Blue Cheer Albums (13)
'What Doesn't Kill You'
Release Date 8/21/2007
Tracks 10
Label Rainman
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What The Critics Say
If you're old enough, you encountered this band sitting in someone's never-cleaned Mustang, while bong hits were traded in the front; trapped by rain from escaping the fetid reek, but strangely intrigued by the thickest, loudest band you'd ever heard on the 8-track -- Blue Cheer turning Eddie Cochran's Crickets-like 1958 number eight "Summertime Blues" into a bludgeon for a shocking 1968 number 11. (True story.) Even the Who's subsequent Live at Leeds cover was a popgun to Blue Cheer's howitzer! With Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, and prime heirs Black Sabbath, this psychedelic San Francisco trio birthed metal by playing huge blues. 40 years later, bassist singer Dickie Peterson and drummer Paul Whaley still jam with joined-in-the'80s guitarirst Duck McDonald, making metal as beefy as a brontosaurus. Today's cover is Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign," and that and more are a dust bomb of the dirtiest, rottenest rock this side of slower Motorhead. ~ Jack Rabid, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When talks about "stoner rock" come up, one band that tends to get overlooked is Blue Cheer. While groups like Black Sabbath are always given props, the San Francisco band led by Dickie Peterson is usually left out in the cold, despite having scored one of the genre's earliest anthems, a turbo-charged rendition of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" (which was easily the heaviest song released in 1968). Since their late-'60s peak, the group has been off and on again, and by the early 21st century, they were rocking all over the world once more, as evidenced by 2005's Live Bootleg: London - Hamburg. While both Blue Cheer and Black Sabbath had blues roots, the former was more "garage-minded," while the latter was more "metal minded," and the point is proven once more by just about any selection here. Included are explosive (in an MC5 vein) renditions of such Blue Cheer classics as the aforementioned "Summertime Blues," "Out of Focus," and Mose Allison's "Parchment Farm," as well as a reading of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues." While it doesn't top what it probably would have been like to experience Blue Cheer at the Fillmore West back in the late '60s, Live Bootleg: London - Hamburg shows that Peterson and company can still lay down a sizzling groove. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'Live in Japan'
Release Date 10/14/2003
Tracks 11
Label Track Records
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What The Critics Say
Being a band that by all standards was finished by the early 1970s, Blue Cheer play here, on a disc culled from shows in 1999, like they still matter. The trio - original rhythm section Dickie Peterson and Paul Whaley joined by Andrew �Duck' McDonald -- bash out their loud proto-metal workhorses like �Summertime Blues" and �The Hunter" alongside lesser material and forgetably newer ones. Ocassionaly, McDonald's pounding riffs approximate the beautifully distorted mess of Blue Cheer sides of old, but his modern gear cannot replicate the sounds the band originally coaxed out of (at the time) severely limited equipment. Epitomized by Peterson's emberassing onstage blathering (�Are you ready�I can't fucking here you!"), the whole thing too often sounds like a pale imitation; stereotypical ripoffs from the worst kind of metal that, sadly, often followed the band's initial impact a generation ago. Still, you can't fault a band for playing as loud as Motorhead (having predated Lemmy by eight years) long after their name has largely, and regrettably, been forgotten from hard rock history. For band fanatics and metal scholars only. The band's remastered 1968-1972 albums now available are really all you need. ~ John Duffy, All Music Guide
'Hello Tokyo, Bye Bye Osaka'
Release Date 4/13/1997
Tracks 11
Label Captain Trip
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Highlights & Low Lives'
Release Date 1/2/1996
Tracks 9
Label Thunderbolt
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What The Critics Say
With their greatest musical and commercial conquests decades behind them, Blue Cheer manage only brief moments of hard rock glory on this 1990 recording. After a brief European reunion tour, Dickie Peterson (bass/vocals), Andrew McDonald (guitar), and Paul Whaley (drums) stuck together long enough to forge this disc for Germany's Nibelung Records. Originally a vinyl-only limited release, Highlights and Low Lives, was eventually issued on CD through Magnum Records. Sounding at times like a geriatric Great White, Blue Cheer struggle through the slow to mid-tempo bluesy tracks "Big Trouble in Paradise" and "Blue Steel Dues." Equally shameful '80s rockers like "Down and Dirty" have a dated sound that recalls horrid Kiss records like Asylum and Crazy Nights. Some may disagree, but there were a few big hair American outfits (Bon Jovi, Ratt) that drove the genre with skilled songwriting and decent guitar chops. When old-timers like Blue Cheer try on the affected arena rock swagger though, well, let's just say this is a warning. Peterson does deliver a few surprisingly strong vocal performances, providing the record's only real point of interest. On the disc's best track, "Hoochie Coochie Man," things really click, and listeners are reminded of the soulful near-metal that made this group famous. But Highlights and Low Lives is mired in stale '80s conventions, and should be avoided by everyone except the most extreme Blue Cheer fanatics. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Blitzkrieg Over Nüremberg'
Release Date 1/2/1996
Tracks 8
Label Thunderbolt
