New! Improved!

New! Improved! is the third album by American rock group Blue Cheer. Released in March 1969 by Philips Records, it is their first without original guitarist Leigh Stephens. The album features songs recorded by two different group lineups: in addition to bassist and vocalist Dickie Peterson and drummer Paul Whaley, side one includes Bruce Stephens on guitar and Burns Kellogg on keyboards; while side two includes Randy Holden on guitar and vocals. The two lineups contribute very different material. With Holden, the approach is closer to the previous psychedelic hard rock of Blue Cheer albums; with Kellogg and Peterson, they explore more understated blues rock and country rock styles. Also, unlike their earlier albums, Peterson plays a smaller role. Holden wrote and sings the songs on side two, while Kellogg and Stephens contribute most of the material on side one. New! Improved! was slightly more successful than the group's previous album, Outsideinside, and reached number 84 on the Billboard 200 album chart. One single "West Coast Child of Sunshine", backed with "When It All Gets Old", was released, but did not reach the charts.

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