Lucifer's Friend [Import]

Lucifer's Friend [Import]

Track Listings

1. Ride in the Sky

2. Everybody's Clown

3. Keep Goin'

4. Toxic Shadows

5. Free Baby

6. Baby You're a Liar

7. In the Time of Job When Mammon Was a Yippie

8. Lucifer's Friend

9. Rock 'N' Roll Singer

10. Satyr's Dance

11. Horla

12. Our World Is a Rock 'N' Roll Band

13. Alpenrosen

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
1990 reissue on Repertoire of their 1970 album for Phillips Records with five unmarked bonus tracks: 'Rock 'N' Roll Singer', 'Satyr's Dance', 'Horla', 'Our World Is A Rock 'N' Roll Band' and 'Alpenrosen'. 13 tracks total.

Tracks:

Ride in the Sky
Everybody's Clown
Keep Goin'
Toxic Shadows
Free Baby
Baby You're a Liar
In the Time of Job When Mammon Was a Yippie
Lucifer's Friend
Rock 'N' Roll Singer
Satyr's Dance
Horla
Our World Is a Rock 'N' Roll Band
Alpenrosen

Album Description

1990 reissue on Repertoire of their 1970 album for Phillips Records with five unmarked bonus tracks: 'Rock 'N' Roll Singer', 'Satyr's Dance', 'Horla', 'Our World Is A Rock 'N' Roll Band' and 'Alpenrosen'. 13 tracks total.

Album Details

Features Five Bonus Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

CLASSIC! CLASSIC! CLASSIC!!!.......2007-07-25

When I first saw this album in the store it had a sticker on it that said something like, If you like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, and Deep Purple, you'll love this album! I thought, yeah right. One of my friends was with me and he scarfed it right up. I thought, ok, I'll let him waste his money, because I thought no band could be THAT good. Man was I ever wrong! This album is everything the sticker said and more! True classic 70's metal in the purest sense. I went right out and bought a copy. My only complaint is that they never made another album quite like this one. I bought the next 2 and was exetemely dissappointed. This one's pure metal. No horns. No women singing background vocals. Just guitars, Hammond organ, a great rhythm section, and John Lawton singing like he hasn't sung since (ok I know I'll hear about those last couple of comments). Their subsequent albums went into more jazz/fusion/progressive type music. I understand they returned to their metal roots near the end of their career but I never checked those out.

The Greatest 70s Album You've Never Heard.......2007-02-14

They just don't make records like this anymore. From start to finish, these songs are chock-full of heavy, no-BS guitars laying down awesome riffs. It passes my simple test: the melodies are strong and the guitars are loud. Lead singer John Lawton would go on to greater fame with Uriah Heep, but he absolutely scores here with Lucifer's Friend.

In addition to the Sabbath-influenced guitars, the bass-playing also jumps out here, more so than the organ. Lawton's singing is tremendously powerful throughout. This album passes the following tests with ease:

The Headphones Test: A+

The "Driving Around In The Car With The CD Cranked" Test: A+++++

Lyrics Test: A solid B just on the strength of "In The Time of Job When Mammon Was A Yippie". But really, who listens to Lucifer's Friend for the lyrics alone?

The "I Realize I'm On The Train, But I Just Gotta Bust Out The Air Guitar for This Solo" Test: A++

I've been listening to this album in tandem with Captain Beyond, Bloodrock, Uriah Heep, Thin Lizzy and Andromeda. Here's how I rank them:

1. Thin Lizzy, "Fighting"
2. Uriah Heep, "Demons & Wizards"
3. Lucifer's Friend, "Lucifer's Friend"
4. Bloodrock, "Bloodrock 2"
5. Captain Beyond, "Captain Beyond"
6. Andromeda, "Andromeda"

A tough group of albums to rank, and a ranking that changes all the time. Safe to say, Lucifer's Friend rules. Let's get to the tracks:

Ride In The Sky -- I knew this album was going to rock hard and rule the planet the minute I heard the trumpet blasting the intro to "The Immigrant Song". A short, quick-and-dirty intro. 8 out of 10.

Everybody's Clown -- Here's where the band gets down to business. This song is a six-minute clinic. The guitar solos come in quick bursts at the beginning, then the band slows it down in the middle for some serious guitar attacks. The bass on here is so awesome, and I never usually notice the bass on tracks like these. 7 out of 10.

Keep Goin' -- A slow, drawn-out jam. The guitars here are heavy and thunderous, and the organ is a great touch. Kind of a bump in the road here, relatively speaking. 6 out of 10.

