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viewing 1 To 3 of 3 items
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LP
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OZ 2000LP
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"Pure and original Texas hard rock/progressive rock: red-hot wah-wah blasting guitars, heavy Hammond keyboards accented with Moogs and other synthesizers, with rock-solid bottom end, and furious, slightly jazzy drums. Formed in 1969 in Houston, TX, Oz Knozz's 1975 debut LP, Ruff Mix, has become a hot property on the collector's circuit because, quite simply, the album is killer. People have wondered if there was anything more from Oz Knozz... Well, for forty-five years a handful of tapes sat in a warehouse, having survived a fire, the tape boxes even bearing singe marks as their battle scars. It is from these tapes that this live album is now born -- and all we can say is that if you love the studio album, you are in for a special treat. The material here spans the years 1974-1979, and apart from the first track on side A, all are mixed from the original multi-track reels. As on Ruff Mix, the three-part 'Doodley Squat' suite features heavy dual keyboard parts and crunchy guitars and expressive vocals; the result is a terrific hard prog track with lot of energy. Vocals are expressive and sit nicely atop the progressive (sometimes AOR-tinged) hard rock. We're thrilled to be a part of the absolute debut of these stellar live recordings. A wild blast of flamethrower rock!"
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LP
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SR 005LP
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Includes insert. Second pressing of this collection of scorching rarities from these venerable and legendary psychedelic hard rockers. "From the fine folks over at ShroomAngel Records comes this LP release of unreleased studio & live recordings from Texas hard rock act Josefus. What you get on Side A are four studio recordings from 1978, as well as a studio track from 2004, and over on the B side five live tracks from a reunited Josefus in 2012. If you like rugged, raw, bluesy '70s styled hard rock, you've come to the right place. On the 1978 studio recordings, the band were comprised of Pete Bailey (vocals), Dave Mitchell (guitar), Ray Turner (bass), and Jerry Ontiverez (drums). Plenty of meaty riffs, rock solid rhythms, and wailing vocals permeate the raunchy 'Wheels'; and 'Rock X,' 'Gamblin',' and 'Five'll Get Me Ten,' share many of the bluesy, proto-metal traits of trailblazing acts like Cactus, Humble Pie, and Nazareth. 'Slave of Fear,' though recorded many years later, doesn't actually sound much different, and is even heavier than its predecessors, with a strong psychedelic, bluesy hard rock vibe that reminds of early Led Zeppelin in spots. Mitchell's guitar work on this one is outstanding. The live tracks from 2012 see Bailey and Mitchell still on board, with Mark Weathers joining on bass and Leesa Harrington-Squyres on drums (who also plays in the all-female Lez Zeppelin from New York -- Led Zeppelin tribute band). 'Situation' is a brief yet heavy hitting rocker, and 'Crazy Man' once again brings to mind classic Cactus with its thunderous rhythms and blistering lead guitar work. 'Hard Luck' is more of a conventional rocker, but still works, with Bailey's vocals reminding of vintage Leslie West and Mitchell once again delivering some wild lead guitar solos. We also get an updated version of 'Rock X,' quite snarling and angry this time around. So, some great vintage studio stuff from the vaults, and compelling live material from a still viable Josefus. You have to love when these '70s acts reunite and come back better than ever, showing that even the old guys can still rock with the best of them. This one's released only on LP, so if you've been groovin' to some vinyl lately and love classic styled heavy rock, give this one a spin." --Pete Pardo, seaoftranquility.org
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LP
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OZ 1000LP
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"First legitimate reissue of one of the best US private press hard rock/progressive rock albums of the 1970s. From the master tapes. Formed in 1969 in Houston, TX, Oz Knozz's original crew included multi-instrumentalists Jack Alford, Bill Massey and Duane Massey. Alford left the group in 1971 and was replaced by drummer Marty Naul, while the next year the trio was joined by guitarist Richard Heath. The band had also a three-man horn section, which was dropped quite fast, although horns remained a part of the band's sound, even on their rare and epochal 1975 private press debut Ruff Mix, released on the band's own Ozone label. Ruff Mix mainly grooves in hard rock territory -- the second track "Peanut Butter Yoni" sounds a bit like Judas Priest with a proto-metal feeling; but the album also has elements of progressive rock, horn rock, and pomp rock. Like most bands of the era, the idea was to throw out a few different styles to see if something would stick... the theory being that a major label would hear the private album by chance and sign said band so they could open for Led Zeppelin or Foghat's next US tour... or something like that. What separates Oz Knozz from others is a strong compositional component, the band have plenty of original ideas and muster superb instrumentation. The guitar work ranges from hard and powerful to melodic and bluesy and is supported by some great keyboard, including awe-inspiring organ and synth waves. The three-part 15-minute 'Doodley Squat' suite features heavy dual keyboard parts, crunchy guitars and expressive vocals; the result is a terrific hard prog track with lot of energy. For many, the standout track is the groovy and infectious horn rocker, which sounds as dated as the movement itself and easily could have been from 1969. High energy and impressive songwriting. Love it."
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