https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXcYZsqkZ-g Released: 1968 Metal bands love a good cover song, Metallica released a whole album of 'em, Metal Church paid tribute to Deep Purple's "Highway Star" on their self-titled debut and Disturbed covered "Shout" by Tears For Fears and Genesis' "Land Of Confusion", Killswitch Engage did justice to Dio's "Holy Diver", the list is practically endless but Blue Cheer were the first. Blue Cheer may not be a household name but their influence on Heavy Metal was massive. Mixing a hefty dose of Psychedelia with an impromptu jam mentality, these three musicians simply plugged in and let fly with some of the loudest and heaviest music ever heard. Undeniably thrilling, "Summertime Blues" holds the honour of being arguably the first heavy metal song to ever make the pop charts and it was a distortion-drenched, pedal-to-the-metal version of Eddie Cochran's 1958 Rockabilly classic. True originators, without Blue Cheer and "Summertime Blues" we probably wouldn't have Heavy Metal, Punk Rock, Doom Metal, Stoner Rock and Grunge. The Door's Jim Morrison described Blue Cheer as "the single most powerful band (he'd) ever seen" and they were so loud that by listening to them you ran the risk of your ear drums voluntarily packing their suitcases and leaving your head; none more metal in other words!
I love Heavy Metal, and generally anything that involves a guitar and loud noises, so I figured it was about time I put all the useless information in my head to good use and start writing a few things. Most of the time I'll be writing nonsense but occasionally I may surprise myself and appear half-way knowledgable.....but you can be the judge of that. Thanks for your fleeting attention!