CD: Shocking Blue - At Home  (C)1969
Pink Elephant/Recordsmen Comm. RCM 00103 2 Japan

Tracklist:

01. Bool Weevil 02:42 
02. I'll Write Your Name Through The Fire 02:57 
03. Acka Ragh 03:09 
04. Love Machine 03:20 
05. I'm A Woman 03:02 
06. California Here I Come 03:17 
07. Poor Boy 04:51 
08. Love Buzz 03:45 
09. The Butterfly And I 04:09 
Bonus Tracks:
10. Send Me A Postcard 02:40 
11. Harley Davidson 02:40 
12. Long And Lonesome Road 02:50 
13. Fireball Of Love 03:01 
14. Venus 03:01 
15. Hot Sand 02:40 
16. Mighty Joe 03:10 
17. Wild Wind 02:13 
18. Poor Boy (Long Version) 04:52 

00:58:28


American listeners tend to remember Shocking Blue as the one-hit wonder behind the chart-topper "Venus," a melting pot of rock rhythms, country guitar licks, organ riffs, and Mariska Veres' heavily accented vocals. Sounding something like a cross between "96 Tears" and "Sugar, Sugar," "Venus" was not entirely representative of the group's first album, At Home. Like their fellow countrymen Golden Earring, Shocking Blue purveyed a mild strain of psychedelic rock, but leaned more toward country and folk music than bubblegum. Guitarist and principal songwriter Robby Van Leeuwen was already preoccupied with Americana at this early stage, from "Harley Davidson" and "California Here I Come" to a surprising rendition of the folk song "Boll Weevil" that sets the traditional lyrics to music reminiscent of the Easybeats' "Good Times." (The group's country music fixation would manifest itself more overtly on later albums). Van Leeuwen's sitar is pictured on the album cover and dominates the instrumental "Acka Raga," but, thankfully, is not overused. "Mighty Joe" and "Never Marry a Railroad Man" were minor U.S. chart hits that few people remember, but "Love Buzz" gained a measure of fame decades later when Nirvana covered it. Veres has great presence -- like a gypsy incarnation of Grace Slick -- but Van Leeuwen's English-language lyrics can be awkward at times. On "Venus," all the components clicked perfectly into place, but there is much more to Shocking Blue than their biggest hit.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/at-home-mw0000455808