Shocking Blue
At Home

Not many remember the Dutch Shocking Blue, most likely because they released only one globally successful single and then couldn't produce any others as famous. The single in question is Venus, a famous and catchy pop song, number one on the charts in February 1970, still frequently played and the soundtrack of numerous commercials.

Shocking Blue formed in 1967, and "At Home" (1969) is their second album, the most successful one thanks to the presence of Venus. It's also the album that contains Love Buzz, which, with its looping and insidious bass line repeated endlessly, would seduce Nirvana about two decades later, as they brilliantly revisited it for their debut on a 45 rpm. But these aren't the only points of interest for this record, which, listened to in its entirety, is quite enjoyable and not without good insights.

Despite their Dutch origins (more precisely from The Hague), the heads and hearts of the four are turned toward the US West Coast (the title of a song on the track list, California Here I Come, is programmatic in this sense). Thanks also to the voice of singer Mariska Veres, which at times recalls Grace Slick, they seem to have the Jefferson Airplane as their main source of inspiration, as demonstrated by the opener Boll Weevil, the ballad I'll Write Your Name Through The Fire, and the same California Here I Come: particularly, these last two tracks echo the Airplane's style due to the presence of both a female and a male voice (that of guitarist and songwriter Robbie van Leeuwen), a characteristic technique of the San Francisco combo. However, other influences can also be identified, such as the Doors echoing in the hypnotic Long And Lonesome Road, rich with organ and fuzz distortion, and soul and black music influences that peek through in the lively Harley Davidson. They are also characterized by an extensive use of the sitar, even employed in a solo in the instrumental Acha Raga, a quirky bossa nova structured on a blues progression. The instrumental track also includes Poor Boy, which, with its compelling interplays and a moderately dark atmosphere, represents their brief lysergic trip. In total, the LP consists of fifteen tracks for three quarters of an hour of simple and effective rock-blues typical of the late Sixties.

The four don't perform poorly as musicians either: Veres for her deep voice, as mentioned, somewhat like Grace Slick, van Leeuwen for his essential blues-oriented guitar playing and his songwriting talent, drummer Cor van der Beek for his dry and precise rhythm, and especially the versatile and dynamic bassist Klassje van der Waal, who is truly skillful.

In conclusion, Shocking Blue are not indispensable; they did not contribute crucially to the evolution of rock, but they are nonetheless an honest and pleasant reality of a uniquely interesting period. May they be considered this time for what they really were, that is a commendable and talented band, and not just the unknown authors of a very well-known pop song.