Toxic Shadows -- Put plain, this is a table-busting jam. It starts and stops in the beginning, but once it takes off this song is a monster. And then it goes on for seven minutes!!!! Heaven. The beginning of the 4-5-6 punch. 10 out of 10.

Free Baby -- Table-Busting Jam, part deux. Can't decide whether THIS is my favorite song (10 out of 10), or whether it's:

Baby You're A Liar -- They have that mid-tempo, Zeppelin-esque heavy beat down to a science. The drums here aren't quite so heavy as Bonham's beats for Zeppelin, but it doesn't matter. The Table-Busting Trilogy concludes with this relatively quick rocker. 10 out of 10.

In The Time of Job When Mammon Was A Yippie -- Somewhat of a comedown from the previous three songs, but not by much. 9 out of 10.

Lucifer's Friend -- The album roars to its all-too-soon end. The great thing is that these songs clock in at an average of six minutes long. The bad thing is that this is the last song. 9 out of 10.

This is simply a criminally overlooked album, especially if you think bands like Wolfmother are cool. In fact, if you're a rocker with any respect for yourself, then you need this album.

priceless.......2005-12-03

This disc is a must have! LF combines the trippy, jazzy dark side of the band Spirit with heavy guitar riffs, a vocalist who could sing anything (including opera), and occultic lyrics! The band is tight and right on the money, and John Lawton as vocalist is hard to surpass. It's quite a shame that LF got so little exposure over the years. If you like Spirit, Uriah Heep, early Judas Priest,etc. you'll love this disc.

The Cover Sets the Atmosphere!.......2005-10-20

As the title suggests, the cover sets the atmosphere for this keyboard laden example of 70's heavy rock. I love this album! A friend in Spain turned me on to this and I've had years of pleasure from it.

To me, this band did what Uriah Heep could have done if they'd gone a little darker. I just wish their subsequent albums could have done the same, however I have several and they do not match up to the original. In the eighties, their singer went on to play with Uriah Heep so there is a tie in here.

Each song is like an extended jam with words. That is the only way I can describe it. However, the songs are not really extended jams. They just have a heaviness, a darkness, and technical quality that gives that impression. The combination of vocals, keyboards and guitar add up to one of the best albums of the era.

Give yourself a treat and seek this out. You will not be disappointed!

A 70s Heavy Rock Blitz.......2005-07-20

If u like your music heavy, hard, sludgy, grungy, proggy, druggy, or whatever then get this CD. LF are one the best 70s bands, sounding like no one else, and they broke new ground along w/Sabbath, Heep, Birth Control, Hawkwind. They feature an uncompromising sound: vicious guitar mingling w/the ballsy Hammond organ sound, along w/psychedelic, cultic lyrics sung by Mr. John Lawton, later of Uriah Heep. Like when Glenn Hughes joined Deep Purple from Trapeze, Lawton never quite sung w/Heep like he did w/LF....check out "In the Time of Job..."

Of course if u like this one, check out the rest of LF and hunt down the pre-LF band Asterix (1970). It's rare but solid and features most of LF...including Lawton.

Average customer rating:

NATURAL BORN MOVER
This is a great cd, similar to Uriah Heep!

Mind Exploding
Lucifer's Friend
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000B959
Release Date: 2002-11-27

Tracks:

Moonshine Rider
Blind Boy
Broken Toys
Fugitive
Natural Born Mover
Free Hooker
Yesterday's Ideals

Album Description

1998 reissue on Repertoire of this historic 1976 album by Germany's top prog/ metal band in the '70s. Seven tracks. Also includes the original cover art. First released on the Vertigo label.

Album Details

Germanys Finest Rock Progressive Metal of the Seventies.

Customer Reviews:

NATURAL BORN MOVER.......2002-03-20

Of the seven albums I own by Lucifer's Friend, I deem this to be their closest attempt at commercial success. Not to contradict the Editor supplying info for the release, but this was originally released on Janus Records in the U.S.A.. For those of you unfamiliar with the band the members include John Lawton[vocals], Peter Hesslein[guitar/percussion], Peter Hecht[keyboards], Dieter Horns[bass], Herbert Bornholdt[drums/percussion], Karl-Hermann Luer[sax/flute/violin/clarinet], and Curt Cress[drums].

The bands earlier works are compared to the Stones, Deep Purple, Zepplin, and Uriah Heep. I really don't see any of those comparisons, except for Uriah Heep, but that was only after Lawton left the band to join Uriah Heep! The familiarity to me is the lyrics and singing, but that's Lawton. He has a powerful voice that other than this disc is best showcased on FIREFLY by Uriah Heep. The music can best be descibed as experimental with a strong rock flavor.

