO .. here's a bit of Tony that may interest and be worth looking into ,, from 1993 "Foolish Pride". I picked it up at a Blues gig in the 90's (can't for the life of me remember which one though).

 

[joe]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

Thanx Sox. I know are a big fan. I don't have that particular solo album from the 'Hog though I have "Me And The Devil" and "The Two Sides Of Tony(T.S.) McPhee. I plan on posting some tunes from both of these albums at the end of thread. A ways to go yet though.

 

[joe]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

Recorded in Tony McPhee's home studio in 1974, Solid seems to fall off the radar when the band's albums are discussed and a lot of Groundhog fans prefer it over Hogwash.

Bassist Pete Cruickshanks stated after the album was released that this was more a Tony McPhee solo album as the 'Hog(McPhee) took over and played some bass lines in a couple of tunes from the album. McPhee took more of an electronic experiment on this album from previous releases and went kind of crazy with the increase use of synthesizers, mellotrons, ring modulators, phasers and wah wahs that gives a listener the feeling of falling into a swirling wash of sound. It does work as McPhee is no question an eccentric.

With this new electronic approach and the 'Hog's dominance over the album the other two members became more disillusioned and alienated in the studio as well with the record company and at the same time they were having management problems as well and the band split.

 

[joe]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

Tony McPhee put together a new line up for 1976 with bassist Martin Kent, drummer Mick Cook and a second guitarist Rick Adams for two album releases that year.

Black Diamond was the first of the two to be released and the music leaves the heavy blues base behind and takes on more that typical mid '70's commercial hard rock sound that was all too common. McPhee wanted this to be a solo album but his record company twisted his arm to release under the Groundhogs. There is a couple of tracks that leave you asking, "is this the 'Hogs?"







_________________________________________________________________


The second release that year was Crosscut Saw which sounds similar to Black Diamond with more snarling over the top guitar from the 'Hog. His use of electronics on his guitar features slick, dark, distorted sound of twisted metal with acoustic overlays. Probably the better of the two albums. Both were later released bundle together in one CD.

 

[DaKillerWolf]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

Don't shoot me for this ,Joe .

They don't sound like the old stuff and not near as good IMO but I still kinda like both of 'em

 

[joe]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

^^^I wouldn't shoot ya, maybe slap ya around a bit.

No, seriously I agree with you. After Solid that 'Hog's sound and style did change. Like so many other rock bands in that time period of the mid/late '70's, the music was changing and punk and disco pushed a lot of bands to the brink of extinction.

 

[DaKillerWolf]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

^^^I wouldn't shoot ya, maybe slap ya around a bit.

No, seriously I agree with you. After Solid that 'Hog's sound and style did change. Like so many other rock bands in that time period of the mid/late '70's, the music was changing and punk and disco pushed a lot of bands to the brink of extinction.

You might as well my GF thinks I'm her heavy bag so it wouldn't be anything new


I know exactly what you mean but I think the fact that so many hard rock bands moved into a more commercial sound during the time period that it alienated their core fans and had a bigger effect on killing them off then the trendy genres

Having said that I think that The Groundhogs' move to a more musical "mid ground" was alot more interesting then most of the other bands who made that same move during the era.

 

[joe]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

^^^

Excellent point Wolf. I think in some cases some bands did go to that "mainstream" sound because of other trendy genres as well as some bands weren't having the success up to thier or thier record companies expectations thus changing thier formula hoping to to capture more fans, or both in combination. Unfortunately, many bands from that early 70's period failed miserably trying to garner "stardom" and did alienate thier fans, though there was a few that did reach the stars.

Many of my fav bands took this route, not only in the '70's but in the '80's as well. Some did try to come back around but it was all but too late as they had disappointed not only thier first fans, but then the new fans as well and crashed. There is a very few examples of bands having success taking this route IMO.

 

[Nololob]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

In 2009 they announced recording a new album. I wonder how's going.

 

[joe]

Re: The "MIGHTY" Groundhogs

In 2009 they announced recording a new album. I wonder how's going.

I think Tony McPhee took ill. It was either Sox or Sweaty mentioned it sometime ago. Stroke, I think. I could be wrong on that.