Desolation

In the early 1960s, beat groups from the Dutch Randstad dominated the national charts. Cuby and Blizzards debut single “Stumble and Fall” was recorded in the Bavohuis, a simple gym hall in Amsterdam, with Addy Kleingeld, known from De Vrolijke Mijnwerkers, as producer. But the debut album Desolation marked a turning point, recorded at the Phonogram Studios in Hilversum with renowned blues producer Tony Vos, it captured the band exactly as Muskee intended.

The resulting album became a jewel of Dutch music history. Never before had the Netherlands heard a blues singer who poured his emotions into a recording with such conviction and authenticity. Muskee even matched his British peers. Eric Burdon (The Animals), Paul Jones (Manfred Mann), Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones) and Van Morrison (Them). At the Grand Gala du Disque, Muskee received an Edison Award for Desolation, handed to him by cabaret artist Wim Sonneveld, whose lukewarm speech couldn’t diminish the significance of the moment. Sixty years later, the legacy of this groundbreaking album still resonates, an essential document of European blues and a defining moment in the story of Cuby + Blizzards. 

2LP - This 60th anniversary edition of Desolation is now available as an expanded 2LP-set including the original 1966 album plus fifteen bonus tracks. The gatefold version features songs “Things I Remember”, “Stumble & Fall”, “L.S.D. (Got A Million Dollars)”,  is a limited edition on translucent blue coloured vinyl and includes new liner notes by Dutch Blues authority Johan Derksen.