1,001 songs to listen to before you die...

[Liam]

397.      

‘Evie’, Stevie Wright (1974)

If the song is eleven minutes long and I’ve never heard of it, I’m always going to enter things with a bit of healthy scepticism. Told in three parts, it helps that the narrative is strong and the first suite begins in a kicking fashion that sets the momentum for what is to come. The story of a relationship beginning and ending in just over ten minutes, it really doesn’t feel it as it turns from a rocker to a ballad to a break-up song. It doesn’t do anything spectacular in my own eyes, outside of being a really good song that justifies its running time.

398.      

‘Free Man in Paris’, Joni Mitchell (1974)

Joni Mitchell’s final major hit is a song written about David Geffen, at the time the owner of the label which produced Mitchell’s music. The book states that songs about record labels or their owners are rarely positive, yet this bucks the trend. It definitely sounds much more positive in tone than some, whilst suggestions have been that this explores Geffen’s boredom with LA and his desire for the romantic ideal that Paris represented. Mitchell’s lilting voice is good throughout, though the song doesn’t do a lot for me. It is catchy in its own way, but nothing that excites me. This may sound obvious – I feel that if you like all the moving parts (Mitchell, record labels, Geffen, etc etc), you’ll like the song a lot more than me.

399.      

‘I Will Always Love You’, Dolly Parton (1974)

Just an absolute showcase for what Dolly Parton was able to do with her voice. The book unsurprisingly focuses a lot on the Whitney Houston cover, whilst there was also talk of Elvis Presley doing it before Parton refused to hand over half of the publishing rights. The cover is probably better all told, though Parton paved the way and her version, whilst understated, set that ball rolling.

[Liam]

400.      

‘The Grand Tour’, George Jones (1974)

I always find it interesting to stumble across a musician who is really big in their field, but that I’ve never heard. Top 10 over seventy times, Jones was a big name in the world of country music and this is the song that seems chosen to at least represent that longevity. Your mileage may vary on the style of music – this feels very classic country to me – but Jones does have a really good, emotive delivery that sells the narrative of a man whose wife has left him. It isn’t overdone or overegged, but there is a wail within the delivery that works really well.

401.      

‘Withered and Died’, Richard and Linda Thompson (1974)

Husband and wife for all of two years before this came out, Richard Thompson was the singer/songwriter/guitarist of Fairport Convention and Linda first met him when recording a jingle for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. As a folky ballad goes, this is fine enough, but doesn’t do a lot to excite me if I’m being honest. Linda has a clarity to her vocals which is pleasant, yet the whole things lacks a rougher, rawer edge to give it a bit of punch.

402.      

‘Louisiana 1927’, Randy Newman (1974)

I talked before about how Stevie Wonder was coming out of this whole project better than when I started; you can add Randy Newman to that list as well. There is just a warmth and loveliness to what he writes that feels comforting. This is about the floods in 1927 that were sadly mirrored many years later during Hurricane Katrina. This could have been a sad song, but with the orchestral flourishes alongside the simple piano, there is a feeling of genuine love for where he was brought up, alongside a sense that he, nor Louisiana, were ever prone to being pretentious.

[Curt McGirt]

There is no way I'm going to know they could have put "Free Money" on there without posting it. No fucking way.

This is a perfect reason to buy or burn the entire No Thanks! '70s punk box set, btw.

[Liam]

403.      

‘You Haven’t Done Nothin’’, Stevie Wonder (1974)

Some more Wonder for your lugholes. This is another interesting one politically as this was around the time of the Watergate scandal. Using his celebrity to voice his disgust about Nixon’s overall conduct was a massive deal at the time as he was largely at the height of his musical powers during this time period. The book notes that this perhaps isn’t as strong as some of his other tunes, which I definitely agree with. Still, there is a dirty, funky rhythm throughout that makes it – as ever with Wonder – hard not to shuffle along to as you are listening.

404.      

‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us’, Sparks (1974)

I just absolutely fucking love this song. It is up there on my (non-existant) list of most favourite songs. The weirdness, the urgency, the sound effects, the staccato nature of vocals and melody – it all adds together to create something that is so good in my opinion. I find the fact that they moved from the US to the UK in order to pedal their brand of music as the British musical fan seemed more open to musical oddities only makes me love it that little bit more. They were right as this song went to Number 2, perhaps helped by the brother’s completely opposite presentation during live performances on shows such as Top of the Pops. Between visuals and execution, this was and is still great.

