Tag: The 1970’s
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The Residents ‘Duck Stab’ (1978)
Art-rock band The Residents never shied away from the bizarre and 1978’s Duck Stab is no exception. This album is unsettling, unexpected, and unique in a way that is either going to feel like a transformative piece of experimental rock or nothing more than pure drivel. I tend towards the latter and frankly struggled to…
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The Doobie Brothers ‘The Captain and Me’ (1973)
The Doobie Brothers hold the distinction of being one of the few great rock bands who found success with two very different lead singers that fronted the band at two different phases of their career. From the meat and potatoes boogie rock of Tom Johnson in the early 70’s to the soulful grit of Michael…
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Spyro Gyra ‘Morning Dance’ (1979)
American jazz fusion can run the gamut from being overtly cheesy to incredibly interesting, and Spyro Gyra’s 1979 album Morning Dance checks both of those boxes (sometimes in the same song). Blending elements of R&B, jazz, and funk along with virtuostic performances from as many as 10 musicians on an individual song, the band zips…
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Kris Kristofferson ‘Kristofferson’ (1970)
Kristofferson is the debut album from famed country outlaw Kris Kristofferson, perhaps best known for his time with The Highwaymen alongside Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings. But well before he became a well-known proponent of alternative country, Kristofferson was but a 34-year old man still looking for his way in life. In between…
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New York Dolls ‘New York Dolls’ (1973)
New York Dolls is a seminal punk rock band and their 1973 self-titled debut laid the groundwork for bands like The Clash, Ramones, and Sex Pistols to send punk rock into the stratosphere later in the decade. Borrowing elements from glam rock (if the cover art featuring the entire band dressed in drag didn’t give…
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Bruce Springsteen ‘Born To Run’ (1975)
For anyone who has had a conversation with me about music over the past 15 years can attest to, Bruce Springsteen is my favorite musician of all-time. The Boss has become the de-facto orator of American history over the past 50 years due to his prolific career longevity and his willingness to tackle subject matter…
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Mountain ‘Climbing!’ (1970)
Climbing! is the debut album from American hard rock band Mountain and features one of my favorite guitar riffs of all time on “Mississippi Queen”. The combination of a cowbell count-in paired with the iconic slithering guitar riff sounds like cigarettes and a steak dinner– simply 70’s classic rock perfection. And alongside Leslie West’s pitch…
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John Denver ‘Poems, Prayers and Promises’ (1971)
My first memory of John Denver ironically has nothing to do with his music– it was the cult classic movie Dumb and Dumber starring the iconic Jim Carrey (Lloyd Christmas) and Jeff Daniels (Harry Dunne). In the movie Lloyd and Harry are driving to Aspen, Colorado to meet a girl Lloyd has fallen head over…
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Dolly Parton ‘Jolene’ (1974)
Dolly Parton is an American institution whose 60-year career in country music has made her one of the best-selling artists in American history. Along with 100 million records sold, countless awards, and worldwide fame that has created its own class of Dolly Parton decor (I’ve been to the White Limozeen in Nashville and it is…
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Wire ‘Pink Flag’ (1977)
Wire’s Pink Flag is best summarized as an impressionist version of punk rock, tiny vignettes of emotional outbursts captured and distorted through the lens of a group of artists unconcerned with conventional song structures. Since its release Pink Wire has gone on to influence a myriad of art rock punk bands in the years that…
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Redbone ‘Wovoka’ (1973)
Redbone’s absolute smash single “Come and Get Your Love” was notable for a variety of reasons– the incredible groove, orchestral hooks, and iconic chorus that sounds like it was sung from the heavens. It also was the first Native American song to crack the Top Five of the Billboard Top 100 (peaking at #5 in…
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AC/DC ‘High Voltage’ (1976)
Effectively a compilation of their best songs from Australia-only releases High Voltage and T.N.T. which were released in 1975, AC/DC’s 1976 international version High Voltage was the album that introduced the world to the hard rock stylings of one of the best rock and roll bands to ever do it. Since this was obviously back…
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Jaco Pastorius ‘Jaco Pastorius’ (1975)
