Tag: 1970s
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Jeff Beck, Blow By Blow, 1975 on Epic
Jeff Beck is a guitarists’ guitarist – constantly named by other greats as one of the greatest but not given quite the same public acclaim. This 1975 album – orchestrated, arranged, and produced by George Martin – has two Stevie Wonder songs (“Case We’ve Ended As Lovers” and “Thelonious”), a Beatles cover (“She’s a Woman”)…
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Traffic, Welcome to the Canteen, 1971 on United Artists
As a result of some contractual disputes, this is credited on the labels and cover directly to Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, Chris Wood, Rick Grech, “Reebop” Kwaku Baah, and Jim Gordon, with no mention of “Traffic” though the rear cover and labels include the Traffic logo. Recorded live at Fairfield Hall in Croydon…
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Joe Jackson, I’m the Man, 1979 on A&M
I knew Joe Jackson’s music from the early 80s – he was pretty hard to avoid on mainstream radio at that point – but I don’t think I really appreciated his unique talent until I was a bit older. This was his sophomore album, following 1978’s Look Sharp – and included the title track as…
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Waylon Jennings, The Taker / Tulsa, 1971 on RCA/Victor
Love this early 70s Waylon Jennings. It’s only 30 minutes long but has great takes on some Kris Kristofferson tunes like “Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)” and “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.” It was recorded at RCA “Nashville Sound’ studio and in LA, and produced by Danny Davis and Ronny Light.…
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James Taylor, One Man Dog, 1972 on Warner Bros.
This was Taylor’s fourth studio album, with “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight.” 18 tracks means lots of short bits / interludes, some of which can feel a bit unfinished but overall I like the effect. Performers include Carly Simon and Carole King on backing vocals, Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and John McLaughlin…
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Eagles, The Long Run, 1979 on Asylum
Fun fact: even though virtually everyone calls them The Eagles, it’s really just Eagles. (There was already some soul band called The Eagles). This was their sixth (and penultimate) studio album, their final one for Asylum records, and the first with Timothy Schmidt on bass (replacing Randy Meisner). They wouldn’t release another studio album until…
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Steely Dan, Katy Lied, 1975 on ABC Records
Walter Becker and Donald Fagen on the fourth full length studio album from Steely Dan. This was the first album after the departure of Skunk Baxter and Jim Hodder and the shift into studio albums with session musicians. (One of the session musicians here is Michael MacDonald providing backing vocals.) Apparently Becker and Fagen were…
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Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, 1970 on A&M
Technically the soundtrack to the live movie of the same name, a sprawling live set with a tremendous band including (led by?) Leon Russell, across rock, soul and R&B. If you can only have one Joe Cocker album this probably ought to be it. Great renditions of “Cry Me A River,” “Bird on a Wire,”…
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David Bowie, Young Americans, 1975 on RCA Victor
Mid-Seventies Bowie, with guests like Earl Slick, John Lennon, David Sanborn, abd Luther Vandross (who also did the vocal arrangements). Bowie called this “Plastic Soul” and he recorded in Philadelphia and New York. My copy via Todd’s Farm Flea Market in Rowley MA – as I gradually complete the full Bowie catalog up to 2016.
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Squeeze, Cool for Cats, 1979 on A&M
Second album from the late 70s power-pop version of Squeeze (aka UK Squeeze) with Jools Holland joining Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. The “UK Squeeze” name was ropped for later releases in the US, but was still used in Australia up through Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti. This album includes the title track as well as…
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The South Side Movement, The South Side Movement, 1973 on Wand.
Debut album from The South Side Movement (sometimes written as The Southside Movement) from Chicago. They put out only three albums, one on Wand records and two on 20th Century. My copy is the Vinyl Me Please exclusive pressing for the 50th anniversary in 2023, on brown vinyl, mastered at Sonic Vision by Mike Milchner…
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Otis Redding / The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Festival, 1970 on Reprise
Perhaps the most unusual split record in my collection, pairing Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding. Both are live performances captured at Monterey Pop in 1967, and both have since been expanded in more comprehensive releases dedicated to each performer. The Jimi Hendrix Experience (with Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, and Noel Redding) had not yet performed in…
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David Bromberg, Wanted Dead or Alive, 1974 on Columbia
I’m a huge David Bromberg fan – he’s an under-appreciated player in the universe of bluegrass/blues/folk/jazz. This was his third LP. One side was recorded with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Keith Godchaux and Bill Kreutzmann (of the Grateful Dead) and the other side was recorded live. The opener “The Holdup” was cowritten with George Harrison,…
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Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, San Antonio Ballbuster, 1974 on Red Lightnin’
Although it was originally released in 1974 on Red Lightnin’, my copy is a reissue from 1979 on Charly Records. Red Lightnin‘ is a blues label started in 1968; Charly a reissue label started in 1975; both are UK labels. Not sure how this ended up in Mel’s Record Shop in Amesbury MA, but that’s…
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Thelonious Monk, The Complete Genius, 1976 on Blue Note
Though this compilation was released in 1976 – part of The Blue Note Re-Issue Series – it actually collects sides he recorded for Blue Note in 1947, 1948, 1951, and 1952. Note: This album contains the complete Monk on Blue Note with the exception of his appearance as a sideman on two of his compositions…
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Neil Young, Decade, 1977 on Reprise
It’s amazing to me that all of this music was before 1977. I came to Neil Young’s music well into the 1980s and while I knew some of the legacy (Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y and combinations thereof) I didn’t know just how many great songs he’d put out in the first decade of his career. This…
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Gram Parsons, GP, 1973 on Reprise
It’s hard to overstate the importance of Gram Parsons’ two solo albums: GP and (posthumously) Grievous Angel. This was his solo debut though he is joined by Emmylou Harris (with whom he was touring) on two duets. It was recorded Sept-Oct on 1972 and produced by Ric Grech from Blind Faith. My copy (via Reykjavik…
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Coleman Hawkins, Sirius, 1974 on Pablo
Recorded by Val Valentin December 1966 but released posthumously in 1974 (Hawkins died in 1969). Produced by Norman Granz, with liner notes by Benny Green: This is the album which none of us ever wanted to hear, the last milestone on that long fascinating road which stretches back to the day in 1922 when, as…