Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1985 - (page 203)

Notes on the 1974 playlist

- "Roads to Moscow" by Al Stewart is one of the best songs of the 70s so far. @mancity2012_eamo nominated it in the playlist thread a while ago, and I was captivated by it then. The lyrics, telling the tale of the battle between Russia and Germany in WWII is brilliantly researched, evocative and delivered with just the right amount of instrumentation.
- Another song I really enjoyed was "Bridge of Sighs" by Robin Trower.
- Lou Reed's opener, "Sweet Jane - Live" was a great start to the playlist.
- "Boogie on Reggae Woman" is yet another Stevie Wonder toe-tapper that I'd not heard before.
- "No Woman, No Cry" - Bob Marley - reggae's not my thing but I said I'd give credit when credit was due - this is a fantastic song because it avoids the repetitive "um-chick, um-chick" sound of so much reggae,
- Dolly Parton's "Jolene" was a good listen. Like most people, I've heard it many times before but haven't taken the time to appreciate how effective the guitar is on this.
- "Astronomy" by Blue Oyster Cult continues a good run of songs from them on this thread. And they'll be plenty more.
- It was good to hear "Revolution Blues" by Neil Young - the best track on the On The Beach album that we recently reviewed on the album thread.

- As I commented on before, I consider myself a fan of Ameicana/country music in general, and listened to the Gram Parsons album in full as a result of the tracks included here. But it's drenched in pedal steel guitar and was too straight on-the-nose country for my liking. I'm sure we'll get to much better country stuff later.
- I may miss out on something but my new self-imposed rule is that I'll skip any track longer than 10 minutes. Yes, Kin Crimson, Van Morrison and Tangerine Dream need to have a good talk to themselves. I like a good long-form song with some interesting instrumenta; breaks but nothing good comes from stretching out a song way past its welcome.
- Speaking of Tangerine Dream, is this really music or just noise that happens to feature a keyboard? Like fellow Germans Kraftwerk, they ushered in a new eletronic form of music, but I can't say that the two tracks included here did anything for me at all.
- There are lots of familiar pop songs that whilst not my favourites, are certainly good for a listen.
- Other tracks new to me that I enjoyed:-
- "Home is Where The Hatred Is" - Gil Scott Heron
- "I Got The Same Old Blues" - J.J.Cale
- "Evie (Let Your Hair Hang Down)" - Stevie Wright
- "Then You Came" - The Spinners, Dionne Warwick
- "When I Get To The Border" - Richard & Linda Thompson
- "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell
- "Horror Movie" - Skyhooks
- "Before the Deluge" - Jackson Browne
- "Rock Bottom" - UFO
 
I had it on yesterday while swimming in the lake as things are baking hot - thank goodness for the shade!

1974 is doing just fine. I'm not through songs since Starless, but I will also admit that I liked the 3 parter that is Stevie Wright's "Evie". A very nice nomination.

I have more to catch up on this coming week.
Wait. What? ''Had it on whilst swimming in the lake''
 
- "Roads to Moscow" by Al Stewart is one of the best songs of the 70s so far. @mancity2012_eamo nominated it in the playlist thread a while ago, and I was captivated by it then. The lyrics, telling the tale of the battle between Russia and Germany in WWII is brilliantly researched, evocative and delivered with just the right amount of instrumentation.

I saw him several times, but I'm pretty sure the first time was, if you can believe this, in Owens Park tower block, Fallowfield, which was the original Owens Park hall of residence for the university.
It was on the ground floor, in what appeared to be the refectory. Cost a few bob to get in. Just him on a chair — no amplification of any kind, of course — with his guitar. This may have been as early as 1969, not later than 1970, in any case. All the material was off “Bedsitter Images” and “Love Chronicles”, of course.There were maybe twenty to twenty-five people in the room. We were on the refectory chairs. He just sat and played and talked. An extremely good raconteur on stage. Clearly liked his audience, and clearly liked telling them stories. (Later on saw him at big venues like the Rainbow, London. He was just the same).
He did an exquisite version of “Manuscript” (which I also saw him do in later gigs). Very simple, very stripped down — his voice, his playing. Still, I think, my favourite song of his.
 
Notes on the 1974 playlist

- I may miss out on something but my new self-imposed rule is that I'll skip any track longer than 10 minutes. Yes, Kin Crimson, Van Morrison and Tangerine Dream need to have a good talk to themselves. I like a good long-form song with some interesting instrumental; breaks but nothing good comes from stretching out a song way past its welcome.
Darn, I nearly nominated Yes' "To Be Over" from the same album that comes in at a Rob-friendly 9:06!

