Home and Away

The 2004 double-disc Humble Pie release Home and Away is a classic case of false advertising. With a classic shot adjourning the cover (circa the group's latter Clem Clemson era) and it's title, you'd think that the release is a vintage live performance, right' Wrong. What it turns out to be is none other than a compilation of the group's first two albums from 1969, "As Safe as Yesterday" and Town and Country - an era when soon-to-be teen heart throb, Peter Frampton, was still supplying lead guitar. While the two albums didn't spawn any renowned Humble Pie classics (in other words, no "I Don't Need No Doctor," "Stone Cold Fever," or "30 Days in the Hole"), there are still several highlights. But be forewarned - it's not always the straight-ahead, dirty boogie that soon became the group's trademark. Instead, you get tracks that hint at the group's promise (especially evident in Steve Marriott's vocals), but tracks such as "As Safe As Yesterday" and "Take Me Back" show the group had a folk side early on. That said, tracks such as "Buttermilk Boy" would have fit in well on latter day Humble Pie releases. Greg Prato