No Life 'til Metal - CD Gallery

Foghat were formed in 1971 when three members of the British blues-rock band Savoy Brown, guitarist/vocalist "Lonesome" Dave Peverett, bassist Tony Stevens and drummer Roger Earl, decided it was time to strike out on their own. They added guitarist Rod Price and signed a record contract with Bearsville Records before they even chose their band name. On the eve of the completion of the band's first album, they still hadn't decided on a name. Finally, Foghat, a nonsense word that Dave Peverett had made when playing scrabble as a child, was chosen. The band went through much of the early 70's as a support act for bigger acts until in 1975 fortunes began to turn around with the 1975 LP "Fool For the City", which was their first album to go platinum and introduced them to US Top 40 radio. Foghat went on to become of the big stadium bands of the 1970's. The 80's were a weird time for a lot of hard rock acts from the 70's as they struggled with their identity. Foghat were no exception and their 1980 album "Tight Shoes" was recorded with more of a punk /new wave style. Despite the band's success, guitarist Rod Price grew unhappy with the group's constant touring schedule and their shift towards a more new wave and pop and left the band.

By the mid-80's the band eventually fragmented with members forming different bands and drummer Roger Earl keeping the Foghat name alive. His band became known as "Roger Earl's Foghat." In 1990, Dave Peverett reactivated his own version of Foghat known as "Lonesome Dave's Foghat" with all new players including original Wild Cherry guitarist Brian Bassett, former Hall and Oates members, drummer Eddie Zyne and bassist Stephen Dees and later, bassist Riff West, who had played for Molly Hatchet for ten years. Lonesome Dave's Foghat also included some performances by Rod Price. The two versions of Foghat toured separately from 1990 until 1993. In '93. the original Foghat was reformed after Tony Stevens and Rod Price rejoined and things were patched up between Dave Peverett and Roger Earl. Rod Price, Tony Stevens, Roger Earl and Lonesome Dave Peverett, the original founding band members, toured in support of their studio CD, "Return Of The Boogie Men" and a follow-up live CD "Road Cases".

Lonesome Dave Peverett (Lead Vocals and Guitars) died on Feb. 7, 2000 from complications arising from cancer. The band eventually soldiered on adding former Ted Nugent vocalist Charlie Huhn

Legendary guitarist Rod Price, founding member of the blues boogie band Foghat passed away on March 22, 2005 at the age of 57 in Wilton, New Hampshire.
Price sustained a head trauma in an accidental stairway fall precipitated by a massive heart attack.

Foghat (Bearsville) 1972

SIDE ONE
1. I Just Want To Make Love To You
2. Trouble, Trouble
3. Leavin' Again (Again!)
4. Fool's Hall Of Fame
5. Sarah Lee
SIDE TWO
6. Highway (Killing Me)
7. Maybellene
8. A Hole To Hide In
9. Gotta Get To Know You

Before forming Foghat, guitarist/vocalist "Lonesome" Dave Peverett, bassist Tony Stevens and drummer Roger Earl spent several years with the British blues-rock band Savoy Brown. In early 1971, the trio decided it was time to strike out on their own and recruited guitarist Rod Price to form a new group. They signed with Bearsville Records before they even chose their name and recorded and album with producer Todd Rundgren. For whatever reason the pairing didn't work out and the effort was mostly scrapped, although a few of the tracks that Rundgren recorded ended up on the 1972 debut album. This record was finally recorded with producer Dave Edmunds, though the band still had not chosen a name. The name Foghat, a nonsensical word from "Lonesome " Dave Perrett's childhood, was chosen over names like Brandywine and Track & Hootch. Foghat's self-titled debut LP reached #127 on the U.S. album charts and the single "I Just Want To Make Love To You" gaining some radio play.

What Foghat delivered on their self-titled debut was closer to furious guitar based blues rock than the boogie-hard rock and heavy metal of their more popular mid-70's years. However, I find this debut to be endearing, especially the single "I Just Want to Make Love to You", which is basically a cover of an old blues standby. The song that would become popular once again when they recorded it on their magnificent live opus "Foghat Live". The live version reached #33 on the Billboard charts. The album actually included two other covers, including the Chuck Berry standard "Mabelline" and "Leavin' Again (Again)", a song originally recorded by Savoy Brown. Quite frankly, for years I had thought this was a Foghat original. "Sarah Lee" is a particular favorite track of mine with it's earthy guitar tones and Dave's signature vocal stylings. Overall, Foghat's debut iremains one of the strongest albums in their catalog. I actually prefer the warmer sound of my original vinyl copy to the CD

Foghat also always seemed to mix in a heaping helping of the blues on their records. That is also the case with "Fool for the City" with such tracks as "Terraplane Blues", a heavy blues cover of the Robert Johnson classic. Of course it's not just this one track. That signature slide guitar work is spread throughout the album.

Regardless of whether you call it hard rock, blues rock, or boogie metal, there is no denying that "Fool for the City" is one of the defining albums of a generation.

