Ask The Music Doctor

Yet another blurry image of Bigfoot. Still, at least he writes us.

Peeping Tom's drummer and man-about-town Dr Cam answers your music questions, solves your rock conundrums and guides you safely back into the realm of good taste. Got a question? Email it here.

Doc,

PJ's last album seems to have been damned with faint praise in some quarters. The consensus seems to be that it's not as good as her early stuff. I've gotta say that the last two albums (Uh-huh Her and Stories from the City) are my faves.

Is the relatively lukewarm response to her latest justified or is it just a case of 'her old stuff is better than her new stuff'?

Audry Prinkett 

via forum 

Geez Audrey, I'm probably not the bloke to provide consultation on PJ. You'll need to see a specialist for that one. Sorry to pass the buck, but I'd only be talking out my arse if I had to go and deconstruct any of her records.

As far as singing dames go, I can't go past my bluesy, boozey mamas like Janis Joplin and Genya Ravan (check out her band Ten Wheel Drive), torch song heartbreak queen Martha Davies (from the Motels) and proto-metal queen Ann Wilson (from Heart).

This is just the tip of the iceberg though. Love to hear who some of your faves are? Doc on.

Dear Dr Cam,

As a huge fan of desert rock, I'm keen to expand my record collection to include some of the bands that started it all. I've got most of the more obvious ones: Sabbath, Hawkwind, Zeppelin, Flloyd and that -- but what other bands were there in the '70s which are ancestors of the whole Kyuss, stoner rock, doom sound?

If you could nominate five albums from that era which are direct forefathers of that whole Palm Springs sound, who would they be?

Black Santa

via Forum 

Whenever Santa got together with his older brother, Mrs Claus would stay up all night wringing her hands with worry.

Black Santa,

Here's my top five US early seventies classics, in no particular order (all these guys would sit comfortably on a bill with Kyuss, Goatsnake, Wino, et al). I'm not sure if any of them are direct forefathers of Kyuss though. Kyuss are a true original for mine.

I honestly can't think of any 'soundalikes' from the seventies, even though their sound owes alot to that period. Do check out:

Band: Captain Beyond

Album : Captain Beyond

Rip snorting, riff laden concept album with lots of funky hendrix moments. Features Deep Purple's original lead singer, the drummer from Johnny Winter's band (he wrote all the music) and a couple of guys from Iron Butterfly. A must have.

Band: Sir Lord Baltimore

Album : Kingdom Come

Big meaty power trio. Simple and rocky with terrific screaming vocals.

Band: Randy California

Album: Kapt Kopter and the Fabulous Twirley Birds

Randy California was an unheralded guitar genius, rudely tossed aside as some kind of Hendrix rip-off. He's not. He's also a great interpreter of other people's music. Check out his hard rockin' version of James Brown's ' I Don't Want Nobody.

Band: ZZ Top

Album: Rio Grande Mud

Maybe an obvious choice, but how could you deny the boys with the beards.

Band: Truth and Janey

Album : No Rest for the Wicked

Hard to find, but worth the search. Billy Janey was a sublime shredder who somehow slipped through the net. Another great power trio with shades of Zeppelin.

There are many more, but I'd better save some material for future correspondence.