Randy Holden played guitar with Blue Cheer for a hot minute, just on the second side of New! Improved! being just a trio lineup with Holden, Dickie Peterson, and Paul Whaley and it’s by far the heavier, more interesting half of that record. Since things didn’t pan out with Blue Cheer, Holden went ahead and created Population II to further explore the sound he had first realized with BC. As the album title indicates this album was recorded as a duo, with just Holden and drummer Chris Lockheed, and it’s fucking fantastic. Absolutely in the vein of early Blue Cheer too, but Holden’s approach pushes the envelope a bit more and the world is better for it! A low key classic and anyone into heavy rock or proto-metal should give this gem some time.
2020 US reissue from RidingEasy Records and it’s perfect. First editions from the label are hand numbered and signed by Randy Holden himself! Much love!
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