HIGH KEYS, THE - A Little Too Heavy LP (Orange Vinyl)

Label: Sundazed

Piquant three-part harmonies, cumbersome guitar woven tightly with organ flourishes, all poured over hot rhythm grooves! Recorded 1970-1972 under the watchful eyes and ears of Ron and Howard Albert, aka Fat Albert Productions (Wishbone Ash, Procol Harum, CSN) at the legendary Criteria Studios in Miami, this powerhouse album finally sees the light of day.

The album was the culmination of years of hard work by the High Keys. “A Little Too Heavy” is a commanding opener, mixing organ flourishes with heavy lead guitar runs for a searing hard rocker that proudly displays their Vanilla Fudge influence. And on “Too God To Be True,” the hard rock is slower, more contemplative and, above all, still affecting.

But the band could do more than just rock out, sliding into a soulful groove on “Memories Never Cease,” laying back for a ballad on “Chance” and doing a little of both on “Buffalo Girl,” which starts as a melancholy blues before segueing into a hard-rockin’ climax that leaves room for Druckman to stretch out again.