line up 1 

- Dave Wood -- keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals

- Paul Bays -- lead guitar, backing vocals

- Jim Kitchen -- lead vocals

- Bill Peters (RIP) -- bass, backing vocals

- Steve Peters -- drums, percussion

- none known

Genre: progressive

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Goliath

Company: Tomorrow

Catalog: TVI-133
Year: 1977

Country/State: Terre Haute, Indiana

Grade (cover/record): NM/M

Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened)

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 5881

Price: $100.00

Genre: progressive

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Hot Rock & Thunder

Company: Bridges

Catalog: BG-2704-LP
Year: 1975

Country/State: Terre Haute, Indiana

Grade (cover/record): NM / NM

Comments: sealed

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 6375

Price: $100.00

Yes another obscure release of the Morris Levy-affiliated taxscam Tomorrow label and like many releases in the catalog it has an interesting history.

Goliath is one of those popular rock names and there are at least a half dozen outfits that have recorded under the name.  This Goliath apparently came together in the early-1970s featuring keyboardist Dave Wood, lead guitarist Paul Bays, singer Jim Kitchen, bassist Bill Peters, and brother/drummer Steve Peters.  They were signed by the small Bridges label, releasing an instantly obscure self-titled album in 1975.  (Couple of potentially interesting side comments -  most references say the album was released in 1972, but based on the catalog number and other releases by the Bridges label, 1975 seems to be a more realistic date.  Also worth mentioning is the fact that a disproportional number of copies suffered from significant warping; many to the point where they can't be played.)

                                                                                                                                      Bridges catalog  BG-2704-LP

Two years later Tomorrow somehow acquired rights to the album, repackaging it with a new cover (without the knowledge, or approval of New York artist Sonja Eisenberg).  The reissue also reflected a slightly different running order and a minor change to one of the song titles ('Tell Me You're Satisfied' reappeared as 'Not Satisfied').  Produced by John Gomez, 1977's "Goliath" wasn't half bad.  The performances were all quite good, with guitarist Bays and keyboardist Woods showing some real talent.  Kitchen was a decent, is somewhat anonymous presence, though he had the versatility that allowed the band to take stabs at a host of different genres.  That flexibility was one of the things that made the album interesting, but it also served to undermine their cohesion.  Bouncing between Southern boogie (the title track) and UK-styled progressive moves ('The Apocalypse'), you were left wondering who these guys really were.  It almost sounded like a demo intended to showcase just how versatile these guys were ...  hire us and we can play it.

."Goliath" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Ordinary Guy   (Steve Peters) -     rating: **** stars

'Ordinary Guy' was a pretty keyboard-propelled power ballad.  Nice melody with a good vocal from Kitchen and some surprisingly nice harmony vocals from the rest of the band.  Quite commercial, this one would have sounded good on top-40 radio. 

2.) Silver Girl   (David Wood - Paul Bays) -   rating: ** stars

'Silver Girl' found the band going in a totally different direction; namely kind of an odd hybrid of progressive and hard rock moves, with a classical piano segment thrown in.  Unfortunately, this time out Kitchen's voice sounded kind of strained and pitchy - come to think of it, that was a good description for the entire song. 

3.) The Apocalypse   (Steve Peters - Bill Peters) -    rating: **** stars

As you probably figured out from the title, 'The Apocalypse' found the band in full-on progressive mode.  Opening up with some of the cheesiest ELP-styled synthesizers you've heard in a long time, this one was gloriously trashy.  Add in a great end-of-the-world lyric and you had a track that was impossible to dislike.  Mind you, I'm not saying this was great music, but it was sure dumb fun.  

(side 2)
1.) We're Not Afraid   (Steve Peters - Jim Kitchen - Bill Peters) -   rating: **** stars

'We're Not Afraid' started side two with another change in pace; this time the band displaying an ability to handle a conventional rocker.  Kitchen's vocals were a little bit high pitched this time out, but the song itself was quite engaging with a nice melody, some chunky Southern rock guitar moves from Paul Bays and Dave Wood's percolating synthesizers.   

2.) Dead Drunk Screamin'   (Paul Bays - Steve Peters - Jim Kitchen) -    rating: **** stars

'Dead Drunk Screamin'' found the band taking a stab at hardr ock.  The first couple of times this one escaped me, coming off as little more than an also--ran tune, but eventually the song's charms won me over - namely the pounding rhythm section (Steve Peters drumming was a standout on this one) and Bays' fantastic lead guitar work made the track well worth checking out.  

3.) Not Satisfied   (Steve Peters - Payl Bays) -   rating: ** stars

'Not Satisfied' offered up a formualic slice of boogie rock.  The first real disappointment., though Woods synthesizer solo was worth a quick spin. 

4.) Hot Rock and Thunder   (Steve Peters) - 

Given this one tends to get slammed by critics I have to tell you it isn't half bad and since you can still find affordable copies, keep an eye out for it (though be aware of the warp factor on originals.  