405.      

‘Only Women Bleed’, Alice Cooper (1975)

Influenced by: Isn’t it a Pity • George Harrison (1970)   

Influence on: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door • Guns N’ Roses (1992)   

Covered by: Tina Turner (1976) • Carmen McRae (1976) • Julie Covington (1978) • Elkie Brooks (1986) • Lita Ford (1990) • Tina Arena (2008)

A pretty significant step away from what Cooper was normally peddling, this ambiguous song told the story of repressive and abusive relationships, not necessarily menstruation like some people thought. This was popular, as can be seen by the list of singers who lined up to cover it, yet I don’t really see why. I guess there is some interest created by the change in style for Cooper, as well as the subject matter, but the song itself does little for me. It maybe was more groundbreaking than I can sense, yet the music is perfectly perfunctory and not a lot more.

406.      

‘Jive Talkin’’, Bee Gees (1975)

Influenced by: Superstition • Stevie Wonder (1973)   

Influence on: I Want Your Sex • George Michael (1987)   

Covered by: Ronnie Dyson (1976) • Cedar Walton (1976) • Boogie Box High (1987) • The Blenders (1995)   

Other key tracks: Massachusetts (1967) • Nights on Broadway (1975) • You Should Be Dancing (1976)

Having been producing music for close to a decade at this point, the Bee Gees transitioned to working with a noted R&B produce, Arif Mardin, after their career had stalled. This came from the second album working together and Mardin had a great influence, recommending that they listened to Stevie Wonder and that Maurice raised his vocal range an octave. To me, this isn’t as much fun as some of their other work, yet it feels like it is a protoype for what would become disco. It doesn’t feel quite all there yet, but the synthesiser, melody and falsetto vocals make for an intriguing package going forward.

407.      

‘Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet’, Gavin Bryars (1975)

This is a wild inclusion as it is a looped hymn, sung by a homeless person, with eventual incorporation of orchestral flourishes. It is a brave piece of work that spans twenty five minutes, which you had to be pretty assured in terms of what you were doing to commit a song to record that approached half an hour. Bryars worked with Brian Eno on this track, an attempt to create ambient music that bridged the gap between pop and classical. There is something ultimately mesmeric about the tune, with the layering and the looping sounding akin to bands like Jesu and their ilk. Worth a listen, if just to say you have.

408.      

‘Boulder to Birmingham’, Emmylou Harris (1975)

Harris has what I consider to be the stereotypical American female country music voice. Whether that is a good or bad thing depends on what you stance is on this style of music, I guess. Personally, I’m always less fussed about the lyrical content than I am in terms of the delivery, and Harris has that down for me. Admittedly, the lyrics here are meaningful as this was a tribute to Gram Parsons, one of the people who helped Harris to achieve a level of stardom. All told, it is a good song, irrelevant of genre.

[Liam]

 409.      

‘Fight the Power, Part 1 and 2’, The Isley Brothers (1975)

Another song that engaged with the political climate of the time, The Isley Brothers themselves were quick to point out that this wasn’t about black versus white, but about those without power against those in power. Coming off the back of Watergate, it was received particularly well, though the music didn’t need anything gimmicky to get people moving and grooving. Ok, they do drop a few ‘bullshits’, but the guttural croon of Ronald coupled with Ernie’s incessant guitar make this a very catchy song irrelevant of the circumstances it came out in. Throw in the anti-authority stance and its popularity was guaranteed.

410.      

‘That’s The Way (I Like It)’, KC and the Sunshine Band (1975)

A perfect example of a song that has been so ubiquitously used on radio and at various parties throughout my life that I’ve never really stopped to spend much time to actually pay attention to it. Apparently the sexy lyrics were toned down on the actual released version as they did risk not getting airplay on the original recording of the song. The mixed male and female vocals not always heavily link to the sexy times being described, but it adds layers to the vocals that take this away from something that threatens to be repetitive and into something more. At just over three minutes, this is done before it overstays its welcome (something it definitely could have done given more air time, I feel).

411.      

‘Kalimankou denkour’, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares (1975)

A Bulgarian polyphonic choir that was given an even larger air of mystery by being sold as a Swiss group singing ancient songs of their people. It is all a bit random, but the music is undeniably impressive. Whether you like this style of music or not, the vocal control and skill is something to behold, with the layers of vocals making this feel powerful even to this day.

412.      

