January 30, 2024 by A.S. Van Dorston

Coinciding with Sea of Tranquility’s Albums That Are 50 Years Old series, we take a fresh look ‘n’ listen to 1974, shift some favorites around and even discover new ones.

There is some truth to the perception that 1974 was a slightly off year. Both Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin took the year off as both gathered energy amidst exhausting world tours to work on their sixth albums. The Rolling Stones, New York Dolls, David Bowie, Yes and Stevie Wonder didn’t quite match the heights of their previous albums. Neither did Wishbone Ash, Curtis Mayfield, Deep Purple, T. Rex, and Mike Oldfield. In hindsight, musicians’ poor choices in overindulging in drugs after getting a little or a lot of success and money can be blamed. But even those examples are not too far off their peak, while others on this list were at their peak.

The highest ranking band debuts were Be-Bop Deluxe and Rush. There wasn’t a lot of competition, as the only other debuts in the top 100 were Heldon, Hatfield and the North, Heavy Metal Kids and KISS. AC/DC, Scorpions and Judas Priest were still in formative stages, and Bad Company were commercially successful, but not half as good as Free. This is where punk and new wave would be a positive force in the coming years in inspiring a lot of new talent to appear on the scene, starting with the CBGB’s scene with the Patti Smith Group, Television and Talking Heads already playing shows in 1974. In Ohio, Rocket From the Tombs were scorching stages, but it would still be a few years before Devo and Pere Ubu would release albums. Nevertheless, there were still easily over a couple hundred albums worth hearing. As I always say, there’s never any bad year for music.

Like the last two years, I followed along with Sea of Tranquility’s Albums that are 50, 40 and 30 years old morning countdowns with my own choices.

1. Big Star – Radio City (Argent)

The post-Beatles landscape was kinda of weird in the 70s. While the Beatles influence was massive in some ways, in other ways, it seemed many bands were shy about taking Beatlesque elements and running with it. It took until the 80s for jangle pop to take off, and mostly in the indie landscape. The Raspberries and Badfinger had a few minor power pop hits, and that was about it. Big Star fused both of those elements, and remained completely underground, despite Alex Chilton’s pedigree with The Box Tops, who had the hit “The Letter.” The aspirational turned ironic titled #1 Record (1972) was gorgeous, but I love the injection of woozy rock energy, presciently predicting The Replacements’ fusion of Exile On Main Street Stones with Johnny Thunders from the New York Dolls/Heartbreakers. Despite the looseness, there isn’t a wasted note, every track perfectly realized. “And children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes ’round, They sing, I’m in love, what’s that song?, Yeah, I’m in love with that song.”

2. Brian Eno – Here Come The Warm Jets (EG)

Calling himself a non-musician was probably the last humble thing Brian Eno ever said about himself. Yet this non-musician had the help of not only Phil Manzanera and Robert Fripp on his first solo album, but a whole army of top musicians including Chris Spedding, Busta Cherry Jones and John Wetton. It was a wise choice to bang it out quickly and not get bogged down with trying to out-polish Roxy Music or get over-complicated. I hesitate to use the word genius too easily. Eno was witty, playful, creative and clever, and that can be enough. However, if he is a genius, it’s in his confident ability to surrender control and planning, embrace mistakes, not rely on writing down his synth settings to avoid falling into ruts, and come up with lyrics on the spot, driven by the music. Using accomplished musicians to play essentially simple music was a great choice. “Needles in the Camel’s Eye” roars out the gate like a garage punk band, refraining from anything fancy. And while Robert Fripp’s solo is astounding on “Baby’s On Fire,” it’s in it’s fresh originality rather than difficulty. Many a noise rock band in the 90s have probably capably covered that song. Eno would go on to make even more impressive albums with Another Green World (1975) and Before and After Science (1977), but he never rocked again as he does here.

3. Bob Marley & the Wailers – Natty Dread (Tuff Gong/Island)

While the Wailers had been together over a decade and making records with Coxsone Dodd and Lee Perry, it was when they hooked up with engineer Sylvan “My Operator” Morris that things really took off, especially on their third album with Island. His work at Harry J Studios set the benchmark for clean, precise rhythm tracks that helped establish Bob Marley & the Wailers’ foundation of popularity in the international marketplace. It marked a big departure from the distorted, muddy sound of most Jamaican productions. Good sound didn’t sacrifice fire, kicking off with the defiant yelp on “Lively Up Yourself,” and the rebel rockers “Them Belly Full,” “Rebel Music” and “Talkin’ Blues.” The Barrett brothers’ drum and bass, Al Anderson’s guitar, and the harmonies of the I-Threes makes for the Wailers’ first perfectly realized album.

4. Brian Eno – Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy (EG)

For an artist working with prog cognoscenti like Robert Fripp and soon to be known for stoic, meditative ambient music, not to mention a respected producer for the likes of Talking Heads and U2, Eno’s first official solo albums were pretty loosey goosey performances. Sure, there’s some brilliantly arranged art rock with an assist from Roxy guitarist and assistant producer Phil Manzanera nad percussion/vocals from Soft Machine’s Robert Wyatt, but there’s also a fun, freewheeling garage vibe that informs both proto-punk and even post-punk, like a link between the Velvets, New York Dolls and Cleveland’s Rocket From the Tombs/Pere Ubu. A reminder that in Roxy Music, Eno was an agent of chaos, a trixter stealing the show behind the keyboards in outrageous feathered outfits. Highlights are the art pop “Burning Airlines Give You So Much More” and “Third Uncle,” later covered by Bauhaus, but the whole album is a friggin’ delight.

