HOGGIN’ THE PAGE – GROUNDHOGS: THE CLASSIC YEARS
Martyn Hanson SONICBOND
Essential biography of blues-prog innovators republished.
First published in 2005, Martyn Hanson’s Hoggin’ The Page is an excellent overview of the rise and fall of the Groundhogs. Led by singer/guitarist Tony McPhee, the group garnered initial acclaim as John Lee Hooker’s backing band during his 1964 UK tour, but the restless McPhee had his sights set on breaking out of the blues ghetto. This led to a quartet of brilliantly original albums, beginning with 1970’s Thank Christ For The Bomb, where the band’s gritty electric blues became infused with the progressive spirit of the age. Hanson – who’s previously produced books on The Nice and Colosseum’s Jon Hiseman – writes in a lucid, straightforward style, his text informed by in-depth interviews with all the key players. There are lots of interesting details and insider anecdotes, such as McPhee having to teach the illiterate Hooker how to sign his autograph, and the guitarist’s early love of sci-fi leading to lyrics influenced by Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury.