MAY BLITZ

I was a little wary of this group's inclusion , because I remembered them as a power guitar trio , formed on the heels of The Jimi Hendrix Experience , Cream and Taste (Rory Gallagher's first band) , and thought of the others more hard-rocking groups such as Budgie , T2 and Clear Blue Sky all of whom where producing proto-metal music (some on the same label as MB's Vertigo) with the odd prog elements, but such is not the case as I rented out from the library , the 2 on 1 CD from BGO CD153 .

Yes , we are dealing with a power trio , but the register of their music is actually quite impressive. Newman was a Jeff Beck sideman, and if you are no slouch coming in Beck's groups , you come out a master. His two colleagues are definitely no dwarves at their respective instruments either. Dreamong and the closing track Virgin Waters being the highlights , I always found the opening track Smoking The Day Away, a bit over-long for the amount of musical ideas developped.

If you manage to get by the rather hideous (but acquired taste) drawing on the front cover (this was design by Mr. Bunyon of NME who also realized the equally awful second album and the first Patto sleeves , and I have yet to confirm this , the much better but horrifying Comus First Utterance ) , you will have a good album (especially cheap when linked to the second one) well worthy of an addition to your collection , although it is nothing to write home about!

as a professional musician on my odd nights on the computer, I stumble on what I think must be a prog spotters bible, and it gets better. All those obscure albums that I thought I was the only person listening to are here. 35 years on this lp I bought from Reddingtons Rare Records in Birmingham back in the early 70's as etched itself into my soul through my heavy metal, rock, prog, classical and now jazz life. The vertigo label seemed more incredible than the music, but the sleeve is also special. The famous vertigo sampler of which I also have, has 'I DONT KNOW' which I thought was so cool as I was more interested in uriah heep, black sabbath etc. Tony Newman the drummer could play jazz and the bass player sounding if he knew what he was doing. James Black was a interesting guitarist using basic ideas but quite wide ranging in approach. Anyway maybe not as prog as some but interesting all the same. I love fire queen, i dont know and smoking the day away. I believe the guys have contacted each other, hope they are well. I bet they can't believe the prices these two old albums are worth now! I have both, i have seen prices going into hundreds of pounds! Thats something to be bloody proud of lads or gents because not all vertigo stuff was that good. Tell that to your children!

MAY BLITZ, briefly an integral part of the UK heavy underground live music scene, were formed by ex-Jeff Beck Group member Tony Newman (drums), who recruited Canadians James Black (lead guitar, vocals) and Reid Hudson (bass and vocals) in 1969. There were many such "power trios" around at the time most famously Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Groundhogs and Bakerloo. Their debut album "May Blitz" was released on Vertigo (6360 007) in 1970 but despite containing some excellent original heavy music sold moderately. The album has very good sound quality and production, the distinctive cover was designed by NME cartoonist Tony Benyon. I managed to get hold of an original copy some years ago and in recent years this album and the follow-up "2nd of May" have each been reissued by Akarma on vinyl and both albums together on a "Beat Goes On" cd BGOCD153.

The first track "Smokin' the Day Away" , a smoke in the country away from the "smoke" starts slowly, almost ponderously, and develops into a jam before returning to the main theme, my favourite song, it is very effective i can almost "smell" that stuff! It also contains some fine drum work and unusual metallic sounding guitar effects. "I Don't Know" , which has another "back to the country" theme is a lazy bluesey number which contains some fine guitar work which snakes its way along. "Dreaming", as the title suggests, is a slow dreamy song with acoustic guitar and shimmering cymbals, then momentarily speeds up into a frenzy of screaming "Arthur Brown" style half-sung vocals, fast tom toms and slide guitar. "Squeet" ("squeet all over the wall?...what could they possibly be talking about??) is an unusual song which develops into a boogie-style jam, "Tomorrow May Come", a dream of a better world, is a slow and ethereal song with echoed vocals, drums and guitar, this mood changes into the fast-paced "Fire Queen" with screaming vocals and thundering drums. Waves lapping introduce the last track "Virgin Waters", a beautiful song about first love, containing some lovely effects, whispered vocals, brilliant drumming and echoey acoustic guitar which build to a heavy climax.

Overall a brilliant group and an amazing album, definitely more "gem" than "lost", an essential masterpiece to any progressive Psych/Space Rock collection!

