You’re So Vain

One single that completely fell under the radar for my 1972 list is Carly Simon’s  – You’re so Vain.  Brilliant lyrics, (and no, I’m not referring to the chorus) meaningful, clever, well-crafted.

Well I hear you went up to Saratoga and your horse naturally won
Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun
Well, you’re where you should be all of the time
And when you’re not you’re with
Some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend
Wife of a close friend, and….

Don’t judge!

Nate’s 1972

Here’s my quick and dirty 1972 list. I hope to come back to this and add some annotations and links, but I don’t want the topic to go away before I get my list up…

Albums

Dave Holland – Conference of the Birds

Neil Young – Harvest

Big Star – #1 Record

Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything

Ornette Coleman – Skies of America

Elvin Jones – Live at the Lighthouse

Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill

Elton John – Honky Château

Jean-Claude Vannier – L’Enfant assassin des mouches

Neil Diamond – Hot August Night 

*edit: Colin Blunstone – Ennismore

Tracks

Nick Drake – “From the Morning”

Big Star – “Thirteen”

Chicago – “Saturday in the Park”

Al Green – “Let’s Stay Together”

Rosy Grier – “It’s Alright to Cry”

Elvin Jones Quartet – “Fancy Free”

Steely Dan – “Reelin’ in the Years”

Todd Rundgren – “It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference”

David Axelrod – “The Auction”

Frank Zappa – “Waka/Jawaka”

Here’s a Spotify playlist of the tracks (minus the Axelrod):

Astrud getting groovy.

Astrud is an acquired taste – her husband Joao Gilberto thought her voice was horrible, but the fans disagreed. This is number 9 on my top ten songs – my favourite track from ‘Astrud Gilberto Now’ 1972.

NEU! 1972

For any of you who don’t know NEU! here’s a track from their eponymous debut album. Huge influence on Bowie and Eno as well as the later British art-punk scene (Magazine, PIL, Wire).

rjs’s 1972 madness

I found the most challenging part of the 1972 theme was integrating all the
various styles of music into a single list. It helped me realize what stood out to
be personally the most important. I also learned it’s better to refer to the actual artifacts of records and cds as opposed to using the Internet to rely on release dates vs.
recording dates vs. American release vs. German, etc. Like I was telling Brent last
week “but dude, the (Conference of Birds) album says 1973, but the Penguin guide
says 72…” well it was actually released in 1973 like the record states!

The 1972 lists, not really in any specific order:

albums

The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street I believe I discovered this album around
the age of 13 and growing up it always stood for more than just a music record,
Exile On Main Street was God, seriously. It’s not my favorite Stone’s record, but I
believe it to be the most important. I believe it changed the culture of the
music industry, and it probably still is. I will not type a thousand words as to
why, but I’d love to sit and have some pints and talk about it.

Thin Lizzy – Shades of a Blue Orphanage

Ege Bamyasi – Can

Roxy Music – Roxy Music Big thanks to Mike for turning me on to their early stuff.
Early founders of what seemed to lay out the ground rules of the 70’s punk scene.

London Jazz Composers Orchestra with Barry Guy – Ode (Thanks Tim D!)

David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Probably
one of the most simplistic, lyrically complicated and emotional albums ever – not
sure if Lady Stardust or Rock and Roll Suicide make me cry more.

Black Sabbath – Vol. 4

Sun Ra – Space is the Place (Impulse! Release) Sun Ra released a ton of music in
1972. This particular release was one of the first Sun Ra albums I ever owned, not
to be confused with the Soundtrack to the movie.

