1975, What a Crazy Year in Music

SONGS

Nights on Broadway (Bee Gees). Was tempted to skip this one since Main Course already appears in Tim’s album list, and I’ve mentioned this track before in a previous theme. But this song has one of my favorite bridges, and, remember, I was a living, breathing, hardcore AM radio listener in 1975. This song takes me back like no other.

30 Seconds Over Tokyo/Heart of Darkness (Pere Ubu). How would my life be different if I’d picked up this single in 1975 instead of, what, America’s “Sister Golden Hair?” What would I have thought of it if I had? Can’t select one of these songs over the other, they are both so utterly ground-breaking. Not my favorite early Ubu single, that would be their next one released in early ’76, “Final Solution,” but this is close.

Shining Star (Earth, Wind, and Fire)

Love Rollercoaster (Ohio Players). Another one that took my head off in 1975.

Simple Twist of Fate (Bob Dylan). I have a hard time listening to the studio version of Blood on the Tracks ever since Bob sent me the boot of the New York recordings. Thought of listing that in albums, because it is one of my desert island records, but it wasn’t released as a boot until sometime in the 90s I think. This track is one of the five NY recordings that wasn’t re-recorded in Minneapolis, and appears on the original studio album. What a love song.

Desperadoes Waiting for a Train (Guy Clark)

Stranglehold (Ted Nugent). If you can get past the lyrics.

Muddy Mouse (c) which in turn leads to Muddy Mouth (Robert Wyatt)

Beat the Retreat (Richard & Linda Thompson)

Cortez the Killer (Neil Young)

ALBUMS

Bruce Cockburn–Joy Will Find a Way. 10 tracks delivered straight from heaven. And I’m not even religious.

Slapp Happy/Henry Cow–Desperate Straights. Like all the great ones, it took me a while to get this. Glad I did.

Julius Hemphill–‘Coon Bid’ness. The final 20 plus minute “Hard Blues” groove orgy turned me on to this initially. Have grown to appreciate the other tracks even more (“Skin,” “Lyric“), if that is possible. Two great groups that both include one of my favorite musicians of all time, Abdul Wadud, who always makes me wish the cello appeared more often in jazz, and that there was more of him on record. But you can be endlessly thrilled focusing on any of the musicians on this record, or the combination.

Eno–Another Green World

Joni Mitchell–The Hissing of Summer Lawns

Neil Young–Tonight’s the Night

Jerry Lee Lewis–Boogie Woogie Country Man. My favorite country album by the Killer.

Mary McCaslin–Prairie in the Sky. This album is a masterpiece of western country. I listened to one of Emmylou Harris’ 1975 releases and this one back to back. The songs on the much-lauded Elite Hotel don’t approach these. They really don’t.

Steely Dan–Katy Lied. I know they are not beloved by all here, especially their mid-70s records. I love everything about this and Aja. The studio precision and perfection and the incredible musicianship and arrangements don’t detract a bit from the great melodies and increasingly mature lyrics, they enhance them.

Budgie–Bandolier. To add a little balance this year that includes great music of every type, I’ve got to include one of the great hard rock albums here.

I tried to listen to every record in my collection released in 1975 last month, and might have made it had I not played these selections and others multiple times. There are dozens of other albums I might have listed on another day. I even tried to list my favorite 75 from 75, if you’re interested. I might have included any of the top 50 or so. Here’s every 1975 record in my collection, most rated on a scale of 1-5.

Mike’s 1973

Albums

1. Stevie Wonder—Innervisions (John already listed most of my favorites, but I’ll also list the classic “Living for the City“, and “All in Love Is Fair” which some consider a low point!)

2. Genesis—Selling England by the Pound (“Dancing with the Moonlit Knight”)

3. Willie Nelson—Shotgun Willie (How many times am I going to be allowed to post this album in different contexts: “Shotgun Willie”, “A Song For You“?)

4. King Crimson–Larks’ Tongue in Aspic (Just, well: “Part 2”)

5. Wayon Jennings—Honky Tonk Heroes (Good call, John. In addition to John’s selections, please “Ride Me Down Easy”.)

6. ZZ Top—Tres Hombres. (Just edges out “(pronounced ‘lĕh-‘nérd ‘skin-‘nérd)” (“Simple Man”) and the Marshall Tucker Band’s first record (“Can’t You See”) in this year of the birth of southern rock. Give this entire album a try and listen without all the baggage of classic rock radio overplay. This is truly the shit, top to bottom, raw and grooving. Especially these two leadoff songs that were accidentally mixed together: “Waitin for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago” and of course “La Grange“. You know to crank it loud.)

7. Alan Price—O Lucky Man! (Tim mentioned Roy Wood, who I also love, as a guy who no one in America has heard of. Here’s another. Every song is great and the whole album is only 25 minutes long so I encourage listening to the whole thing.)

8. Roxy Music—Stranded (Impossibly tough choice between this and For YourPleasure, but I’ve always been slightly more partial to the highs, and the volume of them, on this one, including several of the most achingly beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Try “Just Like You”. Reportedly, and funnily, Eno’s favorite Roxy album!)

9. Lou Reed—Berlin (Not for the faint of heart of course. Easy to forget sometimes just what a gorgeous melodicist he was, in evidence on the originals certainly, but also here on Letterman in 2008: “Caroline Says II”.)

10. Sam Rivers—Streams (Surprised I only wound up with one jazz record from this year. Tough cuts include Hancock’s Sextant, Joe Farrell’s Moon Germs, Cecil Taylor’s Indent and Noah Howard’s Patterns. On the latter, Howard is accompanied by several greats from Europe. I can’t get enough electric guitar in my free jazz and Jaap Schoonhoven lends great noise weight to start the proceedings. Then there’s Bennink’s clever and persistent percussion, Mengelberg’s color and Howard’s Ayler-influenced power and vibrato. On Streams, Rivers demonstrates that he is among the top sax improvisers in jazz history. Another example from this year alone is his work on Conference of the Birds, which is sure to make an appearance on someone’s list. Check out Cecil McBee’s minimalist, rock solid, but incredibly expressive bass work here as well.)

Songs

1. Loudon Wainwright III—The Swimming Song

2. The Kinks—Where Are They Now? (I love Preservation Acts 1 and 2 and listen to Act 1, side 1 more than any other Kinks record.)

3. Gladys Knight and the Pips—Midnight Train to Georgia (Almost forgot that this song was released in 1973; thanks for the reminder John. An all-time favorite that just never wears out its welcome.)

4. Man—Never Say Nups to Nepalese (Unavailable online.)

5. Judee Sill–The Donor (Thanks, Mr. Peacock.)

6. Neil Young—Don’t Be Denied (May be my favorite Neil song.)

7. Bruce Cockburn—You Don’t Have to Play the Horses

8. Van Morrison—Snow in San Anselmo. (I’m quite amazed that, in over a year’s time, I’m the only person to ever mention Van on this blog. If I ran this on endless repeat for the rest of my days, I’d be a happier and better man. One of several dozen Van Morrison songs that may apply to.)

9. Soft Machine—The Soft Weed Factor

10. Mary McCaslin—Down the Road (Original not available on youtube, but this lovely live version demonstrates her influence on Joanna Newsom. Check out “Circle of Friends“, or any other song from the original album too. People point, wrongly I think, to Joni as a primary influence. Listen to McCaslin for that, her phrasing, the open tunings and finger picking that almost sound like a harp. This record—Way Out West—was played a lot in the Newsom household, I guarantee.)