Ok Folks, before any of you put down ANY money to purchase this, I have one thing to tell you ... some so-called obscure gems are obscure for a simple reason - they were not good compared to the music issued in their time, they are not good compared to what may have come after, in brief they are not good. In my case, one my fanatical record collecting friends had a cassette dub of this album that he'd gotten from another friend. So I borrowed it after reading the gushing reviews both here & Amazon.com. Out of all the songs of their 2 albums , only 2 managed not to be fast forwarded - "For Mad Men Only" & 8 Mad Grim Nits". And even then, because they recall the late 60s - early 70s hard rock scene. I am sure that Psychelic music may be enhanced by certain chemicals, but surely mediocrity can only be helped so much no matter you were on when you listen to this. One star for competent playing, & the sound is comparable to other bands of the era. Be forewarned, some items that are supposedly selling/worth extravagant amounts are due to the hype & the rarity, not their musical quality.

Firstly, let me declare a sentimental interest in all things Vertigo "Spiral". Way back in the very early 70s, I used to spend my pocket money on bargain bin LPs because i could not afford full price releases. Nearly all the "Spiral" releases were in there, along with RCA Neon and other obscure labels. All of these are worth a mint now, but only cost 50p each at the time!

One of my early purchases was this May Blitz album. I probably bought it because of the lovely lady on the cover! I still listen to it now, and although it is heavily influenced by Cream (the singer is a dead-ringer for Jack Bruce) and The Groundhogs in particular, it has its own charm.

Standout tracks are Smoking The Day Away, I Don't Know, and Virgin Waters. The guitarist seems to be more jazz than blues influenced at times, which lends the solos an interesting edge.

This LP is far better than their second effort, when they seemed to run out of ideas after the first track.

Incidentally, if May Blitz is on this site, why not Clear Blue Sky, who were probably more proggy??

Oh my, this album is a storming 'Progressive' rarity that features NO keyboards what-so-ever, quite unusual, truth be told (not that the 'keyboard' is the be-all and end-all of all Prog-Rock.....) MAY BLITZ was a not-so-average 3-piece, harder-edged band, simply consisting of a marvellous Guitarist in James Black, and a solid 'backbone' of Bassist Reid Hudson and Drummer/Percussionist Tony Newman. All musicians display a quite adventurous zeal on their respective instruments and their creativeness holds no boundaries to their song- writing. Admittedly, it's taken some years for me to get around to the band, and I have to say that I'm quite impressed with what I hear (if only I discovered them around 1989/90, back when I ........) anyway, here we have something that could be considered as a basic Blues-based band, but their seasoned musicianship and colourful arrangements stretch out further than many of their contemporaries. The album (now a seldomly obtainable record that was originally released on the famed 'Vertigo' label, lovingly re-issued by the amazing Italian vinyl specialists, AKARMA) features the original 7 tracks that offer the listener a surprising insight to what this inspired group of professional musicians can achieve within their simplistic, 3 piece format. The opening piece, the 8 min+ 'Smoking The Day Away' makes me wish I was (ho ho). It's a totally blowing piece of guitar-heavy music, superb riffs, great singing (in a Jack Bruce kinda way) with the rhythm section supplying a constantly changing backdrop for Mr Black to demonstrate his chops - indeed, the middle section displays some of the finest acoustic-guitar playing I've heard for a long time. The album also shows off some early-morning 'descending mood' moments (as I recall them.....) with 'Tomorrow May Come' and 'Virgin Waters', which are great mellow-out tracks. 'Squeet' is very impressive, too - Reid Hudson absolutely cooks on the Bass-Guitar. I'm inclined to give this fantastic album a 5, but I'm aware that many folks will find its contents less than enthralling - so, a strong 4.5 stars feels adequate - not really a weak moment throughout. Please discover this under-rated gem.

