Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy won 1973. Let's see who wins 1974. Kind of an odd year. Billboard chart-topping albums of 1974: The Carpenters - The Singles Jim Croce - You Don't Mess With Jim (cont. from '72) Bob Dylan - Planet Waves Barbara Streisand - The Way We Were John Denver - Greatest Hits Wings - Band on the Run (cont. from '73) Chicago - VII Marvin Hamlisch - The Sting Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown Elton John - Caribou John Denver - Back Home Again Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale Bad Company - Bad Company The Beach Boys - Endless Summer Olivia Newton-John - If You Love Me, Let Me Know Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile Barry White - Can't Get Enough Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - So Far Carole King - Wrap Around Joy John Lennon - Walls and Bridges The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock and Roll Elton John - Greatest Hits Billboard chart-topping singles of 1974: Jim Croce - Time in a Bottle (cont. from '73) Steve Miller Band - The Joker Al Wilson - Show and Tell Ringo Starr - You're Sixteen Barbara Streisand - The Way We Were Love Unlimited Orchestra - Love's Theme Terry Jacks - Seasons in the Sun Cher - Dark Lady John Denver - Sunshine on My Shoulders Blue Swede - Hooked on a Feeling Elton John - Benny and the Jets MFSB - The Sound of Philadelphia Grand Funk - The Locomotion Ray Stevens - The Streak Wings - Band on the Run Bo Donaldson - Billy Don't Be a Hero Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown The Hues Corporation - Rock the Boat George McCrae - Rock Your Baby John Denver - Annie's Song Roberta Flack - Feel Like Makin' Love Paper Lace - The Night Chicago Died Paula Anka - You're Having My Baby Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff Barry White - Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe Andy Kim - Rock Me Gently Olivia Newton-John - I Honestly Love You Billy Preston - Nothing From Nothing Dionne Warwick - Then Came You Stevie Wonder - You Haven't Do Nothin' Bachman-Turner Overdrive - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet John Lennon - Whatever Gets You Through the Night Billy Swan - I Can Help Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting Harry Chapin - Cat's in the Cradle Helen Reddy - Angie Baby What are your top three albums for 1974? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be: 1. Neil Young - On the Beach 2. Big Star - Radio City 3. Willie Nelson - Phases and Stages What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later? YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm
remainder of the top 10: 4. brian eno - here come the warm jets 5. bob dylan - planet waves 6. george harrison - dark horse 7. queen - sheer heart attack 8. richard and linda thompson - I want to see the bright lights 9. steely dan - pretzel logic 10. gene clark - no other other honorable mentions: aerosmith - get your wings bad company - bad company badfinger - badfinger brian eno - taking tiger mountain david bowie - diamond dogs eagles - on the border electric light orchestra - eldorado elton john - caribou eric clapton - 461 ocean boulevard gene clark - no other gram parsons - grievous angel harry nilsson - pussy cats hawkwind - hall of the mountain grill jackson browne - late for the sky john lennon - walls and bridges king crimson - red lynyrd skynyrd - second helping merle haggard - if we make it through december queen - ii randy newman - good old boys the rolling stones - it’s only rock and roll ronnie wood - i’ve got my own album to do rush - rush sparks - kimono my house t rex - zinc alloy and the hidden riders of tomorrow van morrison - veedon fleece waylon jennings - this time stuff to check out: beach boys - endless summer deep purple - burn genesis - the lamb lies down on broadway gordon lightfoot - sundown herbie hancock - thrust john denver - back home again joni mitchell - court and spark kraftwerk - autobahn kris kristofferson - spooky lady’s sideshow leonard cohen - new skin for the old ceremony stevie wonder - fulfillingness’ first finale todd rundgren - todd
1. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack 2. Queen II 3. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs Great songs from other albums: Brian Eno - Baby’s On Fire John Lennon - #9 Dream ABBA - Waterloo Sweet - Ballroom Blitz Sparks - This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Two Of Us The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe Kraftwerk - Autobahn Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness Linda Ronstadt - You’re No Good Bob Marley & The Wailers - No Woman No Cry George Harrison - Dark Horse