‘Marcus Garvey’, Burning Spear (1975)

A tribute to the philosopher and activist, this was another example of reggae-based music having success on both sides of the ocean. I don’t have a lot to say about it personally – it is a fine song with some effective horn use throughout – but it is also a song that just is, for me. The significance of broadening musical horizons earns it a space on the list, yet the song itself isn’t particularly exciting personally.

413.      

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, Queen (1975)

Influenced by: This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us • Sparks (1974)  

Influence on: United States of Eurasia • Muse (2009)   

Covered by: Elaine Paige (1988) • “Weird Al” Yankovic (1993) • Rolf Harris (1996) • Lucia Micarelli (2004) • The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2005)

This is a great song to hear in the context of the time period. I – for reasons unknown – assumed this was a song released later than this. Early 80s, perhaps? I’m not entirely sure and it was never something I thought too hard about. This is a batshit crazy song no matter when it was created, yet it feels even more incongruous with the rest of what has been picked from the early and mid 70s. I personally love the song, but I could understand complete apathy towards it as well. What could be completely disparate bits fit together in my opinion in a way that turns a six minute song into one that never loses its energy. There is definitely nothing really like this, so it has that in its favour, for better and worse.

414.      

‘Gloria’, Patti Smith (1975)

Influenced by: Sister Ray • The Velvet Underground (1968)   

Influence on: C’Mon Billy • PJ Harvey (1995)   

Covered by: Jimi Hendrix (1979) • Eddie & The Hot Rods (1997) • Rickie Lee Jones (2001) • The Standells (2001) • Simple Minds (2001)

No pretensions, just good ol’ rock and roll here from Smith. I’ve never heard this before, but the list of people who pay homage to this as a seminal song in the evolution of the genre says a lot in support of its inclusion. Unlike ‘Piss Factory’, this is more of a song to me than spoken word and Smith has a voice that presents the yearning, sexually charged narrative presented in the lyrics. There isn’t a lot else going on with the music, outside of a driving guitar chord that powers the song along and creates just the right sort of racket.

[OSJ]

12 minutes ago, Liam said:

 409.      

‘Fight the Power, Part 1 and 2’, The Isley Brothers (1975)

Another song that engaged with the political climate of the time, The Isley Brothers themselves were quick to point out that this wasn’t about black versus white, but about those without power against those in power. Coming off the back of Watergate, it was received particularly well, though the music didn’t need anything gimmicky to get people moving and grooving. Ok, they do drop a few ‘bullshits’, but the guttural croon of Ronald coupled with Ernie’s incessant guitar make this a very catchy song irrelevant of the circumstances it came out in. Throw in the anti-authority stance and its popularity was guaranteed.

410.      

‘That’s The Way (I Like It)’, KC and the Sunshine Band (1975)

A perfect example of a song that has been so ubiquitously used on radio and at various parties throughout my life that I’ve never really stopped to spend much time to actually pay attention to it. Apparently the sexy lyrics were toned down on the actual released version as they did risk not getting airplay on the original recording of the song. The mixed male and female vocals not always heavily link to the sexy times being described, but it adds layers to the vocals that take this away from something that threatens to be repetitive and into something more. At just over three minutes, this is done before it overstays its welcome (something it definitely could have done given more air time, I feel).

411.      

‘Kalimankou denkour’, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares (1975)

A Bulgarian polyphonic choir that was given an even larger air of mystery by being sold as a Swiss group singing ancient songs of their people. It is all a bit random, but the music is undeniably impressive. Whether you like this style of music or not, the vocal control and skill is something to behold, with the layers of vocals making this feel powerful even to this day.

412.      

‘Marcus Garvey’, Burning Spear (1975)

A tribute to the philosopher and activist, this was another example of reggae-based music having success on both sides of the ocean. I don’t have a lot to say about it personally – it is a fine song with some effective horn use throughout – but it is also a song that just is, for me. The significance of broadening musical horizons earns it a space on the list, yet the song itself isn’t particularly exciting personally.

413.      

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, Queen (1975)

Influenced by: This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us • Sparks (1974)  

Influence on: United States of Eurasia • Muse (2009)   

Covered by: Elaine Paige (1988) • “Weird Al” Yankovic (1993) • Rolf Harris (1996) • Lucia Micarelli (2004) • The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2005)

This is a great song to hear in the context of the time period. I – for reasons unknown – assumed this was a song released later than this. Early 80s, perhaps? I’m not entirely sure and it was never something I thought too hard about. This is a batshit crazy song no matter when it was created, yet it feels even more incongruous with the rest of what has been picked from the early and mid 70s. I personally love the song, but I could understand complete apathy towards it as well. What could be completely disparate bits fit together in my opinion in a way that turns a six minute song into one that never loses its energy. There is definitely nothing really like this, so it has that in its favour, for better and worse.

