September 7, 2006 by A.S. Van Dorston

I like to alternate between absorbing new releases (currently liking the new Rapture) and digging back into old favorites to avoid burnout. But sometimes I crave something I haven’t heard that’s old. For some of us obsessives who’ve heard almost everything, this is a dilemma. Obviously no one can hear “everything,” but when you dedicate a significant part of your life to tracking down candidates for all-time favorites, it gets harder to dig up something amazing, beautiful, strange or powerful that you’ve never heard.

I haven’t been able to uncover anything completely new to me lately, but there’s always hope. Here’s a few albums that I was aware of, but previously passed over because they were kind of written off or ignored critically.

Sly & the Family Stone, Small Talk (Epic) 74
Sly Stone, High On You (Epic) 75
Wondering when the heck they’ll ever do a decent remaster of There’s A Riot Goin’ On, I read some discussions about how Stone’s post-Fresh (1973—itself fairly underrated) work was unfairly panned. Indeed, while they aren’t quite at the level as his peak work, it’s certainly strong, funky stuff, just as good as anything by later Funkadelic or James Brown. I was excited to hear that “Loose Booty” was the sample I’d been looking for years for, from The Beastie Boys’ “Shadrach.” Awesome. High On You is actually the better of the two.

Popol Vuh, Letzte Tage – Letzte Näche (High Tide/SPV) 76
During my recent Krautrock kick, I had ordered a two-fer from Wayside with Einsjäger & Seibenjäger and Letzte. I was familiar with the former, but the latter really surprised me with its blistering, serpentine guitar solos by Daniel Fichelscher, which sometimes sounds like Television (the band)! This may become my favorite Popol Vuh.

Here’s more in “The Search For Lost Classics” I wrote a couple years ago, including stuff from Cedric IM Brooks, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Euphoria, The Passage, The Boys, The Only Ones, Kalo Kawongolo & Seke Molenga, The Fall, Roy Harper and The Rich Kids.

Before my collection got out of control, I used to use lists and polls to sniff out stuff to check out. As far as 70s stuff goes, the I Love Music 1970s Poll is good reading. Though I have problems with many of Pitchfork’s writers, they also did a good job with their Top Albums of the 1970s.

