The Spirit of ’76: Rediscovered, Reconsidered, Remastered
A handful of 30th Anniversary reissues of albums from 1976 got me thinking about that year. When I was a teenager in the 80’s, the 70’s was considered by most kids and some critics as a cultural wasteland, scarred by boring music from L.A.’s mellow mafia, disco and dinosaur rock overplayed on classic rock MOR radio. Of course, a more informed hindsight revealed the 70s to be much more interesting and diverse than the 60’s or 80’s. It birthed punk, heavy metal and reggae, after all, not to mention prog, krautrock, soul reinvigorated by funk, and some great jazz fusion amidst the schlock. Not all disco was bad either. Yet 1976 was indeed a sort of nadir, with prog, krautrock, soul, funk and jazz fusion all having pretty much petered out by then.
The radio was dominated by ABBA, The Bee Gees, Wings, Jackson Browne and Elton John. The top selling album was Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive. While each artist had a couple decent pop tunes, the music was hardly inspiring. In the mainstream, it was a year seemingly so bereft of good music that other best sellers were Fleetwood Mac, a 1975 album, and two greatest hits packages by The Eagles and Chicago.
Many major artists who had released a string of great albums nearly every year, took a break in 1976, like Brian Eno, Tom Zé, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Roxy Music, Roy Harper and Kraftwerk. Others had trouble following up career-defining efforts, such as Bob Dylan with Desire, a letdown after the peak of Blood On The Tracks. Funkadelic ended an astounding run of seven perfect albums with the substandard Hardcore Jollies. Twin band Parliament had taken over as the dominant creative force the previous year with the classic, Mothership Connection, yet The Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein was a drop in quality. Lemmy was fired from Hawkwind and they never recovered. Led Zeppelin followed the behemoth Physical Graffiti with the odd, obtuse Presence. A Rolling Stone writer recently tried to claim it’s their best, but I’m not buying it. There’s some cool guitar work on it, but no songs. After her fabulous debut Horses, the expectations put upon Patti Smith were pretty unreasonable in retrospect. After all, she was primarily a poet, not a musical genius. People were so caught up in the idea that she should wave her wand and transform rock ‘n’ roll to something entirely new and transcendent, that Radio Ethiopia being an excellent avant-rock album wasn’t enough.
Yet there were rumblings of tectonic shifts. Captain Beefheart had recorded Bat Chain Puller with a new, invigorated Magic Band. But due to legal issues wasn’t released until a couple years later in a re-recorded form. The Modern Lover’ sole album was finally officially released, a three year-old pre-punk omen for great things to come. Two bands from the boiling-over CBGB’s scene emerged with brilliant debuts, The Ramones and Blondie. Even while wandering in a confused, paranoid cocaine haze, Bowie continued to put out brilliant albums, this time with Station To Station. Krautrockers from Neu! and Cluster collaborated to create the brilliant La Dusseldorf, which gave further sonic clues to some innovations to emerge within a couple years with post-punk. Serge Gainsbourg released one of his strongest albums, L' Homme a Tete De Chou (The Man With the Cabbage Head). Judas Priest took the title of definitive heavy metal band from Black Sabbath, while AC/DC and Thin Lizzy furthered the cause of hard dual-guitar rock, while French artists Heldon and Jean Michel Jarre broke important ground in electronic music. Eno-sponsored Penguin Café Orchestra produced some quirky instrumental avant pop, and Haruomi Hosono, future founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra, was exploring Caribbean, Polynesian tiki music and Americana in Bon Voyage Co.
Yet it would have been a relatively weak musical year if it weren’t for Jamaica. 1976 was without a doubt the peak of roots reggae. 14 of my top 20 albums were reggae albums, comprising of all the top six perfect 10 ratings. Lee Perry, Rico, Justin Hinds, Cedric Im Brooks, Max Romeo and the Mighty Diamonds and others merit an essay to themselves. Here I'll be focusing on more neglected albums, at least as far as my own personal listening habits. Among the rediscovered albums, some I've heard various songs but have not listened to the albums in their entirety until this year, and some I've never heard before at all. Albums I reconsidered were ones I was familiar with but didn't pay much attention to, including some big mainstream blockbusters like Tom Petty, Bob Seger and Boston. Remastered are the special 30th anniversary edition albums. The number preceding the album is how they are ranked for 1976 on the Fast 'n' Bulbous list.