 

Wayne's World had it right. You had to be there, I was 18 and had never, ever heard anything like Queen! We would spend hours driving around just blasting this song. Back then before smoking ruined my voice I could do a pretty credible Freddy Mercury...

 

[Curt McGirt]

17 minutes ago, Liam said:

Covered by: Jimi Hendrix (1979)

To explain this one: "Gloria" was originally a Van Morrison song, which is how he could have covered it, and I suppose it wasn't released until '79.  Just FYI.

[ohtani's jacket]

1974

I'm thrilled they included my avatar! Bobby Bland wasn't the first blues artist to crossover into more of a soul and funk sound but damn if he didn't sound good doing it.

This is also good:

1974 is kind of a weak year as evidenced by how few tracks they picked. The only gripe I had with the list was they did Richard and Linda Thompson a disservice with that pick. The title track from that album is much catchier:

Interesting how much of a spotlight they give Dolly, too. She gets more of a look in than the entire outlaw country movement.

Setting aide Bowie, Roxy Music and other stuff they've already covered, here's some tracks from '74 that I enjoy:

A dollar nine gets a bottle o' wine:

Best Curtis Mayfield song not written by Curtis Mayfield:

Probably my favorite Marvin Gaye song:

Betty Davis was NASTY:

So smooth:

Worth it for Millie's monologue:

There hasn't been enough Funkadelic/Parliament on the list:

LATIMORE! So criminally underrated. 

Really tight psychedelic soul:

I really like the album this is from:

This guys were so good. Here's a gem from one of their lesser known albums. One thing I learned going through the old Best of the 70s list pimping was to always check out good artists' follow up albums:

Where are all Teddy's friends?

That voice. And that hair:

PANTHERMAN!

Doom Metal pioneers cover the Stones:

How was Doctor Doctor not on the list? Obviously never been to karaoke with me:

 

[Liam]

415.      

‘Tangled Up In Blue’, Bob Dylan (1975)

I’ll be honest, I don’t think I ever heard this song until it was on a Rock Band or Guitar Hero I owned. Still, I fucking loved it after belting it out a few drunken times in the lifetime of my involvement with those games. The song came on an album written around the time he was going through a divorce, which ties into lyrics that – in a scattershot approach – explored a relationship that was falling apart. It jumps around, though it offers up some interesting snapshots of their time together and what led to them breaking up. It is also, in my very limited exposure to Dylan’s songs, the main one that I can’t imagine being done better by someone else. I like Dylan’s songwriting, but not always his actual delivery when compared to other notable covers – this one is a perfect mix of the two.

416.      

‘Walk This Way’, Aerosmith (1975)

I’m pretty certain that I have never heard the original, non-Run DMC version of this song up until now. I’m sure people will have different opinions, but this doesn’t feel as good as the remix, whilst its position on the list feels as much about paying homage to what it would eventually become. Still, it is funky, with a title inspired by ‘Young Frankenstein’ apparently and a fair bit of sexual innuendo within the lyrics. A fun slice of rock and roll.

417.      

‘Wish You Were Here’, Pink Floyd (1975)

I always feel that there are certain bands I’ve never tried to get into and probably should – Pink Floyd is one of them. Considering how well loved they are by some, I mean to delve into their back catalogue, but have never found the drive required. This is arguably my favourite song I’ve heard of theirs, though the list is pretty short. There is something very sad, yet meditative at the heart of it that I really enjoy.

[Curt McGirt]

Going back to '73, since they were brought up. Which, I can't believe this was recorded in 1973, but it was. Suspiciously sounds like "Secret Agent Man" as well...

 

[OSJ]

1 hour ago, Curt McGirt said:

Going back to '73, since they were brought up. Which, I can't believe this was recorded in 1973, but it was. Suspiciously sounds like "Secret Agent Man" as well...

 

Sometimes just clicking on this stuff and following links around Youtube leads to some very interesting things. Fooling around with this led to Fats Domino jamming with Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles. Every bit as good as you would assume it to be.

[Curt McGirt]

Were all three on piano?! 

