Humble Pie - Rock On

Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007. Album Description

Four Solid Boulders

One the finest bands of players that rock music could hope to have within it's ranks...Humble Pie. Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton, Greg Ridley and Jerry Shirley. A hard rock band that could blend in country, jazz, folk, honky tonk, R & B and soul, as needed, anytime, anywhere.

"Rock On" was the last studio recording by The Pie that included Pete as a member {"Rockin' The Fillmore" the fantastic live double LP of Pete's last tour, would follow this.} This 1971 recording was one of The Pie's best because of the selection of songs presented here capture the band in it's best light. "Shine On" Pete's great song is here, and it was a staple of his solo concerts for years after, this version is 'heavier' than how Pete would perform it later, and this version is full of muscle and might, it is THE version. "Sour Grain" thumps and rocks and contains a little soul, a taste of what later Pie would do a lot more of a few years later. "79th & Sunset" is a welcome to the Honky Tonk for these english country boys, when HP goes in this direction, they sound like the funkiest boys on the back forty. "Stone Cold Fever" is flat-out hard rock, and as this version is great, it is only a taste of what The Pie would be live on The Fillmore record, "Fever" is great, great rock music with one of those classic riffs that drives it along.

"Rolling Stone" is next, and here is another song that would grow so much bigger on stage, another classic Pie track. "A Song For Jenny" opens side two, it's a pretty acoustic song for a friend of Steve's, again the country influence slides in here, the Soul Sisters, are dropped into this for some stone soul funk, and then it's into Pete's: "The Light" a melodic rocker with his tasty lead playing featured over the funk groove laid underneath it all. "Big George" is writen and sung by Greg, and it's a thumping-beat tune, but as it's not bad, it is the weakest track on this record.

"Strange Days" with it's jazzed-out piano riff brings us back up into real Pie territory, like the best works of another great band: Traffic, "Days" is classic Pie. Steve, is in charge here with this one, another great HP number, the lead guitar, {Steve? Pete?} is tasteful and controlled, like in a murder mystery before you find out who the killer is. To close "Rock On" is: "Red Neck Jump" another Steve tune that brings us back to the Honky Tonks, there's a bit of funk and fire mixed right into this: 'Jump' as it contains a bit of 1950's jive, to send us home.

There is more of what Steve is about, featured on: "Rock On" over the lighter and jazzier influences of Pete. And as he could see the direction that Humble Pie, was headed for, this would be Pete's last record as a member of the band. The stage act would become about the hardest of any outfit of it's day. NOBODY could follow Humble Pie on stage, they were just too good! The studio recordings would really explore soul, funk and R & B after Peter's departure from the group. It was all about to change, after this.
Four Stars!!! December 8, 2008

Outstanding 2007 remaster!

This cd and "Smokin" are the best! Totally awesome sound and replica of the original album! October 9, 2007

One of The Best Rock Albums of All Time

If I had to list the top 10 rock albums of all time this one would be there. Few albums define a 'band' the way this album defines the Humble Pie sound. I love this album! March 9, 2007

Humble Pie - 'Rock On' (Universal)

Originally released in 1971,as I'm not exactly sure if this was their second or fourth album.Tracks here that had me playing this CD over several times were "Shine On" (didn't this cut later become a Peter Frampton song?),the fantastic soul rocker "Sour Grain","Stone Cold Forever",the ballad "A Song For Jenny" and "Red Neck Jump".Basically,good damn GOOD heavy blues-rock.Recommemded. February 11, 2007

Huge at the time, little known now

After the first two English-country tinged import albums, Humble Pie went under contract with A&M and delivered two knockout albums before Frampton went solo. It may sound unbelievable, but in its time this band was competing with the likes of the Rolling Stones for rock supremacy, and really had some of what it took to do that. Marriott and Frampton had a dual vocal and guitar attack thing going, and the backbone was solid (ex-Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley and a kid named Jerry Shirley on drums). They were arena big, and crunched huge, "Stone Cold Fever" is a tank.

Frampton really dashed the band, because while Marriott was a star in his own light, like any NBA fan knows, you need two stars to win championships. And this is really as far as they got, Marriott's follow-ups were kind of sludgy without Frampton's ringing guitar work, and eventually the band faded away. But if you go through the trouble of getting your hands on the first two imports and the first two US releases, you'll have four albums of some really hot music, for the day at least. And while you're at it, pick up Frampton's first four albums as well . . . before his hair went pink. December 22, 2006

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