Album Review: The Gun — Gun
Brothers Adrian and Paul Gurvitz launched The Gun in 1967 a a re-branded and slimmed-down version of their previous band the Knack (no relation to the American power pop quartet). Then using the surname Curtis, guitarist Adrian and bassist Paul led a power trio with Louie Farrell on drums. Taking an aggressive and decidedly psychedelic approach to their songcraft, the trio recorded Gun in 1968. In October of that year, the lead-off album track “Race With the Devil” was released as a single, reaching the top ten in England. The single and album did well in other countries as well, though no American success was forthcoming.
The band did get noticed by some high-profile artists; they opened a number of shows for Pink Floyd. And when Jimi Hendrix performed at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, he inserted some “Race With the Devil” licks into his own “Machine Gun.”
Gun shows the group to be of a manic, proto-metal disposition, with a sound reminiscent of Love Sculpture (featuring a young Dave Edmunds) or the Open Mind. The orchestral flourishes and demented screaming of “Race” play well against Adrian Gurvitz’s speedy lead guitar work. In fact, horns and strings show up throughout the record—most notably on “The Sad Saga of The Boy and The Bee,” Gun’s second (and second-best) cut. In places Gun’s sound suggests what the Moody Blues might have sounded like had they rocked (a lot) harder.
A second LP, Gun Sight, was released in 1969; it largely sank without a trace. Gun went out of print by 1973. The album did receive a short-run vinyl reissue in the late 1980s, but has been largely unavailable in that format since then. Even CD reissues of Gun were limited to Europe and Asia. Real Gone Music’s modern-day vinyl reissue of this early hard rock nugget is pressed on red vinyl; the record sleeve features the original garish-yet-distinctive album art, one of the earliest projects for Roger Dean. Dean, of course, went on to greater fame as the creator of many of Yes’ most iconic album covers as well as that band’s logo.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.