I'll note this for future tracks, as I think he'd like the electric sitar found within.

After all, your soul will still surrender.
 
Notes on the 1974 playlist

- "Roads to Moscow" by Al Stewart is one of the best songs of the 70s so far. @mancity2012_eamo nominated it in the playlist thread a while ago, and I was captivated by it then. The lyrics, telling the tale of the battle between Russia and Germany in WWII is brilliantly researched, evocative and delivered with just the right amount of instrumentation.
- Another song I really enjoyed was "Bridge of Sighs" by Robin Trower.
- Lou Reed's opener, "Sweet Jane - Live" was a great start to the playlist.
- "Boogie on Reggae Woman" is yet another Stevie Wonder toe-tapper that I'd not heard before.
- "No Woman, No Cry" - Bob Marley - reggae's not my thing but I said I'd give credit when credit was due - this is a fantastic song because it avoids the repetitive "um-chick, um-chick" sound of so much reggae,
- Dolly Parton's "Jolene" was a good listen. Like most people, I've heard it many times before but haven't taken the time to appreciate how effective the guitar is on this.
- "Astronomy" by Blue Oyster Cult continues a good run of songs from them on this thread. And they'll be plenty more.
- It was good to hear "Revolution Blues" by Neil Young - the best track on the On The Beach album that we recently reviewed on the album thread.

- As I commented on before, I consider myself a fan of Ameicana/country music in general, and listened to the Gram Parsons album in full as a result of the tracks included here. But it's drenched in pedal steel guitar and was too straight on-the-nose country for my liking. I'm sure we'll get to much better country stuff later.
- I may miss out on something but my new self-imposed rule is that I'll skip any track longer than 10 minutes. Yes, Kin Crimson, Van Morrison and Tangerine Dream need to have a good talk to themselves. I like a good long-form song with some interesting instrumenta; breaks but nothing good comes from stretching out a song way past its welcome.
- Speaking of Tangerine Dream, is this really music or just noise that happens to feature a keyboard? Like fellow Germans Kraftwerk, they ushered in a new eletronic form of music, but I can't say that the two tracks included here did anything for me at all.
- There are lots of familiar pop songs that whilst not my favourites, are certainly good for a listen.
- Other tracks new to me that I enjoyed:-
- "Home is Where The Hatred Is" - Gil Scott Heron
- "I Got The Same Old Blues" - J.J.Cale
- "Evie (Let Your Hair Hang Down)" - Stevie Wright
- "Then You Came" - The Spinners, Dionne Warwick
- "When I Get To The Border" - Richard & Linda Thompson
- "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell
- "Horror Movie" - Skyhooks
- "Before the Deluge" - Jackson Browne
- "Rock Bottom" - UFO
I actually had you in mind Rob with Skyhooks but wasn't sure if you would like it or not.

They toured the UK in 1977 but the audiences didn't take to them at all , given the punk wave and uniquely Australian themes resonating in much of their music
 
I actually had you in mind Rob with Skyhooks but wasn't sure if you would like it or not.

They toured the UK in 1977 but the audiences didn't take to them at all , given the punk wave and uniquely Australian themes resonating in much of their music
I've never listened to them before, but I seem to remember hearing their name in a documentary at some point - may have been about INXS. The name always stuck with me because it's such a great name for a band.

We're getting closer to some truly terrific Aussie music in the next few years!
 
For me after today’s listen, I think the standouts for me that I didn’t know are;
1. Intro/Sweet Jane Live - Lou Reed.

Not what I expected from Lou at all. The singing perhaps, but the overall guitar and fill was brilliant.

2. The Calvary Cross - Richard and Linda Thompson.
I genuinely had never heard them.
Very good.

3. Evie - The Stevie Wright trilogy.
Completely new to me yet again.

There’s s load of nostalgia in there too from
Sparks
Terry Jacks
Park Mountain Daredevils
Steely Dan
Abba
Barry White
Bad Company
LaBelle
Joe Walsh

and others.
Incidentally I didn’t know Before the Deluge was Jackson Brown.
The only version I knew and liked was from Moving Hearts, quite different.
Worth checking out.
 
I’m another that really liked that Al Stewart track, which I’d not heard before.

Quite liked Gryphon, I have tried to buy the cd in the past, based on reputation, but it’s a collector’s item.

