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Speech
Steamhammer
Speech
Genres: Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (3) - Disc #1

2009 digipak reissue of this, the final album from the British Heavy Blues pioneers originally released in 1972. Contains booklet with authoritative and extensive liner notes written by respected author and journalist Chr...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Steamhammer
Title: Speech
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Repertoire
Release Date: 3/24/2009
Album Type: Import
Genres: Pop, Rock
Styles: Progressive, Progressive Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1

Synopsis

Album Description
2009 digipak reissue of this, the final album from the British Heavy Blues pioneers originally released in 1972. Contains booklet with authoritative and extensive liner notes written by respected author and journalist Chris Welch (and including an interview with Steamhammer's Louis Cennamo). Repertoire.

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CD Reviews

Really cool guitar album.
11/07/1998
(3 out of 5 stars)

"Speech is the final Steamhammer album. Drummer Mick Bradley died of leukemia shortly before its release.



This is by far the most progressive release by this band and it includes some amazing guitar riffs by Martin Pugh. This is fortunate because the vocals (by guest vocalist Garth Watt-Roy, from Fuzzy Duck and The Greatest Show on Earth)are grating despite some interesting words.



Pugh's riffs run the gambit from melodic Santana-like lilts to full scale Hendrix-fueled distortion. This record also contains the "speed-riff" Pugh reprised as a member of Armageddon. If you listen closely you will hear some haunting background vocals provided by ex-Yardbird Keith Relf.



There are only three tracks on this disc. The 20 minute multi-part Penumbru being the album's centerpiece. One song also includes a rather long drum solo this.



Following this release Relf, Pugh and the bassist on this release (Louis Cennamo) would come to America, meet Captain Beyond drummer Bobby Caldwell in a bar in LA (so the story goes) and form Armageddon. If you can skip over the vocals on Speech(and there aren't that many) the instrumental sections are often dynamic and captivating."
Heavy Heavy Prog, 4 & 1/2 Stars
ProEvil | MA | 11/23/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This all but forgotten UK band released this swansong in '72. I've heard it's their heaviest and weirdest after playing standard brit blues rock on previous albums. I can't comment since I've yet to hear any of the earlier releases, but this is heavy and spacey alright. Very tight instrumental workouts that don't go for flash, so much as atmosphere and texture. Comparable to a more demented Cream, a more garagey Crimson, or a doomier Zeppelin, perhaps. Even with all the layered fuzz, they play with an elegance befitting some of the italian prog bands of the day, ie. Osanna. If heavy experimental sounds of the '70s are your thing, this is most definitely worth your time."
Excellent
William R. Nicholas | Mahwah, NJ USA | 04/17/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is not what I expected from Steamhammer, but you know what, I'll take it.



I had them pegged as a blues band after hearing the excellent Mountains, which you also have to attain for its amazing jam of "Driving Down The Avenue.



Speech goes, and goes deep, into progressive terrain: multi part songs hugging all genres. The sound is huge, epic slaps of guitar that define this as 70s art rock.



But Speech is never deliberately artsy, and all the parts that are there seem in proper place. This band never made a splash--they must have fallen in that crack between ELP and Deep Purple. But they rock as hard as one and do prog far more classy than the other,



Crack this."