The songs are moody at times and the best songs are "Natural Born Mover" and "Blind Boy", which are also my favorites. They are also the most rock influenced songs on the disc with the exception of "Moonshine Rider", which is also a very good song. The other songs that warrant several listenings are "Broken Toys" and "Free Hooker". This is an excellent release and I recommend it to those looking for something a little different that breaks the rules a bit. Other good releases by Lucifer's Friend include I'M JUST A ROCK & ROLL SINGER, WHEN GROUPIES KILLED THE BLUES, and SNEAK ME IN, which has a much harder flavor to it.

This is a great cd, similar to Uriah Heep!.......2000-01-13

Anything with John Lawton will be compared to his work with Uriah Heep, however I believe this album by Lucifer's Friend to be the most simliar to Heep in terms of songwriting, sound, and heaviness. A really classic CD. Also see "Where the Groupies Killed the Blues" 1972.

Average customer rating:

a trip to the dark side
Sophisticated Hard Prog
where the band showed how to blues

Where the Groupies Killed the Blues
Lucifer's Friend
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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I'm Just a Rock 'n' Roll Singer
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Definitive Collection
In for the Kill!

ASIN: B000025QXP
Release Date: 1991-03-25

Tracks:

Hobo
Rose on the Vine
Mother
Where the Groupies Killed the Blues
Prince of Darkness
Summerdream-Delirium-No Reason or Rhyme
Burning Ships

Album Description

Full title - Where The Groupies Killed The Blues. German reissue of cult metal classic originally released on Vertigo in 1972. Repertoire.

Customer Reviews:

a trip to the dark side.......2006-04-06

Lucifer's Friend are an intense pleasure! It's a shame their cds are out of print in the US. This, their 2nd album is a little more jazzy than their first, and I was probably thinking more of this one when I made the reference to Spirit in my review of their first album. There is also a flavor of HP Lovecraft in the mix, as well as Autosalvage (Peter Hesslein's almost garage/punk rythm playing). Hesslein's lead, in contrast, is complex and sophisticated. This album should certainly be listened to several times before judging it. There is alot to absorb that casual listening won't bring out. There is a dark atmosphere here, but this is, in my opinion, alot more than just occult laced rock. This is some very talented people making music, and they weren't content to remake their 1st album over and over as some fans would've liked. The 1st one is priceless, I'll grant you that, but this one (and the next few) has it's own place. The playing is as good as any one and the vocals are as good as it gets. Listen to Mother and then dig out Judas Priest's 1st two albums (their best 2 in my book)and listen to the vocals on the slower numbers. This is a fantastic disc, and if you shop around, you can find this at a more reasonable price. If you want heavy metal, lucifer's Friend isn't it. They rock hard when they want to, but calling them heavy metal isn't accurate (and even less so in the case of Black Widow). Lucifer's Friend is a melting pot of musical styles and influences that they churn out into their own sound. Their discs only get better with time, as you hear something new with each listen. Truley great music always has something new to offer, no matter how many times you've heard it. I don't think Hobo sounds a bit like Zeppelin. It's kind of popish jazz similar to what LF would do on future records. This album stands by itself, and I hope those who want something a little different find this disc. It's worth the time.

Sophisticated Hard Prog.......2004-12-21

This is a dark, complex album that takes a couple of listens to grow on you. This band had great talent and style. Originally released on the legendary Vertigo label. John Lawton's voice is fantastic and seems to be an unspoken influence on both Bruce Dickenson and King Diamond. This is only one small part of the band's appeal, however. There is some truly sophisticated playing and arranging here that makes each listen a fascinating pleasure.

where the band showed how to blues.......2000-07-07

This CD was the first record of LF I happened to hear. The music represented is classical progressive rock of the 70's with all those keyboards, violins and stuff. The groups to be compared are King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Atomic Rooster. The song HOBO is more than a bit like Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" though the rest of the musical content is highly professional and unique. Such songs as "Where the Grouppies Killed the Blues", "Mother" and "Burnig Ships" can without any doubt be called progressive-rock classics. Marvellous singing of John Lawton (later the member of Uriah Heep), Zappa-styled solos of the guitarist Peter Hesslein, strange bass sounds and crazy rythms of drums made me the fan of the band. So, you may need some time to understand this record but if you do -- you won't regret.

