Rock On! Wednesday, 1 May 2024 – High Tide, Iron Butterfly, Black Widow, Quatermass & Hawkwind

Psychedelic, heavy, prog and more innovating sounds spanning the late 60s and the early 70s – Wednesday April 17th. Dan’s pick of the week: High Tide (Sea Shanties), Iron Butterfly (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida), Black Widow (Black Widow III), Quatermass (Quatermass) & Hawkwind (Space Ritual).

Sea Shanties is het debuutalbum van de Engelserockband High Tide, die bekend staat om het opnemen van de viool als rockinstrument. Het hoesontwerp werd getekend door Paul Whitehead.

Prog Archives review: “his was a band so far ahead of their time that except for the tepid sixties studio production this album doesn’t really seem all that dated even today. Not your typical proto-prog band, but undoubtedly there are a couple of generations of heavy metal and psych rockers these guys managed to have an influence on nonetheless.
This has got to be the heaviest album I’ve ever heard that was recorded before about 1971. Not only that, this is one of the earliest albums I know of that prominently featured electric violin, and in a leading role no less. As heavy as MC5 but with the creative musical sensibilities of the best psychedelic bands of their day (The United States of America comes immediately to mind), High Tide just flat-out rock on this, their debut release.

The influence of Jim Morrison is apparent in Tony Hill’s vocals, or maybe that’s just what all acid-soused heavy rock singers sounded like back then. (…)

A true original that paved a new path in heavy metal of the progressive kind, way before most other metalheads had figured this stuff out. Four stars and recommended as a history lesson for all metal fans who’ve come along since.”

Wednesday, 1 May 2024 12:00 noon CET Brussels – 11 a.m. GMT London. Repeated: 16:00 & 20:00 hrs CET Brussels, 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. GMT London
Ends: 12 midnight CET Brussels, 11 p.m. GMT London.