Haystacks Balboa - 1970 - Detoxified [ RE-POST]





Real heavy dudes with some grungey vocals, a mean attitude and some wicked guitar - above-par hard rock. Although outside the musical thrust of this book, they're worth a mention especially as a couple of tracks on their album were written by Larry West, formerly of the legendary Vagrants and younger brother of guitar colossus, Leslie 'Mountain' West.
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Haystacks Balboa was an American band which played heavy progressive rock full of heavy organs and guitars + quite harsh (bluesy?) vocals. They recorded only one self-titled album (sometimes known as "Detoxified " ) in 1970.
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Haystacks Balboa biography
No-nonsense powerhouse of a Heavy Prog act, HAYSTACKS BALBOA - a name coined by a friend of the VAGRANTS in reference to the large size and resemblance of BALBOA's guitarist, Mark MAYO, to wrestler Haystacks Calhoun - was from Queens,NY, and released one album on Polydor in 1970 (which has since been reissued as 'Detoxified').

The band formed in '69 and in addition to MAYO's guitar playing, featured Mark BABANI's drums, Lloyd LANDESMAN's keys, the bass of Mark POLOTT, and voice of Bruce SCOTT in a dark mix of stoner hardrock and prog adventure with extended passages. Evidently two of the cuts were penned by Leslie WEST's brother Larry and HAYSTACKS BALBOA has been compared to MOUNTAIN and BLACK SABBATH but exhibit a more traditional Prog approach than either of those groups and should amuse fans of yer old-tyme Prog 'n Roll.

- Atavachron (David) -
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Tracklist:
01. Spoiler (Mark Mayo, Mark Polott/Deborah Mayo, Mark Mayo) - 3:29
02. The Children Of Heaven (Mark Mayo, Lloyd Ladesman) - 3:05
03. Bruce's Twist (Mark Mayo, Mark Babani/Bruce Scott) - 2:42
04. Auburn Queen (Mark Mayo, Lloyd Ladesman) - 9:10
05. Sticky Finger (Larry West, Mark Mayo, Mark Babani/Deborah Mayo) - 5:14
06. Ode To The Silken Men (Mark Mayo, Lloyd Ladesman) - 8:48
07. Riverland (Mark Mayo) - 3:48

Band
Mark Babani - Drums
Mark Harrison Mayo - Guitar
Lloyd Landesman - Keyboards
Mark Polott - Bass
Bruce Scott - Vocals

1 comment:

danilo said...

Thanks,never heard this one,good review.