Description
Check the video of the LP for sale:
Check the video of the LP for sale!
LIMITED EDITION ORIGINAL VINYL LP!
Rare original western styled embossed
vinyl (includes inner / extra sheet with photos and info) of this debut record, this is considered a rare gem among vinyl collectors. Don’t miss your chance to own this exclusive must own vinyl.
Stray Dog were a blues-based hard rock band of the early 1970s. Texans Stray Dog had met Greg Lake in London and enjoyed a short and riotous career of hard drinking and hard blues rock, with Manticore releasing their eponymous 1973 debut and While You’re Down There in 1975.
First album from Texas band that included drummer Les Sampson formerly of the band Road. They were signed by the ELP owned Manticore Records and Greg Lake is producer here. Heavy power trioing with some progressive playing and a bluesy vibe. There’s a couple covers including “Chevrolet” by ZZ Top and “Crazy” by Jerry Williams that was also covered by Bloodrock on their U.S.A. album a couple years before this.
“Chevrolet” LIVE:
“Chevrolet” LIVE [Old Grey Whistle Test BBC, rare video] :
“Chevrolet” STUDIO RECORDING:
Check SAMPLES: www.allmusic.com/album/stray-dog-mw0000476071
Stray Dog were an American blues-based hard rock band formed in Texas, United States, in 1973. They recorded three albums before disbanding in 1975.
The band originally formed in Texas under the name “Aphrodite”. They moved to Denver, Colorado, where they became popular. They were introduced to Neville Chesters, a former road manager for Emerson, Lake & Palmer, who convinced the band to go to London where, along with a friend and a former tour manager Lorenzio Mazzio, he introduced Snuffy Walden to Greg Lake, who signed them to ELP’s label, Manticore Records. Randy Reeder was replaced by Leslie Sampson. Lake produced three tracks on the 1973 debut self-titled album, Stray Dog, with the band producing the remainder.
In March 1973, the British music magazine, NME, reported that Stray Dog were to support ELP on their world tour, which was due to commence in Germany at the end of that month.
- Stray Dog (1973)
- Fasten Your Seat Belts (1973)
- While You’re Down There (1974)
- Live from the Whiskey a Go-Go (March 15, 1975) (2010)
5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST Rock Album EVER
this is a must. a blistering rock trio who’s star shined very bright, but only lasted a moment. I have to recommend this to all rock fans and lovers of fret melting guitar heroics.!!! you have been warned. BUY IT!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Fasten your seatbelts…….,
I had this on LP back in the day and liked it then, but leant it to somebody and never had it returned. What have I been missing all these years!!!!?
The songs are a great mixture of Heavy Blues Rock/Prog and just good songs very well played.
Snuffy Walden shows what a very good guitarist he was, with a good sense of melody and feel that was typical of the period (as opposed to the Yngwies of recent times). The songs are well crafted and, although the 2nd album was a little disappointing, it amazes me now how they didn’t become a massive band.
Roadies spotted the blues rock power trio strut their stuff in a bar and the next thing the Dawg were riding on the high hog of excess: stretched limos, great studios, hanging out with Greg Lake, and a tab that never ran out. It shows on 1973s brio-fuelled debut: all cock and swagger, a Texan Budgie with flashes of prog, its a fine and raucous set with showy guitar from vocalist Snuffy Walden. One promo pic (back cover) features the guys at a boardroom table in tuxes, cigar and brandy to hand.
Well worth checking out if you like the genre.
Stray Dog Stray Dog
Label: Manticore Records K 43506
Format: Vinyl, LP with inner sheet + paper bag for the record
Country: UK (England)
Released: 1973
Tracklist
A1 Tramp (How It Is) 7:06
A2 Crazy 5:10 cover. Original by Jerry Williams
A3 A Letter 3:50
A4 Chevrolet 3:56 cover. Original by ZZ Top
B1 Speak Of The Devil 4:15
B2 Slave 6:00
B3 Rocky Mountain Suite (Bad Road) 8:24
Drummer Randy Reeder, bassist Alan Roberts, and lead guitarist Snuffy Walden started their musical partnership as members of the Texas-based blues-rock band Aphrodite. Formed in 1968, the trio spent five years touring extensively throughout the mid-west. Their big break came in 1973 when Greg Lake (or Lakes manager Neville Chesters) spotted them playing in a Denver, Colorado club. Lake (or his manager) offered the band a recording deal with ELPs newly formed Manticore label. The deal included the provision the band immediately fly to the UK. Roberts and Walden readily signed on leaving Reeder behind – he reappeared as a member of the band Bloodrock and Alexis. In the UK they quickly auditioned for a new drummer, hiring former Road member Leslie Sampson and opting to change their name to Stray Dog.
