SNAFU – YOU KNOW IT AIN’T EASY: THE ANTHOLOGY, 4CD BOX SET 2024

First-ever complete anthology of hotly-tipped early 70s British rock band led by pre-Whitesnake guitarist Micky Moody and former Freedom singer Bobby Harrison. Includes their three albums, singles, studio out-takes, live recordings and BBC sessions.

Formed in early 1973, Snafu were something of a minor British rock/blues supergroup, featuring former members of such bands as Procol Harum, Skip Bifferty, Ginger Baker’s Airforce, Juicy Lucy, Paladin and Tramline.

Immediately pushed by their management company World-Wide Artists (who also handled Black Sabbath) as a major new force in British rock music, Snafu promoted their debut LP – the second album to be recorded at Richard Branson’s new studio The Manor, with ‘Tubular Bells’ the first – with an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test, various BBC radio sessions and tours with the era’s leading bands.

In addition to being held in high regard by the likes of Bob Harris and John Peel, Snafu’s live shows and studio albums received positive reviews in the music press, with their rich musical stew drawing comparisons with everyone from the Steve Miller Band and Iron Butterfly to Little Feat and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

However, they were unable to make a commercial breakthrough, and they collapsed in early 1976 when guitarist Micky Moody was lured away by former Deep Purple singer David Coverdale for a liaison that led to the band Whitesnake.

A 4CD set, ‘You Know It Ain’t Easy: The Anthology’ assembles all three of their studio albums, non-LP singles, various BBC sessions and a live show recorded during their final tour to stand as the ultimate package of a band who never quite made the transition from critical acclaim to chart success.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

1 LONG GONE
2 SAID THE JUDGE
3 MONDAY MORNING
4 DROWNING IN THE SEA OF LOVE
5 COUNTRY NEST
6 FUNKY FRIEND
7 GOODBYE U.S.A.
8 THAT’S THE SONG

Bonus track

9 DIXIE QUEEN
10 SAD SUNDAY
11 SAID HE THE JUDGE (BBC session)
12 GOODBYE U.S.A. (BBC session)
1-8 The album Snafu, WWA Records WWA 003, released January 1974
9 Single, WWA Records WWS 007, released April 1974
10 unreleased at the time, first issued in 1993 11-12 BBC session, recorded 9 January 1974,

broadcast 28 January 1974 (Bob Harris)

DISC TWO

1 NO MORE
2 NO BITTER TASTE
3 BROWN EYED BEAUTY AND THE BLUE ASSED FLY
4 LOCK AND KEY
5 BIG DOG LUSTY
6 PLAYBOY BLUES
7 JESSIE LEE
8 RAGTIME ROLL

Bonus tracks

9 LONG GONE (BBC session)
10 JESSIE LEE (BBC session)
11 PLAYBOY BLUES (BBC session)
12 BIG DOG LUSTY (BBC session)
13 SAID HE THE JUDGE (BBC session)
1-8 The album Situation Normal, WWA Records WWA 013, released October 1974
9-13 BBC In Concert, 25 March 1974

DISC THREE

1 DON’T KEEP ME WONDERIN’
2 BLOODHOUND
3 LOCK AND KEY
4 HARD TO HANDLE
5 EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS
6 TURN AROUND
7 DEEP WATER
8 KEEP ON RUNNING
9 BAR ROOM TAN
10 DANCING FEET

Bonus tracks

11 ARE YOU SURE
12 JESSIE LEE (BBC session)
13 PLAYBOY BLUES (BBC session)
1-10 The album All Funked Up, Capitol Records E-ST 11473, released November 1975
9 Single, Capitol Records CL 15858, released February 1976
12-13 BBC session, recorded 25 September 1974,

broadcast 21 October 1974 (Bob Harris)

DISC FOUR

1 BLOODHOUND (BBC session)
2 EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS (BBC session)
3 HARD TO HANDLE (BBC session)
4 LOCK AND KEY (BBC session)
5 DON’T KEEP ME WONDERIN’
6 LONG GONE
7 BIG LEGGED WOMAN
8 EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS
9 UNSETTLED DUST
10 HIGHWAY

1-4 BBC session, recorded 28 August 1975, broadcast
4 September 1975 (John Peel)
5-10 The album Live Nottingham 1976, recorded 23 January 1976 at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham, first released 2017

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