siLLy puPPy CORPUS originated in 1969 in the coastal city of Corpus Christi, Texas which makes it quite obvious as to where the band’s name derived from. This band followed in the footsteps of the heavy blues rock greats like Wishbone Ash, early Led Zeppelin, Cream and closer to home The Allman Brothers and Little Feat and consisted of the quartet of Richard Deleon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), William Grate (lead guitar, backing vocals), James Castillo (bass) and Frudy Lianes (drums).

Probably better known for the album cover art of its one and only album CREATION A CHILD which was released in 1971 rather than the music itself, CORPUS nevertheless delivered a solid mix of heavy guitar riffs with a twin guitar attack solo, strong bass groove and some excellent vocal harmonies delivered via lead vocalist Richard Deleon and the backing vocals of William Grate. Deleon actually sounds a lot like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s lead vocal man Ronnie Van Zant a couple years before that band would make it big however the musical performances on CREATION A CHILD are a bit less creative than any of the aforementioned bands.

With nine competent tracks, CREATION A CHILD straddles from the balls to the wall heavy rock bravado of the opening track “Cruising” to the more southern rock flavors of “Joy” but the influences of The Allman Brothers become more apparent on the twin guitar harmonies of “Marriage.” Starting with the title track which is fourth in line the album simmers down a bit with slow arpeggiated guitar chords and a more solemn atmospheric approach that oozes on for a while before finally erupting into one of the heavier blues guitar performances of the album. While clearly simulating Allman Brothers and Wishbone Ash guitar techniques, CORPUS didn’t quite have the chops to take the show beyond the average.

“Just A Man” also showcases some of those tasty southern blues guitar licks that sound like the type the future Lynyrd Skynyrd would take to the next level so it does make me wonder if that band heard this one given the similarities. While touted as a heavy psych album in many circles there are really no traces of psychedelia on this one but a few jazzy touches do seep in from time to time especially on the closing “Mythical Dream” which actually sounds a bit out of sync with the rest of the album that is almost predominantly blues based. The album has been somewhat of a cult classic for decades as it never really hit the big time but has been more of a collector’s item and the band wouldn’t last much longer than this sole relic.

Overall CORPUS crafted a really decent blues rock album that hits all the hallmarks of what makes a classic rock album but in comparison to the plethora of other blues rock band’s of the era it just doesn’t really stand out in any particular way other than a few prognosticating elements that would make Lynyrd Skynyrd stand out. The music flows nicely and the biggest strength is by far the excellent vocal style of Deleon who displays a wide range of skillful vox box duties. With such an eye-catching album cover you would expect a more dynamic specimen of musical delivery but unfortunately it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations. Once again, this is not a bad album at all and offers a warm inviting run of blues rock that range from hard and heavy to soft and pastoral. Just not enough to get all hot and bothered over.