Average customer rating:

An Exercise in Subjectivity
LUCIFERS FRIEND DEBUTS NEW SINGER
Good Time Warrior

Good Time Warrior
Lucifer's Friend
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000056518

Customer Reviews:

An Exercise in Subjectivity.......2006-12-01

These Amazon reviews are really exhibit A for Post-modernist subjectivity. They show that people can think just about anything is great, as long as they happened to hear it they day after they lost thier virginity, or something. Anyway, this got me to wondering which album it is that I love most; despite the fact that I would have to admit that it is actually not very good when viewed objectively. I came up with the Lucifer's Friend "Sneak Me In" album, which is the other Mike Starrs era effort from this band. "Good time Warrior" is similar, but I've never developed the fondness for it that I have for the other. There are a lot of terrible records with this same "kinda metal band does goofy AOR" theme;(Nightwing,Demon,Mammoth,Fist of Canada, and worst of all the solo album from Jeff Mantas of Venom from 1984). I love them all. They are extremely goofy though. Not very Lucifer like at all. I guess this review dates me as to the year in which I lost my virginity, eh?

LUCIFERS FRIEND DEBUTS NEW SINGER.......2002-01-04

The release of Good Time Warrior by Lucifer's Friend saw the departure of ledgendary rock vocalist John Lawton (who exited for a stint as Uriah Heep vocalist) and the entrance of another English talent Mike Starrs. The album also marked a change of direction for the group. Earlier albums like Mind Exploding and Where the Groupies Killed the Blues demonstrated the German groups flair for progressive and experimental rock,while Good Time Warrior contained a more straight ahead rock sound. Such tracks as "Old Man Roller" and "Sweet Little Lady" demonstrate this the best and pave the way for future band releases such as Sneak Me In and Sumo Grip. The albums last cut "Warriors" is a lengthy and moody piece which harkens to the groups earlier sound while providing a solid platfrom for Starrs' vocals. All and all a superb effort to say the least.

Good Time Warrior.......2001-06-18

Of the 3 or 4 vinyls I have from Lucifer's Friend, I feel is the best. I have been checking back on Amazon for this CD for months and now what can I say.

Average customer rating:

Lucifer's Friend
Lucifer's Friend
Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DES9L
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Average customer rating:

Wife of Lucifer's Friend BIGGEST fan!!
SWEET LUCIFERS FRIEND
One great song. The rest is garbage.

I'm Just a Rock 'n' Roll Singer
Lucifer's Friend
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000071PR
Release Date: 2002-11-25

Tracks:

Groovin' Stone
Closed Curtains
Born on the Run
Blind Freedom
Rock 'N' Roll Singer
Lonely City Days
Mary's Breakdown
Song for Louie

Album Description

1997 Repertoire reissue of 1973 Vertigo album by German rockers whose sound varied from metal to symphonic to jazz. Includes 'Groovin' Stone', 'Closed Curtains' & 'Born On The Run'.

Album Details

Originally Recorded in 1973 - Eight Tracks Including Groovin Stone, Closed Curtains, Rock N Roll Singer and More.

Customer Reviews:

Wife of Lucifer's Friend BIGGEST fan!!.......2002-11-21

I agree with bgbonesin, the guy from UT is definitely wrong! The vocals are incredible. John Lawton has an amazing vocal range and puts so much passion and power into his music (both with Lucifer's Friend and Uriah Heep) he alone could make them worth listening to. Of course, if you are truly appreciative of amazing guitar, drum and piano playing than you may want to give Lucifer's Friend a listen. My personal favorite is their "Banquet" album. The blending of the instrument's with Lawton's vocals is truly incredible. (If you are a Chicago fan you'll really appreciate Banquet)
Sorry Utah, but the only inept thing about Lucifer's Friend was your ability to review them!

SWEET LUCIFERS FRIEND.......2001-03-29

This is a great album plain and simple,the vocals are excellent and the second side is wonderfull. I have not heard a bad lp with John Lawton on vocals . The man from Salt Lake is mistaken , but that is his choice....

One great song. The rest is garbage........1998-12-26

This CD has one great song that makes it worth getting: "Closed Curtains", a great song that outshines everything else on this album (and everything else Lucifer's Friend ever did). "Closed Curtains" features catchy tempo and chord changes and vocalist John Lawton's vocal interplay with a choir, in a song that is reminiscent of Traffic's better work.

