LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Label: New Music - Green Tree

This 2-in-1 CD brings together two very different sides of Bang, the Philadelphia power trio whose early records have become essential listening for fans of American hard rock and proto-metal. The self-titled Bang album from 1972 is the heavier of the two, driven by thick riffs, urgent vocals and a stripped down trio sound that connects Black Sabbath-style darkness with a more American blues-rock attack.

Music, released in 1973, shows a surprising shift in direction. The band moves away from the heavy stomp of the debut and into shorter, more melodic songs with power-pop colour, cleaner arrangements and a stronger emphasis on hooks. Heard together, the two albums reveal how much range Bang had in a very short period: from heavy underground rock to bright, concise songwriting without losing the personality of the band.

1. Lions, Christians – 3:59
2. The Queen – 5:24
3. Last Will And Testament – 4:09
4. Come With Me – 4:19
5. Our Home – 3:27
6. Future Shock – 4:40
7. Questions – 3:48
8. Redman – 4:54

9. Windfair – 3:07
10. Glad You're Home – 3:06
11. Don't Need Nobody – 3:02
12. Page Of My Life – 2:27
13. Love Sonnet – 3:13
14. Must Be Love – 2:53
15. Exactly Who I Am – 3:37
16. Pearl And Her Ladies – 3:01
17. Little Boy Blue – 4:19
18. Brightness – 2:53
19. Another Town – 0:46