Damnation - The Second Damnation...Plus (1970 heavy psych and hard rock - Akarma cd edition with bonus tracks live - Wave)

DAMNATION's second offering, released in 1970 by United Artists. What strikes first is the amazing lead vocals. This guy rocks hard! Then the terrific groove and guitar sounds.
Solid songs, catchy tunes all the way. Want pounding rhythm sections? Want ballads? Want innovative Hard Rock? Rush on DAMNATION (initially known as the DAMNATION OF ADAM BLESSING), the Cleveland's forgotten sons.
The Damnation of Adam Blessing's second LP (sometimes attributed in discographies to Damnation) went in a harder rock direction than their 1969 self-titled debut. The result was a more stylistically consistent, yet overall less interesting effort that was closer to the standard of competent, but below-top-of-the-line early Midwestern hard rock bands, lacking some of the pop influences that were among the most interesting attributes of their prior album. It's not totally run-of-the-mill, though, since Adam Blessing was one of the best singers in the style, and since the group were more adept at background vocal harmonies than almost any other similar bands of the era. "Death of a Virgin" and (to a lesser extent) "Everyone," actually sound closer to the likes of Moby Grape and some of Quicksilver's more song-driven material than Midwestern hard rock; this and some other tracks are graced with some particularly exceptional bass playing by Ray Benich. Cuts like "Driver" and "Back to the River" are more typical of their approach, though, relying on pile-driving blues-rockish riffs and pummeling drums, boringly so on the overlong "In the Morning." (Many Thanks to Adamus67) 


Tracklist

01. "No Way" 3:18
02. "Death Of A Virgin" 3:41
03. "Driver" 3:56
04. "Everyone" 4:13
05. "Back To The River" 5:19
06. "Money Tree" 4:50
07. "Ba-Dup" 3:22
08. "New York City Woman" 6:01
09. "In The Morning" 6:16
10. "Smile" 1:06
Bonus Live at the Grande Ballroom, Cleveland Ohio 1972. 
11. "Sunny Days" 4:36
12. "Running Away" 5:52
13. "Find Out Lover" 4:55
14. "Get Up" 3:59
15. "Dawn" 5:25

Credits

Ray Benich - Bass
Adam Blessing - Vocals
Robert Kalamasz - Guitar, Vocals
Jim Quinn - Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
Bill Schwark - Drums

Link