Back in July I celebrated 26 albums released in 1972, one of the most magical years in the history of popular music. In that year, a number of established artists reached their creative high point and--thanks to the idealism of FM radio programmers of the day--felt empowered to take risks and challenge the listening audience to think beyond the traditional 2-4 minute tune.
That listening audience was primarily aged 30 and under. Their embrace of this music was a powerfully symbolic way of distancing themselves from the older generation. That's why when listening to this music today, what's remarkable is how its appeal is now multigenerational. When I teach "The Rhetoric of Rock and Roll" at UW Oshkosh, most students get introduced to these artists and tunes for the first time and the majority become fans instantly.
The purpose of the July post and this one is NOT to wax nostalgic about great music of a bygone vinyl era. I am not one of those boomers convinced that today's music is unlistenable. A plethora of great bands and individual artists exist in our digital streaming era. I guarantee you someone will be celebrating today's tunes 50 years from now. My guess is that the best of today's artists are also fans of the music mentioned in these posts, and probably see themselves as consciously continuing the tradition of stretching creative boundaries.
So without any further adieu, let's get to 25 more albums of 1972:
#25: Curtis Mayfield, "Super Fly." The soundtrack from the film of the same name, Super Fly is a masterpiece of soul, in the same league as Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On" in terms of its poignant fusing of social commentary and gripping melodies. I've always loved these lyrics from "Freddie's Dead," one of the album's signature tunes:
We're all built up with progressBut sometimes I must confessWe can deal with rockets and dreamsBut realityWhat does it mean?
Curtis Mayfield, Freddie's Dead
#24: Steely Dan, "Can't Buy a Thrill." Steely Dan's first album. It's hard to communicate just how fresh and vital this music sounded at the time. The founders of the band, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, were the essence of COOL. The first time I heard Elliott Randall's lead guitar on the hit song "Reelin' in the Years," my 11-year-old Brooklyn brain thought, "What the fuck is that?" Years later I found out that Led Zeppelin's guitar maestro Jimmy Page considers Randall's guitar work on that tune to be his all time favorite guitar solo. It also turns out that Elliott Randall was great friends with Jimi Hendrix, and he claims that the two of them were great fans of . . . you guessed it: Curtis Mayfield.
#23: The Eagles, "Eagles." The first album from what would become one of the most successful bands in history, with a sound that defined "country rock" for a generation. For me, the Eagles did not become a truly outstanding band until guitar hero Joe Walsh joined them for the 1977 "Hotel California" album, but this Walsh-less debut effort is still a classic. After the turmoil of the 1960s, "Take It Easy" became a clarion call for everyone to chill out just a bit. Glenn Frey's and Don Henley's vocal harmonies filled the void left when the Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney pursued solo careers.
#22: Roxy Music, "Roxy Music." The debut album from one of the groundbreakers in the "glam rock" or "art rock" genre. Listening to this recording fifty years later, the sophistication of the lyrical themes, instrumentation and melodies is quite striking. For pop music historians, Roxy's lead singer Bryan Ferry and keyboardist Brian Eno are--rightfully--icons of the progressive rock sound of the early 1970s. Moreover, the band's visual image ended up inspiring early 1980s MTV electro-pop bands.
#21: Yes, "Close to the Edge." I have no hard evidence to back it up, but my gut tells me that in 1972 the progressive rock band Yes were probably extremely popular among college Liberal Arts majors. The band's complex musical arrangements and cryptic lyrics no doubt inspired some intense--often marijuana facilitated--conversation between youth for whom Philosophy, Rhetoric, and English Literature made a difference. I personally am a huge fan of Herman Hesse's classic novel "Siddhartha," and when I discovered that "Close to the Edge" was based on the novel, my appreciation for both increased dramatically. Lead singer Jon Anderson considers "Close to the Edge" to be the band's greatest achievement. In our attention deficit era it is hard to imagine a band setting out to write and record an 18-minute song, but in 1972 FM radio was interested in raising the aural bar, so albums like this could actually get a fair hearing.
#20: Deep Purple, "Machine Head." This is the album that features "Smoke on the Water," the song that gave us THE RIFF that every novice guitar player since 1972 has set out to master. Air guitar players figure it out pretty quickly. In all seriousness, I've often wondered if Deep Purple wish they had never recorded THE RIFF. Sure it made them tons of money and gave them international recognition, but it's actually not even close to being the best song on "Machine Head," and it stereotyped them as a typical heavy metal band when--in actual fact--the heavy metal label is way too limiting to describe Purple's musical style. Deep Purple went through a number of personnel changes over the years, but the "Mark II" version performing on Machine Head (and the next album on the list, "Made in Japan") is widely recognized as the classic line-up. Ian Gillan on vocals, Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Roger Glover on bass, Jon Lord on keyboards, and Ian Paice on drums gave us many hours worth of glorious jams. They deserve to be remembered for more than THE RIFF.