Another one of those nostalgia trips for me. Always loved this album. It received tons of spin time on my turntable when I was in junior high school. When I sold all my vinyl back in 1989 this album went with it. I always liked the cool die-cut cover and the way the band shown through the letters. It was quite cool. However, upon selling my vinyl copy it was over a decade before I finally purchased the CD version. After securing a copy of "Boogie Motel" in '04, this CD immediately moved up on my priority list. "Live" is a classic and remains a great listen almost three decades later. It is one of the great live albums for all time. The music here is bombastic, super-charged, spirited and pushes these tracks into far heavier realms than their studio albums ever got. The drawn out version of "Slow Ride" is an absolute must, as is the energized version of "Honey Hush" and the extended version of "I Just Want To Make Love To You". ("Honey Hush" is a reved-up adaptation of "Train Kept A Rollin'.) The album's version of "I Just Want To Make Love To You" was released as a single and reached #33 in the U.S. "Foghat Live" went on to earn double platinum status and pushed Foghat to superstardom, at least for a while.

Stone Blue (DISC ONE)
1. "Stone Blue" (5:38)
2. "Sweet Home Chicago" (3:59)
3. "Easy Money" (3:55)
4. "Midnight Madness" (6:53)
5. "It Hurts Me Too" (5:32)
6. "High On Love" (5:18)
7. "Chevrolet" (3:21)
8. "Stay With Me" (4:23)

Boogie Motel (DISC TWO)
1. "Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed" (3:50)
2. "Third Time Lucky" (4:12)
3. "Comin' Down With Love" (5:23)
4. "Paradise Alley" (5:37)
5. "Boogie Motel" (7:20)
6. "Love In Motion" (4:30)
7. "Nervous Release" (5:53)

When these two albums were released, Foghat were at the top of their game. They had a few successful hits under their belt and had just released a very successful live album, cleverly titled "Live". It was about this time that I discovered that band. I was in mid-high school when I became a Foghat fan. It was "Live" that won me over. However, soon after I bought both of these albums and they dominated my turnatable. The band's mixture of hard rock, blues, groove-based rhythms and 'Lonesome' Dave Pevertt's soulful vocals were infectious to me at the time.

"Stone Blue" is Foghat at their prime, although I always felt that they were tryin to recapture the success of "Slow Ride" on this album. "Stone Blue" paired Foghat with producer Eddie Kramer, who had previously engineered legendary recordings for Jimi Hendrix, Kiss and Led Zeppelin. (The liner notes on this album spell his name Eddie Cramer.) According to the liner notes the band didn't jive well with Kramer. The band admits that the tension in the studio helped to give the album an added edge. The title track indeed became a Top 40 hit for the band. "Stone Blue" also contains a mean cover of Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago".

"Boogie Motel" in particular has a lot of nostalgic value to me. Even though this album is quite short, there really isn't a song on it that I don't like. From the humourous "Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed", to the infectious, 7-minute long title track, to the bluesy, country-rock of "Paradise Alley", to the hard rockin' jam "Nervous Release", this one rocked my world in 1979. Now almost three decades later, I still enjoy this disc. Even the comical front and back covers hold some nostalgic value for me. I can remember staring at that cover at all the action going on in the cartoonish cover. "Boogie Motel" was the end of an era for Foghat and unfortunately about the time I got so inthralled by heavy metal that I lost track of the band. This 2-CD European reissue contains a decent three panel biography, as well as all the original liner notes and cover art for both albums. "Stone Blue" and "Boogie Motel" both sold gold.

Foghat - Tight Shoes (Bearsville) 1980

SIDE A
1 Stranger In My Home Town (4:18)
2 Loose Ends (4:37)
3 Full Time Lover (4:28)
4 Baby Can I Change Your Mind (4:56)
SIDE B
1 Too Late The Hero (4:58)
2 Dead End Street (4:54)
3 Be My Woman (5:53)
4 No Hard Feelings (6:13)

As the 1970's came to an end, music magazines were hailing new wave and punk as the saviors of rock and roll, while crusty old hard rock and heavy metal bands were declared dead. "Can Heavy Metal Survive the 70's" was the headline on the front cover of Circus Magazine in 1978. As such bands, record producers and record companies alike were searching to find the sound that was going to keep the crowds coming and keep the money flowing. Even heavy metal bands like Kiss began putting out albums with wimpy productions and more pop-oriented songs. In fact, Kiss even had a hit with a disco song titled "I Was Made for Loving You". Unfortunately Foghat went down similar terrain with "Tight Shoes".

Foghat's final two releases of the 1970s, "Stone Blue" and "Boogie Motel", both saw the declining sales, even though they still sold respectable amounts. However, the band's response was to change their sound instead of sticking to their musical guns. Foghat moved away from the heavy boogie rock and blues and toned down their sound on "Tight Shoes" with simpler, pop arrangements and stripped-down sonics. Some songs, such as "Stranger In My Home Town" and "Baby Can I Change Your Mind" could have actually been kick-butt rockers if not for the studio trickery that robs the songs of their rowdy rock 'n' roll appeal. Overall the whole thing just seems watered-down. The songs lack the power, intensity and charisma that made Foghat a staple in everyone's heavy rock collection in the 70's. (Everyone I knew at least had "Live" and "Fool for the City" in their collections growing up.) That doesn't mean it's a completely terrible album. Much like those late 70's/early 80's Kiss albums, I find "Tight Shoes" to be enjoyable despite it's flaws and hapless grasp at 1980's musical relevance. However, I readily admit that nostalgia plays a big part in my overall enjoyment of this album.