Jaco Pastorius is the living embodiment of spontaneous combustion, an artist who rose to massive prominence in the 1970’s backed by his prodigious bass playing capabilities before flaming out spectacularly under the weight of mental issues brought on by massive drug use in the 80’s which led to homelessness and a drug-induced bar fight that…
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Gladys Knight & The Pips ‘Imagination’ (1973)
While the Pips are remembered now for their absolute powerhouse of a lead vocalist in Gladys Knight (if you don’t get goosebumps when you hear her belt out “He’s leaving on that midnight train to Georgia” you need to consult with your doctor or priest to confirm you still have a soul), they were known…
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Boz Scaggs ‘Silk Degrees’ (1976)
Silk Degrees remains one of my personal soft rock powerhouse albums, one of those old go-to’s when you’re looking for an emotional pick me up. It has all the elements that comprise a timeless album– immaculately crafted pop hooks, dynamics you can only get with a live band studio recording, sultry saxophone solos, gallant grooves…
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Joy Division ‘Unknown Pleasures’ (1979)
Unknown Pleasures is the debut album from English post-punk band Joy Division. Despite not receiving any commercial success during its initial release (no singles were promoted during its release which was absolutely a rarity in the late 70’s) it has received significant critical acclaim in recent years due to its deployment of uncommon recording techniques…
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Blondie ‘Parallel Lines’ (1978)
Blondie’s Parallel Lines is a study in evolution. Originally a punk rock band with their self-titled debut in 1976, Blondie managed to break out of the underground in the US and make the jump into the Top 40 with the release of Parallel Lines. Adopting elements of New Wave and dance pop, while still retaining…
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Mahavishnu Orchestra ‘Birds of Fire’ (1973)
Led by jazz fusion legend John McLaughlin, Mahavishnu Orchestra was one of the pre-eminent jazz fusion groups operating in the early 70’s. Prior to the band’s formation McLaughlin had played in jazz icon Miles Davis’ band during the bulk of the 1960’s, and after going out on his own to form a solo career, formed…
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Boston ‘Boston’ (1976)
A landmark of classic rock radio, Boston’s self-titled 1976 debut has an incredible backstory that has been described as “one of the most complex corporate capers in the history of the music business.” The Boston sound started an unlikely marriage between head producer Tom Scholz and lead singer Brad Delp. Boston famously came together in…
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Vicente Fernández ‘¡Arriba Huentitàn!’ (1972)
Nicknamed “The Idol of Mexico”, Vicente Fernández was a legendary Mexican artist singing in the traditional Ranchera style. It’s impossible to understate how big this guy was in Mexico during his heyday– he sold over 50 million albums worldwide, won four Grammy’s, and an astounding 14 Lo Nuestro Awards (basically Latin America’s version of the…
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Television ‘Marquee Moon’ (1977)
Television’s Marquee Moon was a landmark album in music history despite receiving little in the way of commercial popularity, similar in that sense to Beach Boys 1966 album Pet Sounds. Its influence on the musical direction that would follow in the 1980’s is vast and wide-ranging– the stripped-down production of the album that gave clear…
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Carmen ‘Fandangos In Space’ (1973)
When you think of flamenco and prog-rock it’s usually not in the same sentence. And yet here we are. And you’ll be happy you came. Carmen’s decidedly out there (and utterly excellent) 1973 album Fandangos In Space is something only the wild early 70’s prog-rock explosion could produce, and the world is absolutely better off…
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War ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ (1975)
War mixed R&B, funk, jazz, Latin, psychedelia, and reggae music all together in a melting pot that reflected the background of the musicians that comprised the multi-ethnic band, forging one of the more progressive soul groups of the 70’s in the process. Their 1975 album Why Can’t We Be Friends? is a viable walk down…
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Peter Frampton ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ (1976)
Frampton Comes Alive! was the album which put Peter Frampton on the map, similar in that way to The Allman Brothers Band’s 1971 live album At Fillmore East which jumpstarted the commercial appeal of a band by capturing the raw, infectious energy of their live show. To this day it remains one of the best-selling…
