Cuby + Blizzards
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1964-66) - Eelco Gelling -- lead guitar - Hans Hildbrande (RIP 2024) -- keyboards - Hans Kinds (RIP 2021) -- rhythm guitar - Willy Middel -- bass - Harry 'Cuby' Muskee (RIP 2011) -- vocals, harmonica - Hans Waterman -- drums, percussion
line up 2 (1966) NEW - Dick Beekman -- drums, percussion (replaced Hans Waterman) - Eelco Gelling -- lead guitar - Hans Hildbrande (RIP 2024) -- keyboards - Hans Kinds (RIP 2021) -- rhythm guitar - Harry 'Cuby' Muskee (RIP 2011) -- vocals, harmonica NEW - Jaap Van Eik -- bass (replaced Willy Middel)
line-up 3 (1967-69) NEW - Herman Brood (RIP 2001) -- keyboards (replaced Hans Hildbrande) NEW - Herman Deinum (RIP 2025) -- bass (replaced Jaap Van Elk) - Eelco Gelling -- lead guitar NEW - Hans Lafaille, drums , percussion (replaced Dick Beekman) - Harry Muskee (RIP 2011) -- vocals, harmonica
line-up 4 (1969-76) - Herman Deinum (RIP 2025) -- bass - Eelco Gelling -- lead guitar - Harry Muskee (RIP 2011) -- vocals, harmonica - Hans Lafaille -- drums , percussion NEW - Helmig van der Vegt -- keyboards (replaced Herman Brood)
line-up 5 (1976) NEW - Herman Brood (RIP 2001) -- keyboards (replaced Helmig van der Vegt) - Herman Deinum (RIP 2025) -- bass - Eelco Gelling -- lead guitar - Hans Lafaille -- drums , percussion - Harry Muskee (RIP 2011) -- vocals, harmonica
line-up 6 (1983) - Herman Deinum (RIP 2025) -- bass - Hans Lafaille, drums , percussion - Harry Muskee (RIP 2011) -- vocals, harmonica NEW - Rudy Van Dijk -- sax NEW - Jeff Reynolds -- trumpet NEW - Paul Smeenk -- guitar
line-up 7 (1996–2011) - Herman Deinum (RIP 2025) -- bass NEW - Erwin Java -- guitar - Hans Lafaille -- drums percussion - Harry Muskee (RIP 2011) -- vocals, harmonica NEW - Helmig van der Vegt -- keyboards
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- AA and the Doctor (Erwin Java and Lourens Leeuw) - The Amstel Octet (Jenne Meinema) - Big Rock Revival (Dick Beekman) - Blues Connection (Eelco Gelling and Hans Lafaille) - Blues Dimension (Herman Deinum and Helmig Van Der Vegt) - BNN & Friends (Herman Brood) - De Breedbekkikkers (Herman Brood) - Herman Brood & His Big Band (Herman Brood) - Herman Brood & His Wild Romance (Herman Brood) - Herman Brood's Flash & Dance Band (Herman Brood) - Chain of Fools (Herman Deinum, Hans Lafaille and Jaap Van Eik) - Circus (Frank Nuyens) - Dingo - Eelco Gellding Band (Eelco Gelling) - The Flash and Dance Band (Hans Lafaille) - Flavium Friends (Hans Lafaille) - Freelance Band (Frank Nuyens) - George And The Rebels With Jenne Meinema (Lourens Leeuw and Jenne Meinema) - Golden Earring (Eelco Gelling) - Good-Time Joe (Herman Brood) - The Heroes & Friends (Herman Brood) - The Rob Hoeke Rhythm & Blues Group (Herman Deinum) - Human Orchestra (Lourens Leeuw) - Erwin Java (solo efforts - King of the World (Erwin Java) - Koor Zonder Naam (Hans Waterman) - Kroppo's Blues Band (Eelco Gelling) - Terry Lee And The Big Rock Revival - Livin' Blues (Dick Beekman) - Lou Leeuw Band (Lourens Leeuw) - Lourens Leeuw and His Cubs (Lourens Leeuw) - A. Meyer / Java Project (Erwin Java) - Moan (Herman Brood and Jaap Van Eik) - Harry Muskee Band - Muskee Gang - Harry "Cuby" Muskee and Eelco Gelling - Musker Gang (Hans Lafaille) - The North Star Showband (Jenne Meinema) - Frank Nuyens (solo efforts) - Orkest Arie Ribbens (Jenne Meinema) - The Original City Machine (Jaap Van Eik) - Panda (Jaap Van Eik) - Phoney & The Hardcore - The Pretty Things (Hans Waterman) - Q65 (Frank Nuyens and Hans Waterman) - Red, White 'n' Blue (Eelco Gelling, Harry Muskee, Lourens Leeuw and Frank Nuyens) - The Rocking Tigers (Lourens Leeuw) - Ro-D-Ys (Dick Beekman) - The Scarlet Pimpernels (Jenne Meinema) - Slagwerkgroep (Hans Waterman) - Erwin Somer Group (Hans Lafaille, Helmig Van Der Vegt and Jaap Van Eik) - Solution (Hans Waterman) - The Sound Magics (Jaap Van Eik) - Sweet d'Buster (Herman Deinum and Hans Lafaille) - The Tower (Eelco Gelling) - Trace (Jaap Van Eik) - The Tykes (Lourens Leeuw) - Vitesse (Herman Brood) - Voor Warchild (Herman Brood) - White Honey (Erwin Java) - The Zamora's (Lourens Leeuw)
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Genre: blues-rock Rating: ** (2 stars) Title: Desolation Company: Nederbeat Catalog: 6440
065 Country/State: Grolloo, Netherlands Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: reissue Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $50.00
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The UK wasn't the only country to be overwhelmed by a mid-'60s infatuation with American blues. In the case of the Netherlands you needed look no further than Cuby + the Blizzards to see the results.
