The Amboy Dukes (album)
| The Amboy Dukes | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1967 | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock,[1] garage rock | |||
| Length | 37:39 | |||
| Label | Mainstream | |||
| Producer | Bob Shad | |||
| The Amboy Dukes chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Amboy Dukes | ||||
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The Amboy Dukes is the debut studio album by American rock band The Amboy Dukes. It was released in November 1967 on Mainstream Records.
Composition
The album is noted for containing an energetic recording of Joe Williams' blues standard "Baby, Please Don't Go",[2] as well as covers of Pete Townshend's composition "It's Not True", and Cream's "I Feel Free".[1] AllMusic said that the album fused "the psychedelia of the early Blues Magoos with Hendrix riffs and British pop" and described the song "Colors" as psychedelic hard rock.[1] The publication compared "Down on Philips Escalator" to Syd Barrett-period Pink Floyd, and said that "The Lovely Lady" "almost sounds like the Velvet Underground meets the Small Faces by way of Peanut Butter Conspiracy."[1]
Chart performance
The album had modest success, it peaked at No. 183 on the Billboard Top LPs in early 1968, during a four-week stay on the chart.[3]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 5/10[4] |
"Baby, Please Don't Go" was released as a single, with the song "Psalms of Aftermath" as the B-side.[1] Ultimate Classic Rock said that the album received "little, if any, fanfare outside of [the band's] home base of Detroit".[2] AllMusic wrote in a retrospective review that the album is "as essential to the Amboy Dukes' catalog as the non-hit material on Psychedelic Lollipop was to the Blues Magoos, the first album from the Amboy Dukes is a real find and fun listening experience. [...] This is a far cry from Cat Scratch Fever, and that's why fans of psychedelia and '60s music should cherish this early diamond."[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Baby, Please Don't Go" | Big Joe Williams | 5:35 |
| 2. | "I Feel Free" | 3:42 | |
| 3. | "Young Love" | 2:45 | |
| 4. | "Psalms of Aftermath" |
| 3:19 |
| 5. | "Colors" |
| 3:20 |
| Total length: | 19:47 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Let's Go Get Stoned" | 4:24 | |
| 7. | "Down on Philips Escalator" |
| 3:00 |
| 8. | "The Lovely Lady" | Farmer | 2:58 |
| 9. | "Night Time" |
| 3:11 |
| 10. | "It's Not True" | Pete Townshend | 2:42 |
| 11. | "Gimme Love" |
| 2:43 |
| Total length: | 20:05 | ||
Personnel
- The Amboy Dukes
- John (J.B.) Drake – vocals
- Ted Nugent – guitar
- Steve Farmer – guitar
- Rick Lober – piano, organ
- Dave Palmer – drums
- Bill White – bass
- Technical
- Bob Shad – producer
- John Cue – engineer
- Maxine Epstein – album coordinator
- Jack Lonshein – cover design
Charts
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top LPs[3] | 183 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Viglione, Joe. The Amboy Dukes at AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ a b Swanson, Dave (April 30, 2015). "How Amboy Dukes' 'Journey to the Center of the Mind' Bridged Psychedelia and Hard Rock". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top LPs, 1955–1996. Record Research. p. 10. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-1894959025.
