Blue Cheer - Original Human Being
	Released: 1970/2001 Label: Akarma Records Cat. No.: AK150 Format: 180-gram vinyl LP Total Time: 44:23
	Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, April 2002 Blue Cheer always kept it going no matter what changes came down, they just kept making music. The changing of musicians continued with the release of the Original Human Being in 1970. It was a solid release with a good variety of styles offered for listeners that may have been disgruntled with all of the lineup changes. Founding member Dickie Peterson was the only one left standing on this album. There is a real surprise at the end of side one that's perhaps an overlooked gem. "Babaji (Twilight Raga)" is an instrumental psychedelic San Francisco flavored rock piece complete with sitar injected throughout. It's something George Harrison would have loved to play when The Beatles went through there drug influenced stage. That one track separates itself from the entire album. I think that it would have been interesting if the group explored that sound more in depth. This was a group peaking regardless of the unsettling nature that the changing of the guard brought on with every album. They delve into the blues as well on the tracks "Preacher" and "Tears In My Bed." Horns are used in an effective way, and surely they influenced many more rock oriented groups to combine brass with their sound. Blue Cheer was a group with a ton of talent but no focus or consistency from album to album. It's too bad that they couldn't have stabilized, they could have chosen any path they wanted and been successful. This LP is a fine example of the different directions they could go when they went in the studio to record and get down to business. Rating: 3 More about Original Human Being: Track Listing: Side One: Good Times Are So Hard to Find (3:22) / Love Of A Woman (4:34) / Make Me Laugh (5:04 ) / Pilot (4:49) / Babaji (Twilight Raga) (3:47) Side Two: Preacher (4:03) / Black Sun (3:30) / Tears By My Bed (2:04) / Man On The Run (3:52) / Sandwich (5:02) / Rest At Ease (5:36) Musicians: Burns Kellogg - keyboards Norman Mayell - guitar, drums, producer Dickie Peterson - bass, guitar, vocals Gary Yoder - guitar, harmonica, vocals Discography Vincebus Eruptum (1967) Outsideinside (1968) New! Improved! (1969) Blue Cheer (1969) Original Human Being (1970) Oh! Pleasant Hope (1971) The Beast Is Back (1985)
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