Plain and Fancy: 08/08/26

Saturday, August 8, 2026

rep>>> Buffalo - Dead Forever (1972 australia, powerful hard proto metal, 2006 digipak remaster and expanded)

I remember when I first bought this album. It would have been around 1974 or '75 on my first visit to Sydney's famous Ashwoods Records in Pitt Street (RIP). Being a poor high school student, the idea of cheap second-hand albums was cool beyond words! For about $2-3 each I scored Slade "Slayed", "Black Sabbath Vol 4" and, of course, Buffalo’s debut LP "Dead Forever".

I remember thinking the cover was very evil ..and that these guys were proberly worshippers of some sick Satanic cult! There's even a photo on the inside gate- fold of the band (complete with Amps and P.A) playing a gig in a graveyard. Having said that, I'm sure the boys had good religious beliefs (while still enjoying the indulgences of non-prescription medications and having “relations" with young ladies to whom they were not married)

Now, over 30 years later, Aztec Music has reissued this proto-stoner gem. This is a great crunching 1972 heavy rock album which still wipes the floor with its contemporaries. The interesting thing about this line-up of Buffalo is that the band had two lead vocalists, however this was not uncommon for the time (think the Mamas and the Pappas, Blood Sweat and Tears and the aura of the Beatles, which was still lurking around).

The opening track “Leader” kicks off very doomily, with a droning acoustic guitar and vocals before building into a frantic heavy metal ending! “You...yes YOU are the Leader”. Very way out (man).

"Suzi Sunshine" was an early hit single for the band is a great piece of heavy melodic rock with some neat slide guitar from John Baxter. Two cover versions follow, Blues Images’ "Pay My Dues" (which shows the band's early progressive hippy roots) and a 10-minute version of Free's "I’m a Mover" which starts off faithful to the original but quickly builds into some manic jamming rivalling the Stooges and The MC5 ! I can imagine this track hitting the 30 minute mark in a live setting.

A few of the tracks following this have a distinctively heavy, progressive "San Francisco-meets-Quicksilver-Messenger-Service" vibe before returning with some powerful riff-o-mania rockin' on the five-minute title track, which again shows Buffalo's ability to do some great jamming (no doubt picked up from playing countless shows around the Sydney Town hall dances and nightclub scene)

Bonus tracks include some early 7" inch cover version B-sides which more than anything display the bands early high energy rhythm and blues/rock 'n' roll roots. Also included is an ultra rare early pre–Buffalo 1971 single by the band Head (featuring three members of Buffalo in Tice, Baxter and Wells) which reminds me of Eric Burdon and The Animals or early Cream

As with all Aztec releases this re-release comes a great 22 page colour booklet featuring some jaw-dropping early photos, gig posters and magazine adverts. The early photo of Dave Tice and Pete Wells in 1967 looking very Carnaby Street is worth the cost of the album alone.

by Steve Danno-Lorkin

Tracks

1. Leader (Dave Tice, John Baxter, Peter Wells) - 6:03

2. Suzie Sunshine (Peter Brett, John Baxter) - 2:53

3. Pay My Dues (Joe Lala, Mike Pinera) - 5:34

4. I'm A Mover (Paul Rodgers, Andy Fraser) - 10:46

5. Ballad Of Irving Fink (Alan Milano, John Baxter) - 4:30

6. Bean Stew (Dave Tice, John Baxter) - 7:05

7. Forest Rain (Dave Tice, John Baxter) - 6:30

8. Dead Forever (Dave Tice, John Baxter) - 5:39

9. Hobo (Dave Tice, John Baxter) - 2:48

10.Sad Song, Then (John Baxter) - 2:37

11.No Particular Place To Go (Chuck Berry) - 4:53

12.Just A Little Rock And Roll (A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues) (Terry Thompson) - 2:24

13.Barbershop Rock (John Baxter) - 5:07

Bonus Tracks 9-13

Tracks 9,10 recorded as The Head

Buffalo
*Dave Tice - Lead Vocals
*Alan Milano - Lead Vocals
*Peter Wells - Bass
*John Baxter - Guitar
*Paul Balbi - Drums

