Bang Bang, it's Terry Reid... (That's a baaaaaad album title)

Ahoy there shipmates....

So Terry Reid... one of the biggest unsung heroes of the Rock fraternity. A man who's gifts as a singer and a guitarist were never realised to the level he so richly deserved. The more learned readers of this blog may know that he was essentially the man that formed Led Zeppelin.

Whilst looking for members for his new band 'The New Yardbirds', Jimmy Page approached Terry Reid to take up singing duties. At this point however, Reid's stock was on the up and he had a flourishing solo career, not to mention having some agreements with music mogul Mickie Most (of Animals fame) which Reid wanted to honour.Reid turned the gig down, but his contribution was still vastly significant, he was to point Page to a another singer, Robert Plant. Plant came in, he bought John Bonham with him and the mighty Zep were born, but that's another story.

....Anyway, back to Terry Reid. He had already had a few albums out by the end of the sixties.
Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid (1968) and Terry Reid (1969) (The US title being: Move Over for Terry Reid) but I think his best work began in the early to mid seventies. I first came across him when a friend asked me to 'illegally' download a track from the Devils Rejects soundtrack. I did, but did not really listen to it, but remembered it being pretty cool. Months later, in a certain football based web forum that I often visit, there was a thread about great albums from the seventies (or something like that?) A Terry Reid album was suggested by a poster whose musical opinions I had great respect for, even though his love of Manchester Utd would usually indicate his opinions being that of a moron! I got the album and realised I was listening to the work of a really talented chap, thats how the love affair began.

I will introduce a track from each of my favourite albums over the next few days, but to whet your appetite, I have included a clip below.

Taken from a performance at the Glastonbury Fayre in 1971, a particular favourite; Dean, from the album River (be more about that later)

Check out the hat, the hairstyles and the fookin huge bifter getting passed around at the beginning.