Produced by benefactor Greg Lake and the band, 1973s “Stray Dog” was one of those albums that somehow managed to fall through the cracks. Critics largely panned it as mindless heavy metal, while fans simply ignored it. Shame. The bands affection for conventional blues rock was obvious throughout the collection. Walden was a spectacular Hendrix-influenced guitarist who managed to pull a unique, watery sound out of his instrument (recall he was picked to replace Paul Kossoff in Free). Theres hardly a song here that doesn’t showcase a first-rate Walden lead. He also had a surprisingly enjoyable voice. Equally impressive, given they hadn’t been playing together more than a couple of months at the time the album was recorded Roberts and Sampson provided watertight backing – Sampsons time with Noel Reddings band Road came through on a couple of tracks – check out his blistering performance on the second half of the opener ‘Tramp (How It Is’.
– ‘Tramp (How It Is)’ opened up with some Keith Emerson-styled church organ and Carl Palmer-ish percussion giving you the impression this was going to be an ELP-styled set of bombastic pretense … Luckily about a minute into the track Walden announced ‘fasten your seat belts’ and the song spun off into a nifty slinky blues-rocker. While Waldens lead work was amazing (the Roberts Sampson rhythm section kicked in big time during the second half of the tune), the big surprise on this one was how good his voice was. rating: **** stars
– Even though it was listed as a Walden original, ‘Crazy’ was apparently an updated version of Bloodrocks ‘Crazy ‘Bout You Babe’ (taken from the “U.S.A.” album). Regardless of the songs pedigree, the result was a slinky, Hendrix-styled rocker. Once again, Waldens raspy voice was the big surprise here. One of my picks for standout performance. rating: **** stars
– Showcasing Waldens acoustic guitar chops, ‘A Letter’ was a pretty, slightly psych-tinged and slightly wobbly ballad. They certainly tried their best and the backing vocals were nice, but they just didn’t sound all that comfortable on this one. rating: ** stars
– The bands sizzling cover of ZZ Tops ‘Chevrolet’ moved things back in the right direction. You won’t forget the original, but overlooking the screechy female backing vocals this one wasn’t bad. Would have been a blast to hear it live … Curiously a couple of website claim Walden took credit for co-writing this one with Billy Gibbons. For what its worth my copy of the album credits it solely to Gibbons. rating: *** stars
– The lone group composition, speak of the Devil’ demonstrated a mix of bar boogie and commercial AOR moves. Nice, breezy melody, though the female backing vocalists were needless. rating: *** stars
– Penned by Roberts and showcasing Sampson on drums, slave’ found the band taking a somewhat tentative stab at a more progressive sound – imagine early Rush (sans the shrieky Geddy Lee vocals) and you’d have a rough idea of what this one sounded like. Didn’t do much for me at first, but its consistently grown on me. rating: *** stars
– ‘Rocky Mountain Suite (Bad Road)’ started out as an acoustic ballad, but got a lot better a couple of minutes in when it morphed into a country-blues number showcasing some excellent Walden acoustic slide guitar. The track took another sep in the right direction when it reinvented itself as a jumpy Walden-powered rocker. For anyone interested, this one showcased Waldens best lead guitar work. rating: *** stars
In the UK and Germany the album was tapped for a couple of singles:
UK release
– 1973s speak of the Devil’ b/w ‘A Letter’ (Manticore catalog number K 13502)
German release
– 1973s ‘Chevrolet’ b/w ‘You Know’ (Manticore catalog number 12 677 AT)
The band hit the road opening for ELP throughout Europe and the US (certainly a weird musical pairing that probably didn’t do much to help sales), but as you’d expect, the album did little commercially.
I won’t go as far as calling it a lost masterpiece, but I will say that this was a pretty amazing debut. Hard rock with a commercial edge … most bands would have killed to have released something nearly as good.
“Stray Dog” track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Tramp (How It Is) (Snuffy Walden – Alan Roberts) – 7:06
2.) Crazy (Snuffy Walden) – 5:10
3.) A Letter (Snuffy Walden) – 3:50
4.) Chevrolet (Billy Gibbons) – 3:56
(side 2)
1.) Speak of the Devil (Snuffy Walden – Alan Roberts – Leslie Sampson) – 4:15
2.) Slave (Alan Roberts) – 6:00
3.) Rocky Mountain Suite (Bad Road) (Snuffy Walden) – 8:24
stray dog playing Montreal 9 Décembre 1973 supporting E.L.P
This guy loves the record, check his review, it is very interesting indeed:
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