5. King Crimson – Red (Atlantic)

This album stands out in King Crimson’s catalog as their heaviest, and in many ways, their most uncompromisingly avant garde album that’s still somehow accessible. The band felt they were on the verge of Pink Floyd level popularity, but Robert Fripp had other ideas. After reading mystical thinker JG Bennett, he came into the sessions determined to take a spiritual path that involved withholding all opinions. The seething frustration of the rest of the band is palpable, as if John Wetton and Bill Bruford were trying to bludgeon Fripp with their bass and drums. Heads were blown no doubt, but the success that Wetton and Bruford craved would have to wait, as Fripp unceremoniously broke the band up before they could reap any benefits to this brilliant album, proving he gaze zero fucks about rock stardom. The wide range of bands that would eventually cite this timeless album as an influence is amazing, from metal to indie, post-punk, noise rock, jazz-rock, post-rock and instrumental math rock. It’s one of the favorites of Mike Barnes, who wrote one of the few major prog books, A New Day Yesterday: UK Progressive Rock & The 1970s (2020).

6. Toots & The Maytals – In the Dark (Trojan)

Those who rate Funky Kingston (1973) often base it on a U.S. compilation that includes many tracks from this album, which are most of the best tracks, like “Love’s Gonna Walk Out on Me,” “Revolution,” “54-46 Was My Number” and “Pressure Drop.” The whole album is all killer, and incredibly joyous, despite the brutal situations many Jamaicans had to endure, with Toots himself serving a prison sentence for merely possessing a joint. Toots Hibbert, Jamaica’s Otis Redding, deserved to be just as well known as Bob Marley, and it’s one of the world’s many injustices that he wasn’t. Beyond all the poor motherfuckers who died having never heard Toots, it’s not too late to get up to speed. In the dark, Toots & the Maytals are the light.

7. Gene Clark – No Other (Asylum)

Gram Parsons may have coined the term “cosmic American music” and became it’s patron saint by unfortunately dying before the release of his last album, Grievous Angel (1974), but it was Gene Clark, the dude who wrote the masterpiece “Eight Miles High” before bailing from the Byrds, who would artistically realize the embodiment of cosmic Americana, fusing country, rock, jazz, blues, gospel and psychedelia. He beat his former band to pioneering country rock by a full year and a half with his first solo album with the Gosdin Brothers in February 1967. His work on The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark (1968), White Light (1971) and Roadmaster (1973) were all excellent, but it was his contributions to the 1973 Byrds reunion album that got him a deal with David Geffen’s Asylum, and a big budget to do something special. For years, the cost of the album was the only thing that was noted about it, and the lack of money invested in promoting it. Which is really strange, given how well his labelmates Joni Mitchell, Linda Rondstadt, Jackson Browne, Eagles, even Tom Waits did. It wasn’t until a reissue in 2003 that it was critically reassessed. By 2019, a massive box set reissue with vinyl, a 7″ single, SACDs and a blu-ray of the documentary The Byrd Who Flew Alone: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Gene Clark (2013) quickly sold out. Producer Thomas Jefferson Kaye came in looking to further the explorations of Sgt. Pepper’s and Smile, while Clark himself was listening to a lot of Goats Head Soup and Innervisions, though I wonder if he hadn’t dug into some Tim Buckley too judging from the jazzy evolution of his singing. Among A list session musicians, it was rumoured that Sly Stone was present in the sessions. There was also likely mountains of cocaine, but that’s Laurel Canyon in the 70s for ya. Weird random note, James Williamson’s guitar riff on Stooges demo “Johanna” from that same time appears on “Lady of the North.” Could be a coincidence, but I’d like to think in the snow storm chaos, Iggy and crew passed through too.

8. Can – Soon Over Babaluma (Spoon)

On Can’s first underrated album, vocalist Damo Suzuki was gone, and Michael Karoli and Irmin Schmidt split the vocal duties, doing a fine job of blending into the music. Violin is more prominent here, as is Holgar Czukay’s bass. In fact, everything seems to have evolved a step – the guitar playing is nearly Flamenco like in its delicate intricacy, while everything from reggae, Latin and African rhythms are subtly incorporated. There may be few grandstanding moments, but overall the album is even more beautiful sounding than Future Days. “Dizzy Dizzy” and “Come Sta, La Luna” are as pioneering as anything from earlier albums, while they retain a slightly intense sense of dread in “Chain Reaction/Quantum Physics.” In The Wire’s 1992 feature, “The 100 Most Important Records Ever Made,” Simon Reynolds wrote, “Humour, poignancy, awe, groove, Dada, intimacy, immensity – sometimes I wonder why I bother listening to anything else. Anticipates (or pre-empts): the Fourth World pan-Globalism of Talking Heads’ Remain In Light, Byrne/Eno’s My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, Jon Hassell, the avant-funk of PiL and The Pop Group, The Raincoats, 23 Skiddoo, AR Kane’s oceanic rock, even some rap and rave.” I’m glad someone agrees.

9. Robin Trower – Bridge of Sighs (Chrysalis)

Here’s one possible answer to the question of what would Jimi Hendrix had done had he lived longer. It’s a question that perpetually haunts fans and guitar acolytes. It’s nice to hear at least one talented guitarist, formerly of Procol Harum, offer a possible path, channeling at least a portion of Hendrix’s spirit in this, his most accomplished and gorgeous album. It’s so spectacular, that many have probably gone back to Procol Harum albums and be confused why there is nothing remotely similar. The band was more keyboard centric, and perhaps Trower had his date with the devil at the crossroads after he left. Or maybe he was visited by Jimi’s spirit and told, “You are the one. Go forth and shred.”

10. Neil Young – On the Beach (Reprise)

There’s nothing like scarcity to generate demand. Despite most of his catalog getting remaster and reissue treatments on CD through the 90s, On the Beach, part of his Ditch Trilogy, remained unavailable. Pre-streaming, I had to buy a bootleg CD to hear it. There’s theories that the songs were too painful for Young to think about, which is why it took until 2003 to be reissued. The ever-inscrutible Young doesn’t really give any clues, so one just has to listen. He does address his son’s illness, his divorce with Carrie Snodgrass, and even Charles Manson, who he knew before all the murderin’. Despite all that, it’s not quite as suffocatingly dark as Tonight’s the Night (1975), which was recorded before this, but released after. The loose, shambolic performances gave some space for air and light. Despite letting Cajun wildman Rusty Kershaw loose in the studio getting everyone lifted on honeyslides, or perhaps because of it, side two is late-night hypnotic seance. Dig the album art’s post-apocalyptic literary references to J.G. Ballard’s The Drought and Nevil Shute’s book of the same title, and Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory.”

11. Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom (Thirsty Ear)

Like Peter Gabriel’s solo debut and much of Pink Floyd, this leans more toward art rock than prog, but this former Soft Machine drummer’s second solo album still has plenty of ties to the Canterbury Scene, and it’s just so brilliant and original, the prog scene is better for claiming this as its own. Produced by Nick Mason, it’s intensity is fueled by the aftermath of an accidental fall that crippled Wyatt, turning him from a jolly dadaist to a sad surrealist. But there’s still humor to be found in some of his celestial lyrics, along with incredible beauty.

12. Queen – Queen II (EMI/Hollywood)

On just their second album Queen already have a candidate for their best album. I may favor News of the World (1977), but it edges out Sheer Heart Attack on the strength of their epic centerpiece, “The March of the Black Queen,” which isn’t hugely different from “Bohemian Rhapsody,” particularly the coda. This album perhaps has the biggest concentration of heavy songs, including the fabulous “Ogre Battle,” and the new version of “Seven Seas of Rhye.” From the titles you’d expect a fusion of proto-metal and symphonic prog. Those elements are there, but also glam and the kind of piano balladry only Freddie could pull off, that make them unmistakably Queen, transcending genre.

13. Sparks – Kimono My House (Island)

The tagline for the Sparks Brothers movie asked, “How can one rock band be successful, underrated, hugely influential, and criminally overlooked all at the same time?” By tirelessly keeping at it without compromising their vision until people began to recognize how brilliantly witty their music was. The results of their 54 year long career is an extremely devoted cult following. Brothers Ron and Russell Mael formed a band called Halfnelson while attending UCLA in 1970. Despite Todd Rundgren producing their self-titled debut in 1971, their quirky art pop was a bit ahead of its time to find an audience yet. They changed their name to Sparks and released the amazing and weird Woofer In Tweeter’s Clothing in 1973. They were treated so well during their U.K. tour that they decided London was the place for them, and just as Jobriath should have done, stayed there. After recruiting new band members, they recorded their best album yet, Kimono My House. While it dabbled in bubblegum glam, it was even more distinctive than their previous album. They scored hits in Britain with “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us” and “Amateur Hour,” while other cuts like “Here In Heaven” were even more amazing.

