The Climax Blues Band-Tightly Knit (1971)

We turn our attention once again to the English band The Climax Blues Band, a popular group that emerged during the height of the British blues-rock craze of the late 1960s. "Tightly Knit", released in 1971, was the third album by this beloved band, led by bassist and singer Pete Haycock, who, along with Colin Hooper, Derek Holt, Richard Jones, Arthur Wood, and George Newsome, were among the leading figures of the movement. In this release, they continue to embrace blues-rock but with a greater degree of eclecticism and more refined instrumentation and production. They also become more accessible to a wider audience, crafting a catchier and more appealing work. Infectious boogie-blues tracks like "Hey Mama" and "Toward The Sun" alternate with purely bluesy cuts such as "Come On In My Kitchen" and "Bide My Time", the jazzy "Who Killed McSwiggin' ", and the blues-rock tour de force "St. Michael's Blues".