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Decided to distract myself from the rest of the world I'm going to challenge myself to listen to the Top 150 albums of the 1970s (as decided by this website: https://www.treblezine.com/top-150-best-albums-of-the-70s/). In their entirety, trying not to bail if it's a genre / band I don't really like.
A vast majority of my favourite albums are from the 70s, a few appear on this list, so I'm hoping this exercise broadens my musical horizons a bit.
That said, I'm not looking forward to some of these records. Particularly the standard "classics" cannon. Your Pink Floyd's and your Fleetwood Mac's of this world. I mean there's 2 Genesis albums on this list. That can't go well can it?
150. Patrice Rushen – Pizzazz 
I should be, but I've never been a fan of disco. This album is pretty bloody massively disco. When the tracks just vamp that this record really comes to life though. Some of the keyboard playing in particular is incredible.
I should be, but I've never been a fan of disco. This album is pretty bloody massively disco. When the tracks just vamp that this record really comes to life though. Some of the keyboard playing in particular is incredible.
Let The Music Take me is funky as shit, and the groove on Message In The Music is just filth.
Most exciting though was the opening few bars of Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up, which was HEAVILY sampled in the 90s. Mommy, What's A Gravedigga? and Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa, to name just a couple of the stone cold classics it appears in.
Neither of those tracks appear on streaming services so I assume the sample was not cleared in either case. So it's not necessarily cured me if my aversion to disco, but it definitely has some incredible moments on it.
149. Pere Ubu – The Modern Dance
An album/artist I've never heard of. Spotify has let me down, it's not on the streams. YouTube to the rescue (bloody adverts all the way through though). Thank god because this is incredible. Raucous, oddball, constantly inventive. Good times!
An album/artist I've never heard of. Spotify has let me down, it's not on the streams. YouTube to the rescue (bloody adverts all the way through though). Thank god because this is incredible. Raucous, oddball, constantly inventive. Good times!
Going to have to buy this with cold hard cash I think because this is exactly the sort weird shit I get on with quite well. Makes me excited that there's likely a whole world of punk/post punk/avant-punk (or whatever) delights to discover.
148. The Raincoats – The Raincoats
Again never heard of this. Again, it's fucking brilliant. So fun. It's got all the drive and discordant energy of DIY/punk bands I've heard before, but somehow made super adorable. As if seeing a shitty, broken world through a child's eyes.
Again never heard of this. Again, it's fucking brilliant. So fun. It's got all the drive and discordant energy of DIY/punk bands I've heard before, but somehow made super adorable. As if seeing a shitty, broken world through a child's eyes.
Genuinely delighted by this album. Exactly the sort of discovery I'm doing this for.
147. Don Cherry – Brown Rice
Always loved this record. It's hypnotic. Listening through it again, It's incredible how it feels quintessentially 1970s Los Angeles, while somehow being drenched in cultures from all over the globe.
Always loved this record. It's hypnotic. Listening through it again, It's incredible how it feels quintessentially 1970s Los Angeles, while somehow being drenched in cultures from all over the globe.
The blending of western music with "world music" (though this album predates that term) is something many artists have tried for since. I'm not sure many have got the blend so perfect. One of best, certainly one of the most accessible, spiritual jazz releases I know of.
146. John Cale – Fear
Sounds like an artist I should probably know, but don't. Has that feeling of beauty & darkness of the Nick Cave albums I love the most. Opens strong with 3 tracks I feel like I'm going to enjoy getting to know a lot better over the coming years.
Sounds like an artist I should probably know, but don't. Has that feeling of beauty & darkness of the Nick Cave albums I love the most. Opens strong with 3 tracks I feel like I'm going to enjoy getting to know a lot better over the coming years.
“Life and death are things you do when you’re bored” a refrain that got me very excited for what was to come. Didn't quite keep me as enthralled as I wanted after they hit me so hard, but it does pick up a bit in its final stretch. This is an album I'm going to be returning to.
145. Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom
We've found the 1st album on the list I don't get on with at all. Felt like a real slog right from the opening moments. Is this prog? It certainly rubs me up the wrong way in the same way as other prog albums I've tried to listen to in the past.
We've found the 1st album on the list I don't get on with at all. Felt like a real slog right from the opening moments. Is this prog? It certainly rubs me up the wrong way in the same way as other prog albums I've tried to listen to in the past.
Find it hard to put in to words what I dislike though. On paper I should love it. Reading about the albums creation this should be an incredibly moving album, but outside of a haunting section of horn wailing in Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road, it just doesn't move me at all.
