Doodley Squat #2

Hey Zoo Freaks, the Zoo Crew just dropped the needle on a real deep cut for you tonight. We're spinning "Doodley Squat #2" by Oz Knozz from their 1975 album Ruff Mix, and if you've never heard this one before, settle in because this is pure Texas private-press magic. The track sits right in the middle of a three-part suite that takes up most of side two, and it stretches out past six and a half minutes of swirling keyboards, crunchy guitar, and those high, expressive vocals that somehow land somewhere between early Styx pomp and straight-ahead hard rock. Folks who dig the more progressive side of seventies American rock have been talking about this record for years, and once you hear how the suite builds—starting with the jazzy instrumental of #1, moving into this heavy, dual-keyboard workout on #2, then slamming into the harder-edged closer—you understand why collectors still hunt for original Ozone Records pressings.

What makes "Doodley Squat #2" stand out is the way it balances those big synthesizer washes with real guitar muscle. Richard Heath's leads cut through the haze while Duane Massey's keyboards and horns keep everything moving in unexpected directions. Reviews over the years have pointed out how the whole suite feels like the band was trying to stitch commercial hooks onto a tougher rock framework, and this middle section is where that idea really clicks. It's not polished major-label prog. It's raw, a little ragged in the best way, and full of the kind of energy you only get from a Houston outfit that was writing and recording on its own terms. The original album only had about two thousand copies pressed across a couple of runs, so when it started showing up on European reissue labels decades later, a whole new wave of listeners got turned on to it. The good news for anyone who wants to own a copy is that the album can still be purchased through Shroom Angel Records at https://wolfpodscd.com/product-category/shroomangel-records/?referrer=thezoorock.com. The Zoo Crew loves spinning tracks like this because they still surprise people. You put it on and the room changes.

Oz Knozz got started the old-fashioned way—high school friends in the Houston suburb of Bellaire deciding they wanted to make some noise. Brothers Bill and Duane Massey teamed up with drummer Jack Alford around 1969 while they were still at Westbury High. All three of them played multiple instruments, which set the tone for the band right from the beginning. Duane handled keyboards, trumpet, and lead vocals. Bill covered bass, guitar, sax, and backing vocals. Jack brought drums, flute, and more vocals. They worked the local club scene hard, picking up a reputation for energetic shows and original material. When Jack moved on a couple of years later, fellow Westbury student Marty Naul slid in behind the kit, and the core of the band was set. In 1972, while Duane and Marty were studying music at Sam Houston State University, they crossed paths with guitarist Richard Heath from Austin. That completed the lineup that would eventually head into the studio.

They kept a horn section for a while in the early seventies, then scaled it back, though the brass flavor never completely disappeared from the music. By the time they recorded Ruff Mix in 1975, the group was Bill (credited as Newt Bildo on the sleeve), Duane, Richard, and Marty. They put the record out themselves on Ozone Records. Eight original tunes, all written by Duane, produced by Bill. The album mixes hard rock muscle with progressive twists, some bluesy stretches, and the occasional horn-rock groove. "Peanut Butter Yoni" hits with a proto-metal edge that still turns heads, while the Doodley Squat suite shows off the compositional side of the band. They weren't chasing trends so much as figuring out what worked for them in real time.

That independent spirit carried them through the years. The band opened shows for some heavy hitters—Supertramp, Kansas, Peter Frampton, Point Blank, even Judas Priest—and built a loyal following across Texas and beyond. Lineups shifted plenty of times over the decades, with estimates running as high as twenty-five different players cycling through for at least one gig. Richard Heath later moved on to other projects before a tragic accident in the early eighties. The Massey brothers and Marty Naul remained the steady thread. After a break in the late eighties and nineties, the group came back strong in the 2000s with new studio records that leaned into melodic hard rock and progressive touches. They've kept writing and playing on their own schedule, the same way they started.

It's easy to hear why a track like "Doodley Squat #2" still feels fresh on the airwaves at THE ZOO. The song has that freeform spirit we chase every night—long enough to stretch out, structured enough to keep you locked in, and rooted in the kind of Texas rock history that doesn't always make the big history books. The original private press has become a genuine collector's item, and the various reissues over the years have introduced it to new ears who never got the chance to hear it the first time around. Duane once said the band wasn't chasing fame and fortune, just putting out the music they wanted to make on their own terms. That attitude comes through loud and clear on this cut.

If you want to dig deeper into the band's story and latest activity, swing by their official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ozknozz?referrer=thezoorock.com. Their online presence has stayed pretty low-key over the years, which fits the independent streak they've always had. No big flashy social media machine, just the music and the people who still care about it. That's the kind of spirit that fits right in with the Zoo Freaks. Keep those requests coming, and we'll keep spinning the deep cuts that make this station what it is. This one's for everyone who ever stayed up late chasing the perfect guitar solo or the perfect keyboard swell. Oz Knozz delivered both on "Doodley Squat #2," and we're glad to pass it along.