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Scotland’s hottest hard-rock outfit of their era were forged in the early-’70s when a quixotic Glaswegian, the R&B / rock ‘n’ roll solo showman Alex Harvey, teamed up with the city’s virtuoso hard rockers Tear Gas. Together, the combination was dynamite, creating a giddying blend of prog, glam, protometal, soul, music hall, and twisted cabaret – somewhere between a Roxy Music from the mean streets, or a Led Zep with added ‘razzmatazz’.
A series of essential landmark albums followed – from 1972’s blazing debut Framed to 1978’s Rock Drill – with career highlights along the way that included Top 20 hit singles (Boston Tea Party and the definitive cover of Tom Jones’s Delilah) and 1975’s career-peak live album, Live, that captured the band in all their mid-period, onstage theatrical majesty.
While the band eventually broke up at the end of the seventies (followed by Alex’s untimely passing in 1982) The Sensational Alex Harvey Band proved to be a major influence on so much of what came after, with AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Nick Cave, Sex Pistols and Simple Minds among the scores of artists who’ve cited them as crucial inspirations.
This new 10-CD set gathers together all seven of the albums the band recorded together, including Live and adds Four Play, recorded while Harvey was taking a break from the band and released as SAHB (Without Alex). It also brings in the two pre-Alex albums, released under the Tear Gas monicker. Throughout, there’s additional bonus material in the form of live tracks, B-sides, single edits and a 28-minute interview with Alex himself.
The Albums Collection 1970-1978 was mastered by George Shilling (Blur, Mike Oldfield, Primal Scream) and comes in an attractive 7”X7” package with reproduction original sleeve art and an extensive new essay by Prince / Led Zeppelin biographer Jason Draper. For a SAHB beginner, or somebody wanting to re-collect, it’s the perfect testament to a British rock legend every bit as essential as worthy peers like Thin Lizzy or Black Sabbath.
Tracklist
CD1
Framed
1. Framed
2. Hammer Song
3. Midnight Moses
4. Isobel Goudie
5. Buff’s Bar Blues
6. I Just Want To Make Love To You
7. Hole In Her Stocking
8. There’s No Lights On The
Christmas Tree Mother, They’re
Burning Big Louie Tonight
9. St. Anthony
10. Harp (Bonus Track)
CD2
Next
1. Swampsnake
2. Gang Bang
3. The Faith Healer
4. Giddy Up A Ding Dong
5. Next
6. Vambo Marble Eye
7. The Last Of The Teenage Idols
8. The Faith Healer [Shortened Version] (Bonus Track)
CD3
The Impossible Dream
1. The Hot City Symphony – Part One: Vambo
2. The Hot City Symphony – Part Two: The Man In The Jar
3. River of Love
4. Long Hair Music
5. Hey
6. Sergeant Fury
7. Weights Made of Lead
8. Money Honey / Impossible Dream
9. Tomahawk Kid
10. Anthem
11. Faith Healer [live at the Ragnarock Festival, Oslo] (Bonus Track)
12. Giddy Up-A-Ding-Dong [live at the Ragnarock Festival, Oslo] (Bonus Track)
13. Alex Harvey Talks About Everything – In-depth session with Alex of SAHB (Bonus Track)
CD4
Tomorrow Belongs To Me
1. Action Strasse
2. Snake Bite
3. Soul In Chains
4. The Tale Of The Giant Stone Eater
5. Ribs and Balls
6. Give My Compliments To The Chef
7. Sharks Teeth
8. Shake That Thing
9. Tomorrow Belongs To Me
10. To Be Continued
11. Action Strasse [live at Hammersmith Odeon] (Bonus Track)
12. Soul In Chains [live at Hammersmith Odeon] (Bonus Track)
13. Tale of the Giant Stone Eater [live at Hammersmith Odeon] (Bonus Track)
CD5
Live
1. Fanfare
2. Faith Healer
3. Tomahawk Kid
4. Vambo
5. Give My Compliments To The Chef
6. Delilah
7. Framed
8. Sgt Fury [live at Hammersmith Odeon] (Bonus Track)
9. Gang Bang [live at Hammersmith Odeon] (Bonus Track)
10. Midnight Moses [live at Hammersmith Odeon] (Bonus Track)
11. Tomorrow Belongs To Me [live at Hammersmith Odeon] (Bonus Track)
CD6
The Penthouse Tapes
1. I Wanna Have You Back
2. Jungle Jenny
3. Runaway
4. Love Story
5. School’s Out
6. Goodnight Irene
7. Say You’re Mine
8. Gamblin’ Bar Room Blues
9. Crazy Horses
10. Cheek To Cheek.
11. The Tomahawk Kid [Live at DeMontford Hall, Leicester, 22 May 1976] (Bonus Track)
12. Isobel Goudie [Live at DeMontford Hall, Leicester, 22 May 1976] (Bonus Track)
13. Dance To Your Daddy [Live at DeMontford Hall, Leicester, 22 May 1976]
(Bonus Track)
14. Framed [Live at DeMontford Hall, Leicester, 22 May 1976] (Bonus Track)
15. The Boston Tea Party [Live at DeMontford Hall, Leicester, 22 May 1976] (Bonus Track)
CD7
SAHB Stories
1. Dance To Your Daddy
2. Amos Moses
3. Jungle Rub Out
4. Sirocco
5. Boston Tea Party
6. Sultan’s Choice
7. $25 For A Massage
8. Dogs of War
9. Satchel And The Scalp Hunter (Bonus Track)
10. Amos Moses [backing track] (Bonus Track)
CD8
Rock Drill
1. Rock Drill
2. The Dolphins
3. Rock ‘n’ Roll
4. King Kong
5. Booids
6. Who Murdered Sex?
7. Nightmare City
8. Water Beastie
9. Mrs Blackhouse
10. No Complaints Department (Bonus Track)
11. Engine Room Boogie (Bonus Track)
CD9
As Tear Gas
Piggy Go Getter
1. Lost Awakening
2. Your Woman's Gone And Left You
3. Night Girl
4. Nothing Can Change Your Mind
5. Living For Today
6. Big House
7. Mirrors Of Sorrow
8. Look What Else Is Happening
9. I'm Fallin' Far Behind
10. Witches Come Today
Tear Gas
11. That's What's Real
12. Love Story
13. Lay It On Me
14. Woman For Sale
15. I'm Glad
16. Where Is My Answer
17. Jailhouse Rock / All Shook Up
18. The First Time
CD10
Four Play
As SAHB (Without Alex)
1. Smouldering
2. Chase It Into The Night
3. Shake Your Way To Heaven
4. Outer Boogie
5. Big Boy
6. Pick It Up And Kick It
7. Love You For A Lifetime
8. Too Much American Pie