Moses - Changes (Reissue) (1971/2000)

Come all ye lovers of fuzz guitar and soak up the psych-tinged blues-rock sounds of Moses. Those who worship at the altar of power trios like Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Blue Cheer should have no problem sidling up to Changes, the debut album by this Danish threesome. Originally released in 1971, Changes was recorded in just two days, and the no-frills production approach extends to the arrangements and song structures; this is straight-ahead, damn near primal-sounding music, with not one extra note or instrument added. Simple blues riffs are at the heart of each song, and while a few of the tracks veer toward the lengthy side, there's little variation from that format. It's the extended guitar workouts of Soren Hobjerg that fill out these cuts, but even that aspect of the band's sound is relatively stripped-down. Hobjerg is by no means a flashy player -- he doesn't employ the science fiction sonic attack of Hendrix or the fleet-fingered fury of Ten Years After's Alvin Lee. It's more like he boiled the styles of guitarists like Hendrix, Lee, Eric Clapton, et al down to their bare essentials, coming out with a thick, visceral, fuzz-soaked tone full of power and punch. Bassist Jorgen Villadsen doesn't engage in many John Entwistle/Jack Bruce-like flurries either, but he proves nimble enough to keep things moving underneath Hobjerg's guitar excursions. And drummer/singer Henrik Laurvig pretty much follows suit, with a rhythmic approach that sticks closer to the pocket than many drummers of the day, and admittedly, a vocal style for which the word "serviceable" seems to have been invented. Seeing the light of day on CD for the first time, Changes will swiftly find its way into the hands of those who were hesitant about paying dearly for collectors-item vinyl copies, and makes an interesting curio for anyone with a love of hard-edged, bluesy psychedelia.