15 of my favourite classic heavy albums

Some are heavier than others. I've left off some big names on purpose, most notably Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, but here are some of my favourite classic albums on the heavy side of things. As a folkie, what's on the heavy side will likely not be as heavy for a rocker or metal fan.    

Armaggedon - Armaggedon (1970)
Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You (1970)
Birth Control - Hoodoo Man (1972)
Black Widow - Sacrifice (1970)
Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum (1968)
Captain Beyond - Captain Beyond (1972)
Coven - Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls (1969)
Damnation of Adam Blessing - The Damnation of Adam Blessing (1969)
Gun - Gun (1968)
High Tide - Sea Shanties (1969)
Lucifer's Friend - Lucifer's Friend (1970)
Message - From Books and Dreams (1973)
Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come (1970)
Writing on the Wall - The Power of the Picts (1969)
Yesterday's Children - Yesterday's Children (1970)

Feel free to vote even if you know only a limited selection of these. I don't do "best" and I don't do "contests", I just post some stuff I like and hope that some of it resonates with some others. By the way, when it comes to "heavy", I tend to favour heavy psych. Multiple votes enabled.

And please bear in mind when responding: De gustibus non est disputandum.

Mortte wrote: Heard only Blue Cheer & Atomic Rooster from these and little parts from Captain Beyond. But voted Blue Cheer, because it has really great groove (year before so much more respected Zeppelin first and two years before also much more respected Sabbath first). Vanilla Fudge is not your faves? And have to say I am not at all at the moment in heavy mood, so not going to listen more of these albums (at the moment).

l'm not in much of a heavy mood at the moment either -- just reading another topic put me in mind of doing some listing, and mentioning some that don't get much attention.

And oops, yes, Vanilla Fudge is one of my faves. Good call.

I know ten of them (Armageddon, Atomic Rooster, Birth Control, Black Widow, Blue Cheer, Captain Beyond, Damnation of Adam Blessing, Gun, High Tide and Lucifer's Friend) and gave my vote to seven of them, leaving out Blue Cheer, Damnation of Adam Blessing and Gun. Not sure why I left them out; I just didn't want to give my vote to all. I love heavy rock. I would have named Budgie too, probably the first self-titled one, though they are all great. And how about "Pilgrimage" by Wishbone Ash or the self-titled only album of Orang-Utan?


Edited by BaldFriede - March 23 2020 at 01:47

^ Ihanks Friede, it's much appreciated, I like Budgie too.

^^ Pedro, interesting question, and I think you'd get a multitude of answers. I would say that heaviness is relative, and this poll is not about heaviest or loudest, it's about 15 I like that I find on the heavy side compared to my usual fare. I went to a Magma concert and I was disappointed at how loud and heavy it was. My wife's a Carpenter's fan, as am I, and she finds music I listen to heavy that does not strike me as heavy (she dislikes anything on the hard rock side). I find her music light. She finds much of mine dark and heavy.

What is heavy? What is it about Spinal Tap's "heavy duty, heavy duty rock and roll"?

As I said, as a folkie what is heavy to me may not be heavy to others (those who are more into rock music and those who are more into metal than I am). If you're Hercules, a baby elephant may not seem that heavy, but to me it would be quite the load. These are heavier, have more of relation with hard rock/ hard psych than what I usually listen to, and some of these in the list, as I said in the opening post, are heavier than others, some can be heavier in different ways.

That said, I like Quatermass.

Heavy can be defined with a dictionary, but everyone's sense of it may be a little different, and I have more than one sense of it. We don't all agree on what is Prog, what is folk music, what is pop, what is Krautrock, or what is heavy.

I do know that heavy rock can refer to hard rock, heavy metal music, and acid rock. It's the acid rock that I tend to be most attracted to even though I was never heavily into psychedelics (I have been experienced), and music can be heavy in a multitude of ways.... Be it heavy themes, dark and taboo subject matter, the instrumental approach. I commonly associate it with forms of blues rock, often with a psychedelic component.

So, heavy can can be used in so many ways. I love Art Zoyd, and would say that Haxan is a heavy album, but not in the same way that other music is. I love Nick Drake, and it also can be heavy in its own way. Sometimes it's because the feeling is oppressive and it deals with dark subject matter, sometimes it's because one find it profound (loaded with meaning).. Shub-Niggurath and Univers Zero I would call heavy in their own ways.

BaldFriede wrote: Here a link to the album of Orang-Utan: .. And how about this: Nazareth Or this: UFO ...

Edited by moshkito - March 23 2020 at 14:26

SLB's 'Kingdom Come' for me. It's not that it's heavy, which it is, but what takes the cake is just how wild it is. Often furious and crazy with a guitar performance that reminds me of what Greg Ginn of Black Flag would dole out a decade later at times. Like heavy blues rock gone mad with amphetamines....love it.

Thanks Dave and Mike.

Wile I love all of these in its own way and I don't usually vote in my own polls, I have been digging Message's From Books and Dreams today. I like the rather evil guitar riffage, the groove, and its sax appeal.



As for Quatermass, an album I hadn't heard in quite a few years, I listened again and am not clear in what way it's heavier than all of those that I listed. It's not one that strikes me as particularly heavy on the whole, but I guess that does depend upon how you define the term and one's own personal associations.

Edited by Logan - March 23 2020 at 21:54

Cristi wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: There are so many great choices in your list, but I'm edging towards Armageddon at the moment. Armaggedon - German band, released an album in 1970 you're thinking of Armageddon, British band, released an album in 1975.

Great list of albums Greg, my favorite would be Captain Beyond, that album rocks!