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What The Critics Say
This live recording of an October 10, 1988, Blue Cheer performance at Rührersaal in Nüremberg Germany was originally released the following year. The record was then made more widely available on Thunderbolt records in 1996. The group had enjoyed a bit of a comeback following the release of The Beast Is Back in 1984, but by the time of this concert recording, the only key bandmember left was band figurehead Dickie Peterson (bass, vocals), making the validity of the performance and comeback a little suspect. Joining Peterson on this live release are Andrew McDonald (guitars) and Dave Salce on drums, neither of whom figure prominently in the history of the group. All involved put in fine performances on Blitzkrieg Over Nüremberg, especially Peterson, who is in generally high spirits and fine voice on standout cuts like "Out of Focus" and "Just a Little Bit." Of course, the group's biggest hit, "Summertime Blues," comes off without a hitch, making this collection a fine listen, if not exactly an important offering from a band (in name at least) that deserves no small amount of credit for the creation and early emergence of heavy metal. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Dining with the Sharks'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 10
Label Nibelung
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What The Critics Say
The on-again-off-again relationship between classic Blue Cheer members Dickie Peterson (bass/vocals) and drummer Paul Whaley was indeed on-again when the pair went into the studio to record Dining With Sharks. There might be a little residue left over from the old-time magic the band enjoyed in the ‘60s on this '91 release, but it isn't easy to absorb or appreciate as the two musicians (plus guitarist Dieter Saller) slog their way through mostly forgettable metallic fare. The group branches out stylistically on tracks like "Sweet Child Of The Reeperbahn" but somehow, all the songs still sound alike--due mostly to thin hooks and only average-to-good riffing. The cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" starts out promising enough, but decomposes rather quickly, and like the rest of Dining with Sharks, falls more than a little flat. Blue Cheer (in its many forms) remained relatively busy making and supporting questionable records like this one through the ‘80s and well into the ‘90s. What's strange about this is that they adopted a faceless musical direction during this "revival" period that was somewhat derivative of artists that had (in all likelihood) been influenced by the band. The results are just about as disappointing as one would expect considering these circumstances. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
"Hiway Man," which opens the sixth album by Blue Cheer, is a far cry from their version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues," which launched this group to worldwide fame. And though they were the original group to put their amps on "11," Oh! Pleasant Hope is a musical album. This first track, resplendent in heavy vocal reverb, sounds like Waylon Jennings fronting Quicksilver Messenger Service. OPH quickly changes pace with "Believer"'s interesting riff and the experimental production by Blue Cheer and Eric Albronda. Albronda assisted on the production of the self-titled fourth album, Blue Cheer, and co-produced BC#5 - The Original Human Being. It is the production that is a significant ingredient that makes this project by a legendary cult band so appealing. "Money Troubles" is written by Dr. Richard Peddicord, who contributes guitar and vocal. This track has that authentic laid-back West Coast sound, a feel much like "Truckin'" by the Grateful Dead -- the album having been recorded by Coast Recorders at Mission Street, San Francisco. "Traveling Man" is like a pensive Creedence Clearwater, say John Fogerty in his "Long As I Can See the Light" fashion with a bit more brightness. The title track, "Oh! Pleasant Hope," has a piano and drums opening into sudden guitar, the second title from Dr. Peddicord, a very precise ballad about drugs. The psychedelic denim pastiche of the album cover comes to life in this very Band-inspired rag. But it is the sixth track on their sixth album that is the finest moment ever for Blue Cheer. The harp, exotic instrumentation, and Pink Floyd overtones make "I'm the Light" an extraordinary piece of music. "I'm the Light" is to Blue Cheer what "Stairway to Heaven" is to Led Zeppelin, what "Closer to Home" is to Mark Farner and Grand Funk -- a moment of inspiration and production that stands the test of time and that is hard to match. This is a band famous for hard rock sounds creating a pop masterpiece of psychedelic cosmic consciousness. The song seems almost out of place on this collection, but it is truly one of those songs that demands attention and is worth seeking out. "Lester the Arrester" is paranoia about cops, kinda sorta. It is a band that wasn't known for its musical prowess having fun with sound and styles. "Heart Full of Soul" leans more toward "A Little Bit O'Soul" by the Music Explosion than the song of the same name by the Yardbirds. Oh! Pleasant Hope is a disc for people looking for musical ingenuity that hasn't been beaten into the psyche via classic hits radio. It is a monumental and largely forgotten effort with a lot of depth. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
'The Original Human Being'
Release Date 1/1/1970
Tracks 11
Label Philips
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What The Critics Say
