Welcome To Tony Palmeri's Media Rants! I am a professor of Communication Studies at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I use this blog to try to promote critical thinking about mainstream media, establishment politics, and popular culture.
Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974. Legendary announcer Vin Scully's real time call of Aaron's record breaking home run has itself become iconic, as Scully recognized the significance of "a Black man getting a standing ovation in the deep south." Millions of Americans wanted to believe that Aaron's achievement represented some kind of transformational moment for the United States. Just a few weeks later I personally experienced a transformational moment related to Hank Aaron, though it was not the kind of transformation Scully and others would have hoped for.
In mid-June of 1974 I was living in Brooklyn, NY and was just a few weeks short of my 13th birthday. Some of my friends discovered that the Atlanta Braves were coming into town to play the Mets, so we got on a train to Queens and went to Shea Stadium. There were probably 3 or 4 of us. As was typical, we purchased the cheapest nosebleed seats and then snuck down to better ones.
Old Shea was an "open air" stadium, meaning that you always felt a cool breeze. I remember that particular day the stadium being really cold even though it was later in June. Given that the Mets had made the World Series the year before, and given the fact that Hammerin' Hank was coming to town, the stadium seemed close to sold out. In fact it was so crowded that the seats we snuck down to were still kind of nosebleedish.
I don't remember if Hank Aaron came up in the first or the second inning, but I will never forget what did happen when he finally approached the batter's box. Remember, he had just broken Babe Ruth's record in April. Hank was celebrated in every city the Braves visited that year. When the public address announcer said Hank's name, almost everyone stood up and started yelling:
LET'S GO HANK!
LET'S GO HANK!
LET'S GO HANK!
As Hank got into the batter's box, the chanting started to subside, but about 30 yards from us there were three men sitting with very angry looks. They looked to be about 50-60 years old. One of them, with a tone of absolute rage and a look that would intimidate Satan, yelled, "Let's Go Hank. Fuck You N_ _ _ _R!"
Then the three of them all chimed in at once, as loud as they could: "Let's Go Hank. Fuck You N_ _ _ _R!"
Not one person confronted these characters. In fact most people seemed to treat it as a joke. There were a few African-American people in the vicinity, but they either treated it as if they could not hear it, or thought better of getting into a scuffle with a few angry, racist douchebags.
Over the years as a college teacher, some students have told me that they appreciate my approach to racial justice issues, and the fact that I try--as best as I can--to make sure that the examples I use in my classes represent the human family in its entirety. When I've reflected over the years on how I got to be that way as a teacher, that Shea Stadium experience in June of 1974 keeps coming back to me.
That experience taught me that racism and hate exist as they do in large part because they go unchallenged. As a 12-year-old on that cold day in June of 1974, I suppose I get a pass for not confronting the haters. There were people there much older than me who could have and should have intervened, but did not.
That day was my introduction to the maxim, "silence is consent."
Have I always confronted racism and hate as an adult? No. But I would like to think that I have tried to make choices in my life that help make my community, state, nation, and world live up to their promise of justice for all. Perhaps if we were all simply more mindful of the need to make those kinds of choices, we would be in a better place today as a species.
Hank Aaron is no longer with us, but on this 50th anniversary of his greatest sports achievement I would like to apologize to him for being silent all those years ago. None of us can go back and erase terrible moments from the past, but we CAN pledge to be better TODAY.
There were a number of disappointing results in this past Tuesday's elections in Wisconsin. In Winnebago County, LaKeisha Haase's loss in the Circuit Court Judge race was deeply disappointing. As she noted in a Facebook post, "The Uihlein funded out-of-state PAC, Fair Courts America, spent tens of thousands of dollars inundating the members of our community with divisive, targeted, and racist mailers and text messages in support of my opponent to prevent me from returning to the bench." The local and state media need to do a much better job of calling out such advertising when it appears.
Another disappointment was the passage of two bogus referendums on "election integrity," both designed to appease Donald Trump's fantasies about the 2020 elections. This too was another media failure: the establishment press needed to do much more to explain to voters the politics behind these referendum questions.
