Death Walks Behind You

For the next line-up of Atomic Rooster, Vincent Crane teamed up with the talented guitarist John Cann (later DuCann), previously in Andromeda, and his own foot and left hand (on the lower manual) as bassist. Ric Parnell served a brief spell behind the drum kit, but not before Cann brought in the much underrated John Hammond instead. Thus constituted, the trio of Crane, Cann and Hammond would burn bright during their short existence. Early in 1971, the band released their second album, Death Walks Behind you. Crane's obsession with the darker side of the psyche was fairly unique at the time and as the title suggests, the album had no shortage of gloom and doom. A consistently heavy rock affair, it is distinguished by Cann's guitar playing, but not necessarily his vocals (as the title track attests). The instrumental "Vug" however kicks into high gear, and the interplay between Crane's organ and Cann's guitar is positively electric. Bluesy and ballsy, it is indicative of their heavy chomping sound. "Gershatzer" is another instrumental barnstormer, with Hammond this time letting loose on the drum kit. Several Cann compositions grace the record, the best, "Seven Lonely Streets", is fitted with a shimmering organ arrangement. Crane switches to piano for the more accomplished melody of "Nobody Else", a precursor to what the next album would have in store. The single "Tomorrow Night" b/w "Play The Game" climbed just shy of the UK Top 10, while the album reached No. 12, and even break into the US Top 100, where the band had signed to Elektra Records.