The anglo-canadian group May Blitz released two LP's at the front-end of the 1970's before, like so many before and after them, disappearing into the rock netherworld. Thanks to Germany's Repertoire Records, both albums are now available on lovely, remastered, special-edition- mini-vinyl-replica editions, complete with the original artwork by Tony Benyon. Of the two releases, the eponymously-titled debut is by far the better album, featuring a powerful, bass-driven and, at times, very psychedelic sound which comes across like a heavier and more freaked-out version of Eric Clapton's Cream. Like Cream, May Blitz were a three-piece, featuring James Black(guitar, vocals), Reid Hudson(bass) and Tony Newman(drums), all of whom helped produce their debut along with ex-Vertigo Records engineer Barry Ainsworth, thus giving the album a thunderous overall sound peppered with feedback-drenched guitars and intense, tribal drumming. Released in 1970, 'May Blitz' sold very little, with the follow-up '2nd Of May' also proving a commercial failure, and the band were soon dropped by their label. However, thirty-plus years down the line and the group's first album is being rightfully hailed as a 'lost classic' from the golden era of popular music, and the group's reputation has risen from non-existant to cult-status as a result, with several internet fan clubs now being run for lovers of this un-compromising threesome. Adorned by some spectacularly odd artwork - a fat, ugly, large-nostrilled lady who looks like the lovechild of a gorilla and British politician Anne Widdecombe - the album starts with the brooding, marijuana-soaked rocker 'Smoking The Day Away', an 8-minute-plus heavy rock odyssey that demonstrates the group's pounding style. This is, in turn, followed by a collection of psychedelic rock songs peppered with the odd moody ballad, all of which find each member of the group in blistering form. Most outstanding is Reid Hudson's throbbing bass, which underpins every track with a ominous tension, though Tony Newman's drumming is pretty incredible throughout. The real shame, however, is the fact that the group abandoned this impressive formula in favour of a gruesome proto-metal sound for 'The 2nd Of May', consigning the group straight to the dustbin of promising rock acts and truncating a promising career right at it's inception.

May Blitz - s/t (1970)

May Blitz is yet another good example of high quality hard-rock with an artistic appeal. This power-trio, guitar, bass & drums has a very concentrated riff-based rock-sound and experiments along the way. All songs have fresh ideas and there are no compositional mistakes.

There are very few clichés. The vocals are a bit in the background in order to get us focussed on the tight rhythm and blues interplay. The riffs are most of the time played with a clean electric guitar, whilst the long solo sections are played with heavy distorted guitars. On some progressive passages the acoustic guitar with reverb is used to get us into new hard-rock territory, hence the 'heavy prog'-label. I would however prefer to call this proto-prog. All songs have some innovative ideas and more themes then would be necessary for a standard hard- rock band. The rhythm changes are very strong throughout.

Yet, not only the music of May Blitz is strong, but their daring artwork is a real treat. The hideous fat lady in underwear with a smile on her face is really a good anti-commercial statement. This completes the package into a fine rarity, one I love buying as a vinyl collector.

Conclusion. A very strong innovative riff-based proto-metal record that was released at a very early point in history. The progressive influences and the underground sound of record make this a real treat for collectors like me. Way better then Led Zeppelin if you'd ask me! Four stars.

A feel-good album of the first degree conjuring up a mix of the best of what heavy psych had to offer from the 60s and injected some seriously hard rockin groovy riffs to create the perfect recipe for some seriously addictive progressive blues rock that has the stamina to deserve the added tag of proto-metal.

MAY BLITZ formed in 1969 in the UK and quickly imploded leaving Canadian Jamie Black (Lead guitar and vocals) to replace those missing in action and recruited fellow Canadian Reid Hudson (bass, vocals) and Englishman Tony Newman (who was the drummer for Jeff Beck and the Hollies). After touring the pub scene they scored a record deal with Vertigo Records (also of Black Sabbath, Colosseum, Uriah Heep, Gentle Giant and Cressida fame).

This album really rocks! Every track on here is every bit as good as the best hard rock of 1970 you can think of with progressively complex yet catchy groovin melodic riffs and knock-yer-socks-off drum rolls with a beefy bass to boot. Everything comes together perfectly from the very first track 'Smoking The Day Away' to the echo-and-effect laden closer 'Virgin Waters.' Pay no attention to the hilarious cover! It's really what's inside that counts! And you can count on some high energy hard rock that perfectly balances the formula of heavy prog, bluesy psych with a groovy and even slightly funky edge. In the vein of Captain Beyond but two years prior.

I swear the lady on the cover lives on my block.

Don't judge a book by it's cover, and again, it's true here. With art like that, what kind of music would you logically expect?!?

What you CAN expect is surprisingly good musicianship, especially in the guitar and drums departments. Newman is rolling thunder on the drums, inventing Peart before Peart. The guy is tight as Mick Jagger's pants while Black is giving all he can on every number, psychadelic here (with good delay) and heavy blues there (Les Paul without a doubt). Not a Hendrix rip-off, but strongly influenced for sure. Like Rush, Blue Cheer or Cream, it's impressive what those 3 guys can come up to as a trio.

Obscure band with truckloads of talent and swagger. Perfect to listen by candlelight or riding a motorcycle with Peter Fonda.