Funkadelic – Standing On the Verge Of Getting It On (Westbound)
After the first peak with Maggot Brain (1971) and the exploratory America Eats Its Young (1972), Funkadelic’s sixth album finds them in the middle of a second peak, featuring a lighter, more danceable and versatile sound. Like Pedro Bell’s album covers, they take James Brown’s groin-level sexuality and make it more bouyant than a Tigger on stimulants. It’s perfectly balanced between sexy love grind “I’ll Stay,” the robo-funk of the title track that hints toward the impending disco trend, and kick-out the jams rockers. Despite all the acid, costumes and shenanigans, Funkadelic were a tight ass unit. Perhaps not the military precision of James Brown’s bands, but who was. Case in point, compare “Red Hot Momma” with the original recorded by Parliament nearly seven years previously. The first one rocks, but this one blazes.
Epitaph – Outside The Law (Polydor)
We have the third and best album by Germany’s (with English ex-pats) Epitaph, who fuse German prog, Wishbone Ash and Lynyrd Skynyrd into a brilliant, fresh style, and really deserve a fancy deluxe reissue, or at least an exhumation and long deserved attention. Their first two albums of mellotron-augmented prog with a touch of Allman Bros. from 1971 & 72 are really great too (some prefer them over this). But on their third they really lean into the twin guitar harmonies, with the two smoking opening tracks igniting into full blaze like few others at the time. “Big City” kicks off with a Celtic harmony that could be the template for Thin Lizzy. They increase the heat further on the blazing “Tequila Shuffle,” which rivals the heaviest offerings up to that point from the likes of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. The sprawling 9-minute closer “Fresh Air” has some nice vocal harmonies, and keeps things moving with some fast-paced virtuosic soloing. They came all the way to the states to record at Chicago’s Omega Studios, and probably could have connected well with American audiences had they put in the time for touring, but their label Billingsgate (a small label, also in Chicago, run by Gary Pollock) went bankrupt and everything fell apart, leaving this lost classic to languish in obscurity until the time was right.
Hawkwind – Hall Of the Mountain Grill (UA/One Way)
This is the studio album Hawkwind had been building up to. Each effort was better than the last, then after the surprising success of their double live album Space Ritual (1973), they matched the live energy with their best studio production (courtesy of Roy Thomas Baker) capturing their peak on their fourth try. Lemmy is fizzing over with amphetamine-fueled proto-punk energy, his “Lost Johnny” good enough for him to re-use with his next band, Motorhead. The band fine-tunes their space rock into more structured progressive hard rock tunes exemplified by “The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)”, “D-Rider” and “Paradox.”
Queen – Sheer Heart Attack (Elektra)
Queen’s third album is the perfect introduction to the band. We have their statement-of-purpose single “Killer Queen” packed with archly witty lyrics that might reflect the influence of tourmates Sparks, and the savage, machine-gun quick “Stone Cold Crazy” that outshreds all proto-metal contemporaries, planting the seeds for thrash and speed metal. Those metallic prog and art rock elements elevates them above any other glam-tinged hard rock competition of the era, or at least 1974, though Freddie’s insistence on including over the top vaudeville/music hall/showtune camp, here in the form of “Bring Back Leroy Brown” ensures they’d never make a perfect album. But without that part they wouldn’t be the Queen we know and love.
Sweet – Sweet Fanny Adams (RCA)
In 1974, the band recorded their first full album without the “Chinnichap” team, and it was a corker. Despite the fact that it melded the best of both the worlds of T. Rex and Queen, and influenced everyone from KISS to Cheap Trick and Motley Crue, Sweet Fanny Adams wasn’t even released properly in the U.S. Only part of it was heard in a domestic reissue of Desolation Boulevard (1974), a minor classic in its own right. It was finally reissued by Sony BMG in 2005, remastered with copious bonus tracks. The album kicks off with proto-speedmetal, I kid you not. “Set Me Free” is fast and clean with a tight guitar solo that sticks in the brain, basically providing a template for later Judas Priest and NWOBHM, and eventually covered by Saxon among many others. It definitely shows Andy Scott is one of the undersung guitar heroes of the era. “No You Don’t” is a brooding, psych rocker with vocals that rival Ozzy Osbourne’s paranoia. The B-side “Burning” also pays tribute to Black Sabbath. “In To The Night,” has the coolest intro, building up from a simple drum pattern and riff, that probably made the likes of Alice Cooper and Ted Nugent green with envy, had they even heard it. “Peppermint Twist” and “AC-DC” break up the dark rockers with some pop. Sweet F.A., yeah!
Harmonia – Music Von Harmonia (Brain)
Frustrated with trying to assemble a live band for Neu! shows, Michael Rother visited Cluster’s Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius at their bucolic, woodlands studio home in Forst, Weserbergland in 1973 to ask them to join. He clicked with them so well creatively that he decided to put Neu! on hiatus and stayed. The result was two incredible albums in which they eschewed repetition for a variety of short burts of experimental sounds, including torturing a long-suffering drum machine by putting it through effects and chopping up the rhythms. Along with Eno, Bowie was a fan, reflected on side two of Low (1977).
Cluster – Zuckerzeit (Brain)
Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius changed their sound quite a bit from their first two albums (not counting earlier works as Kluster). Pure electronic sugar (the title means “Sugartime”), the melodies and textures are sweet and tasty. Recorded at their new studio nestled in the woods, it was produced by Harmonia cohort Michael Rother from Neu!. Brian Eno listened to this quite a bit along with the first Harmonia album while composing Another Green World, and he would later collaborate with them. Eno & Cluster sound more like Eno’s ambient series, while After The Heat features some of the last vocals from Eno in some time. However, Sowiesoso (1976) will satisfy anyone itching for more of that sound, and to a lesser extent, Grosses Wasser (1979).
UFO – Phenomenon (Chrysalis/EMI)
If there was ever a hard rock band that deserved to break through to superstardom in 1974 with hooky, melodic, accessible songwriting, a hot shot guitarist (Michael Schenker) and strong vocalist (Phil Mogg), it’s UFO. The only thing that must have held them back from Led Zeppelin, KISS and Van Halen level popularity was most likely the most banal of all reasons in the music business — business. Forget the bean counters, at least we can pay proper homage now, just as Iron Maiden strives to correct the injustice by blasting “Doctor Doctor” on the PA before every single show they play, to millions of people. Gotta love that Hipgnosis cover too.
Sparks – Propaganda (Island)
The Mael brothers originally called their band Halfnelson in 1968 Los Angeles. Somehow they got Todd Rundgren to produce these unknowns’ debut album in 1971. That and the follow up, Tweeter in Woofer’s Clothing (1973) were really influential art/prog pop with tongue-in-cheek dadaist lyrics. They moved to London and plugged into the bubblegum glam scene, issuing a series of singles. Queen opened for them on a tour and learned a thing or two. Their fourth album sees them riding a peak. There really needs to be a book about Sparks, though there is the great Sparks Brothers (2021) documentary.
Good Rats – Tasty (WB)
From the land of the Pizza Rat, this Long Island band formed way back in 1964, and released their first album in 1969, a promising mix of psychedelic and hard rock. Tasty is where Good Rats hit their peak with a super cool fusion of psych prog, jazz-rock, and touches of showtuney extravagance of Queen and Meat Loaf. It’s strange that they’re relatively unknown now, as they were kind of a big deal. When Twisted Sister, Zebra and Aerosmith were still just opening acts in small clubs, Good Rats were occasionally headlining at Madison Square Garden, The Nassau Coliseum and The Philadelphia Spectrum, supported by Rush, KISS, Journey and others. Peppi Marchello is a standout vocalist, compared by some to Steve Marriott, but I’d say he sounds closer to Roger Chapman of Family/The Streetwalkers.
Peter Hammill – The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage (Charisma)
Like Robert Fripp, Peter Hammill’s solo endeavors were edgy enough that he was recognized by the punk cogniscenti later in the decade, thanks to John Lydon playing him as a guest DJ on the BBC. Aside from that brief spotlight, he lurked deeper in the shadows than Fripp, which makes sense with his grim, bleak, stripped down confessionals of self-loathing and apocalyptic dread. While his powerful baritone has been a highlight of both Van Der Graaf Generator and solo, it’s intensity can be offputting. So, a hard artist to love, but impossible not to respect and admire. This, his third solo album, with long epics that are sprawling yet spare, culminating in the 12+ minute “A Louse is Not a Home,” is a strong candidate for a career highlight, along with Nadir’s Big Chance (1975) and the best of VDGG.
Roxy Music – Country Life (EG)
Roxy’s fourth album is their hardest rocking, and some consider their peak. I still favor the rush of newness in their pioneering work on the first two, but this definitely has a confident swagger, their second without Eno. Ferry’s lyrics and delivery are brilliant as he slowly morphs into his insouciant Dracula persona, while Manzanera’s creative energy percolating for his upcoming psych prog Diamond Head solo album and jazz-rock Quiet Sun side project spills over here.
Budgie – In For The Kill! (MCA)
Budgie formed way back in 1967, and I can only imagine them in the context of the early version of Spinal Tap. After Sabbath and Deep Purple, they were probably the hardest rocking proto-metal band at the time. I reckon people had a love/hate reaction to Burke Shelley’s piercing vocals, but if Rush fans could adjust to Geddy Lee, why not Budgie’s? At least Metallica gave them props by covering a couple songs, including “Crash Course in Brain Surgery” from this album.
Be-Bop Deluxe – Axe Victim (Harvest)
While some artists who don’t fit easily into a single genre, like Bowie, Pink Floyd or Queen, were successful in establishing themselves as a unique entity that transcends genres, others simply toiled in the trenches while punters were confused by their cross genre adventures. Be-Bop Deluxe’s sci fi imagery may refernce Ziggy era glam Bowie, but they also leaned toward art rock and prog like Roxy Music. However, not many could shred relentlessly like the wildly talented Bill Nelson, who added that ozone whiff of scorched metal. After this promising debut they’d only get better, but alas not bigger.
Cockney Rebel – Psychomodo (EMI)
Steve Harley and his band Cockney Rebel had decent popularity in the UK thanks to the 1973 hit “Judy Teen,” but were unknown to the Yanks. The movie Velvet Goldmine (1998) paid tribute to them by using “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me),” but the band fell through the cracks. Equal parts glam, art rock and prog pop, people didn’t know what to do with them. They should have freakin’ worshipped them is what they shoulda done.
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Second Helping (MCA)
Lynyrd Skynyrd had me at Free. Meaning, they were hugely influenced by the young British band. And while key bands like Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy were forming the templates twin lead guitarists working together and harmonizing, Skynyrd decided not to stop at two, but feature three guitarists. That said, they weren’t jammy like The Allman Brothers. In fact, the songs on their second album are more concise and focused, “I Need You” shows them mastering Free’s lessons of deceptive simplicity with slow simmering blues and striking dynamics. Everytime you think you never need to hear “Sweet Home Alabama” ever again, it comes on somewhere and you’re sucked in. Just as great are “Workin’ for MCA” and “The Needle and the Spoon.”
New York Dolls – Too Much Too Soon (Mercury)
An incorrect assumption was that just because New York Dolls’ follow-up to their classic debut didn’t blow up commercially and make them big stars, it was garbage. That’s complete hogwash. Produced by Shadow Morton, the rough edges are polished slightly, but the grime is still clearly audible. No one’s gonna scrub the sleaze off this band, and why would they? The masses can have their Aerosmith and their KISS, two bands that took small elements of the Dolls’ sound and style to the masses and the bank. It is too bad the band’s demise was accelerated by Malcolm McClaren, who was terrible. But they would have imploded anyway. They were a brief dustdevil of glitter, drugs and dirty panties that ran it’s natural course, and left a permanent lipstick stain on the ass of rock ‘n’ roll.
Thin Lizzy – Night Life (Deram)
Thin Lizzy’s fourth album was transitional from Vagabonds of the Western World (1973), losing Eric Bell and gaining two guitarists, Brian Roberston and Scott Gorham. Because their twin guitar harmonies have not yet fully clicked and ignited (the more rockin’ “It’s Only Money” and “Sha-La-La” hint at what’s to come), and the album is mostly laid back, it’s been someone undervalued in the discography. And yet, I enjoy playing the hell out of it, thanks to Phil Lynott’s rapidly developing songwriting skills and soulful voice. And if you surrender your expectations, they pull off the mellow, bluesy jazz-rock, not completely unlike Steely Dan on some tracks, quite well.