Stevie Wonder – Talking Book

Deep Purple – Made in Japan

songs

Across 110th Street – Bobby Womack
All the Young Dudes – Mott the Hoople
Sun-Luck Night-Rain – Alexander von Schlippenbach
The Watcher – Hawkwind
Chariot Choogle – T Rex (I could easily have chosen at least 5 of the releases off
the Slider, but this one owns the moment)
Blue Turk – Alice Cooper
Pusherman – Curtis Mayfield
Dogon A.D. – Julius Hemphill
For Adolphe Sax – Peter Brotzmann
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green (thx madherb for pointing out this was 1971)

Madherb (Mike’s) 1972

Albums

1. Roxy Music—Roxy Music (“Chance Meeting“)

2. Al Green—I’m Still in Love with You (“Love and Happiness“)

3. Nick Drake—Pink Moon (“Horn“)

4. Randy Newman—Sail Away (“Dayton, Ohio 1903“)

5. Willis Alan Ramsey—Willis Alan Ramsey (“Northeast Texas Women“)

6. Genesis—Foxtrot

7. Deep Purple—Machine Head (“Space Truckin‘)

8. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band—Will the Circle Be Unbroken (“I Saw the Light“)

9. Steely Dan—Can’t Buy a Thrill (“Fire in the Hole“)

10. Yes—Close to the Edge

Songs
1. Julius Hemphill—”Dogon A.D.”
2. Argent—”Hold Your Head Up”
3. Van Morrison—”Almost Independence Day”
4. Annette Peacock—”I’m the One”
5. J.J. Cale—”Call the Doctor”
6. Stevie Wonder—”Maybe Your Baby”
7. Kevin Ayers—”Whatevershebringswesing”
8. Matching Mole–“Starting in the Middle of the Day We Can Drink Our Politics Away”
9. Rastus—”Lucy Bluebird” (excerpt)
10. Cymande—”One More”

All of these are car-wreck songs. That is, every individual song listed and every song off of each of these albums, when I hear one in the car the accelerator hits the floor and I either erupt in a dash-pounding shout-along or the tears generously flow. I hope you enjoyed revisiting this year as much as I did. It gave me an opportunity to revisit less stellar, but still enjoyable and occasionally invigorating stuff from the era as well as the many many greats. Still didn’t get through my entire collection of records from ’72 so in some cases relied on memory.

Enjoyed listening to a variety of folky stuff from the year like Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks (including his best ever song I Scare Myself, which just missed the cut here), Tir Na Nog, Steeleye Span, Morris On. Kevin Coyne’s first solo record (Case History—almost as good as it ever got for him, offering his cracked blues, empathetic character studies of the forgotten, lost souls of the street and of the institution). There is some dispute about whether it came out in 71 or 72. I have it as part of a ‘Dandelion’ box set that offers no help. I eventually decided it was 1971 so I could fit other things. Sure would have liked to include “God Bless the Bride” from that album. I understand the Willis Alan Ramsey is finally available on CD. If I had included songs off albums I selected, at minimum two of his would have made my top ten, but it would have been damn hard to choose them, every song off that album is so damn good. For starters, check out “Northeast Texas Women”. Same goes for any of the other album selections.

Some good hard rock stuff like Twenty Sixty Six, Randy California, Mick Abrahams Band, Atomic Rooster, West, Bruce & Laing, Blue Oyster Cult, etc. None of which of course comes within spitting range of Vol. 4 or Machine Head (not to mention Live in Japan). Only one could make it here. I’ve enjoyed acquainting myself with the hard rock since living in Cleveland from 97-03. There was a Saturday morning DJ who played only hard rock from the seventies. I listened to his show for several hundred hours and swear I never heard the same cut twice.

Some great psych and prog stuff of course. Aside from the classics—Foxtrot, Close to the Edge, Roxy Music (if that belongs in this category, but it doesn’t really belong in any category, does it?), Thick as a Brick, Focus 3, maybe even Argus and Trilogy—we get the first Scorpions album (more prog/psych than metal and maybe my favorite of theirs), two Gentle Giants, and my favorite Kevin Ayers (Whatevershebringswesing) and Captain Beyond albums. Trilogy is the only ELP I’ve listened to in 20 years and an album I continue to get a tremendous kick from, critical status thankgod notwithstanding. Then there’s all the Kraut stuff which I don’t have a great appreciation for, or collection of, I’ll admit. I do like the Amon Duul 2 album Wolf City and Faust So Far quite a lot though and considered a couple cuts off each album, “Green Bubble Raincoated Man”, especially. The Matching Mole song is a great opening cut off a weak album.