Rediscovered
27. Popol Vuh * Letzte Tage - Letzte Nächte (United Artists/Spalax) Unlike the likes of Tangerine Dream and nearly all the original Krautrock besides Cluster and Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh are often considered to be at their peak in the mid 70s, when their cosmic music archeology investigates Eastern music, perfectly suited to the many soundtracks done for Werner Herzog films. With over 20 albums to choose from, Letzte Tage - Letzte Nächte is just as good, if not better than Einsjäger & Siebenjäger (1974). Founder Florian Fricke allows guitarist Daniel Fichelscher to shine, his serpentine solos a mix between Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Television's Tom Verlaine. Available at Wayside.
28. Heldon * Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale (Cunneiform/Rune) Virtually unknown in the U.S., Heldon is French composer, guitarist and electronics experimentalist Richard Pinhas. Noodly, repetitive and abrasive, its appeal is somewhat limited to the types who appreciate much of the Krautrock and includeds a guest bassist from Magma. Despite some similarites to older German space rock, the fifth Heldon album sounds stunningly ahead of its time, and considered one of the best along with Stand By (1979). Available at Wayside.
29. Penguin Cafe Orchestra * Music From The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (EG) Because of their affiliation with executive producer Brian Eno, I'd been searching for this for years. Ironically, it's been in print the whole time. The problem is that record stores didn't know where to put it. I eventually found a copy in the jazz section of Virgin. It's actually been stocked in new age sections also, which is a gross miscategorization. Leader Simon Jeffes combines inventive John Fahey-like guitar playing with whimsical classical string arrangements to create something that is plush and dreamlike. It's mellow enough to possibly blend into the background, but is far, far more challenging than any new age crap. Their second self-titled album from 1981 is just as great. Available at Wayside.
30. Haruomi Hosono * Bon Voyage Co. (Crown Japan) Most know Haruomi "Harry" Hosono as one of the founding members of Yellow Magic Orchestra, the brilliant Japanese Kraftwerk. Yet Hosono was also a prolific solo artist with a huge body of work, and has been at it since the 60s with psychedelic band Apryl Fool and fusion bands Happy End and Tin Pan Alley. While he's known for his experimental electronica, soundtracks, and recent band Sketch Show, in the mid-70's he was obsessed with Polynesian exotica, Caribbean and New Orleans music, circa Randy Newman, and Van Dyke Parks' The Clang of the Yankee Reaper. I've been searching for his albums, including Tropical Dandy (1975), Cochin Moon (1978) and Paraiso (1978), ever since reading about them in The Wire. I finally got a used copy of a normally expensive Japanese import of his 1976 album. It was worth the effort in finding, with a bubbly, festive feel, and rich percussive arrangements. Available at Spun.
31. Jean Michel Jarre * Oxygène (Polydor/Dreyfus)
I'd never heard of Jarre until this year, oddly enough. Apparently he was France's most celebrated electronic artist, moving away from sterile experimentalism and into more orchestrated, melodic works, and putting on huge concert spectacles. Amazingly, it doesn't even sound dated 30 years later.
32. Leon Ware * Musical Massage (Motown) As a producer for Marvin Gaye and general Motown whipping boy, Leon Ware almost had his album stolen twice. After assembling demos for a lush meditation on sensuality, Barry Gordy decided the strong material would be better suited for already established star Marvin Gaye. Those songs became I Want You, which was decidedly funkier and sexier than the more celebrated Let's Get It On (1973). Determined to finally release his own album, Ware wrote more songs, and bettered Gaye's version with Musical Massage. Gordy again tried to make Ware give the album to Gaye, but he refused. It was released, but not promoted, and lingered in obscurity. It's too bad, because despite the dangerous levels of cheese factor in the light funk, jazz and disco rhythms (think of Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra with more interesting arrangements), it's brilliant. Hot cover art too. This is the album Smoove B keeps on repeat.