Wausau, WI Mayor Katie Rosenberg lost her reelection bid in a close race. Attack ads funded my dark money from MAGA interests contributed to the results.
For me the biggest disappointment was the defeat of the great Mayor Katie Rosenberg in Wausau, WI. When Lori Palmeri was Mayor of Oshkosh, I called Katie my "second most favorite Mayor in Wisconsin," and I meant it. There are lots of elected officials who claim to be "progressive" who do not actually have the courage of their convictions. Mayor Rosenberg, an inspiring young leader, actually governed as a principled progressive. Some things I personally admired about her term in office:
She insisted that Wausau be a welcoming community for ALL people. As such, she did not tolerate attacks on marginalized populations. Everyone targeted for attacks based on their race, or who they choose to love, or their identity, knew that they had a friend in City Hall in Mayor Rosenberg.
She was, is, and will continue to be a leader in environmental clean up and sustainability. Her leadership in tackling the PFAS issue has been exemplary, and should be a role model for mayors across the state and nation.
She was an outspoken advocate for public transit and affordable housing, which she understands as key to economic development in the 21st century. During her term Wausau's unemployment rate was 2.3% and the region became known as one of the up and coming places to do business in Wisconsin.
For her efforts, Mayor Rosenberg was attacked nonstop her entire term by far right wing elements. She even suffered anti-Semitic attacks from ignoramuses who saw "Rosenberg" and assumed she was Jewish. Her reelection bid was hurt by the introduction of dark money into the race from MAGA entities.
It's too early after the election for Katie Rosenberg to announce any future plans. I for one would like to see her run for Congress, US Senate, or Governor. Wisconsin needs young, bold leadership that is progressive in DEEDS and not just words.
Thank you Katie Rosenberg for the courageous leadership you showed during your mayoral term. History will show that your term represented a transformational moment for Wausau, WI.
Below is a conversation that Matt King and I had with Katie in 2021:
In what has now become an annual tradition here at Media Rants, I will spend two posts celebrating the 50th birthday of albums released during the 1970s. Prior posts in this series:
My motives for these posts are part personal, part professional, and part political. At the personal level, it's fun to go back and listen to music that was--in some cases--highly instrumental (pun intended) in my development as a human being. Even without social media feeds, musical artists of that time period somehow seemed to be communicating directly to their listeners, as if what they had to say might actually MATTER in someone's life. Imagine that.
At the professional level, I still teach "The Rhetoric of Rock Music" and preparing these posts helps me to do the research that I probably should be doing anyway. It's always fun to rediscover some gems that I had forgotten about--and that might be of interest to today's younger generations.
Politically, the music of the time period in question reflects that moment in history--especially in the United States--when issues of personal identity and self-expression start to provoke the "culture war" that we are still saddled with and not close to resolving. Later in the 1970s, when disco, hip-hop, punk, and British New Wave enter the scene, the culture wars will start to become nastier and more divisive.
Without any further ado, let's get to the music! This post will feature 25 albums of 1974, and later this year another post will feature 25 more.
#50. Queen: Sheer Heart Attack. The band's third album, and the one that firmly established the sound that would define their huge commercial success later in the decade. The song "Killer Queen" became an international hit and still gets featured on classic rock radio playlists. Other tunes on the album (especially "Brighton Rock," "In the Lap of the Gods," "Stone Cold Crazy" and "Now I'm Here") became fixtures in Queen's live shows and/or influenced generations of future bands with their clever lyrics, Freddy Mercury's theatricality, and Brian May's soaring guitars.
#49. Bad Company: Bad Company. The first album by what was essentially a "super group" featuring four artists who had success with previous bands. The album absolutely dominated FM rock radio in 1974, I think in large part because it reminded DJs of the kind of garage rock sound that the Rolling Stones brought to the States in the mid-1960s. If you're looking for deep meaning in music, you won't find it in this album. However, Mick Ralph's gritty guitar and Paul Rodgers' soulful vocals are still worth the price of admission all these years later. The intro guitar on "Rock Steady" has always been one of my favorite pieces of music.
