Was that a kazoo!?

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Record stores are museums who are willing to sell the entirety of their collection on the spot. If you’ve hit the right shop, odds are that you’re going to find something you’ve never seen before. If you’ve hit an even better spot, the shop will be playing music you’ve never heard before too – and, you’ll probably like it. That’s how we first stumbled on Thundermug’s Strikes, the 1972 debut from a London, Ontario band whose name sounds like a superhero’s plumbing fixture.

But, this post isn’t about record shops. There’ll be another post from our curator about one of those ‘perfect’ shops next week.

A favourite pastime of ours is not only visiting record stores, but browsing the bins; particularly the bargain bins. As we were doing so a couple of weeks ago, the shop’s well-placed speakers were pounding out something we couldn’t ignore. As we piled the St. Elmo’s Fire soundtrack on top of some Iron Maiden (yes, we’re eclectic), the rhythm of what we were hearing was intense, melodic, and we had to have it. Once at the counter, we were told it was a band called ‘Thundermug’ and the owners hadn’t heard it before either (although some of their Saturday morning regulars had). Needless to say, they were happy to sell us the album when asked if it was available.

We didn’t know this was their debut album when we got it. We didn’t even know who these four guys – Bill Durst (guitar), Joe DeAngelis (lead vocals), Jim Corbett (Bass), and Ed Pranskus (drums) – were. But, the few tracks we did hear definitely caught our attention. On first inspection, we quickly picked up on the holepunch cut out in the top right corner – a tool to identify unsold copies shipped back to the distributor. This signified that the artist would receive no royalties from the copy and they could only be resold in bulk to record stores to put in the bins we so enjoy checking out. Too bad too, as we strongly believe this album deserved some royalties for this band once described as ‘the heaviest band in the world.’¹ Judging by the picture on the LP, that wasn’t referring to body weight.

Something we’re hoping to do here at The Analogue Press is share a ‘first listen’ of new (to us) vinyl; and this is our first go.

10 tracks presented on this first album for Thundermug – five per side. However, the ‘A’ side blended three tracks into one (with some great transitions within by the way). It’s important to note, as many reading this may not have the (preferred, of course) vinyl option, that on digital platforms we’ve seen – the track list is not the same as the original LP and there are three extra tracks digitally as well. We’ll refer to these at the end of the post.

Here are the tracks followed by our ‘first listen on vinyl’ notes:

Track 1 – Africa

Toto released their song, also called ‘Africa,’ in 1982. Was Toto’s version a take on or cover of this Thundermug version a decade earlier!? No. No, not at all. Off the top, the Burton Cummings-esque tone of Joe DeAngelis’ voice hit us right away. A strong, steady bass line also stood out… and… was that a… was that a kazoo!? (turns out, it was.) It was easy to see how these not very complex lyrics and unique, catchy vocals would stand out; particularly on the radio or at a club.

This song didn’t ‘wow’ us, we found the lyrics far too simple and a bit whiny if we’re honest. Also, why add the bird sounds? They detract. However, the strength of Ed Pranskus’ drums and layered harmonizing at the end definitely helped us understand better why this song was Thundermug’s second single with thanks from some DJs, and their first to hit the Canadian Top 40².

Track 2-4 – Page 125—What Would You Do—Help Father Son

Definitely wanting to stray from the short hit songs of the day in the 50s and 60s, it seems Thundermug was working towards an epic experimentation here by blending three tracks into one… With strong seamless transitions between them, they are actually listed as separate tracks 2-4 on the A-side of the album (but with one ‘run-time’ of 10:26 listed). ‘Page 125‘ has another strong bass riff from Corbett to set the tone and the DeAngelis vocals give some 60s rock vibes – again though, too much – they come unnecessarily within 2-3 octaves of Justin Hawkins from 2003’s The Darkness debut.

‘What Would You Do‘ helps pick the album up rhythmically from its slower beginnings. Some hints of Beach Boys harmonies and inserts stick out along with some good Graveyard sensibilities. But, the strong finish (a theme for us with this album) of ‘Help Father Son‘ definitely gave us what we heard at the record store. With the strongest guitar solo yet, we learn quickly where the band is going with equally strong drums and vocals blending into what the 18 year old listening nearby referred to as a “Beatles sounding” finish. It’s wild how much of the Beach Boys we hear though; that and some early preludes to Yes. It’s also a good time to mention that we struggled throughout our listen with a 90s voice comparison to DeAngelis that we tried and failed to come up with through this and follow-up listens. He reminds us of someone in the 90s, but who other than 60s & 70s Burton Cummings? Hit us up with your thoughts – you’ll see us reference it more on Strikes‘ B-side.

