[Music] 1971, a year without parallel.

[Stato]

I was 12 in 1971, a lot of the albums I have mentioned I didn’t hear for at least 10-15 years after their release. Far more from this year have gone on to be acknowledged as either seminal or classic albums than many other years. It’s not just me who thinks this, What’s going on, Tapestry, Blue, Hunky Dory, among others, are all acknowledged to be classics that will be remembered as groundbreaking/genius long after many that came after have been long forgotten.

And ,by the way, I can’t stand Joni Mitchell’s music , but I do understand why people do.

I think 9-13 is the age you generally go back to. That would fit for me in terms of 1979. I think that Joni has made some of the greatest albums ever made. I'd give you Blue, What's Going On & Tapestry as genre defining classics. I'm not much of a Bowie fan but guess that most fans would consider Hunky Dory to be one of his best. I am a massive fan of the Kinks and like Muswell Hillbillies a lot, but there are at least three of their albums that are better. I'd say similar about Van: Tupelo Honey is not as good as Moondance and nowhere near Astral Weeks. Meddle is not one of Pink Floyd's better albums. It's certainly nowhere near The Wall. The Who album and The Stones one are very strong contenders in their catalogues. I have absolutely no time for Rod Stewart, who'd spent his earlier professional career obsessed with Sam Cooke, learned absolutely nothing and would be describing Enoch Powell as 'The Man' within five years of 1971.

My point was not that 1971 didn't have some great albums, but that it was in no way a year without parallel. I don't think any year in pop/rock music has no parallel. There is one in jazz though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKYa3wwc1SU

 

[Nitram]

Link Wray - Link Wray I was completely unaware of in 1971 that I love now, same as Gene Clark’s 70’s album No Other which I complete missed at the time but is another classic album. So many great albums between 1966 to 1973 I don’t think I could pick a favourite year.

 

[marlowe]

...........
. I have absolutely no time for Rod Stewart, who'd spent his earlier professional career obsessed with Sam Cooke, learned absolutely nothing and would be describing Enoch Powell as 'The Man' within five years of 1971.........

Although I believe Stewart does have a bit of a dubious history with regards racist comments I think you may be confusing him with Eric Clapton who had a racist outburst during a concert in 1976 during which he described Enoch Powell as a great man who spoke the truth.

It was apparently the reaction against Clapton's comments which sowed the seeds of the Rock Against Racism movement which emerged that same year...

https://thequietus.com/articles/20701-eric-clapton-racism-morrissey

 

[el punal]

Just seen something about the amount of absolute classic albums released in 1971.
Personally, I can’t believe some of these are 50 years old now,all released in what must be the best ever year for music.

In no particular order,
Sticky Fingers. The Stones
Tupelo Honey. Van the Man
Tapestry. Carole King
What’s going on. Marvin Gaye
Meddle. Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin 4. Led Zeppelin
Who’s Next The Who
Hunky Dory. David Bowie
Every Picture tells a story. Rod Stewart
Muswell Hillbillies. The Kinks
There’s a riot going on. Sly and the family stone

There are many more, these are just some of the best ones.

Wow! Great selection, I’ve got seven of those albums.

 

[lawros left foot]

I think 9-13 is the age you generally go back to. That would fit for me in terms of 1979. I think that Joni has made some of the greatest albums ever made. I'd give you Blue, What's Going On & Tapestry as genre defining classics. I'm not much of a Bowie fan but guess that most fans would consider Hunky Dory to be one of his best. I am a massive fan of the Kinks and like Muswell Hillbillies a lot, but there are at least three of their albums that are better. I'd say similar about Van: Tupelo Honey is not as good as Moondance and nowhere near Astral Weeks. Meddle is not one of Pink Floyd's better albums. It's certainly nowhere near The Wall. The Who album and The Stones one are very strong contenders in their catalogues. I have absolutely no time for Rod Stewart, who'd spent his earlier professional career obsessed with Sam Cooke, learned absolutely nothing and would be describing Enoch Powell as 'The Man' within five years of 1971.

My point was not that 1971 didn't have some great albums, but that it was in no way a year without parallel. I don't think any year in pop/rock music has no parallel. There is one in jazz though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKYa3wwc1SU

The main thrust of my posts were not that these albums are the artists best work, more the fact there were so many superb albums out in the same year. I think Exile on Mainstreet , is better than Sticky Fingers, as you say, Astral Weeks is better than Tupelo Honey, for example. Many people think Low, or Ziggy is better than Hunky Dory, personally I don’t, but, it’s not about that, it’s the sheer amount of fantastic quality albums that came out in this particular year.

Some more corkers

American Pie, Don McLean
Just as I am , Bill Withers
Shaft , Isaac Hayes
Black Moses Isaac Hayes
Live, at Fillmore West, Aretha Franklin
America, America.
Mud Slide Slim, and Blue Horizon James Taylor .

 

[Stato]

Although I believe Stewart does have a bit of a dubious history with regards racist comments I think you may be confusing him with Eric Clapton who had a racist outburst during a concert in 1976 during which he described Enoch Powell as a great man who spoke the truth.

