The J. Geils Band's 1970 debut album didn't make much of a splash sales-wise, but it kicked off the career of one of America's finest R&B bands with plenty of punch. The band had already honed their blues/rock/soul amalgam with sweat-soaked shows on countless stages, so they were firing on all pistons by the time they cut these tracks. The album is split between original tunes, like the aptly titled rocker "Hard Drivin' Man" and the funky blues instrumental "Ice Breaker," and covers of R&B nuggets including John Lee Hooker's simmering "Serves You Right to Suffer" and Smokey Robinson's hard-charging "First I Look at the Purse." The band burn throughout.