The Third Power - Believe (1970)

The Third Power was Detroit's answer to Cream back in the late 60's to early 70's and in fact did a rendition of "I'm So Glad" that rivaled anything Cream did. Third Power was intense sonic output, a power trio that used high output vacuum tube Traynor amps and pretty much did entirely original music. And they did it at volumetric deciblage that surely contributed to hearing loss among many an aged hippie; the Who had little edge in that respect save they had a bigger PA system. Third Power was always a draw at any Detroit venue and personally my other favourite Detroit group (SRC was first even though they were from Ann Arbor). This album is purely studio; way too produced and laden with overdubs impossible to duplicate live, at least with the technology available then (multi key synthesizers were light years away) and it was not strong enough to capture the all important top 40 FM market and most importantly, did not sell well outside of Detroit and related environs. Still, it is well worth a listen and does represent an accurate accounting of the Detroit music scene along with some decent lyrics and musicianship. Should you have liked the MC-5 or The Frost, this would be the intesity of these groups amplified with a more cerebral appeal.

Track Listing...

1. Gettin' Together

2. Feel So Lonely

3. Passed By

4. Lost in a Daydream

5. Persecution

6. Comin' Home

7. Won't Beg Any More

8. Crystalline Chandelier

9. Like Me Love Me