Customer Reviews

New Improved

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Fans of early Blue Cheer won't want to miss this amazing transformation from loud and raucus rock to fine tuned and tasteful rock and roll. Side two of the album in particular flows through Peace of Mind and Fruit and Icebergs. Peace of Mind is filled with mild and powerful musical statements. Some of the absolute best dual lead guitar solos ever performed will absolutely wreck you. Fine and somewhat eerie harmonies will move you. An emotional masterpiece. Fruit and Icebergs is performed in the best 3 piece rock band tradition. Reminiscent of the glory days of Cream, Leslie West and Mountain and others of that time with the originality you've come to expect from Blue Cheer. Certainly every song on the album is worthy of high mention and praise but if these two songs in particular don't strike you in the rock and roll jugular then your veins are tapped out.

Reviewer: udrah (see more about me) from south california Side 1: the "stoned acid crazy biker sound " of the first 2 LPS is gone and in its place is some wacky surf psychedelia that occasionally 'works'. BUT the white blues stuff is even less successful....HOWEVER...Side 2 is dominated by guitarist Randy Holden, who offers 3 slow zen metal heavy pieces that growl & grumble like a slow motion dumptruck on fire. Holden creates a unique sound (that he himself ) or other guitarists have not been able to replicate since. 2 stars for side one, but 8 for side 2 ....hence the 5 star rating.

I bought NEW!IMPROVED!BLUE CHEER originally on LP in the early '70's because I'd heard the name from others 'in the know' and besides, loved the primary colors and cartoonish graphics, sort of reminding me of those CHEAP THRILLS album graphics. In those days, often you might find one side of an album was your favorite, so my side 2 got worn out (Peace of Mind/Fruit & Icebergs/Honey Butter Lover) while I ignored side 1.

Well, as is often the case, I was wrong about side 1, and it only took me 33 years to realize that fact. Instead of trying to describe the influences I hear, take a listen yourself...you might find BLUE CHEER was actually ahead of so many other later groups that caught on; yepper, they were influencers instead of influencees. Even as members moved on, they hooked up with other 'obscure' names which you will find in any number of retrospectives and liner notes for years to come, appearing with such entities as Norman Mayell, ex-member Sopwith Camel, (who at one time played with Mike Bloomfield in a band called THE GROUP, which included a bass player called Silver Sid, ex-bassist for Roy Rogers, of all people).

BLUE CHEER even had Hank Cicalo as a mixer and engineer (he also did the first post Don Kirschner Monkees album, HEADQUARTERS); on it, Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith scribbled down some control room jibberish lyrics set to a Chuck Berry knock-off progression/melody, and gave Cicalo songwriting credits, of which he purchased a house with his royalties.

My only reservation in listening to this CD, even with 2 great bonus tracks, and Bob Dylan's "It Takes a Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry", is the fact it does not seem to come up to current digital remastering standards (this copy produced in 1994)...HONEY BUTTER LOVER, a way too short, beautiful end/counterpoint of the heavier songs of "side" 2, for example, is too quiet and unclear in it's equalization; somehow it sounds more muffled than the scratchy sounds of the original abused LP I have stored in my own memory banks...and...what WERE those lyrics?

My recommendation is to buy this album; it is the closest thing you may ever come to in terms of the old 'underground/heavy' groups. Known in it's day as 'the world's loudest band' they were precursors to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and all their generations of progenies and imposters.

Originally released in 1969,as this was Blue Cheer's third album. Almost as good as their first two lp's,'Vincebus Eruptum' and 'Outsideinside' (see my reviews on both). Even though bassist/vocalist Dickie Peterson and drummer Paul Whaley are joined by two 'new' guitarists Randy Holden and Bruce Stephens,'New Improved!' is still a worthy pick.Tracks that impressed me the most were "West Coast Child Of Sunshine"(a good psychedelic piece),"Aces 'N Eights",their Dylan cover "It Takes A Lot To Laugh,It Takes a Train To Cry" and "Honey Butter Lover".Find a site that offers sound clips of this CD,then go from there.