The Tom Waits song was the first I’ve heard him sing that I have enjoyed, bit Springsteen like.

Not many songs I didn’t know, plenty of which I have on cd.
 
I've never listened to them before, but I seem to remember hearing their name in a documentary at some point - may have been about INXS. The name always stuck with me because it's such a great name for a band.

We're getting closer to some truly terrific Aussie music in the next few years!

Skyhooks are good. I have one album on vinyl and an anthology on cd.

Iron Maiden covered one of their tracks.
 
Notes on the 1974 playlist

- "Roads to Moscow" by Al Stewart is one of the best songs of the 70s so far. @mancity2012_eamo nominated it in the playlist thread a while ago, and I was captivated by it then. The lyrics, telling the tale of the battle between Russia and Germany in WWII is brilliantly researched, evocative and delivered with just the right amount of instrumentation.
- Another song I really enjoyed was "Bridge of Sighs" by Robin Trower.
- Lou Reed's opener, "Sweet Jane - Live" was a great start to the playlist.
- "Boogie on Reggae Woman" is yet another Stevie Wonder toe-tapper that I'd not heard before.
- "No Woman, No Cry" - Bob Marley - reggae's not my thing but I said I'd give credit when credit was due - this is a fantastic song because it avoids the repetitive "um-chick, um-chick" sound of so much reggae,
- Dolly Parton's "Jolene" was a good listen. Like most people, I've heard it many times before but haven't taken the time to appreciate how effective the guitar is on this.
- "Astronomy" by Blue Oyster Cult continues a good run of songs from them on this thread. And they'll be plenty more.
- It was good to hear "Revolution Blues" by Neil Young - the best track on the On The Beach album that we recently reviewed on the album thread.

- As I commented on before, I consider myself a fan of Ameicana/country music in general, and listened to the Gram Parsons album in full as a result of the tracks included here. But it's drenched in pedal steel guitar and was too straight on-the-nose country for my liking. I'm sure we'll get to much better country stuff later.
- I may miss out on something but my new self-imposed rule is that I'll skip any track longer than 10 minutes. Yes, Kin Crimson, Van Morrison and Tangerine Dream need to have a good talk to themselves. I like a good long-form song with some interesting instrumenta; breaks but nothing good comes from stretching out a song way past its welcome.
- Speaking of Tangerine Dream, is this really music or just noise that happens to feature a keyboard? Like fellow Germans Kraftwerk, they ushered in a new eletronic form of music, but I can't say that the two tracks included here did anything for me at all.
- There are lots of familiar pop songs that whilst not my favourites, are certainly good for a listen.
- Other tracks new to me that I enjoyed:-
- "Home is Where The Hatred Is" - Gil Scott Heron
- "I Got The Same Old Blues" - J.J.Cale
- "Evie (Let Your Hair Hang Down)" - Stevie Wright
- "Then You Came" - The Spinners, Dionne Warwick
- "When I Get To The Border" - Richard & Linda Thompson
- "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell
- "Horror Movie" - Skyhooks
- "Before the Deluge" - Jackson Browne
- "Rock Bottom" - UFO

Tangerine Dream produced some great music. I only got into them a few years back.
 
Notes on the 1974 playlist

- "Roads to Moscow" by Al Stewart is one of the best songs of the 70s so far. @mancity2012_eamo nominated it in the playlist thread a while ago, and I was captivated by it then. The lyrics, telling the tale of the battle between Russia and Germany in WWII is brilliantly researched, evocative and delivered with just the right amount of instrumentation.
My favourite lyric.
Two broken Tigers on fire in the night
Flicker their souls to the wind

 
My favourite lyric.
Two broken Tigers on fire in the night
Flicker their souls to the wind
Interesting you should pick out those lyrics because I thought the same. Whilst many lyrics in songs then and now are throwaway, it's great to hear a songwriter approaching such a harrowing subject in a poetic way. You can almost picture the scene just from that short description and your mind fills in the rest.
 
Interesting you should pick out those lyrics because I thought the same. Whilst many lyrics in songs then and now are throwaway, it's great to hear a songwriter approaching such a harrowing subject in a poetic way. You can almost picture the scene just from that short description and your mind fills in the rest.
That whole album is poetry in one form or another.
He covers several different times including Present of course.
Try Soho (needles to say).
And of course the future with Nostradamus.

Good and all that The Year of the Cat is, I actually prefer this album and played it to death back in the day.
 

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