Sahb Stories / Rock Drill

as with the rest of this series i just wish these cds included bonus tracks of single b sides as well as outtakes, to be honest it seems these 2 albums get a lot of flack in reviews, personally rock drill was a favorite of mine back in 77 (however it would be the last sahb record) i know the band was falling apart at this point but some songs on here are just awsome like dolphins, mrs blackhouse, rock drill, boids and who murdered sex, was this the best record they made NO but it gets trashed a lot in the press and i never understood that, stories is awsome to but i never understood why rock drill gets trashed so much, anyway this has been remastered and sounds better then ever, i just wish they gave us a bit more music from tha vaults rather then 2 remastered classic albums........

The SAHB was in transition from 1976-1978 due to the health and side projects of Alex Harvey, which found the band releasing an album without the lead vocalist (Fourplay, 1977) and then calling it quits soon after the release of Rock Drill in 1978.SAHB Stories (1976) may not be a quirky classic, but it has Harvey as a convincing history teacher - Boston Tea Party - along with a neat cover of Jerry Reed's Amos Moses and a pointed look at the Soldier of Fortune (Dogs of War). Sirocco and Sultan's Choice are vastly underrated tracks.After taking a year off from the band's relentless schedule of recording/touring and releasing a spoken-word solo album, Harvey tentatively returned as punk rock was poised to dominate the UK charts. Water Beastie rates as one of Harvey's best efforts, with Mrs. Blackhouse close behind. But the drop-off in songwriting after that pair is noticeable.This two-album package on two CD's may not be the starting point to hear the brilliance of the band, but the trail will eventually lead here.

Bottom line, anything these guys do is brilliant. Saw them on tv on a show called In Concert when I was a kid, then saw them open up with Jethro Tull, both times, they rocked my world and gave me a new perspective on things. God rest Alex Harvey's soul, and God Love the SAHB!

I kind of understand why I had been slow to pick up these LPs before. It's still a good band, and Alex Harvey was certainly something special, but by this point I think they had already seen their best days. There are high points to both of these LPs, but neith of them really hold up all the way through.

I have searched for this cd since I was born

I first listened to the Sensational Alex Harvey Band in my plooky youth, thats a long time ago but i have been bouncing up & down the house since i obtained Sahb Stories/ Rock Drill. Great

Alex Harvey's last abums. Awesome.l

rock drill was the first SAHB i ever heard, it's nice to have it back.

**SAHB Stories**Following on from the new material hiatus represented by the live album and the Penthouse Tapes (which consisted mainly of cover versions), SAHB Stories was the band’s “proper” follow up to Tomorrow Belongs To Me, and once again there is a qualitative progression in production.This one was produced by the band, apparently with little difficulty judging by the ease with which they manage to knock it out of the park. David Batchelor remains in place to mix the album at Air Studios in London, which might account for the slightly more commercial feel. It could almost be designed with radio play in mind, and indeed it did produce a hit single in the form of The Boston Tea Party.As a set of songs this is probably SAHBs finest hour, with the only cover version being an impeccable version of Amos Moses that could have been written by Alex himself so perfectly does it fit.Sadly, this was in a sense SAHBs final album as a viable entity. Just after recording was completed the band lost their beloved manager in a plane crash. Alex was also suffering a variety of health problems and was never quite the same again, and even though there are two more albums to follow, one of them (Fourplay) doesn’t feature Alex, and the other (Rock Drill - see below) was released after the band had ceased operation.Hugh McKenna, who was Alex’s primary writing partner, was also suffering severe health problems and his central role on SAHB Stories reveals what a loss he would be come the recording of Rock Drill.(This remastered version cannot rescue a slightly dull sound. The culprit seems to be the drum mix, where the metal works are mostly very subdued. But this an aesthetic decision that will not bother most listeners. In fact, many will appreciate it!)**Rock Drill**(It’s worth noting that the CD does not list the first four tracks as The Rock Drill Suite, which originally comprised the entire first side of the vinyl LP.)This is the first (and only) SAHB album not to feature the original line up. Hugh McKenna was too ill to participate, and keyboard duties were taken over by Tommy Eyre. This does give it a slightly different flavour.The band produced the album themselves and it was mixed by long time collaborator David Batchelor, who must have been asleep at the wheel on The Dolphins because there’s a good deal of circuit noise, probably coming from an open channel or a noisy mic. It’s only intrusive at the start, but an error nevertheless.The overall sound is much crisper than SAHB stories, and Tommy Eyre does a great job of playing Hugh McKenna’s pre-composed parts and adding his own as required. Certainly, the arrangements are exuberant and dynamic, and the album benefits greatly from a sympathetic remastering.Rock Drill is a noisy, meaty, beaty, big and bouncy monster of an album, pointing to a new direction the band were never to take. The utterly mental Booids is one of the band’s strangest and most compelling moments, leading as it does to Alex’s scat opening of Who Murdered Sex? The hilarious countdown to the final refrain shows that despite everything Alex had not lost his sense of humour. Genius.To some fans this is SAHB’s finest album, and it would be hard to make the argument that it’s not. Even the potentially lightweight Mrs Blackhouse works in context as a coda of sorts after the cosmic keyboard ending of Water Beastie. It’s not my favourite SAHB album, but it does stand the test of time and is worthy of repeated listening.“Remember love and love will keep us together.”

I followed this band when they were called Tear Gas in the early 70s and when Alex Harvey decided he wanted to front his own band he decided on the name , The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and the rest is history as they became one of my favourite bands of all time . I bought most of their albums after I saw them in Glasgow in 1975 and when I had the chance to buy most of them on cd I jumped at the chance and still listen to them to this day . It is a pity that Scotlands answer to Tommy Steele died of a heart attack just before his 47th birthday in 1982 .

What more can I say....Alex Harvey band at their best in studio. Even better live. This is one amazing album. Highlights...the absolutely stunning Dolphins....rock n roll....and who murdered sex. Also the hilarious water beasty. If you never heard this before...BUY IT. Rock n roll at its very best from one o th godfather's of punk ..and Glasgow's finest

A great CD. Two of the best albums from SAHB on one CD. Stories is perhaps the most polished of the SAHB albums. Rock Drill was not as popular as some SAHB albums when first released and sadly does not feature their excellent keyboard player Hugh Mckenna (except for a small cameo performance) due to illness at the time - however, it is still a great album and captures the inspired insanity that was Alex Harvey.

Two great albums, not overly familiar with "Rock Drill" but have SAHB Stories on vinyl.Bought this double package to complete the first five album box set that I also purchased.First SAHB studio albums I've ever owned on cd, the mastering, package and overall quality are very good.Alex Harvey fans will already know how good the musical content is, a fabulous tight band who knew how to rock.