Foghat - In the Mood for Something Rude (Bearsville) 1982

SIDE A
1. Slipped, Tripped, Fell in Love (4:18)
2. Bustin' Up or Bustin' Out (3:43)
3. Take This Heart of Mine (3:08)
4. Love Rustler (5:48)
SIDE B
5. Ain't Livin' Long Like This (4:55)
6. Back for a Taste of Your Love (4:35)
7. There Ain't No Man That Can't Be Caught (3:44)
8. And I Do Just What I Want (3:22)

"In the Mood for Something Rude" is the eleventh studio album by British rockers Foghat. All eight tracks on the album were written by outside songwriters making it something of a covers album in which the band applies its bluesy, boogie rock and roll style over a collection of R&B and country tunes. The album marks a return to form after a couple of albums where Foghat struggled for early-'80's relevance. On this platter the band dumped the new wave influences they adopted on their previous two albums and return to their trademark sound. To be quite frank, when I first heard this album back in the mid-80's I wasn't even aware that most of these songs were covers, as I am not familiar with any of the original songs, other than James Brown's "And I Do Just What I Want". Perhaps that is not a bad thing as the album feels fresh and new rather than an album of stale covers.

Foghat - Zig Zag Walk (Bearsville) 1982

SIDE A

1. That's What Love Can Do (3:54)

2. Zig Zag Walk (3:28)
3. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie (2:43)
4. Jenny Don't Mind (4:37)
5. Three Wheeled Cadillac (3:55)
SIDE B
6. It'll Be Me (3:29)
7. Silent Treatment (3:17)
8. Down the Road a Piece (2:35)
9. Seven Day Weekend (4:10)
10. Linda Lou (3:46)

Wendy O. Williams said it best when reviewing the single "That's What Love Can Do" in Hit Parader Magazine, "I'm surprised. I thought they were hard rockers, not a new wave band. It sounds like an over-produced, watered-down, excuse for rock and roll." (Hit Parader, December 1983) That about sums it up. Like many 70's bands coming into the 80's, Foghat were searching for a sound, following American trends in music and attempting to "stay relevant". Unfortunately this rarely works as older fans aren't interested in hearing their favorite bands doing newer styles and new fans aren't interested in listening to their father's bands as they have their own bands.

"Zig Zag Walk" is Foghat's 13th release and their final release on Bearsville Records. Original members Lonesome Dave Peverett (lead guitars/vocals) and Roger Earl (drums) are joined on this 1983 release by longtime contributors Erick Cartwright (guitars) and Nick Jameson (bass, keyboards). "Zig Zag Walk" is a far cry from the classic Foghat hard rock sound. Instead it's mostly attempts at the new wave sound with a few experiments thrown in, such as the boogie-woogie a-la Stray Cats in "Cho Ch'Boogie" and "Three Wheeled Cadillac" and the 50's style rock and roll of "It'll Be Me". It's not as bad as some reviewers make it out to be, but it isn't an album most Foghat fans are going to spend much time listening to either. It mostly becomes a filler in the collection.

Foghat - Decades Live (Sanctuary) 2003

DISC ONE
1. Louisiana Blues (5:09)
2. Drivin' Whee (6:53)
3. Motel Shaker (4:56)
4. Stone Blue (7:54)
5. Nothin' But Trouble (5:46)
6. Honey Hush (8:12)
7. It Hurts Me Too (9:12)
8. Sweet Home Chicago (9:10)
9. I Just Want to Make Love to You/Satisfaction/Who Do You Love? (16:07)

DISC TWO
10. Fool for the City (5:27)
11. Slow Ride (9:35)
12. I Ain't Got You (4:32)
13. Chateau Laffite '59 Boogie (14:41)
14. Loose Ends (5:01)
15. Eight Days on the Road (6:38)
16. Maybellene (4:14)
17. Angel of Mercy (5:17)
18. It's Too Late (6:58)

Decades live is the second live album from Foghat. It was the first live album by the band since their hugely successful 1977 album, Foghat Live. "Decades Live" contains live recordings of the band, featuring different lineups, from between 1977 and 1996. The bulk of the material, including all of Disc 1 is made up from a performance in 1996 in Bakersfield, CA. The CD works as a testament to Lonesome Dave Peverett, the group's lead singer and primary songwriter, who died of cancer in February 2000, about a year after the most recent recordings included here.

The track listing is well thought out and includes a few that showed up on "Live". For the most part this album is just a jam. Longtime fans of Foghat will long the extended versions of Slow Ride" (nine and a half minutes), "Chateau Laffite '59 Boogie" (almost 15 minutes), and "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (16-plus minutes). Rod Price is laying down some nasty slide guitar leads throughout.

The recording quality is very good. The album doesn't sound like a poorly recorded bootleg yet it has enough grit to not rob the recording of the live energy, making even some of the 80's songs a bit heavier than they were on the studio patters.