Mckenna Mendelson Blues

***Another great album from Canada's legendary Paragon label, a set of super bluesy psych demo tapes from 1968. The band's album Stink was received not just as a great album of electric blues, but as some sort of revelation when it appeared in the second half of 1969. But lead guitarist MIKE MCKENNA had spent time ('67-'68) in the UGLY DUCKLINGS, and had already developed a 'local hero' tag by playing hard electric blues as a member of the legendary LUKE AND THE APOSTLES. Together, he and JOE MENDELSON made arrestingly earthy music, which soon attracted another of Toronto's rock gods of the day, bassist DENNY GERRARD from the PAUPERS, whose legendary talents had served him well on the stage of the Monterey Pop Festival, where his work with the Paupers was (and still is) considered a highlight. The material included on this disc, rough and searing demo material, is arguably even more rare and interesting than that on their classic McKenna Mendelson Mainline Stink album.