Bubbling under:

Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado (Jet)
After experimenting on their first three albums ELO nailed their signature sound on Eldorado. While they still rely on quoting classical compositions, and need some fine tuning, the fusion of pop and classical is more seamless than ever, especially on “Boy Blue” and “Poor Boy (The Greenwood).” I was never as crazy about “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” as most, but overall the album is a big step into their imperial period.

David Bowie – Diamond Dogs (RCA)
Originally considered by some as a relatively weak Bowie album, it’s actually really great, better than Lodger (1979) and nearly as fascinating as Station to Station (1976). Like most failed concept/rock operas, it doesn’t really matter if the lyrics all make narrative sense, as long as the tunes are good. And for the most part they’re great, holding up to years of repeat listens.

Rush – Rush (Mercury)
Fans who first heard Rush in the 80s might need an adjustment period to come to grips with them doing boogie rock on their pre-Peart debut. Oof, those lyrics on “In the Mood.” But man, “Finding My Way” and “Need Some Love” are scorchers, raising the bar for all other Led Zeppelin acolytes at the time. And that chonky riff in “Working Man” could have been one Tony Iommi misplaced in a cocaine haze. Zep and Sabbath’s gap year left room for upstarts, and while it’s an imperfect debut, Rush still spanks the daylights out of the debuts by rivals/cronies Judas Priest and Scorpions.

10cc – Sheet Music (UK)
Like Steely Dan, it was a fun process of discovery to learn the band behind a pretty innocuous, nearly easy-listening single like “I’m Not in Love” actually released a half dozen wildly weird art/prog pop albums. The satirical lyrics tip them towards Sparks territory, not a bad thing at all.

Supertramp – Crime of the Century (A&M)
When I first dug around to see if there was any other band like ELO, the closest I came was Supertramp. So not that close. While they do work vaguely within the same areas of prog pop and art rock, they aren’t as catchy and melodic, and their themes of punishment, isolation and insanity more resemble Pink Floyd. But “Bloody Well Right” is catchy and quirky, and their masterpiece is well worth getting acquainted with. It’s been slow going over a couple decades, and the album is still revealing it’s strengths.

Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic (MCA)
It took a while for me to fully get on board with the Dan, even when I committed to buying a used box set in the 90s (guy behind me said, “All those CDs for one guitar solo? Dude.” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” for example was ubiquitous on FM radio growing up, and it was like part of the wallpaper. I didn’t mind it, but nor did I ever spend a second thinking about them. That came later when I finally started listening to the albums. Nowadays their first eight albums are so highly regarded, it’s hard to rank them. Currently this comes around fifth, but it shifts every few years. I often don’t get around to playing them for a couple years, then go on a kick. This countdown inspired a new one.

London’s Jade Warrior evolved from psych prog to pioneering instrumental jazz, Asian Classical, ambient and new age on their fourth album. After their exhausting, sometimes ridiculous double album, Yes showed they still had some spark left in them. It was Genesis’ turn to exhaust and confound audiences with Peter Gabriel’s confusing, convoluted story about the spiritual journey of a Puerto Rican kid named Rael. Like Tangerine Dream, Florian Fricke’s (Popol Vuh) kosmische archeology, investigating ancient Eastern music and applying it to soothing Moog music perfectly suited to soundtracks, particularly Werner Herzog’s films. Joni Mitchell had her most pop oriented album, even as she is already starting to explore jazz and prog pop, into which she’ll quickly dive into the deep end.