It was apparently the reaction against Clapton's comments which sowed the seeds of the Rock Against Racism movement which emerged that same year...

https://thequietus.com/articles/20701-eric-clapton-racism-morrissey

No confusion. I know about Clapton's despicable remarks and the link to RAR. His disgusting racism has been well remembered. What seems to have been widely forgotten is that he wasn't alone. Stewart's comments were specifically referenced by one of the founders of RAR in the recent RAR documentary 'White Riot' and are actually mentioned in the article that you linked:

"Rod Stewart, who displaced The Sex Pistols' 'God Save The Queen' at number one in 1977 with 'I Don't Want To Talk About It'. What he had been happy to talk about was his own enthusiasm for Enoch Powell, who he described as "the man"."

 

[marlowe]

No confusion. I know about Clapton's despicable remarks and the link to RAR. His disgusting racism has been well remembered. What seems to have been widely forgotten is that he wasn't alone. Stewart's comments were specifically referenced by one of the founders of RAR in the recent RAR documentary 'White Riot' and are actually mentioned in the article that you linked:

"Rod Stewart, who displaced The Sex Pistols' 'God Save The Queen' at number one in 1977 with 'I Don't Want To Talk About It'. What he had been happy to talk about was his own enthusiasm for Enoch Powell, who he described as "the man"."

Yes, sorry, I realised my mistake once I read the article in its entirety which I hadn't done when I posted the link.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

...until 1972

Harvest - Neil Young
Machine Head - Deep Purple
Exile on Main Street - Rolling Stones
The Fall and Rise of Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
Transformer - Lou Reed
Let's Stay Together - Al Green
The Eagles - The Eagles
Talking Book - Stevie Wonder

etc.

With even fewer dull moments

 

[lawros left foot]

No confusion. I know about Clapton's despicable remarks and the link to RAR. His disgusting racism has been well remembered. What seems to have been widely forgotten is that he wasn't alone. Stewart's comments were specifically referenced by one of the founders of RAR in the recent RAR documentary 'White Riot' and are actually mentioned in the article that you linked:

"Rod Stewart, who displaced The Sex Pistols' 'God Save The Queen' at number one in 1977 with 'I Don't Want To Talk About It'. What he had been happy to talk about was his own enthusiasm for Enoch Powell, who he described as "the man"."

Rod Stewart also wrote and recorded Tonight’s the Night.

Let’s face it, it’s paedophilia.

 

[Icy Gull]

Wow! Great selection, I’ve got seven of those albums.

8 for me

Missing Muswell Hillbillies and Led Zep 4

 

[el punal]

8 for me

Missing Muswell Hillbillies and Led Zep 4

The cover of the Kinks’ Muswell Hillbillies shows the inside of a seedy pub. It always reminds me of the old Cliftonville pub by Hove station before they tarted it up around 1972. The before bit was a sticky laminate floor, brown, nicotine stained walls and ceiling. The after bit was a horrendous purple and brass concoction that made it look like a French brothel.

 

[Silverhatch]

The 1970's were the best musical decade without any doubt.

The fact that it coincided with my teenage years is neither here nor there

Me too, extraordinary... Prog, Glam, Rock, Soul, Punk, Funk, HipHopRap, Disco. And the Albion were ****ing brilliant!

 

[el punal]

And the Albion were ****ing brilliant!

Not in 1973 they weren’t.

 

[Silverhatch]

Not in 1973 they weren’t.

Yep, got carried away there. Let’s say from Wardy/Mullers onwards and Pat Saward early 70s

 

[el punal]

Yep, got carried away there. Let’s say from Wardy/Mullers onwards and Pat Saward early 70s

 

[Swansman]

The 1970's were the best musical decade without any doubt.

The fact that it coincided with my teenage years is neither here nor there

I actually think there is some kind of "objectivity" to it. Me and my friends were dead or maybe unborn for all of the 70s yet that is the go to decade for all of us who are really into music. Dont know about 1971 specificially but there is no doubt it will always be remember as one of the best decades for music, pretty much regardless of what style you're into.

 

[Icy Gull]

I actually think there is some kind of "objectivity" to it. Me and my friends were dead or maybe unborn for all of the 70s yet that is the go to decade for all of us who are really into music. Dont know about 1971 specificially but there is no doubt it will always be remember as one of the best decades for music, pretty much regardless of what style you're into.

I think 20 May 1975 probably resonates with you the most, even without the music

Back on topic. Two albums that deserve a mention. Santana 3 and Caravanserai -1971 and 1972

 

[Blue3]

In my humble 1970 trumps 1971 for albums with unimaginative titles

Paul Macartney - Paul Macartney
John Lennon - John Lennon
Elton John - Elton John
Black Sabbeth- Black Sabbath
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin 3
Chicago - Chicago


But it was also the year that these were released

The Beatles - Abbey Road
John Lennon - Imagine
George Harrison - All things must pass
Simon and Garfunkel- Bridge over troubled waters
Black Sabbath- Paranoid
Neil Young - After the gold rush
Jimmy Hendrix - Band of the Gypsys
The Who - Live at Leeds
The Velvet Underground - Loaded
Grateful Dead - American Beauty
Santana - Abraxsas
The Doors - Morrison Hotel
Deep Purple - In Rock
Crosby Stills and Nash - Deja vu
Bob Dylan - Self Portrait
The Beach Boys - Sunflower
Rod Stewart - Tumble Weed Alley
The Moody Blues - A question of Balance
Joe Cocker - mad Dogs and Englishmen
Derek and the Dominoes - Layla
RandyNewman - 12 Songs
The Kinks - Lola verses Power man

 

[colinz]

Interesting that this album hasn't had a mention.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Warrior

 

[Swansman]

Also 1971

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOKn33-q4Ao