Crushed Butler – Uncrushed
released on Radio Heartbeat Records, 2009 (black vinyl)

Crushed Butler were a hard rock band from the early 70s UK scene that has been categorized as one of the first bands to play ‘punk’ style years before punk was even a thing. Supposedly they had a live show that would blow headliners away, but unfortunately were never able to transform their raw energy and power into a record contract. Uncrushed is a collection of their recordings from the early 70s compiled by the band and finally given a proper release.

Tracks such as “It’s My Life” and “My Son’s Alive” were destined to be hits even if they never had a chance to reach a wider audience. (They were even released as the A and B side of a single in 2005 on Windian Records). Darryl Read’s heavy drum style is all over the kit, propelling the rest of the band forward. His work on “It’s My Life” is absolutely pounding and relentless throughout the 2 minutes and 12 seconds of the track. Alan Butler’s bass fills out the rhythm while Jesse Hector leads on guitar and vocals. Hector’s guitar tone is bottom heavy and full. He’s not here to waste time on solos flying up and down the fretboard, just big juicy riffs with roots in English blues but with a heavy helping of overdrive and grime. “Factory Grime” does feature some nice interplay between Hector’s guitar and Butler’s bass, but the stomp of the drums keep it rooted in their pre-punk sound.

Also included on the record is 2 versions of “High School Dropout”, their attempt to write a catchy rock’n’roll song, as well as their version of a song written by some friends called “Love is All Around Me”. “Love Fighter” has a nice slow pace that’s proto-doom in the Sabbath tradition, while the upbeat instrumental “Let it Ring!” rounds out the recording with a bit of fun.

This record comes in a simple cardboard sleeve but does feature a nice history of the band on the inner sleeve written by Read, as well as a handful of band photos from his personal collection. These recordings are very raw, not having the polish of a professional studio, but these recordings compliment their style well, preserving the punk quality and heavy metal grit that set these guys apart from their contemporaries.