Blues rocker Bob "Catfish" Hodge was born and raised in Detroit, and as a teen frequently snuck into Motown Records' Hitsville studio to catch sessions featuring the Four Tops, the Supremes and others. At the end of the 1960s he formed the band Catfish, debuting in 1970 with Get Down; after issuing Live Catfish a year later, Hodge mounted a solo career with 1973's Boogie Man I Gonna Get Ya, relocating to Washington D.C. and becoming a regular opening act for artists including Bonnie Raitt and Little Feat. After a series of solo LPs including 1974's Dinosaurs and Alleycats, 1975's Sop Operas and 1979's Eyewitness Blues, he toured with the Chicken Legs Band during the early 1980s, relocating to California in 1982 and later forming the Bluesbusters with onetime Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere. After a long absence from the studio, Hodge returned to action in 1994 with Catfish Blues; Like a Big Dog Barkin' followed a year later, and in 1996 he resurfaced with Adventures at Catfish Pond. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
I first heard this incredible piece of work over thirty years ago and have replaced my vinyl copy at least three times thanks to good fortune in finding said replacements, usually cut outs found in bargain bins. When I first started buying CD's on the net, this was the first one I looked for and was disappointed in not finding it for years. The original was released on the Epic label I believe. Now at last it's available under Sony.
The band Catfish was fronted by singer/guitarist Bob Hodge whose gutsy vocals and unique delivery sometimes made you feel like you were sitting on the back porch of a bayou cabin listening to blues the way they should be sung, then the band would cut loose with some of the best get on yer feet rock n' roll ever created!
The whole work is great listening (that in itself unusual for it's time!) but the tracks that stand out to me are "Tradition", one of the best solid rocking songs I've ever heard, and "300 Pound Fat Mama", a hilarious blues romp that showcases just how far this band can GET DOWN!! (By Robert L. Baldwin)
Tracklist
01-Catfish
02-The Hawk
03-No Place To Hide
04-300 Pound Fat Mama
05-Love Lights
06-Coffee Song
07-Tradition
08-Sundown Man
09-Reprise: Catfish/Get High, Get Naked, Get Down
Credits
Bob "Catfish" Hodge - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Mark Manko - Guitar
Jimmy Optner - Drums
Harry Phillips - Keyboards
W.R. Cooke - Bass
7 comments:
Catfish - Now we go to the other side of the world, to the US, and we meet up with Bob "Catfish" Hodge and his band, a blues/country/folk/rock quintet formed in the late sixties. Guitarist/vocalist Hodge was joined by Mark Manko, Jimmy Optner and Harry Phillips,Hodge had a tremendously powerful voice and this was very apparent on the band's second album, "Live Catfish", recorded in Detroit, Michigan in 1971, originally released on Epic Records.
Catfish Hodge went on to record under his own name in 1973, releasing about six albums, with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Thackery and James Cotton. His "Bout with the Blues", released in 1981, was excellent.
Detroit bluesrock from 1970. Catfish was Bob "Catfish" Hodges first band that lasted from 1969-72. Hodge is a bonafide american blues legend and here he is in fine form. This is hard blues mixed with a healthy bit of rock'n'roll. A title like " Get hig, get naked, get down" and a few stoned guitar solos suggests the dude smoked a bit of this and that. Most of his early albums have been out of print and are hard to get, but this one was re-released a few years back. The cover may not strike you at first sight (not even at all) but don't judge a record by its cover, this is head-on Blues, no compromise, no bullshit. And the guy, Bob Hodge (later Catfish Hodge) he has a voice and knows how to use it. He surely ate gravel before singing and have a good sip of whisky. This is the first, and only studio album released by the band Catfish. They also released a live album, before they split in the early '70s.
he is still electrifying music fans with his powerful and spiritual style of original music!
Big THANKS for this one!! Thank you Thank you and THANK YOU!!! Your the man!!
Yeah, this is a truly wonderful & rare posting - thanks very much! Perhaps you'll give us the one-two punch by posting the live album next!
Ce premier album de catfish est
vraiment son meilleur,quant a EQT
c'est pareil,ensuite il faut piocher dans leur discographie pour dénicher quelques bons morceaux de rock du sud,wayne sauls était un trés bon guitariste.Par hasard aurais tu le premier album du mike lester band d'inspiration sudiste,en tous cas merci pour ce regain d'activité!
YuDa Man!
A Very Sincere Thank You.
The great thing is that all this music will be passed down to our sons & daughters, in my case one particular son who was weaned on FZ and has now graduated to metal. Not sure how that happened.
thanks for the great blues
Thanks for the Catfish albums. Great stuff
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