1974 Buffalo - Only Want You For Your Body (Aztec 2005)

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rep>>> Buffalo - Only Want You For Your Body (1974 australia, pure energy hard tough 'n' roll, 2005 dig pak remaster)

Aztec Music once again have done a brilliant job with great remastering, a massive booklet with liner notes, band interviews and tons of photos. Plus 2 rare bonus tracks (a 7” edit/mix of "What’s Going On" and a live GTK recording of "United Nations"). Aztec have done such a good job that the bootleggers have actually had the nerve and audacity to cry unfair...Ha! Maybe the bootleggers should pay the band some royalties first, before complaining too much.

This the band's third album and is a big leap forward in terms of songwriting and production. Where, on Buffalo's previous albums, the vibe on songwriting seemed to be "smoke a bunch of pot, turn the amps up full blast and see what happens", there's a different approach on "Only Want You for Your Body". The tunes are still riff-heavy, loud and dynamic, but the song arrangements are more traditional i.e. they actually have verses and choruses (shock!) Production-wise, it’s also a progression with double tracked guitars and vocals, backing vocals (more shock horror!), percussive and sound effects, which add up to make this probabl0y Buffalo's best album.

The band's endless touring prior to this albums recording sessions had tightened the musicianship considerably.Pete Wells (who sadly passed away on 27 March 2006, was slide guitarist with Rose Tattoo, Lucy De Soto + the Handsome Devils and The Pete Wells Band) can take a bow: His bass playing was incredible! All budding bassists should check out his playing on this album. Guitarist John Baxter proves to be the heaviest and wildest guitarist in the country at the time, drummer Jimmy Economou is aggressive and hard-hitting but never self-indulgent. Frontman Dave Tice‘s vocals alone are more powerful then most bands at the time.

Ok, you ask: Why wasn’t this album a multi-million selling album it deserved to be? Well, at the time Australian radio was extremely conservativeand it was almost impossible to sell a lot of records without airplay. Buffalo probably weren’t doing themselves any favours by having a front cover featuring a semi-naked young girl tied up on a torture rack. Songs like "I'm a Skirt Lifter, Not a Shirt Raiser" and "Kings Cross Ladies" were unlikely to be played on Catholic church-owned radio station 2SM. However, the band probably took a perverse delight in all this.So folks - have a listen to this and see what all of the fuss is about.

It should be noted that since the band split back in the mid '70s, Buffalo have picked up a fairly impressive world wide following. Members of Soundgarden were fans , a European stoner rock band Colour Scheme covered a Buffalo song on one of their albums and the Hoodoo Gurus use to play Buffalo over the P.A before going on stage. Sheek The Shayk (ED: Who?) paid tribute to the band on their debut CD. Murray Shepherd (Monarchs , Ride Ons , Funthings etc) is a huge fan, and Cosmic Psychos released a version of "Sunrise". Hey...maybe we should petition the Homebake organisers and try and get a reunion show happening (although realistically this is unlikely to happen).

by Steve Danno-Lorkin

Tracks
1. I'm A Skirt Lifter, Not A Shirt Raiser - 4:53
2. I'm Coming On (Alvin Lee) - 3:39
3. Dune Messiah - 4:32
4. Stay With Me - 3:37
5. What's Going On - 3:58
6. Kings Cross Ladies - 7:27
7. United Nations - 6:18
8. What's Going On (Single Version) - 3:25
9. United Nations (Live At Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, April 1974) - 7:51
All tracks written by Dave Tice and John Baxter except track #2
Bonus tracks 8-9

Buffalo
*Dave Tice - Lead Vocals
*Peter Wells - Bass
*John Baxter - Guitar
*Jimmy Economou - Drums

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rep>>> Karen Beth - Harvest 1970 us, peaceful, light and pleasant folk country rock)

Karen Beth's wide range voice and fragile songs on her second LP "Harvest", focused on the effect of words and music as sound as often as on meaning and the result is most pleasing to ear.