Forgotten Music Thursday: The Hounds - Puttin' On the Dog (1979)

In 1979 John Hunter and The Hounds released their second and final album, Puttin' On the Dog.  While not as strong or ambitious as their debut, Unleashed, their sophomore release has its moments and is still quite enjoyable.

The album opens with a fun rousing cover of Doo Wah Diddy Diddy.  The Hounds interpretation of this rock classic while enjoyable neither takes anything away from nor adds anything to the original version leaving the listener wondering why they bothered covering the song in the first place.

Angel of Fire is perhaps the best song on the album.  It has a fire and energy to it that would not have sounded out of place on their debut and, perhaps more than any other song on the album, it recaptures the overall fun spirit and energy of Unleashed. 

Next is yet another cover, this time they decide to tackle the Stones Under My Thumb.  And again while an enjoyable cover it neither adds anything to nor takes anything away from the original version.  It's slightly more enjoyable than their cover of Do Wah Diddy Diddy.

Other than Angel of Fire, the next 4 tracks are some of the strongest on the album and are all original songs.  Of the four songs (Gotta Find a Way to Meet You, The Moth and the Fire, Workin' On My Cool, and Horses), The Moth and the Fire is the strongest and is easily the 2nd best song on the album.

The balance of the album is somewhat uneven-- an original tune, Spiders, a cover of The Kinks Who'll Be The Next In Line, and the album closes with a strong finishing track, Along The Lane.

After further researching this album I noticed that there was a bit of a personnel shift in the band between the 2 albums.  Gone were guitarist Jim Orkis and drummer John Horvath and in their place were guitarist Donald Griffin and drummer Michael Neff.  Given the general uninspired "going through the motions" vibe of the album I'm left wondering if the personnel change was prompted not by Hunter or anyone in the band but by record label executives or producer Jeffrey Lesser.  The absence of Orkis was especially noticeable as Orkis had co-written 4 of the songs on Unleashed.  Perhaps the 3 covers are the result of the absence of Orkis and the corollary lack of his creative input in the songwriting process. 

If you've heard and enjoyed Unleashed chances are you'll also enjoy Puttin' On the Dog... You just won't enjoy it quite as much.  If Unleashed was a feast, Puttin' On the Dog is the microwave reheated leftovers of that feast you have for lunch the next day.

Related Links
The Hounds Puttin' On the Dog

Forgotten Music Thursday: The Hounds - Unleashed (1978)

It's 1977.  You're at Just Angels Lounge in Harvey, IL.  The floors are sticky and the stench of cigarettes & stale beer hangs like a fog in the air.  You're packed like a sardine with the rest of the standing room only crowd near the restrooms where the ammonia stench of the urinal cakes has your eyes watering.  The bar is packed and the audience is waiting for The Hounds to take the stage. 

The Hounds were a mainstay of the south-suburban Chicago bar scene in the late seventies.  Led by the charismatic keyboardist/vocalist, John Hunter the Hounds performed a lively brand of late seventies hard rock with tinges of glam mixed in.

Hunter would take the stage dressed in a silver jacket, ratty old jeans, and a handcuff dangling from his right wrist.  And given their local popularity the Hounds played to packed houses.

Truth be told, I'd never heard of these guys until quite recently.  A colleague of mine had the pleasure of seeing the Hounds live in the late seventies before they signed their recording contract. 

After a bit of investigation I found a high quality rip from vinyl of Unleashed.  From the opening bars I felt my feet sticking to the floor, my eyes watering from that ammonia urinal cake stench, I smelled the cigarettes and stale beer.  I was instantly transported back to the Just Angels Lounge.

The Hounds were a band that wore their influences somewhat on their sleeves but mixed those influences together in a way that was distinctly their own... Whether it's the Mott the Hoople tinged When the Boppers Turn to Rockers the suggestions of David Bowie on Janeane Tangerine or even John Hunter channeling Mick Jagger on I'll Be Your Magic Man you get a fun album full of delightful seventies musical influences.

After listening to this I find it a pity that the Hounds only released 2 albums (Unleashed and Puttin' On the Dog) and unfortunately they never released any live albums.  While Unleashed is thoroughly enjoyable it only hints at the band's showmanship.  It lacks the energy and the chemistry between the band and the audience that was present in their live shows.

That being said, if you're looking for an excellent sample of late seventies hard rock nostalgia you really can't do much better than Unleashed.  Try it, you won't be disappointed.

Related Links:
The Hounds Unleashed (download the album)