Almanac Music: ‘100 x 100, 1954 to 1977’, 81-90
1970s, songs aint as thick on the ground as they were in mid ‘60s, times they was a’moving
81 – ABC, Jackson Five, February 1970
Michael was the best dancer and singer in pop, a hell of a load to carry when you’re eleven years old. Tragic example of someone who gave up everything in his life for the sake of his art, who was driven to art by a terrible childhood – like so many on these lists. Yet thru his pain, he gave joy to millions, and this is a wonderful expression of joy, ABC, 123, that’s how easy love can be. With age, we realise that it aint always that easy, Michael knew it then. Thanks to him, we have this fantastic few minutes of pop wherein we can imagine that it might be
.
82 – Paranoid, Black Sabbath, August, 1970
Birth of heavy metal. 20 minutes of mucking about to fill the rest of the album created this track, it’s pop, got the riff, the arrangement, the melody, it’s heavy, got the detuned guitars and the loud amps. Downers were getting popular, this sound pounded into the brain.
83 – Won’t Get Fooled Again, The Who, June 1971
No-one thought about pop culture like Pete Townshend. He’d been at art school, was mates w people who became successful in a different medium. He was way ahead of his contemporaries in arrangement and composition, he had the most extraordinary band around him.
Like most of his songs, recorded at home, played to the band who then did their own thing all over it. Intro, an organ via an envelope filter, tension builds, then explodes.
Go a few minutes in, when the keyboard arpeggio meets Keith’s furious drum fills and it culminates in Roger’s scream, one of the best on record. Cool tech meets hot humanity, 54 years later we’re only just starting to get used to it, just as it is getting away from us. Keith Moon, you were more of an artist than anyone expected.
84 – School’s Out, Alice Cooper, April 1972
Rarely has the E G A progression being rendered so sharp. A smart band that caught the start of a shift in rock and pop, post modern knowing, AC figured how to relate to teenagers over a string of great albums that also marked the start of the influential producer, cos the band wouldn’t have gone anywhere without Bob Ezrin taking them to a rural house and making ‘em rehearse 12 hours a day.
85 – Take It Easy, Eagles, May 1972
Beautiful harmonies, ringing guitars, a song writ by Jackson Browne for his debut album, the origin of ‘write a word, take a third’, Glen Frey’s attitude to publishing, new generation of band managers and record label bosses, start of the New Country and tough business.
86 – Backstabbers, O’Jays, September 1972
Those shivering piano chords set up the song, the fear and mistrust, like a lot of Black American music, there’s a lot happening beneath the surface.
87 – Across 110th St, Bobby Womack, February 1973
Bobby Womack’s career was an arc across the heights of popular music, born desperately poor in Cleveland, the third brother of five, his parents were musicians and he was onstage at 10 yrs old, he wrote ‘It’s all over now’, the first Rolling Stones hit, for his band The Valentinos, wrote songs and played guitar for legendary artists, by the early 1970s he had had two decades of hard working experience and recorded a series of beautifully crafted soul opii, such as this track, best known for soundtracking films that use it for the obvious and miss what it really is about, escaping the ghetto, you’ve gotta be strong if you want to survive. There’s something in there for all of us.
As beautifully arranged as this track is, the acoustic demo is better for its immediacy and urgency.
88 – Ooh La La, Faces, March 1973
Faces was a very British band, a Scot, a Thames gypsy, Cockney lads, recorded a string of great songs – including most of the Scot’s early solo albums – and there’s a bittersweet cynicism in this track, recorded for the last album and sung by the gypsy. Poor old granddad was likely born around 1900 and had an historically different viewpoint but “Love is blind, you’re far too kind, don’t ever let it show” is wise advice for anyone who loved too well and too often, you’ll have to learn, just like me, and that’s the hardest way.
89 – Personality Crisis, New York Dolls, August 1973
Post-modern rock and roll, filtered through eras over 20 years, 50s R&B, 60s girl groups, 70s New York decadence and a wicked sense of humour about the attraction of celebrity, looking fine on television, Dolls was great musical stylists.
90 – September Gurls, Big Star, August 1974
Gorgeous chiming guitars, a sound oft sought but never duplicated, a beautiful melody, the best of guitar pop. Alex Chilton was a great singer, guitarist, songwriter and this was a band that matched his talents.
Early 1970s was not the best time for great pop and rock and soul, some qualities had disappeared into the mists of history. Bands were selling millions, spent millions on months in a remote and plush studio with a staff of engineers and chefs and maids and dealers while they crafted their latest indulgent opus. Change is gonna come.
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About Earl O'Neill
Freelance gardener, I've thousands of books, thousands of records, one fast motorcycle and one gorgeous smart funny sexy woman. Life's pretty darn neat.
What a tour this is.
Roll up, roll up with your aural needs here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0alAkkhG0GUfGXbam1RXjp?si=Wl-DVY8xSr6D7i3MUBkp4g&pi=bMR1x1imQ3qe_
Easy as 1,2,3
frustration and heartache
“Won’t get fooled again”
It will never date. Simply timeless.
Top shelf, Earl.
Except for 85. I draw the line at the Eagles.