New Discoveries

Michael Nesmith – The Prison (Pacific Arts)

On his eighth album in six years, including a “book” (more like a short story than novella), The Prison seems like a culmination of Michael “Papa Nez” Nesmith’s creative arc. While it hasn’t gotten a critical revival as slaveringly positive as that for Gene Clark, this album deserves props for Nesmith stretching beyond his country rock comfort zone and achieving a unique kind of cosmic Americana that achieves ethereal beauty through the type of ambient production associated with new age that would become known decades later as ambient country. It’s fitting, since the allegorical story is the kind of quasi-spiritual stuff that was on trend in the 70s.

Ian Matthews – Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You (Elektra)

Formerly of Fairport Convention, Ian Matthews established an influential template of folk rock and country rock with Mathews Southern Comfort, releasing three albums in one year. His most highly regarded solo album is Valley Hi (1973), produced by Michael Nesmith, But Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You maintains the high quality.

I knew these artists, but had not heard their particular albums from 1974 until this month. Jorge Ben, Tina Turner, Grobschnitt, George Jones, Acqua Fragile, White Witch and about a dozen others that didn’t make the top 200.

Top 200

Big Star – Radio City (Argent) | USA | Bandcamp | 10
Brian Eno – Here Come The Warm Jets (EG) | UK | 10
Robin Trower – Bridge Of Sighs (Chrysalis) | UK | 10
Brian Eno – Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy (EG) | UK | 10
King Crimson – Red (Atlantic) | UK | 10
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Natty Dread (Tuff Gong) | Jamaica | 10
Can – Soon Over Babaluma (Spoon) | Germany | Bandcamp | 10
Toots & the Maytals – In The Dark (Trojan) | USA | 10
UFO – Phenomenon (Chrysalis) | UK | 10
Mott The Hoople – The Hoople (Columbia) | UK | 10
Gene Clark – No Other (Asylum) | USA | 10
Neil Young – On The Beach (Reprise) | Canada | 10
Sweet – Sweet Fanny Adams (RCA) | UK | 10
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – The Impossible Dream (Mercury) | UK | 10
Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom (Thirsty Ear) | UK | 10
Roxy Music – Country Life (EG) | UK | 10-
Queen – Queen II (EMI) | UK | 10-
Sweet – Desolation Boulevard (RCA) | UK | 10-
Sparks – Kimono My House (Island) | USA | 10-
Stevie Wonder – Fulfillingness’ First Finale (Motown) | USA | 10-
Funkadelic – Standing On the Verge Of Getting It On (Westbound) | USA | Bandcamp | 10-
Camel – Mirage (Deram) | UK | 10-
David Bowie – Diamond Dogs (RCA) | UK | 10-
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Second Helping (MCA) | USA | 10-
Epitaph – Outside The Law (Polydor) | Germany | 10-
Hawkwind – Hall Of the Mountain Grill (United Artists) | UK | 10-
Queen – Sheer Heart Attack (Elektra) | UK | 10-
Tangerine Dream – Phaedra (Virgin) | Germany | 10-
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Atlantic) | UK | 10-
Slade – Slade in Flame (Polydor) | UK | 10-
Harmonia – Music Von Harmonia (Brain) | Germany | 10-
Cluster – Zuckerzeit (Brain) | Germany | 10-
Return To Forever – Where Have I Known You Before (Polydor) | USA | 10-
Sparks – Propaganda (Island) | USA | 10-
The Meters – Rejuvenation (Reprise) | USA | 10-
Raspberries – Starting Over (Capitol) | USA | 10-
Peter Hammill – The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage (Charisma) | UK | 10-
Budgie – In For The Kill! (MCA) | UK | 10-
10cc – Sheet Music (UK) | UK | 10-
Be-Bop Deluxe – Axe Victim (Harvest) | UK | 10-
Cockney Rebel – Psychomodo (EMI) | UK | 10-
New York Dolls – Too Much Too Soon (Mercury) | USA | 10-
Thin Lizzy – Night Life (Deram) | Ireland | 10-
Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado (Jet) | UK | 10-
Slade – Old New Borrowed And Blue (Polydor) | UK | 10-
Rush – Rush (Mercury) | Canada | 10-
Joni Mitchell – Court And Spark (Asylum) | Canada | 10-
Supertramp – Crime of the Century (A&M) | UK | 10-
Jade Warrior – Floating World (Island) | UK | 10-
Yes – Relayer (Atlantic) | UK | 10-
Popol Vuh – Einsjager & Siebenjager (Spalax) | Germany | 10-
Michael Nesmith – The Prison (Pacific Arts) | USA | 10-
Good Rats – Tasty (WB) | USA | 10-
Betty Davis – They Say I’m Different (Just Sunshine/Aztec) | USA | 10-
Van Morrison – Veedon Fleece (WB) | Ireland | 10-
John Cale – Fear (Island) | UK | 10-
Kraftwerk – Autobahn (Philips) | Germany | 10-
Hatfield And The North – Hatfield And The North (Esoteric/Virgin) | UK | 10-
Ian Matthews – Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You (Elektra) | UK | 10-
Strawbs – Hero And Heroine (A&M) | UK | 10-
Guru Guru – Dance On The Flames (Atlantic) | Germany | 10-
Gentle Giant – The Power And The Glory (PolyGram ) | UK | 10-
Heldon – Électronique Guerilla (Disjuncta) | France | Bandcamp | 10-
Gong – You (Radio Gnome Invisible Pt. 3) (Virgin/Charly) | UK | 10-
Esther Phillips – Performance (Kudu) | USA | 10-
J.J. Cale – Okie (Shelter) | USA | 10-
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 – Confusion (Polydor) | Nigeria | Bandcamp | 10-
King Crimson – Starless And Bible Black (Atlantic) | UK | 10-
Keith Hudson – Flesh Of My Skin – Blood Of My Blood (Mamba/Atra) | Jamaica | Bandcamp | 10-
McCoy Tyner – Sama Layuca (Milestone) | USA | 10-
Magma – Köhntarkösz (Vertigo/Seventh) | France | 10-
Dennis Brown – The Best Of Dennis Brown (Joe Gibbs/17 North Parade) | Jamaica | 10-
Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus – Dadawah, Peace & Love (Trojan) | Jamaica | 10-
Freddie McKay – A Lonely Man (Dynamic) | Jamaica | 10-
The Staple Singers – City In The Sky (Stax) | USA | 10-
Blue Öyster Cult – Secret Treaties (Columbia) | USA | 10-
Fenton Robinson – Somebody Loan Me A Dime (Alligator) | USA | 10-
Jorge Ben – A Tábua de Esmeralda (Philips) | Brazil | 10-
Klaus Schulze – Blackdance (Brain) | Germany | 10-
Eberhard Weber – The Colours of Chloë (ECM) | Germany | 10-
Santana – Lotus (Columbia) | USA | 10-
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Next (Mercury) | UK | 10-
Leonard Cohen – New Skin for the Old Ceremony (Columbia) | Canada | 10-
Wishbone Ash – There’s The Rub (MCA) | UK | 10-
Dennis Brown – Just Dennis (Trojan) | Jamaica | 10-
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Solar Fire (Bronze) | UK | Bandcamp | 10-
Ann Peebles – Can’t Stand the Rain (Hi) | USA | 10-
Parliament – Up For The Down Stroke (Casablanca) | USA | 10-