all in all, not one of my favorite years of music, but always some nice stuff. Here's my fav albums: 1. John Lennon - Walls and Bridges 2. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness First Finale 3. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack 4. George Harrison - Dark Horse 5. Billy Joel - Streetlight Serenade 6. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark 7. Queen - Queen II Albums I have listened to only once, but would find their way into my list eventually: Bob Dylan - Planet Waves David Bowie - Diamond Dogs Eagles - On The Border Elton John - Caribou Nilsson - Pussy Cats Funkadelic - Standing On The Verge of Getting It On Parliament - Up For The Down Stroke Lynyrd Skynrd - Second Helping Randy Newman - Good Old Boys
This is a slightly emptier year for me, which is exciting as it means there's more to discover! 1. Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night 2. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale 3. Jorge Ben - A Tabua de Esmeralda The Heart of Saturday Night is probably my favourite Tom Waits album. While I love his abrasive stuff that came a bit later, this album really is the perfect late night blues record, that completely conjures up images of the dive bar it should be played in. I also think "It's colder then a welldigger's ass" is just an all time great lyric and image. Stevie carries on with his incredible hot streak, with the tongue-twisting Fulfillingness' First Finale. Following the big socially conscious Innervisions, this is a slightly more personal and introspective album, with Stevie playing almost all the instruments himself (piano, all sorts of different keyboards, harmonica, drums, bass, synths - the man could do anything.) A Tabua De Esmeralda is Jorge Ben's wonderful record, blurring "Western" soul and funk, with Brazilian samba rhythms, for a wonderful collection of songs. There's some incredible song-writing here, and not speaking any Portuguese, you can really just enjoy Jorge Ben's voice as another instrument in the mix here. Honourable mentions; Etta James - Come a Little Closer: Probably the last great Etta record (though I do have a soft spot for her final record, The Dreamer from 2011), this is just a classic collection of really well sung RnB / soul tracks. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark: This is a perfect blend of pop music, folk and jazz, remarkably well written, and most accessible Mitchell would be for a while. Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan - Rufusized: Just absolutely perfect funk-rock that is super high energy and endlessly danceable. Van Morrisson - Veedon Fleece: Another excellent Van album, that's slightly less RnB than his few records before it, and getting back in touch with his folksy gaelic roots. Looking forward to finding a few more record from this year!
1. Dan Fogelberg - Souvenirs 2. Electric Light Orchestra - El Dorado 3. Billy Joel - Streetlife Serenade Exctuciating cuts: Jorge Ben - A Tabua De Esmeralda Lou Reed - Rock n Roll Animal Others I love: Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night Aerosmith - Get Your Wings Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale Neil Young - On the Beach Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark Richard and Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown Bob Dylan and The Band - Before the Flood ABBA - Waterloo Big Star - Radio City The Spinners - Mighty Love Randy Newman - Good Old Boys Willie Nelson - Phases and Stages Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky Good ones: Elton John - Caribou Joe Cocker - I Can Stand a Little Rain Richard Betts - Highway Call Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - Rufusized Barry White - Can't Get Enough The J. Geils Band - Nightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle Leonard Cohen - New Skin for the Old Ceremony The Spinners - New and Improved Bob Seger - Seven Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic Thin Lizzy - Nightlife Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard The Meters - Rejuvenation Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco - Celia y Johnny Funkadelic - Standing on the Verge of Getting It On George Jones - The Grand Tour David Bowie - Diamond Dogs Al Stewart - Past, Present and Future Richard and Linda Thompson - Hokey Pokey Raspberries - Starting Over Millie Jackson - Caught Up Bob Dylan - Planet Waves John Denver - Back Home Again Mott the Hoople - The Hoople George Harrison - Dark Horse Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley Bob Marley and The Wailers - Natty Dread Ramsey Lewis - Sun Goddess Sweet - Desolation Boulevard Queen - Sheet Heart Attack John Lennon - Walls and Bridges Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Labelle - Nightbirds America - Holiday Tower of Power - Back to Oakland Ringo Starr - Goodnight Vienna Terry Callier - I Just Can't Help Myself Dolly Parton - Jolene Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel Percy Sledge - I'll Be Your Everything The Four Tops - Meeting of the Minds George Benson - Bad Benson Love Unlimited Orchestra - Rhapsody in White Wilson Pickett - Pickett in the Pocket Carl Carlton - Everlasting Love Targets for listening: Earth, Wind and Fire - Open Your Eyes Herbie Hancock - Thrust Ohio Players - Fire Bonnie Raitt - Streetlights Roxy Music - Country Life Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel Sparks - Kimono My House 10cc - Sheet Music Bad Company - Bad Company Gene Clark - No Other Kraftwerk - Autobahn Van Morrison - It's Too Late to Stop Now Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information Queen - Queen II Gil Scott-Heron - Winter in America Tangerine Dream - Phaedra Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom Supertramp - Crime of the Century The Doobie Brothers - What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits Eagles - On the Border Jethro Tull - War Child The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock and Roll The Bar-Kays - Cold Blooded Cat Stevens - Buddha and the Chocolate Box The Stylistics - Let's Put It All Together Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties Rush - Rush New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon Grover Washington, Jr. - Mr. Magic Jefferson Starship - Dragonfly Mick Ronson - Slaughter on 10th Avenue Antonio Carlos Jobim and Elis Regina - Elis & Tom Jim Stafford - Jim Stafford Blue Magic - Blue Magic
Shit, and here I thought I had a good handle on this year. Oh wow. Absolutely vouch for all of these. This is why you're my dude. A Tabua De Esmeralda. The best Waits record. Rufisized. Right the fuck on. Haha
Going to have to think about this one. No particularly huge favorites for me from this year, so figuring out my ballot might be harder than usual. Lots of intriguing stuff to check out from the posts so far, though!
it's gene's best. also think you'll like the ron wood one. good dumb fun. I'm a new convert to sparks but I love that album I really need to just spend a day doing a full dive into stevie.
Yeah no idea what’s gonna win this year, doesn’t seem like any particularly obvious winners, which is good!
I do love Faces and the early Stewart stuff, so it'd make sense if I dug the Ron Wood record, too. You see Wood, Stewart and Kenny Jones are back in the studio?
1. Genesis- The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 2. Aerosmith- Get Your Wings 3. Stevie Wonder- Fulfillingness' First Finale
I have to think a little more about 2 & 3, but Minnie Riperton's Perfect Angels will easily be my number 1. I listened to it for the first time a few months ago and I've been in love since. I strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard it, especially if you like soul/r&b, or just enjoy insane vocals
The Stylistics - Let’s Put It All Together Actually a bit of a disappointment. There is a world of difference between being produced by Thom Bell in Philly and being produced by Hugo & Luigi in NYC. They didn’t have an overly distinctive artistic stamp, so it made a huge difference in sound. The strings aren’t as lush, the harmonies not as swelling, and there are quite a few touches of thin-sounding Euro-disco. It still had two killer singles, and actually the last (vocal) track makes use of the disco stuff well, plus it’s always fun to hear his falsetto, but definitely a decline from Rock and Roll Baby. The Doobie Brothers - What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits Shockingly good album. Where The Captain and Me was 4 killer tracks that later made their Best Of and then some okay stuff, this works well as an album. It’s a really terrific guitar record, with riff after riff after riff. It also makes you appreciate what a breath of fresh air (and unlikely #1) “Black Water” really was.
First listen with Dylan’s Planet Waves, which I’m not sure how it slipped through the cracks for me, but I really enjoyed this. Loose without ever feeling sloppy, it’s a collection of rootsy, personal and intimate tracks, with a really strong vocal performance from Dylan. It’s slightly odd to have two versions of Forever Young back to back, but I suppose that works better as the end of Side One and the beginning of Side Two. Wasn’t expecting too much from this, as it isn’t a Dylan record I’ve seen talked about much, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Bob Dylan, quite good actually, who knew?!?