Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend returns, and this week I decided to turn back the clock to the 70s. People tend to trash the 70s music scene, thinking it only to be disco, but actually, the 70s were pretty fantastic. There was the birth of metal and punk and hip hop, and explosion of catchy folk, and still whole bunch of great rock n' roll. Here are some recent accusations to my catalog from that decade. Enjoy.

Iggy and The Stooges - Move Ass Baby: This compilation of rehearsals and demos was recorded in London and Detroit around '71, and was originally released in '73 in Europe. Still not officially released in the U.S., I recently picked up the double vinyl Italian reissue from 2015. This is dynamite stuff! If the first two Stooges albums were proto-punk, this is the true birth of punk. It features the rare five man line-up that really made them that much heavier. 

Lee Michaels -5th: The fifth album from the L.A. pop rock, blue eyed soul singer was released in '71. There's a clear attempt to capitalize on the growing popularity of Elton John. The piano rock, the vocal structure, the arrangements, they all feel like Elton albums from the same period. This isn't surprising, there is always more than one artist in a rising genre, and I like discovering some of the lesser known ones. This is a solid record. "Didn't Have to Happen," "Do You Know What I Mean," "Can I Get a Witness," and "Oak Fire" are personal favorites. 

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours: Not only the biggest record of 1977, one of the biggest of all time is this one from the band that had been counted out twice before. With this line-up, they would become superstars. I've always shunned this album, pissing about it being soft rock coke music and staying loyal to the Peter Green line-up. Recently this album has been popping up in my mind, and I finally found a reasonable copy. I've always had a fondness for this '70s sound and figured it might be time to judge this album from the perspective of two decades since I'd cast my original verdict. While still not my favorite record of theirs, when you're in the right mood, there is nothing quite so perfect as this.

The Doobie Brothers - Toulouse Street: The Cali southern rock band's second album was released in 1972 and was their real breakthrough album, featuring the hits "Listen to the Music," and "Jesus is Just Alright." I've had their debut album for more than 20 years, and never connected with it in any meaningful way, but this album is far superior. They capture that country folk blues rock sound perfectly on here, espeically on tracks like "Snake Man" and the title track. Solid record all around.

Nazareth - Malice in Wonderland: Not exactly a pillar of '70s hard rock, but certainly one of the bricks that held up the wall, this UK band hit it big in '75 with their Hair of the Dog album (a classic of the genre). This album, released five years and five albums later is the UK band's eleventh studio album. Now, I'm a sucker for anything Alice-related and was excited to give this a listen. It's pretty typical hard rock of the time and the band never really fails to deliver radio friendly hard rock, something like a less wild Slade. "Fast Cars," and "Heart's Grown Cold" are my personal favorites. 

Jackson Browne - Jackson Browne [Saturate Before Using]: The debut album from the 70's folk icon was released in '72. Less pop than he would later become, this is more traditional country folk, a sound that was popular in L.A. at the time. He does this sound extremely well and this album appeals to me more than some of his more celebrated albums. "A Child in These Hills," "Doctor My Eyes," and "Something Fine" are my favorites. A great early '70s folk record.