The Album Review Club - Week #144 - (page 1893) - XO - Elliot Smith

Groundhogs - Split

Families always have myths and legends and ours is no different.
My Dad was born in Mumbai in the 40's, his folks were Salvation Army missionaries running a leper colony. I know, cool right? When they finally came back to England in 1960 my Dad, along with his cousin, who had just moved back from Kenya with a similar story, set up camp in the centre of London. According to my Auntie, who did all their cleaning, it was quite a busy place with girls in and out on a regular basis. The swinging sixties. Which in my dad's world became the swinging 70's and 80's...but that's another story.

Dad got a job at EMI leading to another myth about him meeting the Beatles on "many" occasions, and my Uncle joined the Met. He was friends with a loads of other ex Indian born English lads. They used to hang out together, go to the Indian YMCA, which is still there, great curry and quite cheap, and then hit the pubs and clubs.

Amongst his friends was, according to him, John Cruickshank, who, along with his brother, was also Indian born. They were in a rhythm and blues band called Dollar Bill which became Groundhogs a few years later.

Through this dubious connection, especially considering it was Peter Cruickshank who became the Groundhogs member and not his brother, I got into Groundhogs in the mid 70's when my Dad used to play their LP's at a very loud volume, nodding out of time whilst nursing a large scotch. This was usually followed by a bellowed "I know them!"

No-one else I knew had heard of them which I thought strange given their early 70's album sales and their connection with John Lee Hooker.

So...Split. The first album of theirs that I remember listening to at a young age, nodding along with my Dad, out of rhythm. A bonding moment. Looking back now brings a certain melancholy, he passed when I was 21, but also a wry smile. I can still see the whisky. The joy in his face. The nodding. The complete lack of rhythm.

Split is their best selling album and it would have hit number one but for the record company running out of stock. The fools. Apparently the lyrics to the first side were inspired by a panic attack. An attack that lasted a few months. It's an album full of blues, a bit of psychodelia, some rock, a twinkling of rhythm but mainly blues.

A few of you will know that I like the blues and this album gets played at least once a month. It was a rather nice treat to listen to it a few times over the last couple of days. Not sure my dog would agree with me though. His nodding is worse than my Dads.
 
Last edited:
BimboBob said:
Groundhogs - Split

Families always have myths and legends and ours is no different.
My Dad was born in Mumbai in the 40's, his folks were Salvation Army missionaries running a leper colony. I know, cool right? When they finally came back to England in 1960 my Dad, along with his cousin, who had just moved back from Kenya with a similar story, set up camp in the centre of London. According to my Auntie, who did all their cleaning, it was quite a busy place with girls in and out on a regular basis. The swinging sixties. Which in my dad's world became the swinging 70's and 80's...but that's another story.

Dad got a job at EMI leading to another myth about him meeting the Beatles on "many" occasions, and my Uncle joined the Met. He was friends with a loads of other ex Indian born English lads. They used to hang out together, go to the Indian YMCA, which is still there, great curry and quite cheap, and then hit the pubs and clubs.

Amongst his friends was, according to him, John Cruickshank, who, along with his brother, was also Indian born. They were in a rhythm and blues band called Dollar Bill which became Groundhogs a few years later.

Through this dubious connection, especially considering it was Peter Cruickshank who became the Groundhogs member and not his brother, I got into Groundhogs in the mid 70's when my Dad used to play their LP's at very loud volume, nodding out of time whilst nursing a large scotch. This was usually followed by a bellowed "I know them!"

No-one else I knew had heard of them which I thought strange given their early 70's album sales and their connection with John Lee Hooker.

So...Split. The first album of theirs that I remember listening to a young age, nodding along with my Dad, out of rhythm. A bonding moment. Looking back now brings a certain melancholy, he passed when I was 21, but also a wry smile. I can still see the whisky. The joy in his face. The nodding. The complete lack of rhythm.

Split is their best selling album and it would have hit number one but for the record company running out of stock. The fools. Apparently the lyrics to the first side were inspired by a panic attack. An attack that lasted a few months. It's an album full of blues, a bit of psychodelia, some rock, a twinkling of rhythm but mainly blues.

A few of you will know that I like the blues and this album gets played at least once a month. It was a rather nice treat to listen to it a few times over the last couple of days. Not sure my dog would agree with me though. His nodding is worse than my Dads.
Click to expand...
Cracking write up that mate and I'm looking forward to hearing it!
 
Great write up and back story Bimbo, I lost my dad in my early twenties too.
Unfortunately his taste in music was a lot more conservative.However my older brother did have an album by The Groundhogs ‘Thank Christ for the Bomb’ if I remember correctly.He was very into Blues rock but being five years younger i didn’t listen to any of his stuff at the time, I just remember the band name and album covers.So looking forward to this, liking the voice so far.
 
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