Primevil: Smokin' Bats At Campton's 1974 (Reissue 2006)

 

Hard rock monster from Midwest, Indiana.
                                                                  

Primevil were a short-lived American rock group of the 1970s. Their lone release, Smokin' Bats at Campton's, has been described as "a bona fide stoner rock touchstone" and was later reissued in 2006. In 2007, the group was mentioned in an article in Classic Rock magazine titled "The Lost Pioneers of Heavy Metal".
                                        

They were a short-lived hard rock combo from Indiana, comprised of vocalist Dave Campton, guitarists Larry Lucas and Jay Wilfong, bassist Mark Sipe, and drummer Mel Cupp (Moe Whittemore contributed synthesizers in the studio) -- most of whom were barely out of their teens when they recorded their sole long-player, Smokin' Bats at Campton's, in 1974.

Produced at 700 West Studio, in New Palestine, Indiana, the album had no record company to back it, and therefore achieved only regional exposure in the Midwest at the time of its release. But its gritty brand of bluesy hard rock and metal, spiked with discreet nods to prog and psych, would eventually earn Primevil a cult following among latter-day stoner rock enthusiasts, who began exchanging rare vinyl copies online for hundreds of dollars, and eventually prompted the disc's belated reissue on CD in 2006.
                                                                   

Boasting one of the most thinly veiled references to smoking pot this side of British act Leaf Hound, Primevil's only album, Smokin' Bats at Campton's (Dave Campton being their lead singer; "bats" being,
well, you know), was originally recorded in 1974, but only found its way onto CD some 20 years later. Now, the record is frequently cited as a bona fide stoner rock touchstone (whether anyone could find a copy to be influenced by or not, in the interim), and its eight cuts run a wide gamut featuring surprisingly refined songcraft and impressive musicianship, as well as semi-improvised efforts and unfocused jam waffling.
                                         

The best qualities among these are all exemplified within the opening trio set off by the standout

"Leavin'," with its acoustic passages and stop-start riffs, the hard-driving "Progress," with its funky bass, wailing harp and twin guitar midsection, and the instrumental six-string showcase "Fantasies," which recalls Fly by Night-era Rush, but was in fact recorded one year earlier. On the other hand, forgettable rockers like "Pretty Woman" and "Tell Me If You Can" don't fare nearly as well, stumbling on some truly awful lyrics from Campton amid their boring, sub-Cactus-like thud.
                                                   

Likewise, the white-knuckled romp, "Hey Lover," was allegedly whipped together in one night -- and

sounds like it, but at least it possesses a certain rough charm à la Sir Lord Baltimore. Back on firmer ground, the memorable "High Steppin' Stomper" actually shows traces of glam rock (must be that hand-clapping and boot-stomping), but then the closing "Your Blues" screws it up again by offering nothing but -- you guessed it -- lazy blues jams, serving no foreseeable purpose aside from framing some searing lead guitar flights, and acting as album filler.
                                         

Even with all of these inconsistencies, though, Smokin' Bats at Campton's is a true relic that's still well worth excavating by stoner rock enthusiasts, who are bound to enjoy its sporadic triumphs as much as they'll be captivated by its modest D.I.Y. origins.
By Eduardo Rivadavia ]
                                            

INTERVIEW ON "IT'S PSYCHEDELIC BABY MAGAZINE" HERE

MEMBERS

                                                           

Dave Campton - lead vocals, harp, percussion
Larry Lucas - electric & acoustic guitar, vocals
Jay Wilfong - electric guitar, screams
Mark Sipe - bass
Mel Cupp - drums
                                        

                                                   

Primevil – Smokin' Bats At Campton's
Label:    Radioactive – RRCD164
Format:    CD, Album, Reissue, Unofficial Release 2006
Country: UK
Released: 1974
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock

TRAXS

                                     

01. Leavin'   3:53
Written-By – D. Campton, L. Lucas, M. Sipe
02. Progress   3:25
Written-By – D. Campton, M. Sipe
03. Fantasies   6:00
Written-By, Synthesizer – J. Wilfong
04. Pretty Woman   3:11
Written-By – D. Campton, L. Lucas, M. SIpe, M. Cupp
05. Tell Me If You Can   5:20
Written-By – D. Campton, J. Wilfong, L. Lucas, M. Sipe, M. Cupp
06. Hey, Lover   2:36
Lyrics By – J Winoker
Lyrics By [Contribution By] – Campton, Lucas
Music By – Primevil
Synthesizer – M. Whittemore
07. High Steppin' Stomper   4:27
Written-By – D. Campton, J. Wilfong, M. Sipe
08. Your Blues   7:24
Written-By – D. Campton, J. Wilfong, M. Sipe

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