C. K. Strong - C. K. Strong (1969) [2010]

Bluesy, bluesy, bluesy. California based five-piece C.K. Strong — who took the initials of their moniker from the last names of vocalist Lynn Carey and guitarist Jefferson Kewley — recorded their debut in Hollywood, and it’s easy to imagine how there would’ve been a buzz around them. Though she would’ve been a couple years behind Janis Joplin, Carey was in possession at the time of a stellar vocal range, convincingly soulful delivery and impressive command. Combined with the burgeoning weight in Kewley and fellow guitarist Geoff Westen‘s tones and in songs like the nine-minute “Trilogy,” a jammy meandering comes to ground with crisp and memorable verses. The self-titled trades shorter songs off longer ones until it gets to the closing duo of the shuffling “Rolling down the Highway” and more brooding, smoke-blues plucked “Daddy,” on which Carey — who’d release an album under the name Mama Lion and pose for Penthouse in 1972 — lets loose a series of shrill chirps that sound like the kind of curiosity one hears on old Zeppelin bootlegs, only clearer and more ably performed. The dominance of the vocals and guitar can be a bit much to take at times, but there are a couple gems here that beg investigation.