Richard & Linda Thompson – I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (Hannibal) | UK | 10-
Dennis Brown – Deep Down (Harry J) | Jamaica | 10-
Traffic – When The Eagle Flies (Island) | UK | 9+
Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic (MCA) | USA | 9+
Santana – Borboletta (Columbia) | USA | 9+
Etta James – Come A Little Closer (Chess) | USA | 9+
Pentagram – First Daze Here: The Vintage Collection (Relapse) | USA | Bandcamp | 9+
Roy Harper – Valentine (Chrysalis) | Ireland | 9+
Robert Calvert – Captain Lockheed & The Star Fighters (UA/BGO) | UK | 9+
Deep Purple – Burn (Purple) | UK | 9+
Mahavishnu Orchestra with the London Symphony Orchestra – Apocalypse (Columbia) | UK/USA | 9+
Bill Withers – +’Justments (Sussex) | USA | 9+
Curtis Mayfield – Got To Find A Way (Curtom) | USA | 9+
Bobby Womack – Lookin’ For A Love Again (United Artists) | USA | 9+
Airto – Virgin Land (CTI) | Brazil | 9+
Brian Protheroe – Pinball (Chrysalis) | UK | 9+
Minnie Riperton – Perfect Angel (Capitol) | USA | 9+
Terje Rypdal – Whenever I Seem to Be Far Away (ECM) | Norway | 9+
Marcia Griffiths – Play Me (Sweet And Nice) (Trojan) | Jamaica | 9+
Shuggie Otis – Inspiration Information (Epic/Luaka Bop) | USA | 9+
Nazareth – Rampant (Vertigo) | UK | 9+
The Neutrons – Black Hole Star (UA) | UK | 9+
KISS – KISS (Casablanca/Mercury) | USA | 9+
The Residents – Meet the Residents (Ralph ) | USA | 9+
Curtis Mayfield – Sweet Exorcist (Curtom) | USA | 9+
Robert Palmer – Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley (Island) | UK | 9+
The Eleventh House featuring Larry Coryell – The Eleventh House With Larry Coryell (Vanguard) | USA | 9+
Ry Cooder – Paradise and Lunch (Reprise) | USA | 9+
Aerosmith – Get Your Wings (Columbia) | USA | 9+
King Tubby – Dub From the Roots (Total Sounds) | Jamaica | Bandcamp | 9+
Heavy Metal Kids – Heavy Metal Kids (Atlantic/Lemon) | UK | 9+
Hydra – Hydra (Capricorn) | USA | 9+
Tom Waits – The Heart Of Saturday Night (Asylum) | USA | Bandcamp | 9+
Bad Company – Bad Company (Swan Song) | UK | 9+
Henry Cow – Unrest (Virgin) | UK | Bandcamp | 9+
Elis Regina & Antonio Carlos Jobim – Elis & Tom (Philips) | Brazil | 9+
The J.B.’s – Damn Right I Am Somebody (Polydor) | USA | 9+
Tina Turner – Tina Turns the Country On! (UA) | USA | 9+
Lamont Dozier – Black Bach (ABC) | USA | 9+
Badfinger – Wish You Were Here (WB) | UK | 9+
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Winter in America (Strata-East) | USA | 9+
The Rolling Stones – It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (Virgin) | UK | 9+
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 – Alagbon Close (Universal) | Nigeria | Bandcamp | 9+
King Tubby Meets the Upsetter – At the Grass Roots of Dub (Total Sounds) | Jamaica | 9+
Status Quo – Quo (Vertigo) | UK | 9+
Eloy – Floating (Harvest) | Germany | 9+
Mahogany Rush – Child of the Novelty (Kot’ai) | Canada | 9+
Bob Dylan – Planet Waves (Asylum) | USA | 9+
Millie Jackson – Caught Up (Southbound) | USA | 9+
AC/DC – 74 Jailbreak EP (Atco) | Australia | 9+
Erkin Koray – Elektronik Turkuler (Dogan) | Turkey | 9+
The Beatles – Good Night Vienna (soniclovenoize) | UK | Free | 9+
Grobschnitt – Ballermann (Brain) | Germany | 9+
Theatre Of Eternal Music – Dream House 78′ 17″ (Shandar) | USA | 9+
Willie Nelson – Phases and Stages (Atlantic) | USA | 9+
Shirley Brown – Woman to Woman (Stax) | USA | 9+
The Charlie Daniels Band – Fire on the Mountain (Kama Sutra) | USA | 9+
Bob Seger – Seven (Capitol) | USA | 9+
Daryl Hall & John Oates – War Babies (Atlantic) | USA | 9+
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – Cosmic Funk (Flying Dutchman) | USA | 9+
Triumvirat – Illusions In A Double Dimple (Harvest) | Germany | 9+
Egberto Gismonti – Academia de Dancas (EMI) | Brazil | 9+
Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel (Reprise) | USA | 9+
Buffalo – Only Want You For Your Body (Vertigo) | Australia | 9+
Can – Limited Edition (Spoon) | Germany | Bandcamp | 9+
T. Rex – Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow (Mercury) | UK | 9+
Procol Harum – Exotic Birds And Fruit (Chrysalis) | UK | 9+
Renaissance – Turn Of The Cards (BTM/Sire) | UK | 9+
Bobby Hutcherson – Cirrus (Blue Note) | USA | 9+
Focus – Hamburger Concerto (Atco) | Netherlands | 9+
Poco – Cantamos (Epic) | USA | 9+
Area – Caution Radiation Area (Cramps) | Italy | 9+
White Witch – A Spiritual Greeting (Capricorn) | USA | 9+
Weather Report – Mysterious Traveller (Columbia) | USA | 9+
Donald Byrd – Street Lady (Blue Note) | USA | 9+
Secret Oyster – Sea Son (CBS) | Netherlands | 9+
SBB – SBB (Polskie Nagrania Muza) | Poland | 9+
McCoy Tyner – Asante (Blue Note) | USA | 9+
Biglietto per l’Inferno – Biglietto per l’Inferno (Trident) | Italy | Bandcamp | 9+
Tower Of Power – Back To Oakland (Columbia) | USA | 9+
Sensations’ Fix – Fragments of Light (Polydor) | UK | 9+
Mick Ronson – Slaughter on 10th Avenue (RCA) | UK | 9+
Elis Regina – Elis (Philips) | Brazil | 9+
Joe Walsh – So What (Dunhill) | USA | 9+
Franco Battiato – Clic (Island) | Italy | 9+
Trace – Trace (Philips) | Netherlands | 9+
Elvin Bishop – Let It Flow (Capricorn) | USA | 9+
Barclay James Harvest – Everyone Is Everybody Else (Polydor) | UK | 9+
Premiata Forneria Marconi – L’isola Di Niente (RCA) | Italy | 9+
Peter Hammill – In Camera (Charisma) | UK | 9+
Bert Jansch – L.A. Turnaround (Charisma/EMI) | UK | 9+
Ange – Au-dela du délire (Philips) | France | 9+
Isotope – Isotope (Gull) | UK | 9+
Nektar – Down to Earth (Bacillus) | Germany | 9+
The Charlie Daniels Band – Way Down Yonder (Kama Sutra) | USA | 9+
Jerry Goodman & Jan Hammer – Like Children (Atlantic) | USA/Czechia | 9+
John Lee Hooker – Free Beer and Chicken (ABC) | USA | 9+
Utopia – Todd Rundgren’s Utopia (Bearsville) | USA | 9+
McCoy Tyner – Echoes of a Friend (Milestone) | USA | 9+
Randy Newman – Good Old Boys (Reprise) | USA | 9+
Stevie Wright – Hard Road (Albert) | Australia | 9+
Betty Wright – Danger High Voltage (Alston) | USA | 9+
Groundhogs – Solid (United Artists) | UK | 9+
Stanley Clarke – Stanley Clarke (Atlantic) | USA | 9+
Nektar – Sunday Night at the London Roundhouse (Bacillus) | Germany | 9+
Jane – III (Brain) | Germany | 9+
Keith Jarrett – Belonging (ECM) | USA | 9+
Frank Zappa – Apostrophe (‘) (DiscReet) | USA | 9+
Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now (WB) | USA | 9+
Van Morrison – It’s Too Late To Stop Now (WB) | Ireland | 9+
Al Green – Explores Your Mind (Hi) | USA | 9+
Miles Davis – Get Up With It (Columbia) | USA | 9+

