Rugbys Hot Cargo (Vinyl)

You I was a minor top 40 hit for the Rugbys in 1969. The power chord riff that opens the song has a punk rock vibe. The soulful vocal sing with the riff without straying from the chords at all as does the rhythm section. The tune is just startlingly forceful and simple with the power of a heavy metal song that made the tune fit right in with other 1969 more popular bands such as Hendrix's Experience or the new Black Sabbath sound which was just being introduced to America.
The Rugbys sound most identifies with bands such as Vanilla Fudge due to the heavy metal guitar riffs and mostly because of the organ player and the background vocals of Ooohs and Aaaaahs that the band expertly sings behind the blue-eyed soul vocals of the lead singer...Think Chambers Brothers on "Time Has Come Today" for the lead vocal sound and Vanilla Fudge backup vocals for back up...with early Kinks "All Day & All of the Night" for the way the guitar sound just kicks in and takes you away. The album varies in musical trips with each song but stays firmly rooted in the 1969 hard rock sounds of the bands I've used as comparisons.
I've reviewed only a couple albums online so I'm probably not making a great impression, but this album makes its own case. It's not something that most people from my age group will remember well, probably, because it wasn't given a large exposure, but is a very wonderful rock record that is dated. If being dated is a bad thing, just consider that 1966 - 1974 are the years that having a band dated and sounding like other popular music from any of these years is simply an asset. I have collected music since the early 60s and I was a grade school nerd. Having well over 10,000 cds, and vinyl records makes me be a bit more choosy about buying a new disc due to space, however, if I didn't have this already I would definitely buy it because I find that I play this one more than most of the others I own. It's a very good album that any fan or student of 60s and 70s rock will enjoy hearing over many listens.