The Human Instinct - Burning Up Years (Reissue) (1969/2011)

The Human Instinct have a cult reputation as one of New Zealand's finest bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s. After hearing their debut, one's tempted to say that the cult has survived in large part because so few people have heard them. For the most part it's wanky period blues-rock, heavily Hendrix- and (to a lesser extent) Cream-influenced. The guitar work (by Billy TK) is skilled and overlong, and the seven songs -- four by non-band member Jesse Harper -- are usually ho-hum heavy rock. Harper gets the writing credit for "I Think I'll Go Back Home," but it sure sounds a heck of a lot like Neil Young's "Everybody Knows this Is Nowhere." The most interesting number is the closing title track, which gives Billy TK a chance to freak out on guitar, but even that goes on way too long.