thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
Some excellent album covers!
Lucifer's Friend: Heavy Metal Pioneers!!
- Thread starter Cactus Bob
- Start date
Metalownz
Audiophile? Getting there
Yeah! That first album cover creeps me out! I love it. My pressing that i should be receiving shortly (Philips) seems rather rare. It has an orange label.
The first four albums each had their own distinct sound. They went from the heavy sound on the first album to progressive rock then to straight ahead rock and then a more jazz/fusion sound. Not easy to grow a strong following when you change styles each record. Nonetheless, each album was pretty strong for the style of music being played. After John Lawton left for Uriah Heep that was the end of the band for me. I wouldn't discount the other albums after the debut. It's still my favorite too maybe because I liked the early Uriah Heep albums and that is what it sounds more like to me but there is some cool stuff on the other records too.
Metalownz
Audiophile? Getting there
Yeah, thats the only thing, i wish they would have been more consistent with their rock style that was on the first album. They might have become a bigger band back then. But, on the other hand, they were such a talented band that it was almost certain they were going to experiment with their sound.
UPDATE!! When I originally wrote this thread on Feb 19 I didn't even own this LP or CD, but did in the early 70's.
Today at a GoodWill store piled underneath Liberace, Jim Nabors & Jimmy Swaggart LP's was a near mint copy of "Lucifer's Friend!! I have been searching for this LP and was going to settle upon a CD version instead. I just took pictures of it. The record itself says "Radio & Review Copy" on it. On the cover it says you can play it in Quad or Stereo. See pictures!
Today at a GoodWill store piled underneath Liberace, Jim Nabors & Jimmy Swaggart LP's was a near mint copy of "Lucifer's Friend!! I have been searching for this LP and was going to settle upon a CD version instead. I just took pictures of it. The record itself says "Radio & Review Copy" on it. On the cover it says you can play it in Quad or Stereo. See pictures!
Attachments
It's Lucifer's Friend's Time!
I don't have one . . . I'll have to check that one out :thmbsp:
malden
Lunatic Member
I put that record up there with early Sabbath. Some jerk stole my copy but I found a reissue.
Mystic
We're all born mad
A very well-known artifact. I recall getting my first (of a few) copy of this LP the year it was released, so that'd be 1970, same year I got my first copy of Black Sabbath's debut LP.Any other fans of this LP? I found this video the other day . . . Cool Beans!
Lucifer's Friend was a German rock band formed in 1970. This LP had quite an impact on the future music known as metal. Never a chart breaker thank god for that it was essentially played on the underground FM stations of the day with the likes of Sabbath, Crimson, Hawkwind, Soft Machine, Amon Düül with genres like space rock, krautrock, freeform & jazz fusion. The self-titled 1970 debut had dark lyrics and a stripped-down guitar and organ style. The LP cover was always a crowd pleaser.
UPDATE!! SEE POST #25
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer's_Friend
As early influencers on what'd become METAL, I'm inclined to give the nod, overall, to Sabbath. But, LF were definitely an influential outfit, perhaps especially in the area of what'd become Progressive Metal. I liked these guys.
FWIW, my favorite LF album is not the debut, but their second releases, i.e., Where The Groupies Killed The Blues (1972).
I'll have to check that album out, never heard it before.
Mystic
We're all born mad
Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about their album Banquet (1974). That's another really good one.
cc: @Cactus Bob
I recently picked up Mind Exploding and have yet to play it.
Mystic
We're all born mad
I had to look it up at Discogs to be sure, and yes, I have that one, but not with me here, it's with the whoppin' heap of vinyl trove that's still back in The States. IIRC, I have the Vertigo (German) release.
I have the same pressing . . . will spin it this weekend.
jammonz
Active Member
Wow........I just came across this post, although its a few years old. LOL.Any other fans of this LP? I found this video the other day . . . Cool Beans!
Lucifer's Friend was a German rock band formed in 1970. This LP had quite an impact on the future music known as metal. Never a chart breaker thank god for that it was essentially played on the underground FM stations of the day with the likes of Sabbath, Crimson, Hawkwind, Soft Machine, Amon Düül with genres like space rock, krautrock, freeform & jazz fusion. The self-titled 1970 debut had dark lyrics and a stripped-down guitar and organ style. The LP cover was always a crowd pleaser.
UPDATE!! SEE POST #25
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer's_Friend
I bought this album on sale along with a group called Ursa Major at a local music store back in 71' or so.......Loved both of them although I'd never seen or heard anything since.
The album cover is absolutely unforgettable and so is the music........YES, they were VERY dark and YES, they were absolutely Heavy and Metal.
Ursa Major reminded me of a refined Grand Funk Railroad with more keyboard work like Deep Purple early stuff.
Never heard Ursa Major but I am very familiar with Dick Wagner . . . Ursa Major also had Billy Joel on keys and Rick Derringer on guitar at some point?
Ursa Major – Ursa Major (1972) *Dick Wagner *Rick Derringer *Billy Joel
Ursa Major is one of my favorite obscure rock bands on this blog. THEY ROCK! This was one of Dick Wagner’s bands before he played with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and KISS. Rick Derringer was als…
hardrock60sn70s.wordpress.com
jammonz
Active Member
Man, I wish I could have those albums back. I DO remember that Ursa Major had a few bigger names (later) playing on the album but couldn't recollect who exactly. Thanks for reminding me. It's really good history and I just love to track where certain artists cut their teeth on different Genres through the years. Rick Derringer also spent some time with Johnny Winter and it showed later when he was doing more work on his own and with Edgar.Never heard Ursa Major but I am very familiar with Dick Wagner . . . Ursa Major also had Billy Joel on keys and Rick Derringer on guitar at some point?
Ursa Major – Ursa Major (1972) *Dick Wagner *Rick Derringer *Billy Joel
Ursa Major is one of my favorite obscure rock bands on this blog. THEY ROCK! This was one of Dick Wagner’s bands before he played with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and KISS. Rick Derringer was als…
Billy Joel has always been a great pianist and THAT's what I was remembering about their sound being heavier in keyboards than the comparable GFR........if I remember right any way.
There were many bands that were around during the early 70's that I really liked but soon split because of artistic differences and etc. One band I miss and wished would have also stayed together for more recording was Potliquor. I was only aware of 2 albums and I had both. There may have been many more but our local music store got to where they handled more mainstream stuff and lost track of a lot of great bands (Nitzinger Blues Band for example) in which sucked big time for me. I was more into obscure and less mainstream than most of my friends at the time and became an introductor(?) of some that became famous later on. Those days are way gone.