[OSJ]

8 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Were all three on piano?! 

But of course! As much as I loved Fats, he was only the third best piano player on the stage, and 4th best keyboard guy in total since Paul Schaffer was playing organ. Let me see if I can do the link thingie...

 

Edited June 24, 2020 by OSJ

[Curt McGirt]

I gotcha bud

And that is super sick

EDIT: Hey, is that Ron Wood on guitar? 

Edited June 24, 2020 by Curt McGirt

[OSJ]

3 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

I gotcha bud

And that is super sick

Jerry Lee may be a pos as a human being, but by God he can tickle those ivories, Little Richard wasn't even close.

Leon Russell might have been the only US piano player that could match him. In the UK, the late Ian Stewart was godly,

but I don't know if he could have kept up with the Killer.

[OSJ]

7 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

I gotcha bud

And that is super sick

EDIT: Hey, is that Ron Wood on guitar? 

But of course it is... And you can tell that both Woody and Paul are tickled pink to be playing with three legends.

Edited June 24, 2020 by OSJ

[Curt McGirt]

Yeah, that's gotta be Ronnie Wood.

[Liam]

418.      

‘Time of the Preacher’, Willie Nelson (1975)

I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard a full song by Willie Nelson, so I can at least tick that off of the list. This was the opening song of ‘Red Headed Stranger’, a concept album about a preacher who kills his wife and love, and it returns at several other points in some guise. I can’t vouch for the quality of the song compared to others on the album, but it makes sense to incorporate the recurring song of an album that sold several million copies. What I heard, I like – unfussy, with Nelson providing a good narrative delivery.

419.      

‘Rimmel’, Francesco De Gregori (1975)

The opening of this song sounds really familiar, as if it is the opening them to some teenage/young adult situation comedy/dramedy. Apparently the bittersweet farewell to a lost love, ‘Rimmel’ was on an album that saw a change in De Gregori’s style, switching from politics to love songs. Sounding like a poppier, Italian Neil Young-type, it isn’t difficult to see why this became a fundamental part of his live shows, alongside several other songs from the album. Pop with a bit of soul.

420.      

‘Born to be With You’, Dion (1975)

A Phil Spector production that Dion was largely unhappy with, the album that spawned this song was commercially unsuccessful, yet seemed to have a larger influence many years later with musicians from Primal Scream and Spiritualized speaking highly of it. This was a cover of a song that had been released several times before, whilst also seeing Spector produce one of those versions. Thus, this was him trying to outdo himself. The candor of the lyrics is talked up in the book, whilst the flourishes of the saxophone add to what is already a powerful, if subtle, instrumentation.

[ohtani's jacket]

On 6/22/2020 at 3:03 AM, Curt McGirt said:

To explain this one: "Gloria" was originally a Van Morrison song, which is how he could have covered it, and I suppose it wasn't released until '79.  Just FYI.

I listened to this today. It was recorded in October 1968 and released as an EP along with The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume Two. Pretty cool. Like Patti Smith's version, Hendrix changes the lyrics. It sounds like he's making them up as he plays.

Edited June 25, 2020 by ohtani's jacket

[Liam]

421.      

‘Musica ribelle’, Eugenio Finardi (1975)

Influenced by: Mysterious Traveller • Weather Report (1974)  

Influence on: Extraterrestre • Eugenio Finardi (1978) 

Covered by: Luca Carboni (2009)   

Other key tracks: Amore Diverso (1983) • Le ragazze di Osaka (1983) • La forza dell’amore (1990)

This was apparently a big deal upon its release in Italy during 1975 – a stagnant music scene was shaken by this lively take on what I guess is Italian rock. Mixing Italian musical conventions with the style of the British and American rock bands of the time, Finardi created a song about a wave of musical rebellion that he urged. This doesn’t feel aged at all and if anything is a song that I’d struggle to have placed in the 70s at all. Really fun and I can imagine that this blew the cobwebs away for some Italian music fans.

422.      

‘Born To Run’, Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Influenced by: Da Doo Ron Ron • The Crystals (1963)  

Influence on: Stuck Between Stations • The Hold Steady (2006)   

Covered by: Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1984) • Suzi Quatro (1995) • Joey Tempest (1998) • The Hollies (1999) • Melissa Etheridge (2001) • Ray Wilson (2002)

Urgency is the word that springs to mind whenever I hear ‘Born To Run’. It starts up and never really lets up – pretty fitting for a song with that title. Originally conceived as part of an aborted concept album idea, this song was toiled over for a long time and at least four different versions exist if the book is to be believed. The time was well spent – this is just excellent rock and roll. It longs to be danced or sung along with, and that, to me, is the very essence of a good rock and roll song. This nails it.

