Foghat Energized CD

Seldom has a British band sounded as American--or enjoyed such a distinctly American iconography--as Foghat. An offshoot of first-generation blues-rockers Savoy Brown, Foghat amped up the rock half of the equation and found a place in the hearts of boogie hounds and head bangers from sea to shining sea. After a couple of albums found only middling success, their third release, ENERGIZED finally propelled the band into Top 40 territory. ENERGIZED is the epitome of mid-'70s jukebox rock, replete with throat-shredding vocals, blazing blues-derived guitar riffs, and a party-all-night approach that makes it the album most likely to be heard in a period film about Nixon-era teenage antics.
The third album proved to be the charm for Foghat. On Energized, their fusion of blues song structures and heavy metal energy comes into sharp focus. The group storms out of the gate with the opening track, "Honey Hush"; this inspired reworking of a blues classic moves like a locomotive about to run off the rails and dazzles the listener with a barrage of furious, metallic guitar riffs. Another sharp rocker along these lines is "Wild Cherry," a lascivious tribute to a gorgeous woman that is fuelled by a double-time beat from Roger Earl and some killer twin-guitar riffing from Dave Peverett and Rod Price. Elsewhere, the group keeps things interesting by experimenting with their formula: an inspired cover of the Buddy Holly chestnut "That'll Be the Day" successfully recasts it as a bluesy vamp complete with saucy horn arrangements, and "Step Outside" mixes funk-styled instrumental breakdowns and a bassline that would be at home on a James Brown record into its hard rock song structure to create an effective funk-rock hybrid. Energized also produced an enduring classic for the band with "Home in My Hand," an autobiographical tale about living a life dominated by wanderlust. It provided a fitting anthem for a band that toured incessantly and quickly became a beloved part of the Foghat's live set. The one real downside of Energized is that the band gets so carried away sometimes that they let their songs go on a little too long. The notable example here is set-closer "Nothin' I Won't Do," an amiable blues shuffle that is inflated to an unwieldy seven minutes by a few too many guitar solos. However, the album rises above these occasional dips into excess thanks to solid songs and inspired performance from the band. In short, Energized is a solid listen for anyone who gets nostalgic about 1970s arena rock, and a must-have for Foghat fans. ~ Donald A. Guarisco