As far as jazz, fallouts include three of my favorite all-time cuts by Rahsaan Roland Kirk (Blacknuss, I Love You Yes I Do, Ain’t No Sunshine), one of my favorite Herbie records based only on spotify listens (forever on my LP wishlist), Space is the Place, a groundbreaking Joe Henderson (Black is the Color), a very fine Sonny Rollins (Next Step), and by far my favorite Santana album (Caravanserai) that moved them solidly into the jazz realm. The only Santana album I ever listen to. I’ve still never heard the entire Dogon A.D. album. Not a huge fan of Weather Report, but my favorite album of theirs is here (I Sing the Body). I was surprised that the first RTF record nearly made my top ten. This is just so damn fun, the melodies and ridiculous bass that is just so volcanic and prodigious it throws you on the floor and makes you giggle, I could play it all day long. Also, an unheralded (at least in this country) Neil Ardley  album (Symphony of Amaranths).

We’ve also got the best albums by six of my favorite solo artists: T. Rex (really, how much are we attributing to his cohorts?), Al Green, Nick Drake, Annette Peacock, David Bowie and Randy Newman (happy to debate this, it’s a close call in all cases). And admirable and better efforts from other favorite all-time, first name artists: J.J. (two!), Joni, Van, Neil, Elton, Stevie (two!). (Aside, Stevie Wonder’s two 1972 releases represent the first two of what would be an unbelievable run of releases following his emancipation from the production/song selection strictures of Motown. As it happens, Waylon and Willie in 1972 began to release albums under their personal control for the first time, free from the hit-making, string-laden reaches of the Nashville studios. This artistic independence would reach its greatest fruition for all three artists in 1973 with the release of the seminal Innervisions (SW), Honky Tonk Heroes (WJ) and Shotgun Willie (WN).)

Country was still in a pretty bad state in 1972, although hope emerged: Jerry Jeff Walker, Steve Young, and inklings from the aforementioned. But then The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band produced an historical document of America, and they sowed the future of Americana. I guess the Stones’ Exile fits in this category as well as any other. I keep giving it a try, but I simply don’t like it much aside from a couple songs.

Several other albums from 1972 that I don’t care for are short-list critical faves. I know I’m missing out, but at this point in my life I can only say I like Something/Anything, tolerate Ege Bemyasi, and cannot stomach On the Corner, in case you’re wondering about their exclusion. I am going to have to give Big Star another try as well someday, but have to admit I’ve tried a few times now and it’s never hit home with me.

Have to mention The Harder They Come and my favorite song off the album, “Many Rivers to Cross”. Alas, they are another casualty, along with another favorite dub song, Prince Jazzbo’s “Crab Walk”.

I nearly added a pop hit of the day, “Guitar Man”, even if it were to disqualify me from any further contributions here. That bridge, man, cheesy as it is, just takes me to a higher plane:

Then you listen to the music and you like to sing along,
You want to get the meaning out of each and ev’ry song
Then you find yourself a message and some words to call your own
And take them home.

Would have liked to include a couple of my other favorite pop songs, a should-have-been pop hit, the Raspberries’ “I Reach for the Light”, and Roy Wood’s “Wake Up”. Had to drop those along with one of my favorite Elton John songs, “Rocket Man”.

On the soul side, it doesn’t get much better than 1972, does it? Aside from the great Stevie albums, two all-time classics from Al Green, great Dramatics, Spinners and War albums, the all-time soul classic “Papa was a rolling stone” and the second consecutive start-to-finish classic from Bill Withers. Holy crap, “Backstabbers” and “Love train” too from the O’Jays and another near miss, Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th street”. Then, the early strains of disco in an unheralded Chakachas album, one cut of which I nearly selected (“Jungle Fever”). Imagine hearing that on the radio in 1972. Or, hell, any of this shit. Tell me, did it really happen? I gave serious consideration to doing just a soul top ten for the year. As it stands, the genre is underrepresented here. Seriously, “Superfly”.

