Sneakin’ Suspicion by Dr Feelgood

Sneakin' Suspicion, Dr. Feelgood's fourth album, came out on United Artists in 1977, and it very nearly finished the band off. Wilko Johnson, the guitarist, songwriter and focal point of the Canvey Island outfit, walked out during the sessions, and for a while it looked like the others might pack it in too.

They didn't, and the record still bristles with the tough, stripped-down British R&B that made their name, with Lee Brilleaux's gravelly bark out front and the no-nonsense rhythm section of John B. Sparks on bass and The Big Figure on drums. Pub rock doesn't get much leaner. Britain lapped it up, sending it to number 10 on the albums chart, and the title track became their first single to crack the UK chart. America never caught on, and after this they didn't release another record there until 1980.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.