Pavlov's Dog - Pavlov's Dog Essential Recordings 1974-2018 (2024) [Hi-Res]

It's been a half century since Pavlov's Dog burst onto the burgeoning progressive rock scene of the early 1970s. Hailing from the city of St. Louis, Missouri, their heady blend of rock, classical and folk music turned them into cult legends. The band has seen lots of lineup changes and internal turmoil over the years, leading to extended breaks between album releases. But today, David Surkamp – lead singer, main songwriter and last remaining original member of Pavlov's Dog – continues to fly the banner high, accompanied by an accomplished group of musicians that is a credit to the band’s good name.

This year – exactly 50 years since Pavlov Dog recorded their legendary debut Pampered Menial – the group plans to release a new album of original material and head out for an extended 50th anniversary concert tour. What's more: The box set Essential Recordings 1974 – 2018 combines five newly remastered recordings from their vibrant career in a deluxe re-release package.

Some history: Pavlov's Dog was founded as a seven-piece in St. Louis and quickly drew the attention of several major record labels on the strength of a batch of self-produced demos (later released as The Pekin Tapes). They debuted on record with 1974's Pampered Menial and followed that up with At the Sound Of The Bell two years later. Pavlov's Dog's trademark in these early years was David Surkamp's unique, high-pitched, vibrato-laden singing – the ballad “Julia,” perhaps the band's most famous song, being a classic example. Despite sharing stages with the biggest rock acts of the time (Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, Journey and many more), they never quite broke through commercially at home in the USA; their third album Has Anyone Here Seen Siegfried? circulated as a bootleg before finally getting an official release years later. The studio sessions for that album brought tensions within the group to a head, resulting in a temporary breakup in 1977.

In 1990, the one-off project Lost In America brought Surkamp together with fellow founding member Doug Rayburn. But it wasn't until 2004, after the original lineup gathered for a 30th anniversary performance, that the second chapter of Pavlov Dog's career truly began. The band has been touring regularly ever since. A pair of live recordings emerged – Live and Unleashed (2011) and House Broken (2016) – as well as two highly acclaimed studio projects: 2010's celebrated comeback Echo & Boo and the more recent Prodigal Dreamer.

"Pavlov Dog's debut, recorded in 1974, is regarded as a milestone in the progressive rock genre. Produced by the team of Murry Krugman and Sandy Pearlman (Blue Öyster Cult), the album opens with “Julia” – the ballad that made the band famous. Moreover, the nine tracks – most of them written by singer David Surkamp – create the blueprint for their unmistakable sound. Prog magazine calls the album "a thrilling experience, with impassioned folk ballads, psych rock and irresistible drama." Pampered Menial ranked #71 in eclipsed magazine's listing of the 150 Best Prog Rock Albums." (Pampered Menial)