Alongside such other acts as Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad, Free, Spooky Tooth, Cactus, and Foghat, Humble Pie combined blues, boogie, and raw, heavy rock power, that thrilled audiences the world over during the early and mid-1970's. This British combo was spearheaded by Steve Marriott (vocals/guitar/keyboards/harp), and also featured members Peter Frampton (guitars/keyboards/vocals), Clem Clempson (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Greg Ridley (bass/guitar/vocals) and Jerry Shirley (drums/keyboards) among its ranks. While the band was only together for a short time with their two classic line-ups (roughly six years) they had their share of top selling albums and sold out tours. Even though Marriott put together a reformed version of the band in the 80's, it never took off for him, and sadly he perished in a house fire in 1991. This collection looks at the years 1969-1975, essentially the Frampton and then the Clempson eras, and 17 of the best songs from that time period.
Marriott's aggressive blues/soul flavored vocals were a perfect fit for the heavy driving songs that the band wrote, and his gritty rhythm guitar riffs were a perfect foil for the lyrical lead guitar work and melodic vocals of the young Peter Frampton, who was still a few years away from his superstardom that would come with the release of Frampton Comes Alive. Songs like "Stone Cold Fever", "I Don't Need No Doctor", "Four Day Creep", and "Rollin' Stone" showcase Frampton's nimble and jazzy guitar work amidst powerful riff heavy blues-rock numbers, all featuring tight rhythms from Ridley and Shirley, and energetic vocals from Marriott, whose tough-guy rhythm guitar riffs fuel the entire band. After Frampton's departure in 1971, the underrated Dave "Clem" Clempson joined fresh from his stint in Colosseum, and the band tore head first into even bluesier hard rock, yet always with a soulful edge. Hit singles like "30 Days in the Hole" and "Natural Born Woman" are represented here from that era, as well as blistering rockers like "Hot 'n' Nasty", "Black Coffee", and "C'mon Everybody". Clempson was a very different guitar player than Frampton, perhaps a bit bluesier, which ultimately fit in better with Marriott's style of songwriting. Regardless of which player you favor, the result is still the same-kick ass rock and roll.
While the essential Humble Pie album is still and will always be Performance-Rockin' the Fillmore, this collection is a good start for those new to the band. And considering that most of the Humble Pie discography is out of print or never released on CD, as least here in the US, this is a good place to start as any.
Track Listing
1. Natural Born Woman (aka Natural Born Boogie)
2. The Sad Bag Of Shaky Jake
3. Big Black Dog
4. Live With Me
5. I'm Ready
6. Shine On
7. Stone Cold Fever
8. Rollin' Stone
9. Four Day Creep - live
10. I Don't Need No Doctor - live
11. Hot 'N' Nasty
12. C'mon Everybody
13. 30 Days In The Hole
14. Black Coffee
15. I Believe To My Soul
16. Ninety-Nine Pounds
17. Road Hog
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