Lucifer - Lucifer (Reissue) (1970/2001)

This very rare album was the work of a Rochester, New York band. The LP sleeve notes declare that their music is "hard rock in the style of Grand Funk Railroad and Uriah Heep". Overall the album is nowhere near that heaviness - there's a notable lack of thunderous riffing or screaming solos. Heep influences are more obvious in the soaring Byron-esque vocals on the dramatic ballads but an underlying soulful vibe and keyboard dominance puts them in the class of those NYC and Long Island Italian-American bands influenced by Vanilla Fudge or the Young Rascals, rather than the proto heavy-metal set. On their lighter side, they deliver a fine flowing rendition of the Youngbloods' version of Dino Valente's hippie anthem (Let's) Get Together. The original is supposedly very rare and has been hyped by specialist dealers with asking prices reaching a dizzyingly silly level - one copy seen going for $900 in 2001 - surely guaranteed to disappoint. So, if this sounds like your bag and you're not stupidly rich, pick up the reissue.