In 2004 the bootleg Radioactive label reissued the original set in CD format - Radioactive catalog number RRCD05. 

Not that this matters one bit, but for what it's worth, I'm going to disagree with one of the earlier reviews that speculated the Tomorrow LP was issued first, with the band then reacting by issuing their own version on the Bridges label.

My disagreement is based on the fact that the other Bridges releases were issued in the 1975 timeframe:

- Dan Stuecher "Carousel of Life" catalog number BG 2708

- Dawson "Can You Feel It" catalog number BG 2709

SRB 11/2009

So here's an interesting biography that was sent to me by a friend of the band (who asked that I preserve their privacy).

Dear Badcat Records, 
 
I am a long lost personal friend of Goliath founders Steve and Bill Peters, and vocalist Jim Kitchen. Goliath formed in 1968. The band was from Terre Haute, Indiana, and their booking agent for many years was Triangle Talent in Louisville, Ky. Terre Haute is in west central Indiana, right next to Illinois and the Wabash River. The recording was done in Louisville and the Bridges label photo is of the Louisville skyline and one of the bridges to Indiana over the Ohio River. It is possible that there were other releases on the Bridges label and that these acts were also booked by Triangle Talent. I associate the Bridges label with Triangle Talent, but this may be a mistake on my part. I do not know if there was a management contract between Goliath and Triangle. In the late 1980s, long after Goliath had disbanded, Triangle sent another band of youngsters out under the name Goliath. The last booking agent for Goliath was Blytham Limited in Champagne, IL. 
 
I am not aware of exactly when the recording was made, but I believe it was 1972 to 1975. It was done before I knew the band personally. The recording was done very quickly, and the variation in Jim Kitchen's voice was due to him having sung himself almost hoarse. Jim told me this himself. Most noticeable in the song Hot Rock and Thunder. I believe he said that was the one take that he could do, the very last time he could sing before not being able to do any more. His voice sounds thinner on the Bridges LP than it was in reality and when playing live. 
 
The band had a very solid, well produced power rock sound live, and the recording's rendering of them is somewhat wimpy in comparison. For example, Bill's Rickenbacker stereo bass was run through two amplifiers, an Acoustic with 15 inch speaker for the neck pickup and a Sunn with twin twelve inch speakers for the bridge pickup-- the classic Rick-O-Sound that was made famous by Chris Squire of Yes. Steve Peters played oversized drums, 18 inch floor tom and 24 and 26 inch double bass. I believe his smaller tom was 14 inches and quite deep. The powerful foundation laid down by these brothers just doesn't come through in the LP production. I wonder what could have been done with remastering from the original tracks, but we will never know. I have not heard the Tomorrow Records pressing but am curious to find that bootleg CD. Those versions may have better mastering EQ and a much bigger sound than the Bridges pressing. I refuse to pay anywhere near $100 for the Tomorrow pressing, but would love to hear it if is the product of the original tape and/or a different LP mastering. 
 
I do not believe the Bridges release was done after 1977, but shortly after the recording was made. I may be wrong about this. 
 
Terre Haute music store owner and guitarist John Beeson put up most of the money for the Bridges pressing and may have let go of his boxes of records to somebody sometime in the deep dark past. It is interesting for me to read their sound described as Southern, since they are not the least bit southern. I don't disagree with that description of some of the songs, and boogie is certainly something that they had nailed. Aspirations were more toward progressive rock, and Steve was a multi-instrumentalist with lots of songs in backlog. The band members had diverse musical listening interests. 
 
Questions for you-- I have found some of those bootleg CDs on eBay. Do you know if these are simply a copy of the LP?  If so, there is no need for me to buy one, since they may have screwed it up even more in the copying. Could this bootleg company have gotten the original tape? I doubt it. I do not know if John Beeson was in possession of the original tape back in the seventies. If Tomorrow Records acquired rights to the recording, did they acquire the master tape or produce an LP master from a copy tape that was different than the Bridges LP master? I do not know who owned the rights to the recording and had possession of the original tapes. It could have been Triangle Talent. 
 
My discovery of this material makes me want to give Steve a call, wondering if your page and the rateyourmusic.com page are known to him. It is possible that he would want to correct what has been posted, for the historical record. 
 
September 2010 

Genre: progressive

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Hot Rock & Thunder

Company: Bridges

Catalog: BG-2704-LP
Year: 1975

Country/State: Terre Haute, Indiana

Grade (cover/record): NM / NM

Comments: sealed

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 6375

Price: $100.00

See my comments above ...

"Goliath" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) We're Not Afraid   (Steve Peters - Jim Kitchen - Bill Peters) -

2.) Ordinary Guy   (Steve Peters) - 

3.) Tell Me You're Satisfied  (Steve Peters - Bill Peters) -

(side 2)
1.) Silver Girl   (David Wood - Paul Bays) - 

4.) Hot Rock and Thunder   (Steve Peters) - 

3.) The Apocalypse   (Steve Peters - Bill Peters) -