#19: Deep Purple, "Made in Japan." Riding on the success of THE RIFF, Deep Purple later in 1972 released a live album; four vinyl sides of in-your-face, blues based rock and roll. "Highway Star" was an FM radio mainstay for many years. In terms of production quality, what I love about "Made in Japan" is that, like the Who's classic "Live at Leeds," the crowd noise is minimized so that nothing distracts your ears from the remarkable jams. You almost get the feeling that you are sitting in the front row.
#18: Johnny Cash, "America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song." A patriotic opus from an artist who managed that rare feet of being admired by liberals and conservatives alike. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is, for me, one of the top-5 speeches in American history. Cash's rendition of it here is amazing.
#17: Black Sabbath, "Volume IV." If we judge the greatness of rock and rollers by the sheer number of artists they've influenced, then I would say the greatest rock and roll artists of all time have to be Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Black Sabbath. Yes, Black Sabbath. Even though their music was literally censored from FM radio throughout the 1970s, they developed a loyal and insanely dedicated following. Their influence can be heard in virtually all heavy metal that followed, from the greats like Metallica and Korn to the local garage band that you call the cops on to get the noise turned down. Ozzy Osborne's personal quirkiness made it difficult for him to be recognized as for what he was: one of the truly great rock singers and lyricists of his generation. Meanwhile guitarist Tony Iommi created a unique, power lawn mower guitar style that's been imitated extensively but rarely done with the melodic flair of its originator.
Volume IV is probably my favorite Sabbath album, in part because the metal is balanced out with some mellow tunes. People old enough will remember how impressive were the color, glossy photos included in the jacket of the vinyl edition.
#16: Jimmy Cliff, "The Harder They Come." When Americans think of reggae, they think of Bob Marley. Marley is the reggae GOAT of course, but the artist that "brought reggae to the world" is Jimmy Cliff. The soundtrack to the movie "The Harder They Come" is the archetype of hard core reggae: soulful social commentary backed up with syncopated beats. "You Can Get It If You Really Want" is a social justice activist anthem, and the title track is about as hard core reggae as you can get. A truly inspired and inspiring record.
#15: Dr. John, "Dr. John's Gumbo." A tribute to the music of New Orleans played by some of the greatest session musicians of the era. Dr. John (born Malcolm John Rebbenack, Jr. in 1941 in New Orleans) had a clear love of New Orleans jazz and R & B, and that love shines brightly in every tune on this spectacular recording.
#14: Jethro Tull, "Thick as a Brick." A masterpiece in the progressive rock genre. In vinyl album terms, I would say that the first side of "Thick as a Brick" is one of the most memorable album sides in the history of recorded popular music, right up there with side two of the Beatles' Abbey Road in terms of sheer innovation and musical surprises. Thick as a Brick was supposed to be a kind of parody of the excesses of progressive rock, yet ended up becoming iconic in the genre. It is probably Tull front man Ian Anderson's creative high point, and it's hard to imagine anyone playing guitar any better than Martin Barre does on Thick as a Brick.
#13: Gary Glitter, "Glitter." Given that Gary Glitter (born Paul Francis Gadd) was convicted of child sexual abuse in the 2000s, it is difficult to present him with any accolades. But regardless of his horrible crimes, it is still true that the 1972 "Glitter" album broke new ground in the "glam rock" genre. His energetic covers of 1950s records gave a new, fresh voice to those tunes, while "Rock and Roll" parts 1 and 2 became staples at pro sports and other events for decades. Fans of the movie "The Joker" will recall how Rock and Roll Part 2 is heard while Arthur dances down a staircase.
#12: Alice Cooper, "School's Out." Not Alice's best album by any means, but still a rockin' good time throughout. The title track was in heavy rotation on radio stations in the summer of 1972. If such a song were released today, an era that cannot grasp satire and parody, the artist would be accused of promoting anti-Americanism and school violence.
#11: Waylon Jennings, "Ladies Love Outlaws." Waylon Jennings got his start in Buddy Holly's band. He survived "The Day The Music Died" (i.e. the day in 1959 that Buddy, the Big Bopper, and J.P. Richardson were killed in a plane crash) when he gave up his seat before take-off. Jennings became a successful solo artist, and in the early 70s was one of the recognized founders of the "outlaw country" sub-genre of country music. "Ladies Love Outlaws" is foundational in that sub-genre.
#10: The Moody Blues, "Seventh Sojourn." By 1972 the fans of the Moody Blues treated them somewhat like gurus, intensely perusing the words on each album for insights about the human condition. "Seventh Sojourn," the band's 8th album, is a bit more political than their prior offerings (especially in the songs "Lost in a a Lost World," "The Land of Make Believe," and "When You're a Free Man."). But the album's best known song, "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band," is a pointed rejection of the band's guru status.
