Rock’s tastemakers have largely forgotten power rock guru Thor. A fine example of the era’s formidable rudimentary soul, the re-release of his 1978 debut Keep the Dogs Away will hopefully change this. Thor’s not exactly the most eloquent lyricist, but what does one expect from a beastly man renowned for bending steel bars and blowing up water bottles? His voice is surprisingly velvety, and his band’s blues-infused rock twang (with occasional Zappa-esque contortions) is infectiously catchy. It’s enough to forgive the overly basic rhymes that prevail.
Even if one grows weary of simplistic songs about superheroes, tigers and letting sleeping giants sleep, the album’s warm, rich ’70s recording style is enough to make audiophiles swoon. Fuzzy without being overly distorted, this is one of few times an album of that era has been faithfully and perfectly updated from analogue to digital. The music is basic at best, but sometimes the uncomplicated stuff provides the greatest value.
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