Having
debuted with a 1965 single for the Dutch C.N.C. label, the band was
then signed by Philips where over the next year they recorded a series of
five singles before getting a chance to
record their debut album. In contrast to earlier singles like
"Stumble and Fall:", "L.S.D. (Got A Milli
The original 1966 Dutch release on Philips (catalog number XPL655 022) featured the same track listing, but different cover art. Similarly, the 1969 UK pressing featured an alternative cover (Philips catalog number SBL 7874)).
"Desolation" track listing: 1.) Things I Remember (Eelco Gelling - Harry Muskee) - 2:00 rating: *** stars The roaring opener "Things I Remember" initially showcased Eelco Gelling's chiming guitar. And then Muskee's voice kicked in. It's always reminded me of the aural equivalent of sandpaper. I remember wondering if he was going to drown in phlegm before getting to the end of the song. Pretty wild way to open the album. The track also appeared as the "B" side of their "Just for Fun" 45. 2.) Hobo Blues (John Lee Hooker) - 6:20 rating: *** stars "Hobo Blues" was the first of two John Lee Hooker covers. Muskee's accented spoken word introduction made me smile, but give the band credit for good taste in source material and when the track actually got rolling the performance proved surprisingly enjoyable. Maybe a bit too long at over six minutes ... But then YouTube has a February 2001 concert performance that stretches the song out to twelve minutes. Kill me now. Cuby & the Blizzards Hobo Blues 3.) Just for Fun (Eelco Gelling - Harry Muskee) - 2:50 rating: *** stars "Just for Fun" found the band showing they could write and perform their own blues tunes. Nice enough performance and a bit more commercial than the rests of the album. Hans Hildbrande contributed some nice barrelhouse piano. The song was tapped as a single:
- 1966's "Just for Fun" b/w "This I Remember" (Philips catalog number JF 333 684)
4.) I'm In Love (Cindy Walker) - 6:12 rating: *** stars I had no idea who Cindy Walker was and had never heard "I'm In Love". While Cuby and company's cover turned it into a rather pedestrian blues performance, Walker's a fascinating character. Far more interesting than the song.
(side
2) I first heard this song via Amen Corner's cover. I had no idea Bessie Smith had original covered the tune back in the late '20s. I actually really liked the combination of Muskee's pleading vocals and the stripped down arrangement. 2.) Desolation Blues (Eelco Gelling - Harry Muskee) - 3:00 The album's third original composition, "Desolation Blues" was a slice of hardcore country blues. I guess it sounded authentic and energetic, but it just wasn't my thing.
3.) Five Long Years (Eddie Boyd) - 4:12 rating: *** stars Nice remake of Eddie Boyd's "Five Long Years". Always liked the plotline - for five years a metal worker sends his girlfriend his paycheck and then she dumps his sorry butt ... The following year the band recorded an album with Boyd - 1967's "Praise the Blues" (Philips catalog number XPL 655 033 (mono)).
4.) Let's Make It (John Lee Hooker) - 2:15 rating: *** stars Well, bassist Willy Middel finally gets a chance to show off his chops on their boogie-fied cover of Hooker's "Let's Make It".. My suggestion is go on YouTube and listen to Hooker's original.
© Scott R. Blackerby July, 2026
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on
Dollars)" and "Back Home (A Man)" the album found Cuby
and company heading in a totally different direction. Produced by Tony
Vos, 1966's "Desolation" offered up a mixture of
classic Chicago-styled blues covers, including two John Lee Hooker tunes and
a series of three originals penned by guitarist
Eelco Gelling and
singer/front man Harry Muskee. I'll be upfront and honest. If
you're into English blues-rockers like early Climax Blues Band,
pre-Buckingham-Nicks Fleetwood Mac, The Savoy Blues Band, Ten Years After,
etc. this is liable to be right up your alley. I'm simply not a big
blues fan so this collection just didn't do a great deal for me.
Technically it was certainly good. On material like "Things I
Remember" lead vocalist Harry
Muskee displaying a deep and ragged voice that was a good fit for the
musical genre. The album also demonstrated that a Dutch band could
cover the blues as well as an
English group, or a bunch of stoned American hippies. Kudos to
guitarist Gelling who never went for the glitz; his playing was tight and
economical throughout. Still, tracks like "Hobo Blues",
"Just for Fun" and "I'm In Love" just weren't going to
make you tap along and want to bust a move. Best of the lot was their
stripped down version of Fletcher Henderson and Henry Troy's "Gin House
Blues".
