Not all Vertigo Swirls are created equal. For every Tudor Lodge, or Affinity, or Black Sabbath, or Cressida there is a Juicy Lucy. They might not be the most exciting recording artists to ever exist, but they recorded for one of the most important and collectible labels in all the world in an era that saw them issue albums alongside those very same bands whose records now command thousands of dollars on the open market. Is it going to impress your collector scum friends if you bring up their music in conversation? Probably not. Should you at least listen to it and give it a chance? Absolutely.
Juicy Lucy (a name inspired by a character in Lselie Thomas’ The Virgin Soldiers) formed on the First of October, 1969 after the demise of The Misunderstoods. The band consisted of vocalist Ray Owen, steel guitarist Glenn Ross Campbell and saxophonist Chris Mercer. Later, the group swelled in numbers with the addition of guitarist Neil Hubbard, bassist Keith Ellis, and drummer Pete Dobson.
Almost immediately, the band gained notoriety for their cover version of Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love?” which appeared on their eponymous debut album for Vertigo. Within a year, the band lost and replaced three band members. Singer Ray Owen “went solo” and was replaced by Paul Williams (Zoot Money). Guitarist Neil Hubbard was replaced by Micky Moody. Pete Dobson was replaced by Rod Coombes. Then came Lie Back And Enjoy It.
Although considered to be a decent follow-up to their debut album, their 1970 release on Vertigo didn’t achieve nearly the same amount of acclaim. The band tried their best to replicate the success of “Who Do You Love?” by covering Willie Dixon’s “Built For Comfort.” The second side also includes a cover of “Willie the Pimp,” which (at least in this author’s opinion) is one of the only redeeming Frank Zappa songs he ever wrote. And Captain Beefheart — not Zappa — has a lot to do with my enjoyment of that tune.
Listen, it’s not the easiest record to fall in love with. Hell, the venerable Vertigo Swirl website even jokes about Lie Back And Enjoy It, “Most remarkable feat here must be the inclusion of two tracks that are exactly 7 minutes and 8 seconds long. How did they achieve that?”
Ladies and gentleman, that’s Juicy Lucy for ya!
By the way, in 2008 I sold a copy of this record in stunning M-/VG++ condition for $200. To my complete and utter surprise, the Vertigo Swirl craze HAS swept Juicy Lucy up in its wake, as a “top copy” (we’ll assume that’s code for the same conservative grading) sold for $677. That’s a nice little investment considering it barely took 4 years to TRIPLE IN VALUE. Bananas.
Juicy Lucy
Lie Back And Enjoy It
(Vertigo, 1970)
MediaFire DL Link
01. Thinking Of My Life
02. Built For Comfort
03. Pretty Woman
04. Whisky In My Jar
05. Hello L.A. Bye Bye Birmingham [MP3]
06. Changed My Mind
07. That Woman’s Got Something
08. Willie The Pimp
09. Lie Back And Enjoy It
