Budgie - BUDGIE***

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Eponymous debut album from the Welsh heavy rock trio Budgie. They were popular on the concert circuit, but despite much favourable publicity, never quite made the commercial breakthrough that was predicted.

“One of the best hard rock/heavy metal debut albums in history. The Welsh power trio Budgie came roaring out of the gate swaggering with blood and thunder in '71, and at that time they had very little competition for their brand of bludgeoning heaviness.”

“Their songs are strange and have changes of tempo and atmosphere within their performances. The vocals are so off the wall they win you over after a spin of two. The riffs just never stop chugging until they start to add some mellow to the proceedings, which they do at all the right times.”

“Basically mix Led Zeppelin with Black Sabbath and you get Budgie. A power trio that lays down some solid drum breaks and original ideas. Overall, I would recommend giving this a listen if you are into early hard rock material.”

“Budgie's first album is not the easiest of listens as it is relentless heavy blues-rock. There are a couple of light interludes but for pretty much the rest of the album the bass grinds away in your head and the drums clatter along in accompaniment.”

“This album is seriously a hard rock classic since every second feels like it's totally kicking in the right gear, and that's the case with Budgie's debut.”

“The blues-rock template the band is working to may not sound overly innovative by today’s standards but given its surprisingly early release date of 1971 this qualified as cutting edge. The tracks are usually built around a good riff/hook but go beyond three to four minute rockers and often evolve into a more jam oriented session.”

“Budgie were always good at big riffs, and here, on this record, you've got some. The power of these tunes is well juxtaposed against some acoustic ballads, a trend that they continued with throughout their career.”

“It's not just typical guitar soloing that feels meaningless and doesn't go anywhere. Instead there is some very tight songwriting, and the guitar riffs are excellent. The vocal melodies are easily a step above most bands.”