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Before Zeppelin, I liked Blue Cheer and . . .


Dirigible

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Blue Cheer were questionable musicians but they single-handedly invented 'heavy' music (not to be mistaken with heavy metal) by releasing two fun albums in 1968. They're freakin' great records: Vincebus Eruptum (supposedly Latin for We Control Chaos) in January; and OutsideInside in August. They played the complete version of The Hunter on OutsideInside that Plant appropriated in October '68 while recording How Many More Times---the "cause I've got you in the sights of my gun . . . " section.

Cactus was a great band too, their rhythm section from Vanilla Fudge, old friends of Zeppelin. The first song on their first album was a Mose Allison number mistitled Parchment Farm (actually Parchman Farm, a penitentiary in Mississippi). Blue Cheer mistitled it Parchment Farm on their album too, three or four years prior to Cactus' version.

Remember Mahavishnu Orchestra? John MacLaughlin played a double neck Gibson, their violinist played his ax through a Marshall amp with a wah wah pedal. Oh yeah, they had Billy Cobham on drums.

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I'm a huge fan of Blue Cheer! I have to admit I'm listening more often to Blue Cheer then Zeppelin. Love the two first albums, but the later one's, when guitarst Leigh Stephens had left the band, isn't as interesting though.

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Mahavishnu Orchestra, That violinist be Jerry Goodman. Ex of the Flock and another great band in they're own right

That's the same Flock Grant and Cole helped 'roadie' off the stage so Zeppelin could be occupying it at sunset at their second Bath Festival appearance June 28, 1970. Goodman's fiddling was extremely popular with the crowd that evening. His violin could duplicate guitar lines, especially McLaughlin's in Mahavishnu.

Fortunately I have a dozen Mahavishnu Orchestra bootlegs. When I saw them in 1973 Goodman garnered as much applause as McLaughlin and Cobham.

I'm knocked out people like Blue Cheer, their first two albums were their best. After Leigh Stephens left they were never the same. My favorite song: Come And Get It. "Flashing and scratching and feeling my pulse, yelling and screaming and pound on the WALL!"

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I love them but I'll never say that, never (here? in a lz forum? naaa)

Well, what can I say, LZ is one of many favorite bands of mine. I'd say that anywhere because it's the truth. :)

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That's the same Flock Grant and Cole helped 'roadie' off the stage so Zeppelin could be occupying it at sunset at their second Bath Festival appearance June 28, 1970. Goodman's fiddling was extremely popular with the crowd that evening. His violin could duplicate guitar lines, especially McLaughlin's in Mahavishnu.

Fortunately I have a dozen Mahavishnu Orchestra bootlegs. When I saw them in 1973 Goodman garnered as much applause as McLaughlin and Cobham.

I'm knocked out people like Blue Cheer, their first two albums were their best. After Leigh Stephens left they were never the same. My favorite song: Come And Get It. "Flashing and scratching and feeling my pulse, yelling and screaming and pound on the WALL!"

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That's the same Flock Grant and Cole helped 'roadie' off the stage so Zeppelin could be occupying it at sunset at their second Bath Festival appearance June 28, 1970. Goodman's fiddling was extremely popular with the crowd that evening. His violin could duplicate guitar lines, especially McLaughlin's in Mahavishnu.

Fortunately I have a dozen Mahavishnu Orchestra bootlegs. When I saw them in 1973 Goodman garnered as much applause as McLaughlin and Cobham.

I'm knocked out people like Blue Cheer, their first two albums were their best. After Leigh Stephens left they were never the same. My favorite song: Come And Get It. "Flashing and scratching and feeling my pulse, yelling and screaming and pound on the WALL!"

Damn, I can't do anything without my morning coffee :rolleyes::D . Is Saw Mahavishnu Orchestra on that tour as well and yeah, Jerry Goodman was an equal all the way. That was some group of musicians. Blue Cheer, Cactus great bands. Saw Cactus in 71 but never saw the Cheer.

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Did Cactus open for 10 Years After? You have great taste. Enjoy some Blue Cheer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlDPzlVSv8A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p125zt7aZKc...feature=related

Thanks for the links B) Actually, Cactus openned for Rod Stewart And The Faces in Dec 71 . They were fantastic. A band that could have been huge IMHO. One of the better live acts that I've seen and one of the few that could upstage the Faces at that point in time

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  • 1 year later...

Update (from myspace blog)

Just wanted to give you guys an update that I just received concerning Dickie. He just fought off an infection he had in his gall bladder for a few days and I am told he is looking forward to doing what he does best, playing kickass rock and roll.

Dickie thanks everyone for being as patient as can be and he will get to a computer as soon as possible.

cheers!

1%

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  • 8 months later...

Have to say that Blue Cheer's last album, What Doesn't Kill You... released in 2007 is really good. Need to get their live DVD Blue Cheer Rocks Europe and Dickie's solo album Child of Darkness I hear is also good. Really enjoying Blue Cheer right now.

"Rollin' Dem Bones" from their last album.

"It's the Blue Cheer, run for your lives! - Steve Allen

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I saw Blue Cheer in concert in 1968. They were impressive even from a distance.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_Pop_Festival

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They we pretty good. I never saw them but my husband did at the Newport Pop Festival. He had just bought their album and when he saw them at the NPF he was shocked because they were the first band he saw destroy their instruments and amps, which became popular later by you know Who.

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  • 4 months later...

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