Here’s my current top 100:
1. The Stooges * Fun House (Elektra) 70
2. The Modern Lovers (Beserkley/Rhino) 73
3. The Congos * Heart Of The Congo (Blood & Fire) 77
4. Television * Marquee Moon (Elektra) 77
5. The Buzzcocks * Singles Going Steady (Restless) 79
6. Fela Kuti * Zombie (Universal) 77
7. Joy Division * Unknown Pleasures (Factory) 79
8. The Rolling Stones * Exile On Main St. (Rolling Stones) 72
9. Brian Eno * Another Green World (EG) 75
10. Gang of Four * Entertainment! (WB) 79
11. The Raincoats (Rough Trade) 79
12. Public Image Ltd. * Metal Box/Second Edition (Virgin) 79
13. Wire * 154 (Restless) 79
14. Talking Heads * Fear Of Music (Sire) 79
15. The Clash * London Calling (Epic) 79
16. Wire * Pink Flag (Restless) 77
17. Sly & the Family Stone * There’s A Riot Going On (Epic) 71
18. Toots & the Maytals * Funky Kingston (Mango) 73
19. Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band * Lick My Decals Off Baby (Straight) 70
20. Bob Dylan * Blood On The Tracks (Columbia) 75
21. Curtis Mayfield * Superfly (Curtom) 72
22. T. Rex * Electric Warrior (Reprise) 71
23. David Bowie * Hunky Dory (RCA) 71
24. Tim Buckley * Starsailor (Straight) 71
25. Brian Eno * Here Come The Warm Jets (EG) 73
26. David Bowie * The Rise Of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars (RCA) 72
27. Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band * Clear Spot (Reprise) 72
28. Roxy Music (Reprise) 72
29. Junior Murvin * Police & Thieves (Mango) 77
30. Nick Drake * Pink Moon (Island) 72
31. Al Green * I’m Still In Love With You (Hi) 72
32. Lee Perry & The Upsetters * Super Ape (Mango) 76
33. Rico * Man From Wareika (Island) 76
34. Iggy Pop * Lust For Life (Virgin) 77
35. Cedric Im Brooks * The Light Of Saba (Total Sounds/Honest Jon’s) 76
36. Al Green * Call Me (Hi) 73
37. The Stooges * Raw Power (Columbia) 73
38. Max Romeo & the Upsetters * War Ina Babylon (Mango/Hip-O Select) 76
39. Fela Kuti * Roforofo Fight (MCA) 72
40. Junior Byles * Beat Down Babylon (Trojan) 72
41. Yabby You * Conquering Lion (Prophets) 72
42. The Mighty Diamonds * Right Time (Shanachie) 76
43. Justin Hinds & The Dominoes * Jezebel (Island) 76
44. Jimmy Cliff * The Harder They Come (Mango) 72
45. Bob Marley & the Wailers * Catch A Fire (Tuff Gong/Island) 72
46. Brian Eno * Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy (EG) 74
47. The Sex Pistols * Never Mind the Bullocks (WB) 77
48. Bob Marley & the Wailers * Natty Dread (Tuff Gong/Island) 74
49. The Clash (Epic) 77
50. Pere Ubu * Dub Housing (Rough Trade) 78
60. Richard Hell & the Voidoids * Blank Generation (Sire) 77
61. George Faith * To Be A Lover (Black Swan/Hip-O Select) 77
62. Patti Smith * Horses (Arista) 75
63. Pere Ubu * The Modern Dance (Blank) 77
64. Van Morrison * Moondance (WB) 70
65. David Bowie * Low (RCA) 77
66. Can * Ege Bamyasi (Spoon/Mute) 72
67. Neu * Neu! 75 (Brain/Astralwerks) 75
68. Tom Zé * Estudando O Samba (EW) 75
69. Burning Spear * Marcus Garvey (Mango) 75
70. The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari * Tales Of Mozambique (Dynamic) 75
71. Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band * Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (Enigma) 78
72. Talking Heads * More Songs About Buildings And Food (Sire) 78
73. X-Ray Spex * Germ-Free Adolescents (Caroline) 78
74. The Buzzcocks * Another Music In A Different Kitchen (Restless) 78
75. Bim Sherman * Love Forever (Tribesmen/Century) 78
76. The Slits * Cut (Island) 79
77. David Bowie * Lodger (RCA) 79
78. Stiff Little Fingers * Inflammable Material (EMI) 79
79. The Ruts * The Crack (Virgin) 79
80. Dennis Brown * Visions (Shanachie) 77
81. Dennis Brown * Wolves And Leopards (Blue Moon) 77
82. The Rolling Stones * Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones) 71
83. The Who * Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy (MCA) 71
84. Ramones * Rocket To Russia (Sire) 77
85. New York Dolls * New York Dolls (Mercury) 73
86. Can * Soon Over Babaluma (Spoon/Mute) 74
87. David Bowie * Aladdin Sane (Rykodisc) 73
88. Betty Davis (Just Sunshine/Aztec) 73
89. Betty Davis * They Say I’m Different (Just Sunshine/Aztec) 74
90. The Maytals * Monkey Man (Trojan) 70
91. Can * Future Days (Spoon/Mute) 73
92. Lee Perry & the Upsetters * Blackboard Jungle Dub (Upsetter/Trojan) 73
93. Charles Mingus * Mingus at Carnegie Hall (Atlantic) 74
94. Funkadelic * Maggot Brain (Westbound) 71
95. Elvis Costello & the Attractions * This Year’s Model (Columbia) 78
96. Soft Machine * Third (CBS) 70
97. Ash Ra Tempel (Spalax) 71
98. Steve Reich * Music For 18 Musicians (ECM) 78
99. Curtis Mayfield * Curtis (Curtom) 70
100. Black Sabbath * Paranoid (WB) 70

Plenty more are listed on my Best Albums Since 1965 list. Yeah, I like lists. Which is why MOG , with all the widgets in their listy glory, drew me like a moth to a flame…

Posted in: Reissues, Reviews