#48. Minnie Riperton: Perfect Angel. If you ARE looking for deep meaning in music, the late Minnie Riperton's classic "Perfect Angel" is kind of like a celebration of love and life put to music. Cancer took Minnie Riperton from the world much too early in 1979 (she was only 31), but she left behind a body of work that puts her in the category of one of the all time great soul singers. The song "Lovin' You" became the mega-hit off the album, in part because of Riperton's unique whistle-register in her vocals and the chirping of birds. Every time I hear the song I immediately think of Minnie's daughter (the actress Maya Rudolph), whose name is chanted several times at the end.
#47. Rufus & Chaka Khan: Rags to Rufus. Let's stay on the soul/funk theme for a minute. Chaka Khan in the 1970s had an absolutely Aretha Franklinesque ability to give a spiritual vibe to every song she performed. The classic on "Rags to Rufus" was the Stevie Wonder penned "Tell Me Something Good."
#46. Neil Young: On the Beach. One of Neil's most underrated albums and least commercially successful at that time, in part because of its overall bleak tone. I personally prefer Neil when he is at his bleakest, so this record struck a chord with me immediately. The title song "On The Beach" is for all of us melancholy types, with expressions of hopelessness ("The world is turnin,' I hope it don't turn away") and despair ("Though my problems are meaningless, that don't make them go away").
#45. Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark. Speaking of Neil Young, in 1974 one of his best friends was making a transition from folk-rock to a more jazz inspired sound. That friend was Joni Mitchell, and the transition album was "Court and Spark," which had a number of radio hits but also some introspective tunes that solidified her reputation as a "deep" artist. Taylor Swift claims to be heavily influenced by Joni Mitchell, and listening to "Court and Spark" makes it clear why.
#44. Bob Dylan and the Band: Before the Flood. This is a live album, featuring energetic versions of classic Dylan songs backed by Robbie Robertson and the Band, and a few tunes by the Band without Dylan. Ironically, my favorite song on the album is Dylan's solo performance of "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)." I recall that being one of the first songs I ever heard that seemed to be a full-on critique of everything the USA stood for, which was a very appealing message to me at the time.
#43. The Electric Light Orchestra: Eldorado. Probably the breakthrough album for ELO, featuring the great Jeff Lynne. By 1974 lots of former Beatles' fans were in serious withdrawal, starving for the kind of progressive pop the Fab Four produced from 1966-1970. ELO filled that niche for a while in the 1970s.
#42. Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Animal. Lou Reed was the founder of the influential progressive band The Velvet Underground in the 1960s. Rock and Roll Animal features metal versions of some of the classic Velvet songs, performed with high intensity and energy. Guitar players Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter (who later formed the nucleus of Alice Cooper's band) have never really been recognized as some of the greatest of all time. For me, Rock and Roll Animal by itself should place them in that category.
#41. Rush: Rush. Speaking of metal, in 1974 Canada's greatest heavy metal band released their first album. The first album was the only one they released without drummer and song writer Neil Peart, so the song writing quality is not what it would become after Peart joined. Still, the first album features guitarist Alex Lifeson and bass player/vocalist Geddy Lee at their most raw, and at its best this album kind of out-Zeps Led Zeppelin.
#40. Sweet: Desolation Boulevard. Sweet were a kind of pop-metal band who laid down the foundation for later, more popular bands like Motley Crue and Poison. I find albums like "Desolation Boulevard" fascinating because bands like Sweet were kind of like the real life version of the loveable burnouts that Rob Reiner parodied so well in "This is Spinal Tap."
#39. Kiss: Kiss. The first album by the masked wonders, and in my opinion it still ranks as maybe their best. Just about all the songs remain in their live concert set list TO THIS DAY, which is an amazing achievement. Say what you want about Kiss, but they have always been one of the hardest working bands in show business, and their ability not only to maintain the loyalty of their original audience, but attract new audiences over the decades is almost unprecedented in the history of popular music.
