If you've heard of British guitarist/singer Dave Edmunds, it's probably from catching his 1970 hit "I Hear You Knockin'" on an oldies station. There's an outside chance you know of his participation in the short-lived "supergroup" Rockpile. And if you're really hardcore, you've heard his high-energy, late-'60s shredding of "Sabre Dance." (You know, the tune they play with juggling acts.)

That performance was with a trio called Love Sculpture, which released two albums. The debut was "Blues Helping," with the title pointing to exactly the type of music recorded. Remember, this was during a period when the pre-Buckingham/Nicks Fleetwood Mac was playing almost nothin' but the blues.

At any rate, Edmunds' playing on "Blues Helping" is absolutely scorching. And in an era where guitarists (taking their cue from Jimi) were playing all kinds of tricks with their sound, Dave did nothing more than run his vintage Telecaster through an amp and let it rip. The highlight is his fleet-fingered reading of Freddy King's "Stumble," but he also plays like nobody's business on such chestnuts as "Summertime" (from "Porgy and Bess") and "Wang Dang Doodle."

I've recently committed my vinyl version of "Blues Helping" to the digital realm as part of an ongoing project, and have no idea if you can find it on CD anywhere. But if you do, and you'd like to hear some smokin' guitar playing, whip out your credit card.