Tag: 1970s
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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…
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Steely Dan, The Royal Scam, 1976 on ABC
Fifth studio album from Donald Fagen, Walter Becker et. al., produced by Gary Katz. Steely Dan can be a bit divisive, and gets dismissed sometimes as “Dad rock” but I really appreciate the songwriting and musicianship of all these records. The Royal Scam includes “Kid Charlemagne” and “Haitian Divorce.” My copy —via Mystery Train Records…
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Iggy Pop, The Idiot, 1977 on RCA Victor
Iggy Pop is one of those threads that lives in the lineage of Bowie, Bauhaus, and Love and Rockets – lots of records i’ve posted lately. David Bowie produced The Idiot just before producing his own Low, though Low came out just before The Idiot. Bowie and Pop get cowriting credits, plus Carlos Alomar on…
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David Bowie, Hunky Dory, 1971 on RCA Victor
Bowie’s fourth full-length studio LP and one of my all-time favorites. This followed The Man Who Sold the World but all these early Bowie albums are so great they sound to me like they have just always existed. It can be hard to find decent early pressings of these but there have been many great…
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John Lennon, Rock ‘n’ Roll, 1981 on MFP/Parlophone
Originally released in the US and UK on Apple Records in 1975, these recordings were made at A&M studios (LA) in late 1973 and the Power Plant in New York in late 1974, during Lennon’s so called “lost weekend” where he was separated from Yoko Ono and doing a fair amount of drinking and drugs.…
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The Blues Project, Archetypes, 1974 on MGM
Reissue of 1969’s The Best of the Blues Project, which was on Verve Forecast. There is a whole series of releases titled Archetypes from the mid-seventies on MGM – not sure if they are all reissues or not. Other artists in the MGM Archetype Series are: Charlie Parker, Tim Hardin, Billy Holiday, Blues Project, Velvet…
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Prince, For You, 1978 on Warner Bros.
This was the debut album from his purple majesty, with all songs written, performed, and recorded by Prince himself. Recorded at the Record Plant in Sausalito CA. It’s not my favorite of his albums but it shows his early promise and he was doing it all himself. Very sexy and funky even now. My copy—via…
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Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, Wanted! The Outlaws, 1976 on RCA Victor
The album that solidified the rise of outlaw country, and was the first country album to be certified platinum. Great collection of mostly previously released songs with a few new titles, including: two songs each from Waylon, Jessi, Willie, and Tompall plus two Waylon & Willie songs and one Waylon & Jessi song. Tompall Glaser…
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Tavares, The Best of Tavares, 1977 on Capitol
Wonderful collection of disco/soul/funk from the mid-seventies, including their biggest hits “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” and “It Only Takes a Minute.” They ended up on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, doing “More Than A Woman.” But even if you don’t like disco, they are well worth checking out. They were from New Bedford…
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Mose Allison, Your Mind is On Vacation, 1976 on Atlantic
Allison’s 10th record on Atlantic and 20th overall. Of course the rest of the title couplet is “but your mouth is working overtime.” Great record, executive produced by Nesuhi Ertegun, with Jack Hannah (bass), Gerry Granelli (drums, Al Cohn & Joe Farrell (tenor sax), David Sanborn (alto sax), and Al Porcino (trumpet) – players vary…
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The Cure, I Hear No Sound: Live at De Melkweg, Amsterdam Dec 12, 1979, 2024 on Dear Boss.
Live bootleg from late 1979, right before recording Seventeen Seconds. De Melkweg – you can find some of the same show on the Internet Archive: The Cure Live – 1979-12-12 Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Melkweg is a music venue in Amsterdam on the site of a former dairy (Melkweg means “Milky Way” in Dutch). Not sure…
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Grant Green, Green is Beautiful, 1970 on Blue Note
Green joined here by Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Claude Bartee (tenor sax), Emmanuel Riggens (organ), Jimmy Lewis (bass), and Idris Muhammad (drums) plus Richard Lendrum (bongos) and Candido Camero (congas). Recorded in 1970 by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. My copy—via Salem Flea Marketplace—is the 2023 Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series reissue, mastered by…
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Elvis Costello and The Attractions, Armed Forces, 1979 on Columbia
Costello’s third LP and second with The Attractions (but the first to credit them on the cover). My favorites here are “Oliver’s Army” and of course “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (forgiving the lack of an Oxford comma). Produced by Nick Lowe, who famously wrote the latter. My copy—via Vinyl Vault in…
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The Beatles, The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, 1977 on Capitol
Recorded in 1964 and 1965, restored by George Martin for release in 1977, and then re-released in 2016 with four additional tracks and fully remastered by Giles Martin as Live At The Hollywood Bowl. It’s been out of print for a long time so I was happy to find a copy in the used market.…
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Ry Cooder, Into The Purple Valley, 1972 on Reprise
This was Cooder’s second studio album, with some great legacy American music, including “How Can You Keep On Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)” and Woody Guthrie’s “Vigilante Man.” You can’t go wrong with Ry Cooder. Produced by Lenny Waronker and Jim Dickinson. My copy—via a private sale—is a Pitman pressing on orange Reprise labels with…
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The Band, The Last Waltz, 1978 on Warner Bros
Album from the move documenting The Band’s “farewell concert appearance” with a stellar set of guests including Dylan but also Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young (along with many others). There are songs in the soundtrack album here that are not in the film – and the soundtrack reportedly went…
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Thelonious Monk, The London Collection Volume 3, 1989 on Black Lion
Recorded at Chappell Studios in London Nov 15th, 1971 but not released until the late 80s on Black Lion, these recordings are from near the end of his recording and performing career. Monk’s joined by Al McKibbon on bass and Art Blakey on drums. There are at least 3 volumes in the London Collection as…
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Leo Kottke, Self-Titled, 1976 on Chrysalis
Kottke’s first album on Chrysalis (after six on Capitol): a fully instrumental album produced by Denny Bruce with arrangements by Jack Nitzsche My copy via the Salem Flea Marketplace is a 1977 pressing on Chrysalis labels.