Agnes Strange
Strange Flavour
Agnes Strange was a heavy rock/blues/psych trio from Southampton, England, led by singer-guitarist John Westwood. The band somehow didn't make a splash on the early '70s boogie circuit, despite their obvious similarities to beloved acts like the Groundhogs, Budgie and the almighty Status Quo. Nevertheless, this 1975 effort is a very cool album. It was originally released by one-off PYE subsidiary Birdsnest, which was affiliated with a chain of theme pubs of the same name, owned by beer brand Watney's. The existing heavy rock audience at the time reacted much as straight-edge punks would if McDonald's and Sony BMG joined forces to release a hardcore album available only at fast food restaurants. As a result 'Strange Flavour' disappeared without trace, as did Agnes Strange.