BUFFALO (AUSTRALIA) hard rock

This heavy rock band were more popular in France than their native Australia. Based in Sydney, they played between 1972 - 77. They released one 45 as Head (Hobo/Sad Song, Then) before changing name to Buffalo. The Suzie Sunshine 45 typified their no-nonsense heavy riffing style, which was coupled with a non-album cover of Chuck Berry's No Particular Place To Go. They enjoyed considerable chart success with their first five albums all making the Top 100 album charts.
Their debut album Dead Forever sported a sinister cover with a bloodsoaked face peering through the socket of a skull. The inner gatefold features the band playing amidst the tombstones of Sydney's Rookwood Cemetery. The heavy riffing title track is very much in the style of Black Sabbath. Other stronger numbers on an inconsistent album are covers of Blues Image's Pay My Dues, and Free's I'm A Mover and, of course, Suzie Sunshine.
If Dead Forever earned them a reputation as no-nonsense heavy riffers Volcanic Rock certainly cemented it with tracks like Sunshine (Come My Way) (also released as a 45), 'Til My Death and Skylock, which were just about as loud and aggressive as a band can get. Looser tracks like Freedom and The Prophet were less structured, more a vehicle for improvisation. Initial copies of the album came with a foldout lyric sheet and featured a cover illustration depicting a woman as a menstruating volcano! 1973 also saw the release of another 45 Just A Little Rock 'n' Roll, which was very much in the 12-bar blues format.
Their third album, Only Want You For Your Body, released in 1974, sported a tasteless front cover which showed a hideously overweight woman screaming and chained to a torture rack. The musical format is high energy riff-laden heavy metal as they storm insensitively through Tice/Baxter compositions like I'm A Skirt Lifter, Not A Shirt Raiser, What's Going On, Stay With Me, King's Cross Ladies and a spirited version of Alvin Lee's I'm Coming On.
What's Going On and I'm Coming On were also selected for 45 release and proved to be their finest 45. The year also saw the release of an ultra-rare EP, which is now very collectable. It comprised Suzie Sunshine, Dead Forever, Barbershop Rock and Sunrise (Come My Way). It came out on the Vertigo swirl label.
Towards the end of the year guitarist John Baxter was sacked and the band were never quite as popular again. He was replaced by Karl Taylor and ex-Band Of Light slide guitar ace Norm Roue but the latter suffered a breakdown at the end of the year and walked out on the band. He did contribute to their fourth album, Mother's Choice which came out in 1976 and two 45s were put out as a taster, Little Queenie/Girl Can't Help It and Lucky/On My Way. The two flip sides were not included on the subsequent album release and remained non-album releases until Raven Records' Skirt Lifters (Highlights And Oversights 1972-76) appeared in 1990. Little Queenie featured some cool slide guitar from Roue and Lucky had a good rock 'n' roll beat, but the old Buffalo magic was missing. In 1976 they finally fell apart when founding bassist Peter Wells left at the end of the year to link up with Angry Anderson and Ian Rilen in Rose Tattoo. They did manage a couple more 45s in 1976, plus a further one the following year and the Average Rock 'n' Roller album.

BUFFALO - DEAD FOREVER - 1972 Rip from CD 256@ (full artwork included)

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BUFFALO - VOLCANIC ROCK + 5 bonus -1973 Rip from CD 256@ (full artwork included)

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BUFFALO - ONLY WANT YOU FOR YOUR BODY + 2 bonus - 1974 Rip from CD 256@ (full artwork included)

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BUFFALO - MOTHER'S CHOICE + 6 bonus - 1976 Rip from CD 256@ (full artwork included)


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BUFFALO - AVERAGE ROCK'N'ROLLER - 1977 Rip from CD 256@

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BUFFALO - UNRELEASED TRACKS - 1972-1977 Rip from tape 192@ (full artwork included)

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