Blue Goose-Blue Goose (1974)

Blue Goose was a British band that rose from the ashes of a group called Zeus, which included keyboardist Nicky Hogarth and drummer Chris Perry. Along with guitarists Allan Callan and Eddie Clarke (the latter later joining Motörhead), they formed the initial core of the band. Later, before recording their first and only album, guitarist Mike Todman replaced Clarke, and together with vocalist Joey Molland, they recorded the self-titled debut, "Blue Goose", under the Anchor Records label in 1974. Although not officially a member of the band, Clarke briefly participated in the recording of the album, playing on the instrumental track "Over the Top", a song he composed himself. Musicians Alexis Corner and Steve Marriott also contributed to the album. With a strong influence from boogie rock and British hard rock blues, and a heavy emphasis on powerful twin-guitar riffs, slide guitars, and Hammond organ sounds, this debut album was an interesting record, highly praised by critics at the time. Right from the start, Blue Goose's style is evident in the jam-rock blues track "Stuffin' Stuff", featuring the entire band's participation. In "The Chorus", the band showcases their impressive vocal and melodic talents, as does the acoustic "Call On Me". Meanwhile, "Loretta" and "Snowman" display their more powerful side with two excellent hard blues tracks. The rest of the album is equally commendable, including the laid-back "Inside Yourself," the aforementioned instrumental "Over The Top", and the powerful "Let Me Know". Although the subsequent live album was quite well received, the studio album did not achieve the expected success, so all its members decided to pursue independent careers, thus ending the short career of this interesting band.