MAY BLITZ were a hurricane-force English/Canadian power trio. They recorded two albums of storming Psychedelic Rock in the early 1970's. Their first album "May Blitz" (1970), released on the renowned Vertigo label, features arguably one of the worst album covers in rock history, but you can't judge an album by its cover, so let's hope the cover is no reflection of the music contained within. The second May Blitz album, the aptly-titled "2nd of May" (1971), would be their final studio album as the trio disbanded shortly afterwards in late 1971 due to lack of commercial success and two of the band members returned to their native Canada. A retrospective Live album was released in 2012, featuring a concert recording from Essen, Germany in 1970. And so, without further ado, it's time to load up the arsenal and unleash the musical blitzkrieg of fire and fury that is May Blitz.

"Smoking the Day Away" opens the album in a swirling 8-minute-long purple haze of wispy psychedelic smoke. It's a heady and intoxicating flower-power acid trip that takes you right back to those wild and crazy, hazy lazy days of summer in San Francisco in 1967, without ever having to leave the comfort of your front room. These three guys in May Blitz have probably never been anywhere near San Francisco either, but you'd never guess that from this acid-drenched psychedelic trip. They sound like they were born to be wild within sight of the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge. They're probably in their rocking chairs by now though - if they're still around - bearing in mind this album was recorded back in a distant bygone age, half a century ago. You can almost picture yourself riding on the back of Peter Fonda's Easy Rider motorcycle whilst listening to this music, even if the sad reality is that you're more suited to riding 'round in the back of Henry Fonda's family station wagon. I don't Know about you, but I'm in the mood for some heavy Blues-Rock, and that's exactly what you get with the second song, "I Don't Know", a mean and mighty blues number, bringing to mind classic Cream, only this band sound even more raw and earthy than the Rock God power trio of Clapton, Bruce & Baker, if that's at all possible. This bluesy music is probably more similar in style to the other well-known heavy British blues trio, The Edgar Broughton Band. Our third song "Dreaming" opens as a laid-back acid-tinged excursion into a dreamy Twilight Zone world of transcendental meditation, where the hazy-voiced singer sounds like he's stoned out of his mind. Don't get too laid-back though, because the music soon goes off the rails completely - a bit like this album review - and takes us on a harum scarum wild phantasmagoric nightmare ride along the highway to hell and back, followed by a return to calmer restorative climes for the mellow flower-power peace and love conclusion. This is wonderfully heady stuff and the glorious highlight of the album so far. After "Dreaming", it's time now to wake up and smell the coffee and get ready for Side Two.

We may need to delve into the lyrics of the mysteriously-titled "Squeet" to find out what it's all about, so here goes:- "Squeet, All over a wall, Dying to have a ball, It's been too long, I feel, I feel it coming on, Squeet, all over the wall." ..... No, it still makes no sense whatsoever, but who says hazy, acid-influenced Psychedelic Rock has to make any sense anyway!? One thing's for sure, it's a real storming humdinger of a song, despite the crazy lyrics being like a riddle wrapped inside an enigma. This great song represents a perfect example of early 1970's psychedelic stoner rock long before Stoner Rock with a capital "S" had even been invented. After the wonderfully dreamy (and occasionally nightmarish) excursion of "Dreaming" on Side One, along comes "Tomorrow May Come", another hazy lazy fantasy ride aboard the brightly-painted magic bus. You can really chill out and relax to this moody and mellow music, so just close your eyes and be transported back in time to the late-1960's hippy- trail along the magnificent Golden Gate highway of dreams - and you don't even need a bus ticket to travel there. FIRE IN THE HOLE! Take cover, because it's time now for the fiery sonic outburst of "Fire Queen", a fast and furious blazing trail of Psychedelic Rock which explodes into life like a grenade and then bombs along relentlessly at full steam ahead for four solid minutes. Sensational! What we need now after that supersonic assault on the eardrums is a return to calmer seas, and that's precisely what we get with "Virgin Waters". Prepare to sail away and let the calming music wash over you in a blissful sea of dreams for this wonderful trip back in time to the psychedelic sixties. It's groovy, baby!

May Blitz have delivered a storming blitzkrieg of heavy Psychedelic Rock with this superb debut album. It's not ALL heavy and thunderous Rock though, as the album's sprinkled with a nice liberal helping of laid-back trippy tunes too. All in all, there's enough variety on offer here to keep everyone entertained, even if you're not a flower-power child of the sixties.