The group's sound was hard to categorize, but was definitely blues-based, psychedelic, and very loud. The band has been subsequently acclaimed as an influence on garage rock, punk rock, heavy metal, and grunge. Julian Cope has written, "In 1968, nothing but nothing in America and Britain sounded as brutal as Blue Cheer except for The Velvet Underground."
The group underwent several personnel changes after the 1968 release of Outsideinside, and then through yet more changes during and after 1969's New! Improved! Blue Cheer (different guitarists on side 1 and 2). After Leigh Stephens was replaced by Randy Holden, formerly of Los Angeles garage rock band The Other Half, in 1968, Blue Cheer's style changed to a more commercial hard rock sound à la Steppenwolf or Iron Butterfly. For the fourth album Blue Cheer, Holden, who had left during the third album, was subsequently replaced by Bruce Stephens. Stephens later quit and was replaced by Gary Lee Yoder, who helped complete the album.
The new line up of Peterson, Ralph Burns Kellogg, Norman Mayell, and Yoder in 1970 saw the release of The Original Human Being and then 1971's Oh! Pleasant Hope. When Oh! Pleasant Hope failed to dent the sales charts, Blue Cheer temporarily split up.
From 1988 to 1993, Blue Cheer toured mainly in Europe. During this time, they played with classic rock acts as well as then-up-and-coming bands: Mountain, Outlaws, Thunder, Groundhogs, Ten Years After, Yardbirds, Danzig, Mucky Pup, Biohazard and others.
On the Nibelung Records label they released several albums. 1989 saw the release of Blue Cheer's first official live album, Blitzkrieg over Nüremberg. This album was recorded on Blue Cheer's first European tour in decades. The drum chair was then taken by Dave Salce; bass by Dickie Peterson; guitar by Duck McDonald.
1990 saw the release of Highlights & Lowlives studio album, comprised of blues-based hard rock, sometimes reminiscent of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones, and several ballads. The album was produced by notable grunge producer Jack Endino. The line-up was Peterson on bass and vocals, Paul Whaley on drums, and Duck McDonald on guitars.
Blue Cheer followed up "Highlights" with the much heavier Dining with the Sharks. McDonald was replaced by German ex-Monsters guitar player Dieter Saller. Peterson was on bass and vocals again, and Paul Whaley was again on drums. Also featured is a special guest appearance by Groundhogs guitarist Tony McPhee. The album was produced by Roland Hofmann.
In the early 1990s, Peterson and Whaley re-located to Germany. Whaley still lives there. Guitar work has been handled by Duck MacDonald since that time. Blue Cheer are still active as of 2009. Peterson reunited with Leigh Stephens and performed with drummer Prairie Prince at the Chet Helms Memorial Tribal Stomp in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in Fall of 2005, and their lively performance drew old rockers like Paul Kantner and others from backstage to observe. They did some recordings in Virginia in Winter 2005 with Joe Hasselvander of Raven and Pentagram on drums. Paul Whaley has since returned to the band as drummer. The group's 2007 CD, "What Doesn't Kill You...", features contributions from both Whaley and Hasselvander. In 2009, Peterson died in Germany, leading to the cessation of Blue Cheer.
Blue Cheer's video for Summertime Blues made an appearance in 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, where Geddy Lee of Rush referred to the group as one of the first heavy metal bands.
The band have also been regarded as the godfathers of stoner rock bands like Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Nebula and Monster Magnet have cited their "heavy-fuzz rock" as a massive influence on them.
Babylon
Blue Cheer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord let it take
An electric explosion
I said a strong earthquake
And then on a freeway
Just let it take you away, child
Far away
Oh yeah, come over
And Babylon.
I'll give you a shove
Why don't you take a rush
Let me hear you cry
From a deafening hush
Just let it take you away
Far Away
Yeah, yow, come over, big automobile, big automobile
Babylon.
Now the blues ain't nothing
But a good man feeling bad
Yeh-yeh, Yeah!
I know that the blues ain't nothing, ain't nothing baby
But a, but a good man, but a good man, but a good man feeling bad
And I just ain't the kind
That goes around feeling sad
Hey! Oh, no, not me baby, no way!
