Upon the recommendation of a fellow poster on a music forums discussion site, I decided to acquire this and give it a try as its documented that this trio called "Dust", was a springboard for everyone involved within its short inception. Formed in 1969 and hailing from New York City, Dust was the brainchild of Richie Wise, a dynamic vocalist/guitarist and producer Kenny Kerner, whom was a collaborator of the music on this collection, contributing the lyrics. Rounded out by bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Marc Bell, this early group formation intrigued me as I was aware of each members' future successes in the rock business and  I'm proud to say that this collection of their only two albums remains an interesting lost piece of work. "Hard Attack" was their first release in 1971 and features a blend of heavy hitting rock as evidenced on the opening track "Pull Away/So Many Times" as well as "Learning to Die" and "Suicide", but they also display softer, quieter moments on the songs "Thusly Spoken", "I've Been Thinkin'" and "How Many Horses". Richie Wise was quite an adept guitarist and although his vocal range is somewhat limited, the spirit's there and that more than makes up for any inefficiency in this aspect. Marc Bell's drumming is quite heavy, at times, and would serve as a good "boot camp" for his future as a Ramone. Kenny Aaronson, of course, is quite the journeyman within the music business and has played with artists as diverse as Joan Jett, Edgar Winter, Billy Idol and Bob Dylan to name a few. His bass playing is a wealth of creative and prolific measure within the sounds of this collection and while its understandable in some ways why this group didn't catch on to a broader appeal back then, all the same, it's a great set to indulge in. 

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The self titled follow up release features 7 tracks that tilt towards the heavier aspects of their sound more consistently within the songwriting and performance areas. "Stone Woman" offers slide guitar, introducing a fast boogie/blues rocker with the solid, "in the pocket" playing of Aaronson's bass and Bell's driving drumbeats; similar to "Pull Away/So Many Times" from the debut, "Woman" is a great and solid opener. "Chasin' Ladies" sounds a bit like Mountain within its heavy blues/rock attack and Wise's guitar work is quite exceptional here as well as his vocal performance which features an accompanying harmony vocal during its choruses. "Love Me Hard" is a rave up of a rocker with some tasty bass playing from Kenny, while "From a Dry Camel", contains a dirge-like tempo with distorted wah-wah guitar from Wise and a thumping bass rhythm that catches fire once the middle section speeds up into a driving jam. "Often Shadows Felt" offers up a bit more adventure and diversity from the record's steady blues/hard rock vibe culminating in a folky flavor with acoustic guitar, an ethereal vocal from Richie and some nice dobro courtesy of Aaronson during the song's middle section. Closing the record is another raver, in "Loose Goose" credited to Aaronson, which features propulsive bass lines within a breakneck speed tempo rendered from Bell's drumming and Wise's fiery guitar style; its a fun and fast instrumental jam and is a fitting way to end the record.

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I find this disc to be a great collection to have and its been said that Dust were one of the first American heavy metal groups, but judging on some of the cuts within this set, the band were much more diversified than most heavy metal acts and while some songs certainly point towards that claim, in the grand scheme of things, these guys were young, hungry and wanting to express themselves based on those merits as well as the passion within their playing. This is worth the time if you want to trace the roots of these talented musicians. 

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Rating Grade- B+