Tear Gas Piggy Go Getter-1970
These Glasgow-based progressive/heavy rockers were originally known as Mustard. Their first vocalist Andy Mulvey had previously been with The Poets.
However, he was soon replaced by David Batchelor and around the same time Gilson Lavis (their original drummer, who later played with Squeeze) was replaced by Richard Monro from Ritchie Blackmore's Mandrake Root.
This line-up recorded Piggy Go Getter, which made little impact. In 1970 Hugh McKenna took over Batchelor's vocal role and Ted McKenna (ex-Dream Police) relieved Monro on drums.
They recorded a second album and tried to establish themselves on the underground scene but were going nowhere with their brand of tired boogie heavy rock, until they teamed up with Alex Harvey in August 1972 to become The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
(by Tapestry of Delights).
Tracklisting:-
01.-Lost Awakening 3:25
02.-Your Woman's Gone and Left You 2:22
03.-Night Girl 5:40
04.-Nothing Can Change Your Mind 3:31
05.-Living For Today 2:57
06.-Big House 3:35
07.-Mirrors of Sorrow 2:52
08.-Look What Else Is Happening 5:05
09.-I'm Fallin' Far Behind 2:57
10.-Witches Come Today 3:16
Tear Gas:
*David Batchelor - Lead vocals
*Zal Cleminson - Guitar
*Richard Monro - Drums
*Eddie Campbell - Keyboards
*Chris Glen - Bass
Review by Blackcatbone 2010:-
_"So look down mirrors of sorrow, reflect away from me, let hope find tomorrow, better days to see..."_
This is another of the ones I had picked up earlier on in my obscurity quest. Formerly known as Mustard, this Scottish quintet’s debut with the interesting cover of two authority figures (piggies?) tossing, most likely, tear gas into a cloud of the same can seem like a long journey to the listener. To me, side one is the weak preamble to the potency of side two, like the background information in a film that is finally divulged in order for the meat to be thrown to the hungry, though some describe it as both hard and progressive. In actuality, the sound slowly nudges to the former and possesses only smidges of the latter. At least it gets somewhere.
Okay, let’s pick these flashes of goodness from the sky until at least side two. “Lost Awakening”, the lp’s opener, is like an electric CS&N number with harmonized vocals only in the chorus. Some decently flung solos close the track. Not bad. A similar, acoustic-laden gait ambles over to “Your Woman’s Gone and Left You”, a song that really needs to be given a hotfoot or something. In and out of melancholy is “Night Girl”, which means it’s in and out of vigor as well for a literally down the middle track, though still isn’t saving the day. More meandering takes place in the chorus-heavy, stillborn “Nothing in This World Can Change Your Mind”, but then “Living for Today” pretends to be the harbinger of the future, centered on a strong, intriguing riff that kind of deflates to a rather fruity chorus. Low and behold, side two. “Big House” is a piano-led foot-tapper with a somewhat insipid forefront harmony they could easily lose, but it’s worth sitting through to shift “Mirrors of Sorrow” into audible range. Simultaneously dirge-like and bouncy, the obscure rhythm shares momentum with full-scale backing vocals, a breaking chorus, off-the-beam drum work and some memorial driving hooks that easily propel this to the top of the totem. While not as boisterous, “Look, What Else is Happening” is still almost as lively as the first four tracks combined. Drummer Willie Munro finally wakes up and gets his licks in, as does guitarist Zal Cleminson and keyboardist Eddie Campbell. “I’m Fallin’ Far Behind” persists in the feverish pace with another original main riff that ducks and moves like a basketball player angling for a shot. Discordant and lethal is the riffage of “Witches Come Today” that grudgingly steps aside for a more prescribed, softer chorus. Now I just have to ask, was side two so difficult to concoct that side one couldn’t match it?
Tear Gas.. no doubt have what it takes to create stirring, vibrant hard rock with progression not too far off. Perhaps mixing up the songs a bit would’ve kept the teeter-totter a bit more level. Maybe they thought whoever gets through side one will totally be enthralled by side two. Maybe they thought those first few songs could really stand on their own merit. Perhaps side two of their self-titled sophomore lp is as exciting as a barnacle and side one rips.
Who knows what they thought.