Two

i completely disagree with the previous reviewer of this release. this is more consistent than their inconsistent first cd, which i thought had hits and mostly misses. the music flows from hard rock to blues. peter green plays on a track that has wonderful atmosphere to it. i think both one and two are slightly dated. would certainly liked to have seen some live material surface to see what toe fat was like. (actually, on youtube, there is a '38 concert of them and it is excellent quality.) if you like more sophisticated compositions, this is a far superior release than the first outing. fun band and goofy name. love the covers too!

good...no problems

The cleverly-titled "Toe Fat Two" hit the streets after a major shake-up in personnel decimated the original line-up. Gone were lead guitarist Ken Hensley and drummer Lee Kersake - Hensley reappeared as a founding member of Uriah Heep, while Kerslake detoured through The National Head Band before joining Uriah Heep. The two were replaced by former The Glass Menagerie guitarist Alan Kendall and drummer Brian Glasscock (who was John's younger brother and had previously replaced Kesrlake in The Gods - anyone need a schematic at this point?). Inexplicably, John Glasscock was credited on the album under the name John Konas. Produced by Jonathan Peel (not the DJ), their sophomore album was released by Regal Zonophone in the UK and once again on Motown's Rare Earth subsidiary in the States, though by the time it hit US shelves the second line up had already called it quits and Bennett had already released a solo album. The album cover also continued their tradition of coming up with something hideous - hard to tell what the mess was this time around - animal parts and lard with small figures of the band superimposed in various places ? Didn't really matter all that much as it was butt ugly and once again, certainly didn't exactly help sales. With creative mainstay Hensley gone, Bennett and new guitarist Kendall picked up the writing chores. The results were surprisingly good. Not all that different from the debut, perhaps a little tougher in places (the opener 'Stick Heat' was a classic rocker), but exemplified by tracks like 'Since You've Been Gone' much of the album featured a likeable mixture of hard rock with pop touches. - Yeah, 'Stick Heat' started out with a ukulele, but quickly exploded into what may have been their best rocker. Bennett seldom sounded as good (or sleazy), while new guitarist Kendall (who co-wrote the song), proved every bit as good as Hensley. Nice way to start the album. rating: **** stars - An atypical, laidback instrumental, 'Indian Summer' served to showcased Kendall's fuzz guitar. Quite pretty and tasteful. Not exactly what you'd expect from these guys. rating: **** stars - 'Idol' found the band returning to blues-rock. The song wasn't bad, with some very nice fuzz guitar from Kendall, though trying to power his way through the song, Bennett sounded a little uncomfortable in such a heavy metal environment. rating: *** stars - Side one closed out with the extended blues number 'There'll Be Changes'. Bennett sounded surprisingly comfortable in the genre with Kendall and an un-credited Peter Green turned in a couple of nice solos, but the overall feel was rather pedestrian. Clocking in at just under seven minutes the track would have benefited from some judicious editing. rating: ** stars - Side two opened with the album's most interesting composition; not necessarily the best song, but the most adventuresome and entertaining track. The opening instrumental segment served to showcase the differences between original guitarist Ken Hensley and his replacement Alan Kendal. While Hensley was a master of power chords, this track showcased Kendall as a far more deft and tasteful player (though he could hit a power chord just as well). From a soft acoustic number the song exploded into a blues-rocker which showed off Bennett's voice to great effect. rating: **** stars - Three Dog Night scored another hit when they covered 'Since You've Been Gone' giving it a more pop-oriented sound, but to my ears the original version was actually far better. One of the their finest rockers, Bennett was at his best on this one sounding like a talented Ronnie Dio, as was Kendall who turned in an amazing performance. The song also showcased the quartet's nice harmony vocals. rating: **** stars - 'Three Time Loser' was another full-tilt rocker, though this time the results were pretty pedestrian. On a positive note John Glasscock turned in a nice driving bass line throughout the track. rating: ** stars - Easily the best song on the album, 'Midnight Sun' recalled something out of the Robin Trower catalog. Great tune bolstered by fantastic wah-wah guitar from Kendall and a nice vocal from Bennett.. rating: ***** stars So which of the two albums would I pick? Hard choice. This one's actually more varied, but not as consistent as the debut. Geez, I can't pick one. Look for both. "Toe Fat Two" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Stick Heat (Cliff Bennett - Alan Kendall) - 6:08 2.) Indian Summer (Alan Kendall) - 2:16 3.) Idol (Alan Kendall) - 3:29 4.) There'll Be Changes (Cliff Bennett - Alan Kendall) - 6:49 (side 2) 1.) A New Way (Cliff Bennett - Alan Kendall) - 7:54 2.) Since You've Been Gone (Cliff Bennett - Alan Kendall) - 4:46 3.) Three Time Loser (Cliff Bennett - Alan Kendall) - 4:36 4.) Midnight Sun (Cliff Bennett - Alan Kendall) - 4:42 There was one last non-LP 45 (though Bennett's claimed it was actually recorded during his "Rebellion" sessions: - 1972's 'Brand New Band' b/w 'Can't Live Without You' (Chapter One catalog number CH-175). And that was basically it for Toe Fat. Bennett was apparently considered as a replacement for David Clayton-Thomas in Blood, Sweat and Tears and asked to join Uriah Heep, but opted for an instantly obscure solo album (1971's "Rebellion") and a one shot collaboration with guitarist Mick Green in Shanghai, before making a fortune in the shipping business. He's occasionally hit the revival circuit with The Rebel Rousers. Brian Glasscock and Kendall reappeared in a number of ventures, including a stint in The Bee Gees mid-1970s backing band. Brian also worked with the band Trouble and was a founding member of The Motels. John Glasscock briefly hooked up with Chicken Shack before forming Carmen, followed by a stint in Jethro Tull. Following heart surgery he died in 1979.

Superb, came all the way from usa via sweden to sleepy south cheshire. Well happy thnx

ich hatte von der Band nie etwas gehört, bis ich auf eine amazon-Lieblingsliste kam, auf der diese Shceibe genannt wurde. respekt und schade, dass ich sie nicht früher kennenlernte. Sehr gut produkziert, kräftige Bässe und Drums, schönes Lead-Gitarren-Spiel, gute Songideen und ein guter bluesiger Sänger. Diese 2. Platte der Band "Toe Fat" wurde nicht mit den späteren Uriah Heep Mitgliedern Lee Kerslake und Ken Hensley eingespielt. Daher, ich kenne sie noch nicht, werde mir aber auch die erste holen müssen, auf der die beiden mitspielen. Ich empfehle Toe Fat 2 Freunden von gutem Bluesrock (Savoy Brown, Groundhogs) - bei aller Euphorie aber bitte beachten: das Rad wird hier nicht neu erfunden!