Budgie-Squawk (1972)

One of the best bands in British hard rock was the Welsh group Budgie, who released a series of fantastic albums, almost all of which are now considered cult classics in the proto-hard rock and early heavy metal community. Founded in Cardiff in the late 1960s, their initial lineup consisted of bassist Burke Shelley, drummer Ray Phillips, and guitarists Brian Goddard and Tony Bourge. In 1971, they released their first album on the MCA label, though Goddard was no longer with the band, thus solidifying their status as a powerful power trio. On this debut album, Budgie showcased their effervescent hard rock sound in a very early stage, featuring powerful guitar riffs and constant rhythmic shifts. A year later, and under the same label, came "Squawk", which, with a superb cover by Roger Dean, definitively confirmed the band's progression and maturity. It featured outstanding tracks such as the progressive "Young Is A World", with its great keyboard passages, and the powerful "Whisky River", "Hot As A Docker's Armpit", "Drugstore Woman", and the heavy "Stranted", while the bucolic "Make Me Happy" added a melodic touch to this interesting album from the Welsh band. A year later came the band's magnum opus and one of the best albums of the 1970s, the monumental "Never Turn Your Back On A Friend".