*** 1970's Album Draft - Draft Thread ***

[Grinch]

To Fininish

Captain Fantastic - Elton John (1975)

This was where EJ changed for me, became to 'pop' for me, but Tower of Babel, Bitter Fingers and Tell Me When the Whistle Blows were more like his old stuff (Tower especially).

Sorry for the delay!

[BuckyBuckner]

Round 21 - Heaven Tonight - Cheap Trick (1978)

I guess some critics thought the layered production and employment of (gasp!) synthesizers on this record signified some kind of sellout. Which is bullsh!t - the sellout album would come later. This collection of songs is top shelf, and the crisp production actually makes Heaven Tonight their most listenable studio record, IMO.

No need to post Surrender, we've all heard it, I'll just state the obvious - it's pure pop genius. Brilliant concept, perfect execution - it should be in a time capsule or something. Sadly, too many people haven't heard the rest of this record, and if you haven't, you should. It's tremendous. Some highlights...

On Top Of The World:



A kick ass cover of The Move's California Man:



Auf Wiedersehen:



How Are You:

The sellout came when they recorded "The Flame." They didn't even write that song, they should have known better. Heaven Tonight is great and I LOVE "How Are You?" but the first album is better. I always wanted that satin Cheap Trick jacket.

[senorsheep]

Round 22 - Can't Buy A Thrill - Steely Dan (1972)

Katy Lied is probably the more solid record start to finish, but this one has a few more individual standout tracks that I love - Do It Again is a staple in my poker night music mix. The only knock on this record is the inclusion of alternate lead vocalists on select tracks - man, whoever decided that those guys could sing better than Donald Fagen sure screwed the pooch. They really ought to recut those tracks with proper Fagen vocals someday.

Round 23 - Another Music In A Different Kitchen - The Buzzcocks (1978)

If you don't own their hits compilation Singles Going Steady, you must correct that oversight immediately. Like, stop whatever you're doing and go get it RIGHT NOW. Then, when your are inevitably blown away by its sheer awesomeness, and you must have more, go get this one.

Round 24 - Argus - Wishbone Ash (1972)

I have exactly *one* prog album in my music collection (unless you consider Genesis' Duke a prog album ), and this is it. I gave it a try a few years back after seeing it on a bazillion "Best Albums Of The 70's" lists (and not realizing that it was prog - LOL). Anyway, even though I am *not* a fan of the genre, I really like this one, for whatever reason, so if you normally don't care for prog albums either, maybe this is the one you should try.

[senorsheep]

OK, I gotta pimp this one a little bit.

As you can tell by perusing my roster, I *love* records by brilliant artists who have been pushed to their emotional breaking points (There's A Riot Goin' On, Plastic Ono Band, Tonight's The Night, The Payback). My last pick is one of those.

Round 25 - No Other - Gene Clark (1974)

There's a lot of conflicting mythology surrounding this album. Clark had been floundering since he left The Byrds. He has already developed problems with drinking, drugs, and anxiety when he split with the band, and years of making great music that went largely unheard and unappreciated didn't help his mental state. A Byrds reunion session in 1973 went badly and flopped, exposing him to critical ridicule, but David Geffen, then with Asylum records, thought enough of Clark's contributions to the project to give him a shot at a solo record. This was a make-or-break moment in Gene Clark's career.

Feeling pressure to produce a hit, Clark allegedly spent long stretches of time in Mendocino doing mescaline and staring at the Pacific Ocean for inspiration, then returned to Los Angeles for the cocaine and boozed fueled recording sessions. Clark though he had written his masterpiece. Geffen thought he had wasted a hundred grand and a year of studio time on a confused mess of conflicting musical styles and cryptic gibberish. Geffen was furious, refusing to promote the record, even deleting it from the Asylum catalog shortly after its release. Many major critics savaged it, calling it pretentious and overproduced. Clark was crushed - he spiraled into depression and alcoholism, his marriage fell apart, and his career floundered. He ultimately drank himself to an early grave at the age of 46.

Listening to No Other today, it's hard to understand what his record company and his critics found so objectionable - it's a beautifully written, gorgeous-sounding album. If you picked any Neil Young, CSN, or Gram Parsons in this draft, give this one listen - I think you'll be impressed.

[Erik]

15.13 Recycled - Nektar (1975)



Obscurity time! A cherished cult favorite among prog-heads, Nektar were a British band by way of Germany who just missed fame and fortune by the slimmest of margins, getting some FM airplay here in NY but never breaking through big. They did have the Top 40 single 'Astral Man' in 1974, but they were signed to the tiny Passport label, who couldn't get them into the big leagues with ELP, Yes and Genesis.

'Recycled' is a wacky and elaborate concept album all about man's ecological struggle, or something. Just straight-up prog in its purest essence, with the incredible Larry Fast on synthesizer. A tough call over their equally brilliant previous album. Bonus points for the totally mind-blowing cover that I stared at for hours when I was stoned.

Nektar frontman Roye Albrighton passed away last month after an unspecified illness. RIP. Thanks, Foot, for introducing me to their music: Recycled, Remember the Future and A Tab in the Ocean are all titanic accomplishments.

[Erik]

Talk about criminal, these guys go undrafted for 15 rounds!?! The only reason I waited this long is because they have four 70s albums I'd have been happy to roster.

16.01 Rejuvenation - The Meters (1974)

I finally listened to this in full for the first time last night. Holy shit.