British hard-rockers The Gun burst onto the scene in 1968 with a self-titled debut that established its members as new forces in rock. Gun was an album of firsts: not only was it the group's inaugural LP, but it was also the starting point for Adrian and Paul Gurvitz (or Curtis, as they're named here), who would later found Three Man Army with Tony Newman and Buddy Miles, and The Baker-Gurvitz Army with Ginger Baker. It was also the first album to feature cover art by celebrated artist Roger Dean, who later forged a decades-long creative partnership with Yes.
Gun's impressive blend of rock, psychedelia, and mod influences are on full display on the album's eight tracks. Among the gems is the Adrian Gurvitz original, "Race With The Devil." A proto-metal workout that combines traditional hard rock instrumentation with brass and orchestra, the song has since been covered by the likes of Black Oak Arkansas, Girlschool, and Judas Priest.
Now, Gun returns to vinyl for the first time in thirty years. On March 1, Real Gone will issue a limited-edition "red devil" color vinyl version of the album that perfectly complements the eye-catching original artwork which adorns the new pressing. The run is limited to just 1,000 copies, so secure your copies now! Check out the full track listing and pre-order links below.
The Gun, The Gun (originally CBS LP 63552, 1968 -- reissued Real Gone, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD)
Side 1
- Race With the Devil
- The Sad Saga of the Boy and the Bee
- Rupert's Travels
- Yellow Cab Man
- It Won't Be Long (Heartbeat)
Side 2
- Sunshine
- Rat Race
- Take Off
scott charbonneau says
Underrated LP! Will Real Gone be doing the follow up "Gun Sight" as well?
Sam Stone says
Hi Scott! Thanks for reading. Agreed, it's a very underrated album. I haven't heard anything about an upcoming RGM reissue of "Gun Sight" but it might be worth reaching out to them. I see they have a suggestion box on their site!