Track Listing

1. Strange Town
2. Darkness Is No Friend
3. Soldier
4. Thank Christ For The Bomb
5. Ship On The Ocean
6. Garden
7. Status People
8. Rich Man Poor Man
9. Eccentric Man
10. Garden
11. Eccentric Man
12. Soldier

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11816 in Music
• Released on: 2003-06-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Customer Reviews

Flawed Genius
OK, this is concept album. In general, I do not like album concepts but this is different. The Groundhogs cover a lot of bases with TCFTB, from Blues to Hard Rock with a lot of experimentation in between. Unlike may concept records the tracks are mostly quite short & there are even a couple of radio friendly ones in there (Strange Town & Eccentric Man are particularly good). Also, the more experimental tracks work very well, although the title track seems a bit dated now. The only trouble really are some of the lyrics. These often come across as a bit basic & awkward, as if a 15 year-old had written them. But thats often the way when songwriters are constrained by the concept format.
Overrall, it's brilliant & TS McPhee it the most underrated guitarist in the world.

The best thing they ever done! brilliant!
Whilst everyone always raves about 'split' (which first side and 'cherry red' apart was patchy)this is easily their most consistant album. I first heard this when they did a session for Mike Hardings late lamented 'Sounds of the seventies' early evening radio one show (imagine that now!)he had a spot called 'the super solo' and featured Tony McPhee's stunning lead guitar on the title track and i rushed out the next day to check it out. I was not dissapointed. From the short and to-the-point 'strange town' through the atmospheric 'soldier' and the acoustic guitar on 'thank christ' not a track is waisted. McPhees playing is top notch throughout 'eccentric man' has his greatest ever solo and Pete Cruickshank and Ken Pustelnik are a great rhythm section. Lyrically its a bit sixth form, but no worse than any other concept. Great cover as well. The great thing about this is none of the solos out stay their welcome which is unfortunately what let down the later albums. Recommended!

This is my favourite album of all time......
I used to listen to this at full volume on my mum's old radiogram which I hooked up to a second amp so I could get it even louder. Fortunately the people next door liked it as well, but in consideration to them I only played it loud while they were out. I saw the Groundhogs live in Manchester in the early seventies and Tony McPhee didn't disappoint. I agree that McPhee is underrated as a guitarist and I personally find the band can be as exciting as any rock/blues band. While most of my friends seem to think of Split as a better album, TCFTB won me over and still comes out tops.