Sales pitches for sleepers: Sandy Denny - Sandy I'd liken her to a female Nick Drake at times. Her first album after leaving Fairport Convention was a bit of a finding-herself album, but this is where she came into her own. Her voice is warm, pained, expressive, just generally wonderful. And "The Music Weaver" is one of the most haunting album closers of all time. Gives me chills every time I listen Fanny - Fanny Hill Everyone in this thread should put their diverse listening money where their mouth is and listen to this album this week. They were the first all-female rock band to ever release an album on a major label and they could fucking PLAY. Their covers of "Ain't That Peculiar" and "Hey Bulldog" are outstanding and "Blind Alley" rocks as hard as any great male rock band ever hoped to. None other than fucking Bowie said: "One of the most important female bands in American rock has been buried without a trace. And that is Fanny. They were one of the finest fucking rock bands of their time, in about 1973. They were extraordinary: They wrote everything, they played like motherfuckers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody’s ever mentioned them. They’re as important as anybody else who’s ever been, ever; it just wasn’t their time. Revivify Fanny. And I will feel that my work is done.” The Hollies - Romany This album gets almost completely dismissed because it was a one-off where Mikael Rickfors replaced Allan Clarke. It flopped and Clarke came back and this fantastic album just got swept under the rug. It has the absolutely definitive version of "Jesus Was a Crossmaker", and "Won't We Feel Good" and "Magic Woman Touch" are a pair of the band's best songs. This one gets you bragging rights for discovering. Cymande - Cymande Fascinating, hypnotic funk by Caribbean-diaspora Brits that had some sneaky influence on hip-hop beats and samples. Raspberries - Fresh I'm gonna say it: The Raspberries were every bit as good as Big Star. They're at the pinnacle of power-pop and this one has "I Wanna Be with You" and "Let's Pretend" on it, so it's a great place to start. Eric Andersen - Blue River Forgotten classic of the singer-songwriter boom from a guy who'd been around since the mid-'60s Greenwich folk scene and didn't hit it big until '72. Just lovely stuff. Also produced by Norbert Putnum who was just about to embark on an incredible run of collaboration with Dan Fogelberg.
1. The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street 2. Nick Drake - Pink Moon 3. Elton John - Honky Chateau Sticky Fingers is my favorite Stones record for how tight and perfect it is. But Exile is right up there, for the opposite reasons: the mess, the sprawl, the raucous bursting-at-the-seams nature of the songs. It's such a blast, and comparatively fleet when viewed alongside other double albums--both from that era and especially from the CD era and beyond. Doesn't hurt that, a lot of days, "Sweet Virginia" is my favorite Stones song period. Pink Moon was on my #MWE list this year and just absolutely bowled me over. My tweet thread from then: Honky Chateau is probably my third favorite Elton album, after Tumbleweed and Yellow Brick Road, but it's another masterpiece. A lot of his records sound immaculately and meticulously put together, but the charm with this one for me is that it's a little looser and more slapdash. Still some absolutely flawlessly put together songs ("Mona Lisas" especially), but it's fun to hear him in a slightly more off-the-cuff mode.
LOVE seeing Honky Chateau get another vote. It really shows everything he can do. Wistful ballads, stomping funky grooves, gospel-tinged soul, sarcastic tin pan alley. And the band is really in full flower. Btw I am fully evangelizing that everyone should hear Fanny Hill. The first female rock band on a major deserves it.
Fucking hell. Wiki made a correction to Spinners since I purchased it and put it in my database. Apparently now considered a 1973. Have to take it off the list.
I love how dynamic his records from this time are. Really hitting a lot of moods and styles. And noted on the Fanny Hill rec!
Second giving Cymande, Fanny, and Sandy Denny xtra attention And I guess the rules if life require you wait til next for for The Spinners, but them too. And Milton Nasciemento, Neu!, and Miles On The Corner are def worth a few listens
Regretfully, a hard hard hard disagree on Jesus Was A Crossmaker. That version is a bit of a miss for me. It drains the song of all its simmer and pathos and leaves behind a milquetoast syrupy slop of schlock. But so as not to be all negativity, I’m gonna listen to Romany today and enjoy it Likewise, Rasberries are a good band, but the kind of pleasantly inoffensive middle of the road light rock that Big Star is a…fresh break from. I mean love a lot of the banal, inoffensive 70’s ephemera, but I def don’t think it’s on the level of the notables. It’s like saying Sister Hazel is up there with Elliott Smith (sister hazel is pretty sick tho)
Also if y’all didn’t listen to Judee Sill in 1971 you should! Jesus Was a Crossmaker is an amazing song and not even the best on that album!
