| The Rockets | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by The Rockets | |
| Recorded | 1968 |
| Genre | Blues rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock |
| Length | 28:57 |
| Label | White Whale |
| Producer | Barry Goldberg |
| Professional reviews | |
The Rockets is the sole release by The Rockets in 1968.
Selling only about 5,000 copies, it was far from a success. Nevertheless, the album found among its fans Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, who would soon take Danny Whitten, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina for his backing band on the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. They first dubbed themselves War Babies, but Young re-named them Crazy Horse, a name that would stick. The Rockets soon folded due to Young's insistence on having Whitten, Talbot and Molina keep to a strict practice schedule. Talbot and Molina have remained as part of Crazy Horse to this day, and all of the other Rockets, except for Leon Whitsell, would eventually collaborate with Young.
"Hole in My Pocket" was released as a 45. "Let me Go" was covered by Three Dog Night. "Mr. Chips" was allegedly about Ahmet Ertegün. He would not sign them to Atlantic Records. The Rockets had been known as the psyrcle (the psychedelic circle) on Lorna, a division of autumn, but the label was floundering.
The group used to let anyone off the street jam with them in their garage, a.k.a Rocket's headquarters.