Lucifer's Friend

Posts : 1903 Join date : 2011-03-09

I'm looking to pick up Mind Exploding. Is that a good album to get? Which ones should I avoid?

I do have:
Self titled
Banquet
Where the Groupies Killed The Blues

Subject: Re: Lucifer's Friend Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:51 pm

The release order was this:

Lucifer's Friend (1970)
Where The Groupies Killed The Blues (1971)
I'm Just A Rock 'N' Roll Singer (1973)
Banquet (1974)
Mind Exploding (1976)

Mind Exploding is a little too "American" for my tastes, though it does have a few good songs on it. I'm Just A Rock 'N' Roll Singer is similar in style, but a much better album.

Mind Exploding was the last album from their original run that featured John Lawton on vocals, he would join Uriah Heep later in '76.

I've sampled the records without him and can't say I liked any of them. The album "Mean Machine" has some fans, but it sounded like a bunch of guys trying to play metal that really weren't comfortable with that style...hackneyed.

Subject: Re: Lucifer's Friend Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:26 pm

Get the Lawton stuff, tread lightly with the rest.

Posts : 1903 Join date : 2011-03-09

Thanks guys!!!!

Posts : 1903 Join date : 2011-03-09

Just bought Mind Exploding!!!

Subject: Re: Lucifer's Friend Fri Sep 28, 2012 11:25 pm

I got a lot of Lawton stuff, maybe I'll post on his work sometime so nobody will read it...

Subject: Re: Lucifer's Friend Sat Sep 29, 2012 4:23 am

chewie wrote:: Just bought Mind Exploding!!!

I have both Mind Exploding and Banquet on vinyl. The first 3 seem to be near-impossible to find on vinyl.

I'd like to get that mid-70s UK vinyl reissue that contained the debut and Groupies together in a gatefold album.

You could make a nice little 3-CD (or 5-LP) box set out of Lawton era albums.

Subject: Re: Lucifer's Friend Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:00 pm

The first Lucifer's Friend album is incredible. Heavy, hooky and way ahead of its time.

Sadly, I can't seem to get much enjoyment out of the other records. It seems like they swapped the hard-hitting stuff for a less focused, more meandering approach.

Am I somehow missing the brilliance of the later work? Just curious to hear some other takes on it.

Subject: Re: Lucifer's Friend Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:48 am

I enjoy the debut, but it's probably my least favorite of the three I've heard (Self Titled, Where the Groupies Killed the Blues, and Banquet; with Banquet being my favorite).

Subject: Re: Lucifer's Friend Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:19 am

The debut is the only one I have. It's a good album, but didn't blow me away enough to get into them further.

Banquet seems to get a lot of love around here, maybe I'll give it a whirl.

» Theo - my friend's new progressive rock project.