*Shrug*
Ivor Cutler at the end a lovely reward for sticking with it though.
Ivor Cutler at the end a lovely reward for sticking with it though.
144. Betty Davis – Betty Davis
Oh yeah. That's more like it! I absolutely adore Betty Davis. I feel like she would be a fucking superstar today. People just weren't ready in the 70s for a kick arse black woman so utterly confident in her sexuality. What a record!
Oh yeah. That's more like it! I absolutely adore Betty Davis. I feel like she would be a fucking superstar today. People just weren't ready in the 70s for a kick arse black woman so utterly confident in her sexuality. What a record!
You should all really listen to Joi getting all emotional at what an important figure Betty is on the brilliant Heat Rocks podcast. Also the album they are talking about is probably the one that should have made this list tbf.
https://maximumfun.org/heat-rocks/episode-1-joi-betty-davis-they-say-im-different
https://maximumfun.org/heat-rocks/episode-1-joi-betty-davis-they-say-im-different
143. Barry White – Barry White Sings for Someone You Love
Growing up in the 80s it felt like Barry White was just a punchline. Deep voice? Insert Barry White joke. Some silly shit people off the telly put on when they are planning sexytimes.
Growing up in the 80s it felt like Barry White was just a punchline. Deep voice? Insert Barry White joke. Some silly shit people off the telly put on when they are planning sexytimes.
Disappointed to find out that kind of is all it is. It's all so route one. I'm not sure what makes this record stand out from any number of other soul albums of it's ilk.
I'd take Isaac Hayes or The Isley Brothers or tonnes of other artists I can think of that are making similar but way more interesting music in this lane at this time.
It's fine, but I'm adding it to the Meh pile.
It's fine, but I'm adding it to the Meh pile.
142. Van Halen – Van Halen
I only know Jump from Van Halen, it can't all be like that can it?
Nope. It's way less fun than that. Plod, plod, screech, plod, plod, guitar solo. Properly fucking hate it. Sounds like Wyld Stallyns but not fun.
I only know Jump from Van Halen, it can't all be like that can it?
Nope. It's way less fun than that. Plod, plod, screech, plod, plod, guitar solo. Properly fucking hate it. Sounds like Wyld Stallyns but not fun.
141. Queen – A Night at the Opera
Never listened to a Queen album. Really enjoyed it. Kepps switching up styles but almost every song is catchy (and camp) as fuck. They really sound like they are having a right laugh.
Never listened to a Queen album. Really enjoyed it. Kepps switching up styles but almost every song is catchy (and camp) as fuck. They really sound like they are having a right laugh.
The less rock-y almost music hall-y tracks get a bit twee and tiresome by the end, but that's not enough to stop this being a bloody entertaining listen.
140. X-Ray Spex – Germfree Adolescents
Shit the bed, this is a revelation. Why aren't all you fuckers who listen to guitar bands all the time banging on about this album constantly? Poly Styrene's lyrics feel like they could have been written today.
Shit the bed, this is a revelation. Why aren't all you fuckers who listen to guitar bands all the time banging on about this album constantly? Poly Styrene's lyrics feel like they could have been written today.
It's anti-corporate, ecology focused, post-modern with a lovely line in ironic humour.
I know this isn't news to most people, but it's new to me dammit.
I know this isn't news to most people, but it's new to me dammit.
139. Boston – Boston
I'm going to have to accept I'm just not going to get along very well with this sort of stuff. I can see it's really impressively put together, but it's so flashy and grandiose. It's basically the opposite of what I'm looking for in any music.
I'm going to have to accept I'm just not going to get along very well with this sort of stuff. I can see it's really impressively put together, but it's so flashy and grandiose. It's basically the opposite of what I'm looking for in any music.
That said, there is something unexpectedly likeable about this album in particular though, enjoyed listening to it more than fucking Van Halen that's for sure.
138. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
This is all over the place. Feels like it's been chucked together, but so bloody brilliant moments in there. Mostly when they are just doing bluesy stuff tbf.
This is all over the place. Feels like it's been chucked together, but so bloody brilliant moments in there. Mostly when they are just doing bluesy stuff tbf.
137. Jorge Ben – Africa Brasil
Ah yeah. Raw, driving, funky. All the good stuff. Remember being obsessed with this record when I was younger. Not listened to it since for some reason. Lovely reminder that this need to be in the rotation more.
Ah yeah. Raw, driving, funky. All the good stuff. Remember being obsessed with this record when I was younger. Not listened to it since for some reason. Lovely reminder that this need to be in the rotation more.
