Customer Reviews

As Safe As Yesterday Is (Mlps)

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4 star:		(1)
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Background: The very first lp I ever bought was Humble Pie's "Lost and Found", a re-release of their first two Immediate albums. I still have that record as well as another version of the same that includes "Natural Born Bugie". I also added an early release (Line Music GmbH /1987) of "As Safe as Yesterday Is" to my cd collection. I was never satisfied with the sound of that cd as it was mastered with a low volume level and little detail. It especially paled in comparison to my japanese version of "Town and Country".

When I saw the japanese version of "As Safe as Yesterday Is", I initially balked at the asking price. I had it in my cart for some time, but when the price was decreased from an Amazon seller, I jumped. This is the one. I now rate it as indispensible. The remastering (K2/HD coding) is unbelievable. I hear details that weren't even hinted at in my earlier versions. When cd's claim that they might reveal the source limitations of the original analog source, they usually don't. This one does. You will hear everything just as if you were in the recording studio with the band.

If you like the early Pie, you will love this release. If you aren't familiar with the earliest version of the group (Peter Frampton years), you should give this album, "Town and Country" and "Humble Pie" a listen. They were a very different group from the boogie band that they later became. I like the second incarnation very much, but the earliest lineup holds a special place in my heart.

Putting their fine pedigrees behind them, the members of the newly formed "Humble Pie" set out to create some great music of their own; which, surpasses anything they previously accomplished with their former groups. In this, their first album, you get a combination of various musical styles done in a way that only these guys could utilize them. There's folk, country, blues, rockabilly, motown and 'in your face' hard 'n' heavy rock... All combined together to create the distinctive style and sound that was Humble Pie. Each one of these men were great musicians in their own right, but the combination of their great instrumentation, song writing ability and the singing of Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton forged a formidable rock and roll force that ranks with the best of the best groups from that era of rock's history. This is a great first effort and points forward to the greatness to come for this first incarnation of one of rock's unsung bands. This album is a keeper!

This 2008 remastered pressing by Repertoire sounds absolutely fantastic to these ears and I recommend it to both Humble Pie fans and to those of you who aren't familiar with them, but should be. This remastered edition comes in a nicely made package with extensive liner notes and lyrics. (Not to mention that this Repertoire edition costs half the price of the Japan import!)

I loved this album so much. Humble Pie were one of the best of the British blues rock bands
The song Desperation is one of my favorite songs still as is Safe as yesterday also. They were even better live
This albums a jewel
They just dont have bands like this anymore or singers like Steve marriott..Humble Pie are incredible
BUY it!

Humble Pie's As Safe As Yesterday is a fantastic album songwriting-wise. Extremely consistent, highly melodic, and quite competent and professional- this album features everything that I love about Humble Pie.

"Desperation" has extremely sorrowful vocals and upon first hearing it, I was completely blown away. 6 minutes long and it should have been 6 minutes longer! Whenever I play it I never want the dreamy vocals to end. Ever have songs do that for ya? I'm sure you have. This is my song! Anyway Steve Marriott is a genius on this track. "Stick Shift" drives me crazy (no pun intended, hehe) because the vocal melody is impeccable and yet, the song is too darn short! What a tease! "Buttermilk Boy" blends a top notch rhythm with fierce guitar playing and strong vocals. "Growing Closer" is a nice combination of blues and country. Again, the vocal melody is spectacular. These four songs are REALLY good and I don't understand why people tend to dismiss them so easily. Why?

The title song has a bit of a Blind Faith/Steve Winwood vibe kicking, and it's wonderful. I love every single aspect of this song. It's not just the vocal melody that provides enjoyment, it's the brief instrumental parts between the vocals that offers immense satisfaction, and the guitar jam at the end is really good as well. "Bang!" is strongly reminiscent of the time it was released (the late 60's) thanks to a rather normal written vocal melody with noticeable attempts at sincerity, and nice guitar work at the very end. "Alabama '69" chugs along nicely with some fitting and exciting harmonica playing. This song reminds me of a Rolling Stones song but I can't remember which one, and the country-paced vocal melody is highly interesting. I'm thinking something from either Beggars Banquet or Let It Bleed.

"I'll Go Alone" has a pretty good soulful vocal melody by Peter Frampton and honestly, it seems to indicate the man would go on to bigger things later on. He was destined for commercial success. Something about the way he sings the melody seems to reveal this. Oh well, perhaps I'm the only one who notices. "A Nifty Number Like You" is interesting for the vocal melody which does a mighty fine job carrying the song... until about halfway through when it switches up and focuses on a loose guitar jam of sorts. Perhaps one could argue it falls apart by this point but I dunno- I hear something appealing about this supposed "mess".

"What You Will" is perhaps filler because it just feels like, well, nothing much is barely happening! I hear a quiet vocal melody passing by that's probably worthy enough to be a delicate ballad, but it feels like fluff to me. Not bad though. Speaking of filler, I fail to hear anything appealing about "Natural Born Boogie" with a vocal melody that plods and refuses to provide any kind of excitement whatsoever. Uh, "Wrist Job" is a nice stab at soul but nothing Steve Marriott wouldn't perfect later on.

Overall, I believe the very first Humble Pie album doesn't get enough credit these days. Obviously it deserves it.

From the rythmic pulse of the opening organ of Desperation to the ending notes of Wrist Job, this album is definitely one of the best conglomerations of intensely dissimiliar songs I've ever heard. It also beats the pants off of just about every Hard Rock album ever made. Other than possibly on Smokin' and a few Small Faces songs, Steve Marriott is in perfect form here, never bettered in my opinion (as opposed to that guy's opinion.) Peter Frampton also sounds as he's never sounded before, or, well, after. I've never heard anything of his Herd years, but I will say that those who only know him from Frampton Comes Alive! will be very surprised at his guitar work on this album. Able to come forward and display himself magnificently but also able to work his way into the background and let the rest of the band come forward and really knock your socks off, such as on As Safe As Yesterday (the song, obviously.)

Their version of Desperation is one of the best openings I've ever seen for an album, even out of the other spectacular albums from 1968, this one stands out. Furthermore, it's light-years ahead of the original Steppenwolf version from their first LP. Another song that should receive special mention is Alabama '69, a simple little country-diddy (instrumental wise), but sound with tremendous force, that you almost forget it's a song about freeing slaves written by white dudes :).

The rest of the album continues on in the same basic vein of the opener, but none of the songs sound at all similiar and, even with simple lyrics, manage to blow you away with great instrumentation, which is really what gives this album most of it's magic. Forget Steve Marriott is even singing words and view his voice as just another instrument. It's the perfect accompanyment to the other's playing.

Speaking of that, Greg Ridley does a spectacular job of playing far-from-boring bass lines, that really bring his parts in all the songs to a higher level than just your basic rhythmic section role, especially on songs like Bang.

So, all-in-all, a wonderful album that you should definitely look forward to getting, whether you missed the album in your younger days, or, if you're an actual young person like me, and you're only exposure to hard rock from this period are a few Led Zeppelin and Cream songs.

This is without a doubt one of the best classic rock albums of all times. Marriott and Frampton are trully at their best. The melodys just dont stop. The title cut is worth it alone. Buy it/Enjoy it