I’ve heard Judee’s version a few times and I just can’t get into her. I find her version kinda lifeless and I can’t connect with her voice myself. To each their own I will do battle over The Raspberries though. Haha. You can’t be middle of the road when nobody else sounds like you. The combination of crunchy riffs, sugary choruses, and operatic ‘50s teenage sensibilities is completely unique. And an underrated precursor to Springsteen, imo (Max Weinberg has cited their drummer on the third album as an influence actually).
I think most people assume that and skip it, which is a shame. It was out of print for stretches in the States, too
Judee Sill is def a flavor you love or don’t, a flinty borderline voice preoccupied with existential discontent. Not a conventionally “great” singer but incredibly expressive. Many’s the time I’ve walked the hills of los angeles, judee in my ear, weeping softly. I love it Also if you’re someone who’s into artists biographies, her story is bonkers. And very tragic
Jesus you aren’t kidding about her life story. What a hard life. I’m probably due to give her another shot
Vol 4 isn’t the best black sabbath album but it’s the most black sabbath album. For some reason it’s the one I listen to most
Milton Nascimento and Los Borges - Clube Da Esquina Jesus Christ, this was breathtaking. Maybe the second-best Brazilian album I've ever heard. There's some stuff on here melodically (especially in the guitar playing) that sounds like nothing else that came out for 30 years after it. It covers so many styles and moods, too, over the course of a double album. "San Vicente" and "Trem de Doido" are just...fuck me sideways. If I'd heard this before this week, it would probably have landed very high on my list.
1. Al Green - I'm Still in Love With You 2. Nick Drake - Pink Moon 3. Stevie Wonder - Talking Book Al Green's I'm Still In Love With You is an impossibly smooth and sultry soul album, full of incredibly strong tracks. He's an exceptional vocalist, able to hit the high notes on this mid-tempo collection of songs that are not quite ballads, but feel close to them. Pink Moon is Nick Drake's poignant and delicate final album, a really strong collection of little short tracks, and a window into how he was feeling at the time. Like Craig said, it feels timeless, and basically any indie / folk musician owes a debt to him and this album in particular. 1972 marks the start of Stevie Wonder's incredible hot streak of albums that'd run up until 1976's Songs in the Key of Life, and may well be the best 5 album run of anybody (maybe...). I could have easily gone for Music of my Mind, but I gave Talking Book the edge, just about. This shows Stevie's technical proficiency, as well as showing he was an incredible pop songwriter. Some honourable mentions. Al Green - Let's Stay Together: Title track is obviously well known, but the whole album is absolutely a must-listen. I maybe gravitate towards I'm Still In Love With You more, but this shouldn't be ignored for Green this year. Stevie Wonder - Music of My Mind: An absolute must hear - maybe the more overlooked of Stevie's "classic" run here, but has some beautiful tracks like Happier Than the Morning Sun. Van Morrison - St Dominic's Preview: Another artist in the midst of his own hot streak, this contains one of my absolute favourite Van tracks, opener "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile" Paul Simon - Paul Simon: A really strong solo album from Paul, and probably his best (solo) work until the later career masterpiece of Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. Full of tracks you know, like "Mother and Child Reunion". David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust: This period for Bowie is honestly not my favourite era for him, so while I don't listen to this album as much as his Station to Station and onwards output, there's some great glam rock tracks here. Joni Mitchell - For the Roses: Not quite as remarkable as last year's Blue, but again showing Joni was a remarkable singer-songwriter.
vol. 4 is definitely my favorite sabbath. and i agree the station to station into berlin era is the best bowie, but ziggy is still like a top 20 album for me haha
Following Chris’ call to arms, I listened to Fanny Hill, which I’d never heard of before. It was absolutely fantastic - full of energy and verve, blurring Garage rock, psychedelica and bits of Glam rock, very easy to see why Bowie would be such a fan. They’re clearly very accomplished musicians and songwriters. Vocals were great, impassioned and captivating. Favourite track was “Borrowed Time”, which felt gigantic with the horns and was so good I listened to it twice in a row. Really loved this , will absolutely be back for more.
FUCK yes. It just blows my mind given the current moment where we're trying to elevate trailblazing women (and in this case 2/4 of them queer women) and nobody's gone back to hype them. Figured I had to do my part. Haha
Albert King - I’ll Play the Blues for You Other than one really awful violently sexist tune, he rips all over this fuckin’ thing. Funkier backing group than I’ve heard with him before, too, which is a cool touch. Deep Purple - Made in Japan All due respect to Sabbath, this is where heavy metal was born. They're good in the studio, but this is where they're magic. Blackmore on this album has a case as one of the best guitarists to ever live, and this time I really caught how amazing the rhythm section was. They made hard rock into an athletic pursuit. Also the vocal/guitar duel between Blackmore and Ian Gillan is just staggering.