The Original Human Being opens with the driving "Good Times Are So Hard to Find," a West Coast version of the Spencer Davis Group's "I'm a Man" that generously lifts from that classic Jimmy Miller/Steve Winwood/Spencer Davis composition. Founding member Dickie Petersen is augmented by horns, of all things, on the blues-pop "Love of a Woman." Blue Cheer sounding like Traffic and Tower of Power in two fell swoops is not what the menacing cover photo would indicate. Indeed, you can't tell a book by its cover. Logically, Blue Cheer should have taught Black Sabbath a thing or two, but the band heads more in the direction of Ozzie's Magic Lantern with its singsong hit "Shame Shame" than the grunge of guitarist Tony Iommi. Titles like "Preacher" and "Black Sun" may be better suited for Sabbath, but for fans of this ultra-cult band from the '60s, The Original Human Being is a vast improvement over the band's third outing, New! Improved! Blue Cheer. Keyboard player Ralph Kellogg's "Make Me Laugh" sounds strained in the vocal department, but the band has its act together and the song works. Blue Cheer is so "on" that everything works here, including the instrumental and sole songwriting contribution by drummer/sitar player Norman Mayell. It is the sleeper surprise on this disc. How many listeners wanted to like George Harrison's "The Inner Light"? "Babaji (Twilight Raga" is the blending of Ravi Shankar with pop that the Beatles sought but never found. Hidden here, the last track on side one of a Blue Cheer disc, is that magic formula. Really creative and fun stuff. "Pilot," the first of guitarist Gary Yoder's five co-writes with G.R. Grelecki, is innovative, cosmic, intellectual -- just well-threaded rock & roll. Blue Cheer was not adverse to changing membership on a frequent basis and trying different formats. If the lyrics on "Pilot" are deficient, the music is distinct and original...truly "the original human being." Close to 46 minutes of music is a healthy 20-plus minutes per side, and where side one of New! Improved! Blue Cheer fell flat, just two discs later we find this album full of revelations. Of course, Petersen is the only holdover from the first two albums to appear on The Original Human Being, which says a lot about the experimentation of lineups. Blue Cheer was a musical version of a baseball team with players coming and going. Still, the groove of "Preacher" has sax weaving in and out, pre-Roxy Music and just as entertaining and enlightening. The production by Gary Yoder, Eric Albronda, and Norman Mayell is really fine. "Tears By My Bed" could be the Band, showing a complete shift in Peterson's musical accomplices, crafting a series of albums worthy of study. The Original Human Being and Oh Pleasant Hope are the culmination of serious efforts by Dickie Peterson. The folksy guitar riff coupled with Yoder's harp on "Man on the Run" makes for real '60s period-piece paranoia, perfect for an episode of Route 66 or The Man From U.N.C.L.E. This album is also a good argument for modern rock radio adding classic songs that never got airplay the first time around. "Man on the Run" is everything so-called "modern rock" bands aspire to be. Two more Yoder/Grelecki compositions, the funky/sensual "Sandwich" and "Rest at Ease," conclude this excellent portion of San Francisco rock, "Rest at Ease" with a descending fadeout that shows the band at the peak of its powers. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Blue Cheer, the fourth album, is the perpetual group in transition once again rolling with the punches. A vast improvement over New! Improved! Blue Cheer, the sound here is more contained, consistent, and identifiable. Rather than cover Eddie Cochran, as they did with their hit "Summertime Blues" off Vincebus Eruptum, the outside material is tellingly by Delaney Bramlett and MacDavis, a wonderfully laid-back "Hello L.A., Bye-Bye Birmingham." By this time they were sounding more like the Band than the first disc's monstrous musical onslaught, which resembled a naïve Cream or precursor to Grand Funk. Bruce Stephens decided to exit during this recording, but that didn't hamper things the way some of the New! Improved! Blue Cheer record suffered. Stephens' vocal performances are placed right in the middle of everything, tracks two and four on side A, tracks two and four on side B, he writing or co-writing three of the titles, and doing a fine job singing on keyboard player Ralph Burns Kellogg's "Better When We Try." The trading of vocals between founding member Dickie Peterson, who handles the other six titles, was a plus for this group, and as songwriter Gary Yoder contributed the opening and closing tracks, "Fool" and "The Same Old Story," his presence would make itself more valuable when he became guitarist on B.C.#5: The Original Human Being. Bruce Stephens' "Saturday Freedom" is a delicious slice of psychedelic blues and the more musical direction this aggregation was seeking began to really develop on Blue Cheer, this fourth chapter in their storied career. Positioned to be a major cult phenom, these albums represent a unique vision different from Quicksilver Messenger Service, the Steve Miller Band, the Jefferson Airplane, and other California musicians, though elements of all find their way into the grooves. "Ain't That the Way (Love's Supposed to Be)" is an absolute West Coast rave up, showing Peterson in complete control of his project, no matter how many stones were fired at them. His other two compositions, "Natural Man" and "Rock and Roll Queens," have a groove and are entertaining. While Mott the Hoople was mixing grunge and hard rock with their "Rock & Roll Queen," this band from the other side of the world put a different spin on the same topic, utilizing pretty much the same title. Peterson may have not been the personality that Ian Hunter is, and Blue Cheer never reached the point of performing on Broadway as Mott with Ian did, but Blue Cheer shows creative flashes that puts them in league with other innovators, and makes the band truly worth studying. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