#9: Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, "Just Another Band From L.A." The year 1972 was an active one for Frank Zappa. This live album represented his collaboration with Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman (aka The Turtles). The songs are the kind of irreverent comedy that, at the time, would have reminded listeners of iconic comedians like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin. I have have always loved Zappa's sarcasm in "Call Any Vegetable."
Questions, Questions, Questions, flooding into the mind of the concerned young person today. Ah, but it's a great time to be alive ladies and gentlemen. And that's the theme of our program for tonight, "It's so FUCKING GREAT to be alive"! Is what the theme of our show is tonight, boys and girls. And I'm wanna tell ya, if there is anybody here who DOESN'T believe that it is FUCKING GREAT to be alive, I wish that they go now, because this show will only bring them down so much...
God Bless America
Land that I love
#8: Frank Zappa, "The Grand Wazoo." Zappa's trademark goofiness often hid the fact that he was one of the truly great jazz composers and musicians of his generation. "The Grand Wazoo" is a remarkable work of modern jazz, featuring primarily instrumental pieces in big band formats. In terms of composition and production quality, "The Grand Wazoo" may be Zappa's finest album.
#7: Nina Simone, "Emergency Ward!" This is Nina Simone at her most activist and radical, her Vietnam War album recorded in the studio with a few tracks recorded live at Fort Dix. Her cover version of George Harrison's beautiful song "Isn't It a Pity" is classic Nina Simone in how she almost seems to be in dialogue with the song; trying to discover its essence. She added some new lyrics to the song:
Lord knows it's a pityMankind has been so programmedThat they don't care about nothin'That has to do with careC-a-r-e
We take each other's mindsAnd we're capable of take each other's soulsWe do it every dayJust to reach some financial goalLord, isn't it a pity, my GodIsn't it a pity, my GodAnd so unnecessary
Maybe one day at least i'll see meAnd just concentrate on givin', givin', givin', givin'And till that dayMankind don't stand a chanceDon't know nothin' about romanceEverything is plasticIsn't it a pityMy God.
#6: Hot Tuna, "Burgers." Hot Tuna in 1972 were led by three former members of the Jefferson Airplane (guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, bassist Jack Casady, and violinist Papa John Creach). "Burgers" was the group's first studio album, and it consists of an appealing mix of folksy and bluesy lyric tunes and instrumentals. Their cover of Julius Daniels' "99 Year Blues" is amazing, and "Water Song" showcases Kaukonen's ability to produce heavenly guitar melodies.
#5: John Lennon and Yoko Ono, "Sometime in New York City." This was a double album, with one studio disc and another recorded live. The studio tunes were filled with grassroots political themes on feminism, prisoners' rights, racism, war and peace, and the war on drugs. No doubt many of the old Beatles fans listened to this and thought, "is that the same guy who sang 'She Loves You' and "I Want To Hold Your Hand?'" In "Attica State," a commentary on the tragic New York prison riot of the time, Lennon's lyrics represent one of the earliest statements against mass incarceration.
#4: Al Green, "Let's Stay Together." A truly extraordinary album from a man who would have to be in the conversation for GOAT when it comes to soul singers. Everyone loves the title song, but really everything on this record is splendid. Al Green deservedly gets all the attention because of his superior vocals, but the rhythm and horn section deserve just a much recognition. They were right up there with Motown's Funk Brothers for finding ways to make the singer shine bright.
#3: Bo Diddley, "Where It All Began." Chicago's great grandfathers of rock and roll (Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley), were all still recording new music in the early 1970s, but even the progressive FM rock stations did not give them much attention. Consequently, some great music never got the hearing it deserved. One example is Bo Diddley's "Where It All Began." Apparently tired of his famous "Bo Diddley Beat" being ripped off by numerous artists without even citing Bo's influence, in 1972 Bo recycled the beat for himself in the song "I've Had It Hard." There are lots of other goodies on this album, including a searing guitar solo on "Bad Trip," and some funny, funky tunes like "Look at Grandma," "Hey Jerome," and "Take it All Off."
#2: Bill Withers, "Still Bill." Bill Withers, from a small mining town in West Virginia, spent nine years in the United States Navy before starting a professional music career. His voice was one of the most unique in the history of popular music. "Still Bill" gave us the monster hits "Lean on Me" and "Use Me," but really everything on the record is of superior quality. Definitely one of the top five albums of 1972.
#1: The Rolling Stones, "Exile on Main St." Exile was a "back to the roots" record for the Stones, four vinyl sides of rock and roll designed to showcase the Stones R & B, blues, old school rock, and soul influences. Definitely one of the better efforts of the Stones, with drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman at their rhythmic high point, and featuring some of the greatest original Mick Jagger/Keith Richards songs. Amazingly, they still perform a number of these songs in concert.
Hope you enjoyed this celebration of the music of 1972. Rock on!
