Tag: 1970s
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Old & In The Way, Live at Sonoma State: November 4th, 1973; 2025 on Round Records
American bluegrass band with Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, John Kahn, Peter Rowan, and Vassar Clements. This was recorded live (as the title says) in the fall of 1973 at Sonoma State two years before their debut album was released in 1975 (thought it was also recorded in 1973, about one month before this show). Ramblin’…
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Waylon Jennings, Songbird, 2025 on Son of Jessi
This is a posthumous release, based on material Jennings had recorded between 1973 and 1984 in his home studio with band members from the Waylors. The recordings were selected by Shooter Jennings and overdubs added to flesh out the production, but he has said the production was very minimal. There’s a great episode of The…
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Old & In The Way, Old & In the Way, 1975 on Round Records
Old & In The Way were a bluegrass band that included Jerry Garcia and David Grisman along with Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements, and John Kahn. This was their debut album, put out in 1975 – which would become one of the best selling bluegrass albums of all time. (The soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art…
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Leonard Cohen, Live Songs, 1973 on CBS
This was Leonard Cohen’s first released live album, on Columbia in the US but CBS in Europe. It was recorded in 1970 and 1972 (you can see the musicians and cities listed on the cover). The vocalist “Jennifer Warren” in the 1972 band would later be known as Jennifer Warnes who released a full album…
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Natalie Cole, Inseparable, 1975 on Capitol
Debut album from Natalie Cole, with “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love” and “Inseparable,” her two big breakout hits. Songs written mostly by Chuck jackson and Marvin Yancy who also produced. (Cole married Yancy in 1976). She was the first African American woman (and first R&B act) to win a Grammy for Best New Artist,…
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Carly Simon, Boys in the Trees, 1978 on Elektra
Simon’s seventh studio album, with “You Belong To Me” (co-written by Simon with Michael McDonald) and a duet with then-hubbie James Taylor (who also wrote “One Woman Man”) on “Devoted to You” (an Everly Brothers cover). Steve Gadd on drums, Tony Levin / Gordon Edwards / Will Lee on bass, various guitarists plus a horn…
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The Trammps, The Best Of The Trammps, 1978 on Atlantic
Disco at its height: the Trammps, with two ems. There are actually two different “Best of The Trammps” albums – an earlier one on Philadelphia International Records and this one on Atlantic. Opener “Disco Inferno” is worth the price of admission (and you likely know it from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack) but they are…
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Dr. Buzzard’s Original “Savannah” Band, self-titled, 1976 on RCA Victor
This one was great fun to find. Originally released in 1976, this is an album that gets sampled frequently, perhaps most famously (in my collection at least) by A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Fugees, and M.I.A. It’s kind of swing / big-band / latin jazz influenced early disco, which led to more interesting…
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James Taylor, JT, 1977 on Columbia
This was Taylor’s eighth studio LP and his first on Columbia after years on Warner Bros. It was produced by Peter Asher and recorded in Los Angeles. Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, and Russ Kunkel appear, with guest backing vocals from Linda Rondstadt and his then wife Carly Simon on specific tracks. One of his best…
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James Taylor, Mud Slide Slim and The Blue Horizon, 1971 on Warner Bros.
I always want to call this album Mud Slide Jim, given James Taylor’s habit of naming records with his own name. This was his third LP and second Warner Brothers release. Ironically, because discogs uses a “first credited with the name wins” algorithm for artists with shared names, he is forever “James Taylor (2)” on…
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Various Artists, The Harder They Come, 1972 on Mango
This was the soundtrack to a film of the same name, released in the UK in 1972 and in the US in 1973. Although Jimmy Cliff’s name is above the title, and he has six of the twelve tracks (though 2 have double versions on the LP_, there’s also two Maytals tracks and one Desmond…
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Steely Dan, Pretzel Logic, 1974 on ABC Records
Third Steely Dan studio LP out in 1974 on ABC Records and the last to include the full quintet: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Denny Dias, Jim Hodder, and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter – plus studio musicians. “Ricky Don’t Lose That Number” may have become their most well known song over time, though I love “Any Major…
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Shuggie Otis, Inspiration Information, 1974 on Epic
This was the third and last Shuggie Otis studio LP on Epic, released in 1974 after three years in the making. Otis is credited with guitar, bass, organ, piano, vibes, and percussion – basically most of the instruments, with some guests on harp and horns. It became something of a cult classic – not a…
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Eagles, On the Border, 1974 on Asylum
Yes, it really is just “Eagles” not “The Eagles.” This was their third studio album produced mostly by Bill Szymczyk and includes “Already Gone” and “Best of My Love” and I was surprised to find a cover of Tom Waits’ “Ol’ 55.” There’s really some great music hand songwriting here. My copy—via private sale—is a…
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James Taylor, Walking Man, 1974 on Warner Bros.
I became a James Taylor fan in the 80s via a CD of Greatest Hits but as I’m rebuilding my vinyl collection have been picking up his early 70s albums. Walking Man was his fifth, out in 1974 on Warner Bros. (after his debut had been on Apple Records). It was less successful commercially than…
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Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Sonny & Brownie, 1973 on A&M
Not to be confused with the earlier Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee album on Fantasy records, Sonny & Brownie was recorded in the early 70s at Paramount in LA and released in 1973 by A&M. Great 2xLP collection, including covers of Randy Newman’s “Sail Away” and Michael Franks’ “You Bring Out the Boogie in Me”…
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The Meters, Fire On The Bayou, 1975 on Reprise
New Orleans’ own The Meters—here including Wardell Quezergue, George Porter Jr, Cyril Neville, Joseph Modeliste, Leo Nocentelli, and Arthur Neville—released the same year they were opening for the Rolling Stones on a US tour. Great funk band near if not at the height of their powers. My copy—via private sale—is the 2009 reissue, on 180g…
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Talking Heads, A Bar Called Heaven, 2024 on Dear Boss.
Another in a series of Dear Boss. releases (the period is part of their name) which claim to be FM broadcasts and therefore out of copyright in the EU. This one is Talking Heads from December 7th, 1979, at the Electric Ballroom in London (Camden Town). Excellent recording either way – I’ve become a big…