423.      

‘Leb’ Wohl’, NEU! (1975)

This is just really cool. The last song on their farewell album – with the song title meaning ‘Farewell’ – NEU! (a band I’ve never heard of, I’ll be honest) mixed ocean waves, hushed vocals and minimal piano to create a beautiful nine minute piece of music. As a way to go out, this is pretty impressive. Everything feels well thought through here, as if they knew exactly what note they wanted to leave things on. It makes me intrigued to go back and check out more, which is praise indeed.

424.      

‘Legalize It’, Peter Tosh (1975)

No real surprise what this is about – the former Wailer spends four minutes calling for the legalising of weed. The upbeat rhythm make this a good song to listen to whatever your predilection for smoking marijuana, whilst I particularly like the intermittent female backing vocals that add another little layer to proceedings. Nothing special, but the incorporation of such a clear call for changes to drug legislation is a novel thing at this point in the music journey.

425.      

‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’, Blue Oyster Cult (1975)

Would I be right in thinking that the SNL sketch ‘More Cowbell’ is more famous than the actual song that begat it? I know it where I first became aware of the song, which says a lot for someone who doesn’t have easy access to SNL. A song that inspired by the guitarist’s fears about dying during a bout of heart trouble, this is an enjoyable song above and beyond the comedy sketch element. The sombreness is always more melancholy than outright sad, whilst the song as a whole has enough hooks to make it stand out.

426.      

‘More Than A Feeling’, Boston (1975)

When I was younger, I used to go to watch a local ice hockey team on a Saturday night. Well, I was taken by my Dad and Stepmum. Years later, I heard this on Rock Band and could already place it as a song that was played during intermission or before games. I had no idea what it was, but knew that I enjoyed it and that enjoyment of the song has remained.  As for my attempts to sing it on Rock Band, the highness of the vocals in places are just ridiculous and testament to the impressive range of the lead singer. Amazingly, all the instruments apart from the drums were played by one guy, Tom Scholz. Taking a routine idea about music uplifting you and turning it into something that feels so much more speaks to some great lyrical work as well.

[Curt McGirt]

1 hour ago, Liam said:

‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’, Blue Oyster Cult (1975)

Still my favorite song.

[Liam]

427.      

‘Sir Duke’, Stevie Wonder (1976)

This one made me laugh as I was very much ‘I don’t know this song’ until I played it and then was ‘oh yeah, this song’. It is a mixture of the brass and Wonder’s melodious vocals that make this so catchy, with a chorus hook that is hard not to get out of your head. This was written as a tribute to Duke Ellington and if the quality of the song is any indication of the quality of the tribute, this one is up there with the best.

428.      

‘The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)’, Rod Stewart (1976)

Apparently based on a true story about a man who used to shadow the Faces when in New York, a man who had been shunned by his family for his life choices, this tackles a challenging subject. Some of the musical ‘stuff’ for lack of a better way of putting it in this book I have to take at face value when I don’t really know enough about the artist, so reportedly this came at a time when Stewart was making a push for more mainstream success. With that in mind, this was a bold song. To give Stewart his credit, this could have been trite and poorly judged, but the story is told in a fashion that doesn’t make light of the situation nor uses it for shock value.

429.      

‘Dancing Queen’, ABBA (1976)

Influenced by: Rock Your Baby • George McCrae (1974)

Influence on: Love to Hate You • Erasure (1991)   

Covered by: Garageland (1995) • Kylie Minogue (1998) • S Club 7 (1999) • CoCo Lee (1999) • Sixpence None the Richer (1999) • The Ten Tenors (2006)

I genuinely don’t think there are a better group or even artist who wrote better ‘pop’ music than ABBA did. Whilst this isn’t amongst my absolute favourites by them – mainly due to it being somewhat ubiquitous and overplayed – it is a perfect indication of what they offered the music world. The piano, the vocals and the strings all add together to create something fundamentally enjoyable in my opinion. This was also their only number 1 hit in the US, showing that it was perhaps the song that had most drawing power amongst their sizeable catalogue of singles.

430.      