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Carpenters ‘Christmas Portrait’ (1978)
When I was a kid my mom would play Christmas music starting Halloween night after we were done trick or treating (yes, this is a true story). Her love for the holidays was infectious, filling our home with the smells of fresh-baked cookies, aromas of mulled wine slowly boiled over the stovetop, the sights of…
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Stiff Little Fingers ‘Inflammable Material’ (1979)
Born in the late 70’s in Belfast, Ireland in the midst of “The Troubles”, a period of time where ethno-nationalist conflicts and police brutality dominated the lush Irish scenery, Stiff Little Fingers were basically thrown into a living situation that was perfect for their fast and aggressive punk rock to flourish. Capturing the mayhem and…
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Warren Zevon ‘Excitable Boy’ (1978)
Warren Zevon was the king of sardonic sharp wit, one of those rare artists who was able to cover the obscene and macabre and yet leave you bobbing along with a smile on your face. The title track from Excitable Boy is a sterling example of this splendid artistry– the song details a young misanthrope…
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Cheap Trick ‘At Budokan’ (1978)
Cheap Trick’s At Budokan served role similar to The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East and Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison in that it was a live album which served as a jumping off point in their career. The album received heavy airplay following its release in 1978, transforming Cheap Trick from a marginally successful…
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Sly & The Family Stone ‘There’s A Riot Goin’ On’ (1971)
There’s A Riot Goin’ On marked a relatively significant departure for Sly & The Family Stone, with the band deviating from the upbeat and joyous funk sound they were known for to explore a more serious and political record. This was due in part to lead singer and frontman Sly Stone’s increased involvement with the…
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The Who ‘Who’s Next’ (1971)
Born from the rubble of the ambitious Lifehouse project that The Who eventually abandoned (probably because it was so insane– seriously), Who’s Next is the magnum opus of the British rock band known for their over the top stage show and prolific musical output. This was the album that defined rock and roll for a…
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Santana ‘Abraxas’ (1970)
Carlos Santana is one of history’s most respected guitar players, known for his psychadelic take on Latin music that he effortlessly transposed into the explosion of psychedelic rock that swept across Great Britain and the United States in the late 60’s/early 70’s. The band which bears his last name first played at Woodstock in 1969…
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Glen Campbell ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ (1975)
Rhinestone Cowboy sounds like a cowboy from Arkansas moved to Beverley Hills in the 70’s and wrote a bunch of theme songs for sitcoms and game shows during his time in Los Angeles. I can literally see the introduction credits in my head– character in various locations going about their day, noticing the camera, and…
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James Taylor ‘Sweet Baby James’ (1970)
James Taylor is one of the best-selling artists of all-time, selling over 100 million records throughout his 50+ year career. He’s best known for his sophomore album Sweet Baby James, a somber and self-reflective effort that helped to define the burgeoning singer-songwriter genre in the early 70’s and played an outsized role in the popularization…
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Jethro Tull ‘Aqualung’ (1971)
If you’ve ever listened to a man play a flute and say “goddamn that would sound dope as hell in a rock and roll band” then boy do I have an album for you. Jethro Tull’s 1971 prog-rock classic Aqualung is notable for many things– its reflection on spirituality and the sometimes fraught relationship it…
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Grover Washington Jr. ‘Mister Magic’ (1974)
As a kid one of my fondest memories was going on trips with my parents during the weekend to local record stores to purchase albums. These of course were the halcyon days when an experience like going on a Saturday drive with your father to Fry’s Electronics (a local big-box store that had an incredibly…
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Cat Stevens ‘Tea for the Tillerman’ (1970)
Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam) is a pivotal figure in folk rock history, both for his serene songwriting compositions as well as his decision in 1979 to leave his musical career at its zenith and devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community after converting to the religion two years…
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