Personal Mix: "Rifferama--Blitzing, Raw, Kick-Ass Underground Hard Rock from the 1970s"

One of the greatest compilations I have is called "Chains and Black Exhaust," compiled the world-class collector, Dante Carfagna. It features around a baker's dozen of raw, hard and funky early 70s hard rock 45s by predominantly Black artists, giving voice and exposure to a side chapter of Black rock history that is often left out of the canonical history books. While I cannot lay claim to putting together something of that historical and aesthetic importance, I do adore that early-to-mid 70s hard, raw rock sound. So, in that spirit, here is a concise yet storming homage to that sound and a handful of excellent bands that never sniffed within a country dirt mile of radio play or interstate distribution yet bring it home as hard as any bands of the era.