Classic Rock / Long Live Rock 1972 - 1974
1972 - 1973
1. Jackson Browne ‘Rock Me On The Water’ From Jackson Browne LP January 1972
2. Todd Rundgren ‘Hello It’s Me’ From Something/Anything LP February 1972
3. Deep Purple ‘Never Before’ From Machine Head LP April 1972
4. Wishbone Ash ‘Leaf And Stream’ From Argus LP May 1972
5. Rod Stewart ‘True Blue’ From Never A Dull Moment LP July 1972
6. Mott The Hoople ‘Jerkin’ Crocus’ From All The Young Dudes LP September 1972
7. Tim Buckley ‘Move With Me’ From Greetings From LA LP October 1972
8. Joni Mitchell ‘You Turn Me On I’m Radio’ From For The Roses LP November 1972
9. Steely Dan ‘Dirty Work’ From Can’t Buy A Thrill LP November 1972
10. Uriah Heep ‘Blind Eye’ From Magicians Birthday LP November 1972
11. Free ‘Wishing Well’ From Heartbreaker LP January 1973
12. Little Feat ‘Dixie Chicken’ From Dixie Chicken LP February 1973
13. Elton John ‘Midnight Creeper’ From Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only A Piano Player LP March 1973
14. Dr John ‘Right Place Wrong Time’ From In The Right Place LP March 1973
15. Johnny Winter ‘Rock Me Baby’ From Still Alive And Well LP April 1973
16. Joe Walsh ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ From The Smoker You Drink LP June 1973
17. Marshall Tucker Band ‘Can’t You See’ From Marshall Tucker Band LP August 1973
18. Lynyrd Skynyrd ‘I Ain’t The One’ From Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd LP September 1973
19. Rolling Stones ‘100 Years Ago’ From Goats Head Soup LP September 1973
20. Electric Light Orchestra ‘Ma Ma Ma Belle’ From On The Third Day LP December 1973
1974
1. Emerson, Lake & Palmer ‘Karn Evil 9 Pt 2’ From Brain Salad Surgery LP December 1973
2. Manfred Mann’s Earthband ‘Solar Fire’ From Solar Fire LP December 1973
3. Black Sabbath ‘Spiral Architect’ From Sabbath Bloody Sabbath LP December 1973
4. Lou Reed ‘White Light/White Heat’ From Rock’n’Roll Animal February 1974
5. The Doobie Brothers ‘Pursuit On 53rd Street’ From What Were Once Vices LP February 1974
6. Slade ‘Bangin’ Man’ From Old, New, Borrowed & Blue LP February 1974
7. Montrose ‘Bad Motor Scooter’ From Montrose LP March 1974
8. Robin Trower ‘The Fool And Me’ From Bridge Of Sighs LP April 1974
9. Sweet ‘Set Me Free’ From Sweet Fanny Adams LP April 1974
10. Nazareth ‘Shanghai’d In Shanghai’ From Rampant LP May 1974
11. David Bowie ‘Rock’n’Roll With Me’ From Diamond Dogs LP May 1974
12. New York Dolls ‘Babylon’ From Too Much Too Soon’ July 1974
13. Eric Clapton ‘Steady Rollin’ Man’ From 461 Ocean Boulevard LP July 1974
14. Neil Young ‘Walk On’ From On The Beach LP August 1974
15. Bachman Turner Overdrive ‘Sledgehammer’ From Not Fragile LP August 1974
16. The Raspberries ‘Overnight Sensation’ From Starting Over LP October 1974
17. Roxy Music ‘Casanova’ From Country Life LP November 1974
18. Genesis ‘Carpet Crawlers’ From The Lamb Lies Down LP November 1974
19. Grand Funk ‘Some Kind Of Wonderful’ From All The Girls In The World LP December 1974
If rock was the 70’s most far reaching cultural force, its golden age was the three years between 1972 and 1974 which just happened to be when my own fascination peaked, glam giving way to a heavier milieu albeit briefly. It was during these years, as rock went supernova, that the legendary rockstar lifestyle firmly embedded itself in rocks rich tapestry; a time when all turned to excess; when mere mortals became Gods; when half naked, golden haired Adonis’s in the elixir of youth became legends, locked in mansions of chemical euphoria, tended by bare breasted nymphets; when the gulf between these Gods and their audience became irretrievably wide and deep.
And yet, despite the wanton hedonism, it was also a period of incredible diversity, when styles and variations of all types came under the spotlight and an avalanche of classic albums destroyed the misconception that rock was all monolithic and one dimensional. Even at the time there was the feeling that perhaps it had reached its apotheosis.
While a touch of the hard stuff was undoubtedly one of rocks constituent parts powered by the blues or in Black Sabbaths case an even darker force, there was still a huge difference between, say, Deep Purples organ driven heaviness, Free’s primitive strut and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s boogie. And none of them sounded remotely like their forefathers, the malevolent Stones. But the diversity was most noticeable in other less predictable corners; the Laurel Canyon sensitivity of Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell; the folk leanings of Wishbone Ash; the orchestral pop of ELO; the glam stomp of Slade and The Sweet; the jazzy intelligence of Steely Dan and the alien artfulness of Bowie and Roxy Music.
Despite the obvious differences, all were part of rocks extensive canon as they created their own unique visions expanding its horizons. While some have dated horribly (not surprising given that classic rock represents such a specific time and place), there is a freedom in the records that is liberating and in hindsight it’s perhaps easier to see how once derided bands like Genesis or The Raspberries were really forging new paths or how, no matter how ridiculous this sounds, Rod Stewart was one of the hippest singers around.
Infact, it’s this variety that continues to keep classic rock interesting, even for those not yet born when records like Machine Head, Can’t Buy A Thrill, Goats Head Soup, Brain Salad Surgery or The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway were released. After all, there must be some reason why today’s kids gorge on Guitar Hero and clamour for T-Shirts and merchandise bearing the logo’s and images of long dead bands. Maybe it’s because they hear the music for what it really is, free of pre-programmed prejudices, genre junk or hang ups of cool that cloud the mind and block the ears of my generation for one. Those kids, my kids, don’t care or even know about any of that old crap.
August 2012
