Genre: rock
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: NRBQ
Company: Columbia
Catalog: CS-9858
Year: 1969
Country/State: Miami, Florida
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4597
Price: $15.00
Cost: $1.00
Quick biographical overview for anyone who isn't already a big NRBQ fan ...
Keyboardist Terry Adams and lead guitarist Steve Ferguson met while members of the Louisville-based Mersey Beats USA. By the mid-1960s, in a quest for steadier working conditions, the pair had decamped to Miami, Florida where they hooked up with New Jersey-based The Seven of Us singer Frank Gadler, bassist Joey Spampinato (aka Joe St. Nicholas) and drummer Tom Staley. As The New Rhythm and Blues Quintet (easy to see why they opted for NRBQ), the group quickly moved to New Jersey where their already quirky live show began attracting fans. They also found a mentor in the form of bluesman Slim Harpo. Harpo helped the band land a spot at Steve Paul's New York club The Scene which eventually caught the attention of A&R types working for Columbia Records.
Signed by Columbia, the group made their recording debut with 1969's cleverly titled "NRBQ". In a nutshell, the album is simply unlike anything else being released at the time. All but ignoring the public's infatuation with psych and blues-rock, these guys turned in a set that bounced all over the musical spectrum, including stabs at country ('Kentucky Slop Song'), hardcore blues (a steaming cover of Eddie Cochran's 'C'mon If You're Comin''), rockabilly ('C'mon Everybody'), sensitive singer/songwriter (Ferguson's 'I Didn't Know Myself') and straightforward pop ('You Can't Hide'). For goodness sake, there's even a Sun Ra cover ('Rocket Number 9') !!! Every time I hear this album I simply scratch my head and wonder what Columbia Records was thinking when it signed them. An amazing debut that some four decades later may still be the best thing they've done. How a newly signed band managed to get away with it is beyond me!
In spite of the fact Columbia didn't have a clue as to what to do with the band, the company still pulled two singles from the LP:
1969's 'Stomp' b/w
'I Didn't Know Myself' (Columbia catalog number 4-44865)
1969's 'C'mon Everybody' b/w 'Rocket # 9' (Columbia catalog number 4-44937)
"NRBQ" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) C'mon
Everybody (Capehart - Eddie Cochran)
2.) Rocket Number 9 (Sun Ra)
3.) Kentucky Slop Song (Terry Adams)
4.) Ida (Terry Adams - Carla Bley)
5.) C'mon If You're Comin' (Brownie McGhee - Sonny Terry)
6.) You Can't Hide (Jody St. Nicholas)
7.) I Didn't Know Myself (Steve Ferguson)
(side
2)
1.) Stomp (Steve
Ferguson)
2.) Fergie's Prayer (Steve Ferguson)
3.) Mama Get Down Those Rock & Roll Shoes (Terry Adams)
4.) Hymn Number 5 (Terry Adams)
5.) Hey! Baby (Bruce Channel - Margret Cobb)
6.) Liza Jane (traditional)
(There are apparently two versions of the LP, one which is a mis-pressing. I've never heard it, but it supposedly sports a totally different mix which all but eliminates much of the instrumentation.)
d.
