Recorded on March 16, 1970 for the BBC’s legendary John Peel Show on Radio 1, Big Grunt (Dennis Cowan – bass, Roger Ruskin Spear – saxophone, Vivian Stanshall – vocals & euphonium, Ian Wallace – drums, Bubs White – guitar) emerged from the break-up of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Stanshall was a wild performance artist and psychedelic rocker, and Big Grunt combined excellent rock chops with wild costumes, robots, and enough trippy lyrics to make your head spin.
The Peel Session was only four tracks, but they’re all a neat slice of early 1970’s British psych-rock. “Blind Date” is a quirky, weird track full of Stanshall’s goofy humor about meeting a woman from a dating service. “11 Mustachioed Daughters” is probably the band’s biggest hit, and it’s easy to hear why with Wallace’s big drums, Cowan’s killer bass line, White’s near-stoner rock guitar, and Stanshall raving like a mad druid.
“The Strain” is about trying to poop as Stanshall sings from the perspective of whatever’s inside him and needs to get out and then about his grief as the phone rings and people knock on the door. White’s surf guitar is outstanding on the track. “Cyborg Signal” is a cool instrumental that shows the band weren’t just a one-trick pony that made songs about sitting on the crapper.
Mega Dodo Records has unearthed this rare recording, so don’t miss it if you’re a fan of early British psychedelia.
Keep your mind open.
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