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|   1977, twas a very good year.... | RPM
Aug 12, 2002 12:16 PM | | Just got thru listening to Pwrpopguys 1977 retro comp. I always felt that this year stood out musically (for me anyway). I was in High School and music was just starting to transcend from a casual form of entertainment to something more meaningful and intrinsic. '77 was a time of denim jackets with painted band logos, arena rock concerts dense with the scent of illegal substances and chants of "disco sucks", Technics gear and Memorex cassette tapes (with the "L" shaped case) rooling the high end of audio, and my entire Emerson audio system was housed in a single uni-body box constructed of pressed fiberboard and embossed with a faux woodgrain facade.
Rick (Pwrpopguy) has put out a great comp here which chronicles a wide range of 1977 vintage-tunage. Covered are: the big selling artists of the day (Foreigner, Cheap Trick), the emerging new wave sound of the Talking Heads, the (arguable) career twilight of some influential bands (Santana, CSN), and some lost pop gems (Brothers Johnson, Climax Blues Band, Ram Jam). Every song is enjoyable from my perspective with my personal fav's being:
Santana - "She's Not There": does this song rool or what? Right up there with Jimi, this version epitomizes power-psychedelic music. Get out the black light and incense and it crank it up!
Foreigner: Man, what a cheesy band and album this was huh? I never realized how contrived and filled with fake intensity this band/album was back in their heyday (when they were touted as a new Led Zeppelin). The intensity level with which Lou Gramm belts out the songs on their s/t release ("Feels Like the First Time", "At War With the World", etc.) cracks me up now. These guys really took themselves quite seriously and so did I. Despite my apparent condescending comments, I thoroughly enjoyed taking this album (vinyl copy of course) for a spin recently, and it will always hold a special place in my musical scrapbook.
Ram Jam "Black Betty": This song got a lot of airplay, when it first came out, then it slowly faded into oblivion, appearing occasionally on certain FM radio obscure set list. I always liked this song, but never sought it out for purchase. Thanks Rick for the little gold nugget to add to my collection. :-)
Yes - "Going For The One": Guess it's been a while since listened to this song, it sounds very fresh for a 25 year old song.
"Sheep": Hey Rick, beautiful segue from "Heart to Hang on to" into Sheep, I never would have expected that to work, but the bells fading away into the meadow sounds is cool. What an excellent way to close to disc. Still love Animals, never seem to get tired of it.
Very nice work Mr. "Guy", thanks for the flashback. I have but one minor gripe Rick; where's the Queen?! I guess you had to cut something huh? It is an 80 minute cdr ya know! ;-)
Rick
P.S.: Dave (DLD), your 1970 comps arrived over the weekend as well, thanks. |
| Thanks...w/ explanation | PwrPopGuy
Aug 12, 2002 12:36 PM | | ...I appreciate the very fine review, Rick and glad that you found the comp to your liking. As for Queen, I remember getting the LP back in '77 and thinking at the time it was, overall, kinda spotty with the exception of WATC/WWRY and "Spread Your Wings". Listening to the remastered edition in the 'phones 25 years later didn't do much to change my opinion, and I decided against using the over-played "Champions", so that's what happened.
Oh, damn! I just remembered I was going to credit you and Troy in the liner notes and all I did was send out a tracklist. My apologies to both you and Troy for that oversight but thanks for the tracks you both contributed.
Again, I appreciate the review. |
| "kinda spotty"??!! OK, lets take this outside! | RPM
Aug 12, 2002 3:47 PM | | take a deep breath. take a deep breath. OK I'm rational now...ahem...<i>News of the World</i> ROOOOOOLS! It's my personal favorite Queen album anyway. ;-)
OK, I respect your personal opinion (just to show Yech and Dusty how we're civilized and all that), but don't be dissin' the favorite albums of my youth OK? Heck, it's still one of my favorite albums (top 20 for sure). and btw, if it came down to "We Are the Champions" or nothing, you made the right choice. :-) |
| The cover art is great | PwrPopGuy
Aug 12, 2002 5:50 PM | | OOOH! Insult to injury!! Who did that cover, I wonder? No, seriously, here's some more thoughts on my "critical" view on NOTW, no dissing intended. My personal favorite Queen album was the first one that turned me on to them, Sheer Heart Attack. And then, I got the 8-track of Night At the Opera and they were even better on that one, then A Day At the Races was something of a Night At the Opera, Pt. 2, still very good, solid, progressive Queen. But with News, it seemed (to my ears) the songs after the first two showed the band floundering a bit, or at least groping for some direction, less-focused than on the previous three efforts. I tell you what, though- to be fair, I'll take that remastered disc and listen to it in the car the next couple of days, crank it up a bit, and see if it reveals something I just didn't "get" the first time around, and I'll follow up on this topic :-) |
| don't know the history of the cover | RPM
Aug 13, 2002 2:57 AM | | I'm sure I'm a minority in listing News as my favorite Queen album, I think (like you w/Shear Heart Attack) it was my first full album purchase by them, and therefore has more personal impact.
I think what I like most about <i>News</i> is that it's pretty much straight-forward rock record. I love the fact that Queen explored so much musical ground (opera, jazz, the 20's/30's sound, etc.), but I've gotta be in the mood for that stuff to work.
Sure you can check it out again, but don't try <i>too</i> hard, no point trying to force yourself to like someone elses favorite music right?
Rick |
| Listened this morning... | PwrPopGuy
Aug 13, 2002 4:59 AM | | and a couple of points struck me: I feel the songs after We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions don't live up to the same production or artistic level as those opening two tracks, and consequently, most of those other tracks sound like leftovers or thrown together in the studio, and the album as a whole doesn't have the same conceptual feel as did the 3 previous Queen albums. Having said that, I do like the tracks, "My Melancholy Blues", "All Dead, All Dead", and as mentioned previously, "Spread Your Wings". So, that's my final opinion of News, although All Music Guide doesn't seem to share my view either. |
| Memorex tapes with the L case. Yeah. (n/t) | BarryL
Aug 12, 2002 12:40 PM | | |
| I've still got one of those L-cases! (nt) | PwrPopGuy
Aug 12, 2002 12:48 PM | | . |
| I've got a box... | BarryL
Aug 12, 2002 1:06 PM | | I have a box in the basement with old party tapes and stuff I used to listen to in the car - after the parents got rid of the Delta 88 with the 8-track. I still have some of those L-case cassettes. The sound quality has deteriorated pretty badly. I don't listen to them anymore, but for some reason I haven't thrown them out (get me a shrink). If I recall, there was no place to write out all of the songs. It was clear on both sides, with a thin little label to identify the contents, and a label that went on the "spine" of the case.
Memorex had the coolest ad image, though, witht that guy in the chair with his hair being blasted by the sound. Was it live or was it Memorex? |
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