Otherwise, most of this is simply bad. The title track is Dixieland jazz with heavy metal vocals over it. It's hilarious, but not intentionally so. "Groovin' Stone" sounds like Grand Funk Railroad. "Lonely City Days" is a poorly concieved "Stairway to Heaven" knock-off. And these are the better of the other songs here. The rest are just plain unlistenable, and feature inept attempts at Pink Floyd or Moody Blues-like classical keyboard segments, inept attempts at making jazz fusion by adding horns to otherwise lackluster rockers, and inept attempts at being "arty" by slightly changing the tempo of the music (apparently this was deliberately done not during the recording, but during the mixing with an already-recorded track. Yes, this is as annoying to listen to as you might guess).

Banquet
Average customer rating:

Great, underrated rock album

A very pleasant jazz-rock album

Banquet
Lucifer's Friend
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
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I'm Just a Rock 'n' Roll Singer

ASIN: B0000071PQ
Release Date: 2002-11-18

Tracks:

Spanish Galleon
Thus Spoke Oberon
High Flying Lady-Goodbye
Sorrow
Dirty Old Town

Album Description

German reissue of 1974 album still regarded as an underrated metal classic. Repertoire.

Customer Reviews:

Great, underrated rock album.......2005-11-15

I was first introduced to this album in 2001. Ever since I have reguarded it as one of the best I have ever heard. Hearing spaninsh galleon once is worth the cost of the record imo. I also wanted to mention that the actual album (vinyl) has one other song on it "Our world is a rock n roll band," to begin the album. I do not understand why this is not on the cd though. Either way, unbelievable album that really takes you on a journey.

A very pleasant jazz-rock album.......1998-12-26

This is Lucifer's Friend's best album. It will probably not appeal to fans of their first album, though; whereas that album was pure metal in the Zeppelin vein, _Banquet_ is an excursion into jazz fusion. The two best tracks here are conceptual pieces that feature a 30-piece backup jazz band and are both over 10 minutes in length: "Sorrow" and "Spanish Galleon". These tracks are surrounded by shorter pieces, the best of which is probably the radio-friendly "High Flying Lady - Goodbye", which has the feel of rockabilly with horns. Easily their most progressive album, and the one example of where this band's output actually matched their artistic intentions.

Average customer rating:

AWESOME! every song!!! ...no scratchin' for me
AOR and NWOBHM Style Album
This is Lucifer's Friend's BEST!
Bad. No, scratch that. Really bad.

Mean Machine
Lucifer's Friend
Manufacturer: Wb
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000007VN0
Release Date: 1998-01-06

Album Details

Japanese Only Release.

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME! every song!!! ...no scratchin' for me.......2005-05-06

That last review in my opinion is off. Sorry folks but this is the best album since the L/F self title . And I would have given anything to have seen the few shows they did from this album. Alot went into writing these well arranged and perfect L/F recordings. Oh,and John Lawton IS ON ! Wow, such a great band. As for the recording, its a bit thin but if that bothered Me , I would just remix it(turn the bass & mid freq. up) ,or e.q. to another cd. But I like the analog sound in it. Buy It !!! also check out the Ride the sky'72 video on Sting in the tale DVD

AOR and NWOBHM Style Album.......2000-09-13

After his stint in Uriah Heep, John Lawton returns to Lucifer's Friend. His voice is as good as ever. But the music is more in the early 80's AOR metal and NWOBHM style. 80's Rainbow or Kiss immediately come to mind. Still, this is an improvement over the previous Lucifer's Friend albums done with Mike Starrs on vocals (Good Time Warrior & Sneak Me In). It's also better than some of Uriah Heep's efforts in the 80's. If you are a fan of Lawton's vocals or of 80's metal, you won't be disappointed at all. I still recommend that you start with their incredible (self-titled) debut from 1971. But this is a pretty solid hard rock album full of good musicianship and the superb voice of Lawton.

This is Lucifer's Friend's BEST!.......2000-01-13

This friends is a must have if you like classic metal, or Uriah Heep. I do not intend to be snide, but I do not know what is up with the other review of this CD. Whereas the self titled CD sounds like Sabbath, and "Where the Groupies Killed the Blues" sounds like Sabbath and Zeppelin; this CD is unique sounding in that it is like an early 1980s Gillen album like "Double Trouble" or "Magic". Gotta love Lawton's voice.

Bad. No, scratch that. Really bad........1998-12-26

This was this band's last release, from 1981. It is also by far their worst. They made an attempt here, after veering into pop, art rock, and jazz for several albums, to return to the heavy metal roots of their first album. I'd suggest sticking with their first album and not wasting your money on this. The playing here is sluggish, the compositions have no imagination whatsoever, the lyrics are just recycled from old Rainbow and Foghat songs, and the recording quality is some of the muddiest to come out of the 80's.