Steamhammer: Wailing Again

This is almost like a blast from the past. Remember Steamhammer? The blues rock veterans formed in late 1968 and hailed from Worthing, UK. The band released four studio albums between 1969 and 1972. Although only moderately successful sales wise, they were a talented band who never received nearly enough credit. Fast forward to 2020 when founding member Martin Pugh got together with Pete Sears (session musician/Jefferson Starship veteran) and Steamhammer has risen once more.

The album is titled Wailing Again, a reference to their classic tune “Juniors Wailing�, which does get a reworking, appearing as the last track. Beginning the disc is “I Wouldn’t Have Thought�, a mid-tempo rocker with excellent guitar work from Pugh. Next is “Hi Lo Jick Jack Johnny� and its clean bluesy guitar riffs, fine lead vocals, and blasts of harmonica. An excellent blues rock workout with some nice harmonica and guitar effectively playing off each other. Throw in some languid bass runs as the band mellows it out and you have the making of a dynamic tune. “Fool For You� packs loads of energy, plus you get some interesting tempo changes and tricky rhythms.

One of my favourites is the multifaceted “Wailing Once Again� where the harmonica and lead guitar smolder with intensity, leading to a mellower introspection with sublime instrumentation including more stunning guitar and harmonica, building up and leading to more fiery soundscapes. Just an excellent track. The album ends with a reworking of “Juniors Wailing�, classic sounding blues rock with a hint of some of Clapton’s more robust ‘70s work.

Wailing Again is a great comeback album from a group of musicians who sound totally revitalized, their passion for the music never in question. I highly recommend you give this your undivided attention!

A MIG Music release.

The players:
Martin Pugh (guitar)
Pete Sears (bass, keyboards, background vocals)
Phil Colombatto (vocals and harmonica)
John Lingwood (drums)

Track Listing:
1. I Wouldn’t Have Thought (4:43)
2. Hi Lo Jick Jack Johnny (6:01)
3. Fool For You (3:15)
4. Wailing Once Again (6:56)
5. Midnight Blues Train (5:40)
6. Man In The Blue Suede Shoes �" Megans Song (4:52)
7. 24 Hours (9:44)
8. Juniors Wailing (3:58)

Added: April 17th 2025
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 212
Language: english

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