Previously unreleased ¢72/74 recordings by this US hard rock band!
Blind Willie formed in Spokane (Washington) in 1972 and featured terrific guitar player Frank Trowbridge from hard-psych legends Sleepy John.
They carved out a unique niche in the Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington rock scene in the early to mid-¢70s, performing original music in a time when doing so wasn¢t widespread for regional bands. Within weeks of the group¢s formation, they commanded stages with a potent smattering of hard-rock, country-rock and psych.
The band¢s history includes a brief courtship with the Doobie Brothers¢ Dave Shogren on bass, as well as major label interest from Columbia and Epic Records.
Here¢s the first ever release of their amazing studio demos from 1972/74.
Blind Willie¢s original lineup of Craig Karp (guitar, vocals), Frank Trowbridge (guitar), Charlie Bieker (bass, guitar, vocals) and Jim Griffith (drums) is represented via slices of incendiary rock ¡n¢ roll pomp recorded on a 4-track tape machine in a friend¢s apartment in 1972.
Live in the studio tracks from 1974 feature later drummer Mike Garland and bassist Joe Johnson for a fiery radio set at the legendary Kaye-Smith Studios in Seattle.
The album¢s selected tracks navigate Blind Willie¢s wide-ranging sonic explorations, anchored by formidable guitar-forward rockers that stand the test of time, and hold up to any of the more well-known work of their peers from the ¢70s. Writhing in the rock ¡n¢ roll milieu, Blind Willie¢s musical tributaries run deep, steeped in a spectrum of styles that range from hard blues-rock scorchers like the incendiary “Georgia,” to heartfelt ballads (“I¢m Wondering If”) and into the upper echelons of sci-fi psych (“Zolly”), a comet ride through wah-wah geetar spacedust, replete with Rocky Horror cinematic sheen. It¢s also easy to imagine songs like the choogle-heavy “Somebody Help Me” illuminating the vibe of parties, bars and theaters all over North America.
*First ever release of ¢72/74 recordings
*Hard cardboard sleeve + OBI
*Sourced from the original masters
*Insert with detailed liner notes and rare photos
*Download Card with a plethora of bonus tracks
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