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Leaf Hound
Growers Of Mushroom

(Decca, 1971; reissued, Repertoire, 2005)

Hairy rock schlubs cook up stoned guitar atmospherics for '70s riffheads.

Leaf Hound

The economical low-slung stoner-blues of Leaf Hound's one and only '70s album was recorded during a single 11-hour session. 40 years on, the album's main claim to fame remains its rare status, with mint condition originals reportedly selling for well over $1,000. Thanks to Repertoire, the more strapped connoisseur of heaviosity need fork out little more than a tenner, the reward being a creaky and unvarnished, quintessentially British creation, inhabiting the same netherworld of psychedelia, proto-prog and hard rock inhabited Black Sabbath, Atomic Rooster and Free. Leaf Hound's best song, Freelance Fiend, kicks off with a cavernous, oozing riff, then spends three minutes 10 seconds wallowing in a quagmire of sludgy guitar and grimacing rock vocals (in a good way!) - the latter courtesy of Peter French, who would shortly leave to join Atomic Rooster. Elsewhere, Stagnant Pool is the distant cousin of Led Zeppelin's Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman) with French and guitarist Mick Halls emulating Plant and Page at their most ferocious, while the riff for their only single Drowning In My Fear could have easily fallen off the back of Tony Iommi's lorry. It all adds fuel to a proto-metal furnace stoked by a band who managed to capture their song With A Minute To Go with, er, a minute of studio time to go. Leaf Hound disappeared shortly after the album was completed but a new version of the group, piloted by Peter French, released a follow-up in the form of 2007's Unleashed.

Ross Bennett

Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 14/10/2010

Further Listening

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (Atlantic, 1969)

Free – Free (Island, 1969)

Groundhogs – Split (BGO, 1971)

Related MOJO content:

Leaf Hound

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  • Many thanks for the compliment MOJO, tremendously appreciated, Pete French.

    Posted by Anonymous at 12:41 AM GMT 16/10/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Disc of the day or disc of the month - this has been up for twelve days. Only a matter of time before this place is shut down.

    Posted by Anonymous at 12:14 AM GMT 26/10/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Agree with the above poster - I love checking out the latest Disc Of The Day, and I'm getting really fed up of coming here only to find that it hasn't been updated! Pull yer socks up Mojo, what else am I supposed to do when I'm at work?!

    Posted by Simon Cowell at 3:36 PM GMT 27/10/2010 Report Abuse

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  • disc of the decade it seems. im sure leaf hound loves having the spot for 2 weeks.

    Posted by captaincrowe at 11:22 PM GMT 27/10/2010 Report Abuse

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  • There have only been five discs of the day all month. I love this feature on the site and hope it continues, but I have my doubts.

    Posted by Bokonon at 12:22 AM GMT 30/10/2010 Report Abuse

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  • BUCK UP YOUR IDEAS, MOJO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    We all love this feature, don't let it die! :-(

    Posted by Louis Walsh at 3:57 PM GMT 02/11/2010 Report Abuse

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  • amazing album...thanks MOJO !!!

    Posted by Brad at 1:12 AM GMT 07/12/2010 Report Abuse

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