The Groundhogs – Scratching The Surface – Pure Pleasure Records 180G Vinyl

Early Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, and Savoy Brown all haunted precisely the same corridors as Scratching the Surface, with only the occasional burst of fuzzed Tony McPhee guitar to distinguish the sonics from the rest of the pack.

That said, Scratching the Surface ranks among the finest albums to emerge out of that entire period, a moody shuffle that includes an epic recounting of the Chicago classic “Still a Fool” and which matches five solid McPhee originals with a pair of blistering contributions from outgoing harmonica whiz Steve Rye. In fact, his “Early in the Morning” and “You Don’t Love Me” might well be the album’s best numbers, a discrepancy that puts one in mind of another of the blues boom’s hottest acts, Jethro Tull, and just how much they changed once a founding member (Mick Abrahams) departed. Again, if you arrive at Scratching the Surface in search of a fresh “Cherry Red” or “Status People,” you’ll probably be disappointed. But if you want to hear the blues sluicing straight out of the Southern England Delta, there are precious few better introductions. By Dave Thompson/AMG

Personnel: Tony McPhee, guitar, vocals / Steve Rye, harmonica, vocals / Pete Cruikshank, bass / Ken Pustelnik, drums

Cat No: PPAN LBS83199

Format: 180 gram LP x 1standard sleeve

Produced by Mike Batt

Recording Engineer: Gery Collins

Recorded at The Marquee Studios, London W1 between 5^th & 13^th October 1968

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Produced by Mike Batt

Recorded at The Marquee Studios, London W1 between 5^th & 13^th October 1968