Akarma Italy
1969
New! Improved!
About This Album
The title is a bit misleading for, although this is certainly "new" Blue Cheer, it is hardly an "improvement." It is important as a document of a band with some influence and certain cult status. Now that the Velvet Underground have achieved true cult superstardom, it is bands like Blue Cheer that continue to get rediscovered by devotees of '60s music. Here, bassist Dick Peterson and drummer Paul Whalley present two distinctly different Blue Cheers. Side two works much better. It is 14 minutes and 43 seconds of three Randy Holden originals, "Peace of Mind," "Fruit & Iceburgs," and the brief "Honey Butter Lover." "Peace of Mind" is great, a lilting hard rock riff, and a refinement of the blistering Blue Cheer sound that launched them into the consciousness of the public. This is the stuff Grand Funk should've listened to -- or better still, should have covered. Although both sides of this album were produced by Milan Melvin, Dot recording artists Burns Kellogg on piano and organ, and Bruce Stephens on guitars, sandblocks, and tortoise shell, cannot help Peterson lift the basement tape vibe of side one to a place where it can compete with Holden's contributions on the second side.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5 and 6)

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