Canadian rock luminary Neil Merryweather took members from Californian blues rock band Mama Lion into the studio and, somewhat accidentally, recorded two great albums as Heavy Cruiser. The band’s Heavy Cruiser and Lucky Dog albums were gatherings of ideas more than albums of firm intent, but the session engineers and the band were impressed with the eight-track demos and improvised tunes (and management got a sniff of success) so the songs were duly bound in jacket covers.
The band’s eponymous 1972 debut was a heavy, psyched-out guitar and organ duel—with in-studio jams and distortion-soaked covers making up an exuberant and buoyant LP. While contractual obligations caused the band members’ names to go unlisted on both Lucky Dog and Heavy Cruiser, word soon got out about both LPs’ commitment to fuzzing things up, and rolling with the result—and thus, Heavy Cruiser finds itself in the pantheon of obscure collectable rockers.
Tracks
1 C'mon Everybody (E. Cochran, J. Capehart) - 2:14
2 My Little Firefly (Neil Merryweather) - 3:19
3 Don't Stop Now (J. N. Howard, N. Merryweather) - 3:53
4 Wonder Wheel - 1:24
5 Outlaw - 2:34
6 Let Your Rider Run (J. N. Howard, N. Merryweather) - 3:22
7 Louie Louie (Richard Berry) - 3:26
8 As Long as We Believe - 3:17
9 'Lectric Lady (Neil Merryweather) - 2:16
10 Miracles of Pure Device (J. N. Howard. L. Carey, N. Merryweather) - 6:44
All songs by Lynn Carey and Neil Merryweather except where indicated
Heavy Cruiser
*Neil Merryweather - Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar
*James Newton Howard - Organ, Piano
*Coffi Hall - Drums, Percussion
*Rick Gaxoila - Guitar
1973 Heavy Cruiser - Lucky Dog
Related Act
1969 Merryweather
1970 Neil Merryweather, John Richardson And Robin Boers
1971 Neil Merryweather And Lynn Carey - Vaccum Cleaner
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