‘Blitzkrieg Bop’, The Ramones (1976)

Influenced by: Saturday Night • Bay City Rollers (1976)   

Influence on: St. Jimmy • Green Day (2004)   

Covered by: Screeching Weasel (1992) • Yo La Tengo (1996) • Poison Idea (1996) • The Kids (2002) • Rob Zombie (2003) • Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros (2001) • The Beautiful South (2004)

Is there a better band at capturing the spirit of what rock and roll perhaps should be about than The Ramones? The idea that pretty much anyone could get up, play a guitar and sing, making wonderful, loud and noisy music. Fun and stupid in equal measure, this was apparently inspired by the Bay City Rollers song ‘Saturday Night’, with the Ramones wanting their own song with a chanting section in it. No airs or graces, this is just dumb fun and all the better for it.

431.      

‘Love Hangover’, Diana Ross (1976)

Apparently, Ross (and her record label) was sceptical about the new wave of disco music that had seen her edged out of the spotlight, yet was convinced to do the song and produced a sultry, sexy eight minute slice of what she was capable of. The studio was decked out like a disco, whilst Ross had several drinks of Remy Martin to overcome her nerves and concerns. It is an interesting song as it doesn’t really kick in to the ‘disco part’ until almost halfway through, but that is to the song’s benefit, as it allows Ross more time to vocally sashay her way around the lyrics.

432.      

‘Cokane In My Brain’, Dillinger (1976)

Depending on where you look, the song gets listed as either ‘Cokane’ or ‘Cocaine’, though I’m thinking the book might have – for some reason – been making it a little bit tamer. The lyrics are pretty ambiguous, though the main hook gives it something to hang everything on. I don’t have a lot to say about this. It is enjoyable enough, but I feel one for the era that it was created in. It also apparently had quite a big impact on areas such as US hip-hop as well as having acid house and drum and bass remixes.

[ohtani's jacket]

1975

1975 was another weakish year, but if you dig a little deeper there's always some cool shit to be found:

One funky ass joint:

Latimore, again!

I'm pretty sure there's a remix of this I like more, but still a great tune:

The book really needs some afrobeat:

I promised myself I'd start including more Japanese songs:

And why not a song from my home country:

I really like this Roxy Music tune:

David Allan Coe's loving parody of country music:

Early hip hop:

Dub classic:

These guys are underrated as fuck:

I love Jonathan Richman. Here's the 1975 version of this song:

Roky's back!

This has a relentless groove:

Epic:

Amazing track from a great artist:

Best soul track of 1975:

Infectious:

 

Edited June 28, 2020 by ohtani's jacket

[ohtani's jacket]

I forgot about the best song of 1975. I don't think it was a single, though.

 

[Liam]

434.      

‘(I’m) Stranded’, The Saints (1976)

The desire for the book to incorporate a number of Australian bands whether they feel worthy or not does have me feeling somewhat sceptical about another act from Down Under. I shouldn’t worry as this is a good song from a band who went on to influence acts such as Nick Cave and Henry Rollins. That such aggression can come from Australia feels odd for someone like me whose experience of life there being mostly led by what I see on Neighbours. However, at a time when police brutality and government corruption were an issue, this was a song of barely repressed aggression about the system. There is a hookiness to everything that elevates this song – at base, it is a good rock song with a crunchier, rougher sound.

435.      

‘Hotel California’, Eagles (1976)

The song that launched one thousand and one school talent shows, my own personal interest in the song is crippled by the amount of times I’ve heard barely pubescent teenagers struggle to wring some life out of it In some ways, this is a shame because before that, I had a genuine enjoyment of this tune, even with my general apathy to Eagles. Kids like to play it because it is pretty simplistic, yet sounds cool in execution. I feel the lyrics are the key component that also draws the students to cover it – it sounds really dark and deep in a way that speaks to the sensibilities of the young. To be quite honest, I was young when my enjoyment of this song was at its peak, quite probably for exactly the same reason.

436.      

‘Roadrunner’, The Modern Lovers (1976)

This is a weird addition to the ‘driving songs’ oeuvre as it focuses on a Boston ringroad that the writer, Jonathan Richman, lived a ten minute drive from. A fan of the Velvet Underground, Richman managed to connect with John Cale in particular, who produced this song. There is a weird mix here of a song that has pace and forward momentum, yet doesn’t really feel like it gets anywhere. Probably exactly what you are looking for from an ode to a ringroad. Richman’s vocals are languid in their delivery for the most part, which may work for some more than others.