IN FOR THE KILL!

One of the advantages of age...or maturity if you will...is I can say I saw this band several times in the 70's and into the 80's. When I was at high school, anyone could tote a Led Zep or Tull album under their arm in search of kudos...but Budgie nailed the deal! Apart from taped copies (it didn't 'kill' music did it...!) from mates, money is tight at 15, this is the first lp of the band I owned and I guess why it is my go to of theirs. Plus I must have seen them the first time (support band one Judas Priest) when they were touring this or the next album...and....joy of joys, they had a second guitarist live (Myf Issacs?) and wow were they 'heavy'. Anyhow, back to the album, the same copy mentioned above playing in the background. I think Zoom Club, for all it is a straightforward stomp riff, is one of the best and for '74 heaviest songs of its time ...esp. with 2 guitars live! While Hammer and Tongs nods to a dirty Zeppelinesque blues influence and Running From My Soul is a natural extension from that, Living On Your Own is the most 'prog' related track with some interesting ideas and textures. The title track is a crushing err killer riff and an older track (Crash Course...) does a job. I can take or leave the acoustic track, but that's just me. It must have been this time of year mumble mumble years ago that this was being played over and over as I sweated over exam revision so of course it conjures up a very much lost time and place and I tried to not let that influence the albums worth to me in the review, but I guess that will always add half a star if not more. It may not be 'prog' as we know it Jim but you can bet it was 'filed under' back then.