Except for two Randy Holden songs, "Fruit and Icebergs" and "Peace of Mind", which are probably two of the best songs BC ever recorded, this is, by far, their worst album! The LP itself is really a "tale of two bands". The original 'side two', containing Holden's contributions, is chronologically 'side one' in reverse. The fact is, Randy Holden's singing, songwriting, and guitar playing abilities could have saved this record from disaster and caused it to live up to its "New! Improved!" billing, had he not left the band midway through its recording. When he left, taking his talents with him, you can almost hear the album getting progressively more directionless and lost--and I do mean--LOST! How did a band who pushed the envelope of hard rock on their first two albums, regress to the point of sounding like Herman's Hermits on songs like "West Coast Child of Sunshine" and "When it All Gets Old"? Those rock critics who trashed their first two albums--is this what BC thought they wanted to hear from them? If Blue Cheer was a band built on the strength of its lead guitarist, Randy Holden's replacement, Bruce Stephens, brought nothing to the table on this LP. Admittedly, he entered a situation that was in shambles, and things would get much better on the next album, simply titled: "Blue Cheer". I don't even blame the original drummer, Paul Whaley, for leaving the band after this record, either. They were changing styles, and his hard-hitting services were no longer necessary.
"New! Improved! Blue Cheer" is an interesting study of how one member's departure halfway through the making of the album can change its whole dynamic. I would say for the sake of posterity and historicity, the record company should reverse the track order of the CD, making Holden's songs first, but perhaps leaving "Honey Butter Lover" last on the disc.
Fortunately, the band did not completely fall apart after this album. As I referred to earlier, the next album, "Blue Cheer", would be much better, moving more in the conventional, mainstream direction they wanted to go, having also had more time to write decent songs. However, I can't say the same for the two albums after that, "The Original Human Being" and "Oh! Pleasant Hope", which were just wimpy, drugged-out affairs.
This album was the sad story of a band who could have gone to the next level. "One star" for "Fruit and Icebergs" and "Peace of Mind". "No stars" for the rest!

Not a bad CD at all, but it took some getting used to. I wasn't a huge fan, upon the first five or so spins, but afterwards the material began to grow on me. Not many of the tunes are instantly recallable, even then, but I'd say the CD is for fans of the band, for sure. If you are already into the group, you will recognize "Icebergs" and "Peace of Mind" from compilations. Others will find the slightly progressive material tough to listen to, due to the rough edges and cryptic musical and lyrical references. It is a worthwhile listen, though.

Like their name this cd exemplifies the band's dichotomy more than any of their recordings. Back when the album was released it competed with QMS Happy Trails (released at the same time) for control of my stereo. And Side 2 of NI vs Side 2 of HT was a blissful draw.
As pointed out Side 1 has different musicians than Side 2, Dickie Peterson and Paul Whaley being the constant throughout sides 1 & 2. Side 2 starts out with the magnificent Peace of Mind written by Randy Holden. This song is so cool, I would listen to the song with only the left speaker on and then with only the right speaker on. And then wonder how Holden put the two guitar tracks together so sound so compelling? This track listened to headphones is mind expanding.
Side 1 has its moments, and I purchased the record on listening snippets of When it all Gets Old and West Coast Child of Sunshine. On this side Bruce Stephens handles the guitar work and some of the singing. Ralph Burns Kellogg has more input this time with more piano and organ (that just started to surface in OutsideInside). There are also some compelling tunes such as As Long as I Live and It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry. The band is maturing in it's songwriting, the dinosaur scream like guitar long gone.
And then the power trio of Holden, Peterson and Whaley slowly enter to give their version of their preceding tour committing it to vinyl now cd.
It seemed the band was on the verge of making a huge impact on Hard Rock, that was not to be. This would be the last recording with Paul Whaley for some time and the only one with Randy Holden.
The next resurgence would have to wait until the '90's.

I found this to be a transitional Blue Cheer album. 1. It's more subtle, and unplugged, and 2. Leigh Stephens leaves the group. Yes he does contribute to most of the material for Side 1 of this album, but he leaves during the recording sessions. Dick Peterson the unofficial leader of the group brings in former bandmate Randy Holden from the Other Half. Holden brings the 2 strongest songs on this album in "Peace Of Mind" a song about a relationship mired in mistrust, and violence, and "Fruits & Icebergs". Holden would do this song on his solo album "Population 2". The rest is alright, but the power that Stephens generated on the first 2 albums was gone. Holden would be gone after this album, and Peterson would bring in Gary Yoder, and Bruce Kellogg into the group, and would go on for 3 more years before disbanding.

This one really showed a tighter more refined sound..Leading in with that wha sound your hooked!.. A lot of more catchy but certainly not commercial tunes.. I wore out two origional albums, forgot about them,, recently got in the mood for the CD..As with the album nicely recorded for the time.. We grew up with acid rock but there certainly is room for this style again now.. Recommended for all us old hippies and those who want to explore this great style..

This lp is interesting in its obscurity. Cheer had lost the pier shattering feedback of Leigh Stephens . This is not a loud heavy blues lp. It has nice songs occasional guitar work. Its a B- or C effort unless you're stuck in the psychedelic era.