Track 5 – And They Danced

By far, this is the strongest song on the front side. A bassline that walks with swagger, guitar fuzz that sounds like it’s been left out in the London fog, and DeAngelis’ voice sawing through it like he’s fronting a garage Zeppelin.

This song could fit into any decade and do well, its lyrical structure melds beautifully with the instrumentation, and yet another powerful bass line carries the whole package. This song provides a powerful finish to the first side that has provided a strong build towards what has turned out to be a timeless rock album representing the early 1970s. Every member of this band nails it – from song writing, to performance (listen for more historic whispers to Hawkins), to production, this song represents something we all can appreciate and sets us up for…

End of Side ‘A’

Side ‘B’

Track 1 – You Really Got Me

…disappointment right off the flip of the side. ‘You Really Got Me‘ alright with a cover of The Kinks? Seriously, Thundermug? I’d prefer this in the middle or end of a concert set, but to have this introduce the second side is a disappointment from our perspective. They hold their own with the song, but it’s misplaced. Given what we see in some digital versions, the band and their representatives may agree as it’s nowhere to be seen – replaced with songs like Alex, The Investigator, and It’s Coming Loose; likely from their US release of an album with the same name.³

Track 2 – Fortunes Umbrella

Almost overwhelming dissonance starts this song off and slows us down in a Cream- or Guess Who- like fashion. The 18 year old listening nearby even suggested that this played more like a Spacehog tune or a B-side track from Incubus when they were popular. DeAngelis gives us a hint of Aerosmith throughout this tune that could be better but the lyrical simplicity once again grates through the chorus. Once again, we also find ourselves stuck in the 90s again, trying to find the voice comparisons we hear aside from Hawkins, of course.

Track 3 – Jane ‘J’ James

As we proceed through the B-side, we finally hit what would have likely been a radio, club, and concert fave. The chorus ‘Jane ‘J’ James‘ just oozes sing-a-long from a crowd that can barely say it once after several bottles of 50. You do feel as if the band is having a great time with this song. There’s happiness in the riffs and the tempo is an album-leading high. Other than the mistake at the top of this side, this is rightfully the shortest song on the album and hits very strongly being so.

Track 4 – Will They Ever

This is one of the strongest intros on this album. The guitar gently soothes us into a rapid drum set-up followed by more DeAngelis whispering through a strong, decade-defying lyrical structure. This could likely be another single that could have found some radio success in the 1990’s as there is some singability to it that is invited by the strength of Durst, Pranskus and Corbett’s tight instrumental collaboration. Again, the voice of DeAngelis taunts us with similarities to… Ozzy? No.  Scott Weiland?  Not at all.  Who do you think he sounds like?

Track 5 – Where Am I

I’d like to go back in time and see the encore at a Thundermug concert because if this album is any evidence, they finish very strong. ‘Where Am I’ is, by far, the best song on the album and, once again, it could have been a Canadian Top 40 hit at some point in the 90s. There is a great build with a powerful guitar punch to the ears that follows with a DeAngelis belt of lyrics that is definitely before his time. This tune, with its guitar layering, consistent bass line, drums that flow, and voice that kills has made it to the top of both our 70s and Lifetime playlists and will stay there for some time. It’s an extraordinary finish ahead of its time for an album that scaffolded its way here. We truly are appreciative of this effort here.

End of Side ‘B’

We’re aware that it is rather unlikely that you will come across a Thundermug album in the near future, but if you do – pick it up. This 1972 vinyl treasure is the Canadian pressing and has that terrible Kinks cover on it; which the American version of the same name does not. When you’re at your next shop though, be sure to check in the ‘T’ section or one of the bargain bins and you won’t be left upset. Even with its quirks, this is a rare ‘full album’ play that shies away from requiring any one single ‘anchor’ to succeed.

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As we were listening to this album, and finishing this post, we thought a lot about who else might be in a concert lineup with Thundermug. We went with the following 6-band, borderline festival in order of appearance for a strong 70’s show,

• Looking Glass
• Mountain
• Thundermug
• Guess Who
• Heart
• Chicago

Other considerations included America (for a folksy hit), Rush (who Thundermug apparently opened for at many OG Rush tour stops), and Steely Dan for something completely different.

Who might you book with Thundermug? Who would set up well across several sets? Let us know in the comments!

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“First Listen” is The Analogue Press series exploring new (to us) vinyl, one side at a time.

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1. https://citizenfreak.com/artists/104226-thundermug ↩︎
2. https://citizenfreak.com/artists/104226-thundermug ↩︎
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundermug_(band) ↩︎