Say why don't you take a shove
Oh, come on and take a rush
Let me hear you cry
From a deafening hush
Let it take you away
Far away
Oh yeah, stick it in the fire baby
I want big automobile
Big automobile, baby
Babylon.
Ow!
The lyrics to Blue Cheer's song Babylon feature a distinctive psychedelic sound that was popular in the late 1960s. The song begins by inviting the listener to relax their mind and allow it to be taken on an electric explosion and strong earthquake that will transport them far away. The transport is alluded to being possible through a big automobile, which adds to the surreal, dreamy quality of the lyrics. The song's title, Babylon, might also suggest a potential political or societal subtext, as the biblical city of Babylon was known for its wealthy and corrupt ways.
The second stanza of the song continues with a similar invitation to take a shove and let the music take over with a deafening hush. The lyrics imply that the blues is nothing but a good man feeling bad, and that the singer, unlike some, isn't one to dwell in sadness. The song then invites the listener once again to be transported far away through the big automobile to Babylon. The lyrics are largely open-ended, allowing for multiple interpretations, but being a product of the late 1960s it's hard not to read some psychedelic subtext into them.
Line by Line Meaning
Relax your mind
Clear your mind of all thoughts and worries.
Lord let it take
Submit yourself to the music and let it take control.
An electric explosion
A powerful, electrifying sound that captures your attention.
I said a strong earthquake
The music is so powerful it feels like an earthquake.
And then on a freeway
The music takes you on a journey, like driving on a freeway.
Just let it take you away, child
Let yourself be transported by the music, like a child being taken on an adventure.
Far away
To a distant place, beyond your current reality or state of mind.
Oh yeah, come over
Inviting someone to join in on the experience.
Come back in my big automobile
Join me in my big car and let's go on a musical journey together.
And Babylon.
A reference to the ancient city of Babylon, symbolizing a place of excess and decadence.
I'll give you a shove
Encouraging someone to let go and fully immerse themselves in the music.
Why don't you take a rush
Encouraging someone to feel the excitement and energy of the music.
Let me hear you cry
Encouraging someone to express their emotions through the music.
From a deafening hush
From a state of silence or stillness that is suddenly and intensely broken by the music.
Yeah, yow, come over, big automobile, big automobile
Repeating the earlier invitation to join in on the musical journey.
Now the blues ain't nothing
Acknowledging that the blues are not a negative experience, but rather a way to express emotions and connect with others.
But a good man feeling bad
The blues are born from genuine emotions and experiences.
Yeh-yeh, Yeah!
An exclamation of agreement and enthusiasm.
I know that the blues ain't nothing, ain't nothing baby
Continuing to emphasize that the blues are not a negative experience.
But a, but a good man, but a good man, but a good man feeling bad
Reiterating that the blues come from genuine emotions and experiences.
And I just ain't the kind
I am not the type of person.
That goes around feeling sad
I don't let negative emotions consume me.
Hey! Oh, no, not me baby, no way!
Asserting that the singer won't let negative emotions control them.
Say why don't you take a shove
Encouraging someone to let go and fully immerse themselves in the music.
Oh, come on and take a rush
Encouraging someone to feel the excitement and energy of the music.
Let me hear you cry
Encouraging someone to express their emotions through the music.
From a deafening hush
From a state of silence or stillness that is suddenly and intensely broken by the music.
Let it take you away
Allow the music to transport you to a different state of mind and experience.
Far away
To a distant place, beyond your current reality or state of mind.
Oh yeah, stick it in the fire baby
An enthusiastic exhortation to embrace the intensity and passion of the music.
I want big automobile
Expressing a desire for a big, powerful vehicle to transport you on this musical journey.
Big automobile, baby
Repeating the desire for a powerful vehicle.
Babylon.
Referencing Babylon again to emphasize the sense of decadence and excess associated with this musical journey.
Ow!
An exclamation of excitement and enthusiasm, emphasizing the power of the music.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK WAHLBERG, JOE PAQUETTE, FRANK PETERSON, ALEX JOERG P/K/A A.C. BEAT CHRISTENSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind