Any Friend of Lucifer's is a Friend, Etc, Etc...

Grabbed this off the wall at a local record saloon on the strength of their first LP (self titled 1970). While just as heavy as it's predecessor, 1975's 'Blues' has a decidedly more prog vibe going on, especially an overindulgence of piano (Think Vladimir Horowitz) and strings (a seduction plaguing many a sophomore offering). While certainly a turn-off for most (myself included), 'Friend' uses such production to good effect, especially when coupled w/ an arsenal of minor discordant changes and the occasional falsetto vocal (a good five years before fashion dictated it, I might add)

"German group Lucifer’s Friend has its roots in one German and one English band. Peter Hecht (keyboards), Dieter Horns (bass and backing vocals), Peter Hesslein (guitar and backing vocals) and Joachim Reitenbach (drums) played until early 1970 together in a band called "German Bonds". In November 1970, the four of them started recording, it was after the recording of the backing tracks that John Lawton came in. He played with his own group "Stonewall" in the Top Ten Club in Hamburg. He recorded the lead vocals and in January 1971 they released their first album. John had previously released an album in 1970 on the German Decca label called Asterix with the members of German Bonds. It is also a fact that the members of "Lucifer’s Friend" recorded two other albums under the name of "Pink Mice" on the German budget label Europa. The band played classical themes on these albums in the style of the Dutch band "Ekseption". John Lawton was on these albums but was limited to backing vocals. It is also common knowledge that Hesslein and Hecht also worked for years with "The James Last Orchestra" and that John Lawton sang with "The Les Humphries Singers" when he was not recording with Lucifer’s Friend."

Here are two distinct offerings (one decidedly more theatrical than its Heavy counterpoint) from the hatchery that would one day loose 'Uriah Heep' on the head-cans of unsuspecting burn-outs.

Disclaimer: Those of you expecting to hear Glen Danzig on the enclosed track 'Mother' will be thoroughly disappointed, if not pleasantly surprised, but if you still need your fix, by all means...

Mother - Lucifer's Friend

Hobo - Lucifer's Friend