John’s 1972 Top Ten

Albums:

1. Rod Stewart – Never a Dull Moment

I already posted about this one on the blog, but this is rock/pop done right.  Brilliant songs, both originals and covers.  Amazing arrangements that rock without ever being heavy.  Great swagger.  High points include covers of Dylan’s “Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind,” Hendrix’s “Angel,” and the originals “True Blue,” “Lost Parguayos,” & “You Wear It Well.”  I also love the fact that it’s only 9 songs.  It knows when it’s time to go home.  Don’t hold against it the fact that it’s Rod Stewart.

2. Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything

Another one where I didn’t understand the fuss right away.  I’d seen it everywhere in my youth, including bargain used record bins and even my Dad’s record collection.  And when I finally got around to listening to it I thought, “Light 70’s radio rock?!”  Yeah, maybe.  But also some of the finest crafted songs ever collected on 2 platters.  A lot has been written about this album elsewhere, but if I felt so inclined, I could easily make a top ten song list from 1972 containing little more than just the songs from this album.  Standouts include “Couldn’t I Just Tell You,” “I Saw The Light,” “Marlene,” “Hello It’s Me,” “It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference,” “The Night The Carousel Burned Down,” “Sweeter Memories,” “Cold Morning Light,” “You’ Left Me Sore,” “Saving Grace,” “Wolfman Jack” … Oh, wait that’s already past 10.

3. Big Star – #1 Record

My Favorite Band.  Ever.  It’s a shame I spent so much of my life not hearing of them.  My second favorite of their three albums, but definitely the one to start with for the uninitiated.  Easily their poppiest and the only one with Chris Bell on board.  Emotional rock music, with impeccable writing and arrangements.  Top picks, “Ballad of El Goodo,” “13,” & “Give Me Another Chance.”

 4. Elton John – Honky Chateau

Part of what I call Elton’s Western Trilogy, including  “Tumbleweed Connection,”  “Honky Chateau” & “Brown Dirt Cowboy.”  This is some fantastic Americana from Elton.  Not fully orchestrated like his preceding efforts, including the brilliant break-through self-titled record and the aforementioned “Tumbleweed Connection” (my favorite of his albums), this is a more stripped down affair with the core quartet of Elton’s touring band and the addition of Jean Luc Ponty on violin.  Special shout-out to the amazing violin-through-a-Leslie solo by Jean Luc on “Mellow.”  Tasty.  Standouts include “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters,” “Mellow,” “Honky Cat,” “Rocket Man” & “Susie.”

5. Al Green – I’m Still In Love With You

Al Green’s greatest record and one of the defining soul records of all time.  A lot of amazing soul came out in ’72, including two brilliant records from Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly, the comeback record from Fontella Bass, Debbie Taylor’s tragically overlooked debut, my #6 entry, and yet another excellent record from Al (“Let’s Stay Together”), but this album sets itself apart from the others with a set of songs second to none.  Plus it’s got so much, well… soul.  And those Hi Records Horns!  Standouts included, “I’m Glad You’re Mine,” “Simply Beautiful,” “I’m Still In Love With You,” “Love and Happiness,” & “Look What You’ve Done for Me.”

6. Bill Withers – Still Bill

Love me some Bill.  The standout songs songs may not achieve the  heights of those on his previous album (See the first 3 tracks off of 1971’s Just As I Am”), but this is a much more mature, consistent and cohesive album overall.  And funkier.  Favorites include “Use Me,” “Kissin’ My Love,” “Let Me In Your Life,” & “Lean On Me.”

7. Stories – Stories

Self titled album featuring Michael Brown, the brainchild behind the late 60’s baroque pop band, The Left Banke.  Sonically, this band has little to do with its 60’s counterpart, baring a great collection of songs.  A little Badfinger, a little Rod Stewart and a little… well… Left Banke.  But just a little.  This one can be hard to find, though I think it was reissued as part of a double-album import CD in the not so distant past.  Standouts include “Kathleen,” “High And Low,” “Nice To Have You Here” & “I’m Coming Home.”

8. Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill

Okay.  Can we all admit it?  Donald Fagen has a goofy singing voice.  But it’s less so on this debut record.  Plus, we don’t have to hear him on every song because this is the only Dan album to feature additional vocalist David Palmer.  I don’t have any affection for a single recording this band made after their follow up to this album, “Countdown to Ecstasy,” but this album is great.  A truly inspired batch of songs with fantastic arrangements.  Easily the best from the band, back when it still had heart.  And just to further isolate myself from any Dan Heads out there, “Reelin’ in the Years,” though not without a few charms, is by far the worst song on this album.  The best include , “Fire In The Hole,” “Dirty Work,” “Kings,” & “Do It Again.”

9. David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars

We all forgive Bowie’s (frequent?) missteps because of how great he is when he gets it right, and this album gets it right nearly from start to finish.  One of his best collections of songs, with favorites including “Soul Love,” “Moonage Daydream”  & “Suffragette City.”

10. Steve Wonder – Talking Book

This is not my favorite of Stevie’s 70’s records.  And it doesn’t contain my favorite songs of his from the period either.  But it set the tone for the amazing and prolific set of albums he’d release over the next half a decade.  And it’s funky.  And it’s got some of his best ballads.  Funky ballads.   And it’s solid.  Really solid.  Start to finish.  Highlights include “Superstition,” “Blame It On The Sun,” “Maybe Your Baby” & “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever).”

Songs:

1. Colin Blunstone – Don’t Believe in Miracles

Colin Blunstone, former frontman for the Zombies, has the greatest voice in pop music.  When paired with quality material as it is here, it’s a potent combination.

2. Big Star – The Ballad of El Goodo

Does pop writing get any better than this?  On a different day I could have probably substituted Big Star’s “13” for this song and been just as happy, but not today.

3. Todd Rundgren – Couldn’t I Just Tell You

On an album full of somewhat sappy, Carole King-inspired soft rock gems, this song rocks like no other.  Despite this, the composition does not take a back seat.  Amazing quadruple-tracked guitar solo to boot.

4. Elton John – Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters

Elton John.  Bernie Taupin.  The early 70’s.  Sometimes the planets align.

5. Donny Hathaway/Roberta Flack – Be Real Black For Me

Donny Hathaway rarely reached the great heights he seemed so destined to achieve.  But this is one of those great heights.  An understated composition, equal parts love song and black pride anthem, it rewards the patient listener.  By the time it gets to the hook at the end in 7/4 time, with the soaring horn section, the song has transformed from a simple showcase for two singers in their prime to something altogether different and on a much higher plain.  A classic in a year of classic soul songs, do yourself a favor by giving this a few spins if you had missed it in the past.

6. Nick Drake – Things Behind The Sun

Deep cut from Pink Moon.  Another great voice and an artist lost too soon.  Brilliant writing with bare bones presentation.

7. Yes – Long Distance Runaround

A former music teacher of mine said anytime he’d get an annoying song stuck in his head, he’d just start singing this song.  Problem solved.  Do I wish the drums rocked a bit harder?  Or that Anderson’s vocals were a bit more present in the mix?  Of course.  But despite those minor complaints, this is a brilliant and intriguing bit of pop song-craft, with some great instrumental interplay from Howe & Wakeman.  And for a band not exactly known for concise musical statements, they get it done here in 3 and a half minutes.

8. Steely Dan – Fire In The Hole

From the moment the pianos enter with the straight 8ths, this song delivers the goods.  It’s such a heavy groove, with such sparse instrumentation.  Love the pedal steel and piano solos on this one.  Never indulgent   And Donald’s Vocals are much more reserved than…  well pretty much everything else he’s ever recorded.  Great hook.  Love it.

9. Gilbert O’ Sullivan – Alone Again, Naturally

Great melody and chord structure on this one.  Wonderful use of the half-diminished chord in such a great variety of ways.  Aimee Mann commented that this was the first song that she remembered noticing that the content of the lyrics did not seem to match the tone of the music.  Tragic stuff.  But overtly pop.  This one narrowly edged out close contenders from Chicago (‘Saturday in the Park”) and Emitt Rhodes (“Tame The Lion”).

10. Michael Jackson – I Wanna Be Where You Are

It was a great year for Michael.  He released an album with the Jackson 5, and not one, but two solo albums.  This song seems quite a bit ahead of its time, like it could have been home on any of Michael’s classic later 70’s albums.  Just a great song.  And that’s what this list is all about.

