C or D: Pavlov's Dog

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I'm listening to At The Sound Of The Bell, the second album by this '70s rock band. I think it's a fantastic record, despite all its associations being very wrong for me. I hate prog, and this is thereabouts, in its instrumentation and some overblown passages - we even have Bill 'Yes' Bruford on drums on this one. I think I love them (Pampered Menial, their first, is thought by some to be better still) for some nice songs and especially for David Surkamp's extraordinary voice, that falsetto warble that is hardly believable as a male voice.

Anyone else familiar with them at all?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 19 January 2003 19:58 (twenty-three years ago)

" Anyone else familiar with them at all? "

yes, Martin -- only my familiarity with their music has turned into a vague faded rememberance, sort of. alas. so i'm actually not of much use. but that voice was quite something, that much i recall. and they didn't resemble the usual prog' rekkids that did the rounds amidst my friends that time...
(was long ago. high school years)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 19 January 2003 21:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Me too, but I've still got the records. (I have their third album too: no good.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 19 January 2003 22:07 (twenty-three years ago)

i've got the first one, which i like to listen to occasionally

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 19 January 2003 22:50 (twenty-three years ago)

most of my older siblings are into Pavlov's Dog so I'm very familiar with them. I don't think they're classic but they're not bad. Horrible record sleeves.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 19 January 2003 22:53 (twenty-three years ago)

no they're not!

http://www.collectable-records.ru/images/GROUPS/pavlovsdog/pampered/front.jpg

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 19 January 2003 23:39 (twenty-three years ago)

you like that sleeve? it creeps me out

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 19 January 2003 23:51 (twenty-three years ago)

What creeps you out about it? (The dog looks well-cared for... I don't know about the boots; I can't see them well enough in that image - those aren't half-legs in them, are they? Which the dog is still chewing?). When I was in high school, I would see the Pavlov's Dog LP sleeves and want to like the music, but I didn't then and haven't heard it since to see if I'd change my mind.

― tom (alternate), Monday, 20 January 2003 03:57 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

dude makes geddy lee sound like paul robeson.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 31 July 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

He has one hell of a voice. Really like the music but the chipmunk on helium voice I just can't listen to without laughing.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Sunday, 31 July 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

First album, "Pampered Menial," rocks harder than the second, although -hard rocking- gets a big caution light when applied to them. There was a hillbilly element strong in "Pampered Menial," often associated with the fiddle player who disappeared between album one and two.

One of Sandy Perlman's bands -other than BOC-, alongside The Dicators, who at the time, probably actually sold less than PD. Lots of people eventually caught up with the latter, hardly anyone has caught up with Pavlov's Dog. Weird.

― George Smith, Sunday, 31 July 2005 17:10 (twenty years ago)

I must admit I do prefer the 1st album.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Sunday, 31 July 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

I am now listening to these albums after find the mp3s again. My mate bought these lps second hand once and i'll never forget his face when we heard David Surkamps voice.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Sunday, 13 November 2005 21:13 (twenty years ago)

Classic, especially the insanely pompous "Of Once And Future Kings" from Pampered Menial. Their hard rock numbers were in no way hard, though, especially with a fucking voice like that.

― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Monday, 14 November 2005 00:28 (twenty years ago)

I love love love "Song Dance".

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Monday, 14 November 2005 01:05 (twenty years ago)

What's the 3rd album like? I just got it from Martin but haven't played it yet.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Monday, 14 November 2005 22:57 (twenty years ago)

A BIG C

for classic.

― Hairy Asshurt (Toaster), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 00:26 (twenty years ago)

Someone-or-other in that old Rolling Stone record guide described David Surkamp's singing as "Marty Balin on helium", and that's not far off. Owned Pampered Menial once, but sold it after a few months. The only song that I really remember is the Mellotron-drenched ballad "Late November", appropriately bleak and wintry. Nothing wrong with 'em - it's just that, with Pearlman and Krugman on board, I was anticipating Dictators/BÕC-style heaviness, only to find that it was actually in very short supply. (In other words, White Witch all over again!)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 05:20 (twenty years ago)

Here is "Song Dance" for anyone who hasn't heard it.
http://s49.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2MC1WOTZ63I221UWQLI8AJ4VOH

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 07:04 (twenty years ago)

Nothing wrong with 'em - it's just that, with Pearlman and Krugman on board, I was anticipating Dictators/BÕC-style heaviness, only to find that it was actually in very short supply.

Yeah, who knows what was going on with that? Pavlov's Dog must have had a significant regional following, one that blew Columbia away. Which wouldn't have been unusual for a band from the heartland.

― George the Animal Steele, Tuesday, 15 November 2005 07:17 (twenty years ago)

i like the voice, the instruments are a bit wanky but not really in a bad way. based on the one track, classic.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 07:46 (twenty years ago)

None of the other tracks are like that really. They are quite a ballad heavy band, which is why Martin likes them. We have different favourite tracks haha.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 11:51 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

dude makes geddy lee sound like paul robeson.-- scott seward (scott seward), pühapäev, 31. Juuli 2005

dude sounds like geddy lee crossed with bonnie tyler!:)

found a copy of at the sound of the bell, dirt cheap too, today and, yeh -- i didn't remember this record actually sounding like *this* at all, hoho. well i'm quite happy with it all the same.

― t**t, Thursday, 15 November 2007 16:30 (eighteen years ago)

on second thought (& fifth listen) i'd also say that the dude sounds occasionally - when the occasion be more peaceful and sunny, like - like also that brainstorm dude, of all people.

― t**t, Friday, 16 November 2007 16:54 (eighteen years ago)

ten years pass...

I think I gave part of Pampered Menial a cursory spin years ago, and took it off because of the similarity to Geddy Lee (didn't like Rush then, still don't.) But I'm listening today and this record is blowing. my. mind.

― even in your onion (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 14 June 2018 15:31 (eight years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.