new improved!

New! Improved! Blue Cheer is the third studio album by the influential San Francisco group and one of the most unusual records in their catalogue. Originally released by Philips in 1969, it documents a period of rapid personnel changes following the departure of founding guitarist Leigh Stephens.

The album is effectively divided between two different versions of Blue Cheer. On the first side, bassist and vocalist Dickie Peterson and drummer Paul Whaley are joined by guitarist Bruce Stephens and keyboard player Ralph Burns Kellogg. Their performances introduce piano, organ, percussion and more varied songwriting into the band's previously overwhelming power-trio sound.

“When It All Gets Old” opens the album with a loose, rhythmically inventive arrangement, while “West Coast Child of Sunshine” combines psychedelic guitar with an accessible melodic chorus. “I Want My Baby Back” and “Aces 'N' Eights” move towards blues and roots rock, and “As Long as I Live” reveals an unexpected country-rock influence.

The first side concludes with a powerful interpretation of Bob Dylan's “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.” Blue Cheer transform the song through Dickie Peterson's rugged vocals, prominent keyboards and a heavier rhythm section, while retaining the relaxed blues character of the original composition.

The second side introduces former Other Half guitarist Randy Holden and returns Blue Cheer to the power-trio format. “Peace of Mind” develops through spacious psychedelic passages, massive guitar tones and an extended solo, while “Fruit & Iceburgs” is one of the heaviest and most adventurous recordings in the band's catalogue.

The brief “Honey Butter Lover” closes the album with a final burst of distorted guitar. These three Randy Holden compositions would remain his only studio recordings with Blue Cheer before he departed to create his cult solo album Population II.

With its sharp contrast between the more melodic first side and the monumental heavy psychedelia of the second, New! Improved! Blue Cheer captures a band in transition. This Akarma edition presents the complete original nine-track album on vinyl.

Track listing:

Side A

1. When It All Gets Old – 3:01
2. West Coast Child of Sunshine – 2:41
3. I Want My Baby Back – 3:19
4. Aces 'N' Eights – 2:47
5. As Long as I Live – 2:20
6. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry – 3:16

Side B

1. Peace of Mind – 7:22
2. Fruit & Iceburgs – 6:05
3. Honey Butter Lover – 1:16