Dogon A.B. (1972)

1972 Albums

1. Foxtrot (Genesis)

2. Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars (David Bowie)

3. Exile on Main St. (Rolling Stones)

4. Dogon A.D. (Julius Hemphill)

5. Roxy Music (Roxy Music)

6. For Alophe Sax (Peter Brotzmann Trio)

7. So Far (Faust)

8. Pakistani Pomade (Alexander Von Schlippenbach Trio)

9. Cluster II (Cluster)

10. Schwingunen (Ash Ra Tempel)

**Honorable Mention – Nuggets Comp

1972 Songs

1. Supernaught (Black Sabbath – Vol. 4)

2. Horizons/Supper’s Ready (Genesis – Foxtrot)

3. Starman (David Bowie – Ziggy)

4. Ladytron (Roxy Music – Roxy Music)

5. Satellite of Love (Lou Reed – Transformer)

6. Maybe Your Baby (Stevie Wonder – Talking Book)

7. Ventilator Blues (Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St.)

8. The Chopper (Ike & Tina Turner – Feel Good)

9. Deutsch Napal (Amon Duul II – Wolf City)

10. VP Blues (Eddie Palmieri & Harlem River Drive – Live @ Sing Sing)

Happy Birthday Ornette Coleman !

Tim’s 1972 Top Ten

This was MUCH harder than I anticipated! Turns out that 3 of my favourite Brazilian albums came out in 1972, and it was excruciating shortlisting so many great songs. I decided to only include one song by each artist on my top ten song list, but had to include two tracks from The Harder They Come Soundtrack as they represent two very different genres of reggae in it’s most interesting era (Studio One Presents Burning Spear was a close third choice!) Also had trouble choosing which song to include from Big Star’s #1 Record. I struggled a little with the inclusion of The Bonzo Dog Band’s Rawlinson End as its technically not a song, but it is one of my favourite recordings by Vivian Stanshall, and I highly recommend his continued stories of Henry Rawlinson that appear on Sir Henry At Rawlinson End (1978). Os Mutantes’ Balada Do Louco is a pretty song from a very heavy album – again – so hard to choose! Check out #4. Mr Destroyer (Poobah), its a great rare piece of Midwestern psychedelia – sounding like Blue Cheer playing Sabbath!

TOP TEN SONGS:

1. Cravo E Canela (Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges)
2. Thirteen (Big Star)
3. Johnny Too Bad (The Slickers)
4. Mr Destroyer (Poobah)
5. Hallogallo (Neu!)
6. Balada Do Louco (Os Mutantes)
7. The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff)
8. Rawlinson End (The Bonzo Dog Band)
9. Zigy Zigy Za (Astrud Gilberto)
10. Lonesome Crow (Scorpions)

My Top Three albums were easy – Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges’ Clube Da Esquina is in my all time top ten – recorded at Abbey Road its a beautiful trippy easy-listening singer-songwriter masterwork. The rest were tricky – with so much Krautrock/Prog to choose from I had to cut Can’s Ege Bamyasi, Yes’ Close To The Edge  and Kalacakra’s Crawling to Lahasa in favour of Neu!, Lonesome Crow (Scorpions brilliant debut) and Focus III. Rita Lee’s awesome Hoje é o Primero Dia do Resto da Sua Vida came a close second to Os Mutantes’ psychedelic assault Mutantes E Seus Cometas No País Do Baurets. Finally I struggled with including Transformer, but in the end I couldn’t resist it!

TOP TEN ALBUMS:

1. Clube Da Esquina (Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges)
2. #1 Record (Big Star)
3. The Harder They Come Soundtrack (Various Artists)
4. Mutantes E Seus Cometas No País Do Baurets – (Os Mutantes)
5. Neu! (Neu!)
6. Lonesome Crow (Scorpions)
7. Now (Astrud Gilberto)
8. Transformer (Lou Reed)
9. Focus III (Focus)
10. Shakara – London Scene (Fela Kuti)

Great fun! Can’t wait to check out everyone else’s lists and find out what I missed!

Tim