#38. The Doobie Brothers: What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. Even if this album sucked, I would love it just for the title. Thankfully it does not suck, and I will always insist that Tom Johnston is one of the greatest singer/songwriters in the history of popular music. This particular album has blues, soul, jazz, folk, and rock elements thrown together in a kind of musical gumbo that few bands pulled off as effectively as the Doobies.
#37. Supertramp: Crime of the Century. The breakthrough album for the British progressive rock band Supertramp. Another example of a band and album that only got heard because of the quality of FM radio at the time. Not sure how a band like Supertramp could make it in the streaming era without seriously compromising the artistic integrity of their work.
#36. John Lennon: Walls and Bridges. "Walls and Bridges" was somewhat of a comeback album for John, as he had been through much personal turmoil, and the previously released "Mind Games" album was widely perceived as his poorest post-Beatles effort. "Walls and Bridges" is not my personal favorite Lennon album, but it does have a number of moments that rank with his best work,
#35. Todd Rundgren's Utopia: Utopia. One of the classics of the progressive rock era, and another example of a record only possible because of FM radio at the time. All the songs on this album require patience to get through, which is not exactly the dominant value for the majority of listeners in 2024.
#34: Labelle: Nightbirds. An important album in the history of popular music, Nightbirds featured a mix of soul, funk, and rock elements that inspired the disco movement that was still a year or so away. Rolling Stone Magazine has several times placed this album in its list of the 500 greatest of all time. And of course the hit song "Lady Marmalade" is by itself worth the price of admission.
#33. Stanley Clarke: Stanley Clarke. An amazing, jazz fusion instrumental album by one of the greatest bass players in history. Jan Hammer's keyboards and Tony Williams' drums complement Clarke's bass playing in a way that is almost intoxicating.
#32. Weather Report: Mysterious Traveler. More jazz fusion! I actually did not become aware of this album until around 1990 when one of my favorite albums of THAT year ("Hell With the Lid Off" by MC 900 Foot Jesus) had a song called "Truth is Out of Style" that samples "Cucumber Slumber" from Mysterious Traveler. Turns out the entire album is high quality, and I speak as someone who is not the biggest fan of jazz fusion.
#31. Parliament: Up For the Down Stroke. Maybe the best funk band of all time, Parliament had a breakthrough with "Up For The Down Stroke." This album features vocalist George Clinton, bassist Bootsy Collins, and guitarist Eddie Hazel. Those three together were generally not capable of producing anything less than iconic.
#30. Ohio Players: Fire. Let's go with another funk classic. Like LaBelle, the Ohio Players set the stage for the burgeoning disco movement. The song "Fire" remains as an early funk/disco classic
#29. Joe Walsh: So What. Any list of the greatest rock guitar players of all time that does not include Joe Walsh in the top ten is probably not worth a low E string. "So What" was one of Walsh's solo albums released in between his stints with the James Gang and the Eagles (where he had his greatest success). The album rocks from beginning to end. Songs like "Turn to Stone" and "County Fair" were in heavy rotation on FM rock radio for years.
#28. The Eagles: On the Border. Speaking of the Eagles, in 1974 they started to move toward a more rock oriented sound with "On the Border," a sound that would become more refined when Walsh joined the band a few years later. "On the Border" had a number of radio hits, including the rockers "Already Gone" and "James Dean" and the ballad "The Best of My Love."
#27. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping. I'm not a big fan of Skynyrd's signature song from this album, "Sweet Home Alabama," but it is a foundational record in the "Southern Rock" genre and should be appreciated as such. Thankfully, that song is not representative of the entire album. That is, the rest of the album is not some kind of half-baked "defense" of "southern pride" that sweeps the racism under the rug. The album in its entirety has a great mix of fast and slow rock songs, with Ronnie Van Zant's vocals at their high point and Gary Rossington establishing himself as one of the best rock guitar players of the era.
#26. Stevie Wonder: Fulfillingess' First Finale. Released during Stevie's classic period in the 1970s, this album features a mix of many different genres. "Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" is Stevie in his best preacher persona, while "Boogie on Reggae Woman" is a kind of Motown, funk, soul, rock hybrid that was actually popular on rock radio stations.