The Author lists The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” but two Songs later he lists “Take It Easy” by The Eagles , thus he seems to have missed a broader implication of the Notion of not being Fooled. The Lyrics of “Take It Easy” and specifically the way they were sung and including the effect of the musicians’ accompaniment led to a too long period of can’t-be-bothered irresponsible lifestyle behaviors by adherents to a Culture which that Song’s performance promoted, and thereby allowed the manipulators of People’s relaxation periods to put Society into the substantial downslide that we are still in. There were several other Songs in that time-period which were performed with “beautiful harmonies” and “ringing guitars” which are uplifting to listen to and thereby can put Listeners onto a higher plane of relaxation. The Eagles deserve nothing given how much Money they took and allowed the Recording Industry to take for little return of genuine value as result of the Culture they promoted, however if an Eagles’ performed Song has to be Listed, then “Witchy Woman” has a more stimulating Guitar part, and its Fantasy lyrics don’t lull People towards becoming actually Mind-dead. Alternately their next Single in 1972, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” was a temporary distraction from the aggravations of whatever irritated us and allowed Listeners to consider what might be Peaceful in their Lives. However, a better Song to remember the above era is “Ohio” ( 1970 ) by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for a multiple Voices and Guitars effect which substantially supported its Lyrics, and which Lyrics are still relevant to events in the USA and elsewhere now. … Yeah, suggest to me to Take It Easy … why should I be bothered to comment about negative-Culture.
I am here-now attempting to delete the inadvertent repeat Posting of my initial Post.
Good , it seems I achieved the Deletion , and I note the Comment by John Butler above, with which I thoroughly agree.
Early 70s might not have been the best time for great pop, rock and soul (though I disagree) it was a very fertile time for country. Here’s 10 from that period (actually 11 because I had to squeeze Townes in):
Kiss an Angel Good Morning, Charlie Pride
Sunday Morning Coming Down, Johnny
Coal Miner’s Daughter, Loretta Lynn
Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine, Tom T
The Only Time I’m Really Me, Tammy Wynette
Always on My Mind, Elvis
The Most Beautiful Girl, Charlie Rich
Jolene, Dolly
Streets of Baltimore, Gram
If We Make It Through December, Merle Haggard
The Grand Tour, George Jones
Pancho and Lefty, Townes
Another great list, Earl. The Eagles’ number seems to have started something despite what it says on the label. I mighta gone with the Doobie Bros’ Listen to the Music (1972), even if they delighted in too long periods of can’t-be-bothered irresponsible lifestyle behaviour. They were the Doobie Bros after all.
Earl et al…..
I am enjoying the ‘best/not best’ discussion. My sense is that it (ie best song list) is all a matter of timing – & that everyone’s individual journey through life, love & music offers a unique ‘best of’ soundtrack.
Last last year I was asked by the local community radio station to put together a list of my top 23 songs for a 2 hour music/interview program. I decided to do the top 23 songs between my 8th-18th birthday (ie 1964-1974), based on the songs that I most playlisted in my head as I went around being a youngster growing up in the western suburbs of Sydney.
Earl – I am keeping my powder dry and waiting for your top 10. I wouldn’t be surprised if our venn diagrams failed to intersect. I would, however, be delighted if we ended up having one song in common.
Rick , good one: “Jolene” by Dolly Parton … she knew a Classic style of Music to accompany her Lyrics for that Song, and its Lyrics are Timeless for two types of Human behaviors.
” … Watermelon Wine” … an interesting co-incidence, because recently I left most of a bottle of fresh Watermelon juice -{ no preservatives in it }- with Lid on to Ferment , and I tasted it sequentially on several occasions, and hey , I think I may have unknowingly made Watermelon Wine , and which I did not know of , but it had good effect, and not overdone … it seems that the life-experienced guy whom Tom sang about was onto something of worth.
–
Matt , regardless of the reason for the Name of the Band and one of their recreational pastimes, the original Doobie Brothers were a Band for ordinary Folks to enjoy without pretensions , and the Lyrics of “Listen To The Music” are fine, and intended to relieve a serious matter in some way to the best of the Writer’s ability.
I do not remember anything from their 1st album, however their 2nd and 3rd albums were significantly above The Eagles stuff of that period , and for some latent Humour on one aspect of my first Posting is the Name of their 4th Album: “What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits”. Also, the Hit Single from it: “Black Water” is a Song for some Listeners to reflect on their Lives in an uplifting way.
Subsequent events following their 5th album: “Stampede” caused them to Stampede in somewhat the wrong direction, and when that Keyboard playing Vocalist joined they effectively became The Doob Brothers … about which I’ll say no more.
A point I make is that the Words and Phrasing of Lyrics, and the way they are accompanied by the manner of the performance of the music of the Song, is what places The (original) Doobie Brothers ahead of The Eagles-type-of-thing, as also does Dolly Parton … when she wants to … and no-one should underestimate her …
–
Karl , if you want to Post your “top 23” , then it may add interest to this discussion , but keep your “powder dry” until the final Top 10 if you prefer , and which I am to some degree despite my Salvo earlier , however I’ll list a few 1970s’ era Songs here wrt those listed by Earl on this Page and whatever he might List next,
thus:
Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell … she saw what was starting to be done, and that continued as we’ve seen, and her mention of my old man being taken away in a Big Yellow Taxi has more in it than some listeners may realize … but will she tell us exactly ? … some Songwriters never do, but we are given Clues if we know the Sub-Culture/s they wrote for ,
which leads to:
“American Pie” – Don McLean , and that Song does not need any other comments by me.
Heading in basically the opposite direction to The Eagles:
“Country Roads” – John Denver … like him or not, he wrote and performed uplifting stuff for ordinary Folks, and that Song is a Classic of its era.