Books

J.G. Ballard – Concrete Island
Shel Silverstein – Where the Sidewalk Ends
Robert M. Pirsig – Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance
Ursula K. LeGuin – The Dispossessed
Philip K. Dick – Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
Samuel R. Delaney – Dhalgren
Larry Niven – The Mote in God’s Eye
James Baldwin – If Beale Street Could Talk
E.L. Doctorow – Ragtime
Dr. Suess – There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!
Judy Blume – Blubber
Agatha Christie – Curtain
Harry Allard – The Stupids Step Out

Movies

The Godfather, Part II (Francis Ford Coppola)
Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks)
Chinatown (Roman Polanski)
Dark Star (John Carpenter)
Zardoz (John Boorman)
Planet Earth (Marc Daniels)
Phantom of the Paradise (Brian DePalma)
A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavettes)
The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola)
Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks)
Lenny (Bob Fosse)
Space is the Place (John Coney)
Murder on the Orient Express (Sidney Lumet)

Bubbling under: Scenes From a Marriage, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, A Woman Under the Influence, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Female Trouble, It’s Alive, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Thieves Like Us, Nude for Satan, The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine.

Posted in: Features, Listicles, Reviews, Videos/Singles

Tagged: Albums that are 50 Years Old, Be-Bop Deluxe, Big Star, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Brian Eno, Budgie, Can, Cluster, Cockney Rebel, David Bowie, Dvid Bowie, Electric Light Orchestra, Epitaph, Funkadelic, Gene Clark, Good Rats, Harmonia, Hawkwind, John Cale, King Crimson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Young, New York Dolls, Peter Hammill, Queen, Robert Wyatt, Robin Trower, Roxy Music, Sea of Tranquility, Sparks, Sweet, Thin Lizzy, Tom Waits, Toots & the Maytals, UFO

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Stuff

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Fester’s Lucky 13: 1986

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Favorite Bands of All Time

Best of 1974