Smokin'
by Humble Pie

From OldToad 09/23/2020 01:56 | #258566

This is one of those hard-rocking bands (Flamin' Groovies are another that comes to mind) that feel they have to show other sides of themselves, their softer, more sensitive sides, on their albums. Maybe it makes me shallow, but as soon as they slow down--or even worse, bust out the acoustics--and start singing from their sincere hearts about how much they really do love their baby, I'm just waiting for them to get back to rocking. So they become playlist bands, rather than bands that I listen to their albums as such. Other than the obviously excellent Live at the Fillmore album, this is the Humble Pie album where they do that the least, so it's the one studio album of theirs that I kind of like as an album. But when I get in a Humble Pie mood, it's usually going to be just a playlist of their best hard-rocking tracks, leave out the filler and just let it rip.

Also, although I would expect Clem Clempson, who they poached from Colosseum, to be a good replacement for Peter Frampton, the live album is better than this one in part because Frampton on that one outplays Clempson on this one by a lot--to my taste, anyway, ymmv of course. Hate to say anything good about Frampton, who starred in the abomination that was the Sgt Pepper's movie and should be forever condemned for that, plus who can really stand him as a solo artist, but he was a pretty f'ing good player on that live album, and to me this one sounds thinner for his absence.

Not groundbreaking in any way; it's actually the same stuff in most humble pie albums, but more powerful and heavier. It's got an awesome groove like some Zeppelin songs. Steve Marriot gives some of the best vocal performances ever on this album as well. For anyone interested in Humble Pie, whether or not you knew the Small Faces first (Steve Marriots first band, which are incredible as well) this would be the best album to start with in my humble opinion.

Fine album!

This is an uneven record but it has it moments.