60. John Martyn * Live At Leeds (Island)
John Martyn began his career as a traditional British folkie, but gradually became more experimental, toying with jazz and the Echoplex gadget which created tape loops from his guitar. The peak was arguably 1973's Solid Air, the title track written for his friend Nick Drake, who died 8 months later. While not overtly similar, his music has a spareness that maybe have been influenced by Drake. The independently released live album served as a nice career summary, and is a long, hypnotic experience. Deadheads with taste would dig this.
66. The Streetwalkers * Red Card (Vertigo/Repertoire)
The whiskey-ravaged blues shouting of Roger Chapman was originally featured in Family, who started as a sort of psychedelic prog band in 1968, and gradually evolved to more hard rock. With a similarity to Steve Marriott of Humble Pie, the stripped-down rock of The Streetwalkers seemed to suit him best. Hardly original, Red Card is simply a nice example of great blues rock, just before punk made them and the likes of Dr. Feelgood sound passe.
67. Can * Flow Motion (Spoon)
Can's mid-70s was often wrongly dismissed by dabblers who felt only the first few albums are essential. But to anyone who recognizes what a massively great band Can were, their later efforts are no slouches. While their sound had become smoother, and "I Want More" was a bona fide hit, there's still much to dig into, including explorations into ethnic rhythms from African and Jamaican music. The long, hypnotic title track is as great as anything they've done.
74. Cerrone * Cerrone 3: Supernature (Barclay)
Jean-Marc Cerrone was the second-best disco producer after Giorgio Moroder. I don't know if the third would be worth listening to, but his work here is pretty engaging.
80. 10cc * How Dare You! (Mercury)
Considered a British version of Steely Dan with their satirical lyrics and pristine production, this is the last album recorded before Godley and Creme left the band. It's not as good as The Original Soundtrack (1975), so they were right to quit while they were ahead. Well, the band carried on actually, but we'll pretend not to notice.
Reconsidered
40. Aretha Franklin * Sparkle (Atlantic/Rhino)For years I thought Amazing Grace (1972) was the last essential Aretha album, until I realized that Sparkle was written and produced by Curtis Mayfield specificially for Aretha as a movie soundtrack. It's nearly as great as her peak era.
53. Thin Lizzy * Johnny The Fox (Vertigo/PolyGram)
After realizing that Jailbreak wasn't even Thin Lizzy's best album (that would be 1979's Black Rose) I had to get nearly all the albums. This one isn't better than Jailbreak, but it's damn close. More great songs, storytelling and twin guitars.
58. Judas Priest * Sad Wings Of Destiny (Columbia)
I had originally written off early Judas Priest as a clumsy psychedelic blues-rock outfit. Then I found out that they had developed their signature sound fairly early, and were already blowing away Black Sabbath as the definitive metal band.
59. Rainbow * Rising (Polydor)
Ritchie Blackmore did well in hiring on Ronnie James Dio as lead singer. His operatic pipes would later overfill Ozzy's shoes with far better results than anyone would have imagined.
61. Curtis Mayfield * Give, Get, Take And Have (Curtom)
Don't believe the grinches who dare dismiss half of the great Curtis Mayfield's catalog. He was creatively on fire, putting out four soundtrack albums in addition to his own solo work, which only took a relative dip in quality two years later, depending on whether you like disco.
68. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (MCA/Gone Gator)
I was never a fan of Petty's later, boring roots rock. But this band of Florida rednecks actually honed their live chops in England, just as the punk scene was gathering steam, developing a very tight, taut sound, which caused some American radio programmers to slot them as "new wave." Funny shit, but not a bad album.
69. Queen * A Day At The Races (Elektra/Hollywood)
It seems like a recipte for disaster to try to maintain the ambitious production of the awesome behemoth that was A Night At the Opera (1975). But they pulled it off just fine -- the songs are a bit more concise and rock a littler harder, a prelude to their next total rock album.
75. Rush * 2112 (Mercury)
I had this album since I was a kid, and though I have an extreme hatred for Ayn Rand, I can't exclude Rush from my listening habits. While it's a concept album, the songs seem more focused than on their first three albums, though Geddy Lee's voice is still too screechy. They'll continue to improve on their subsequent albums.
90. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band * Night Moves (Capitol)
It was hard to suspend my hatred for Seger's horrible later music ("Against the Wind" anyone?) to give this a chance. A respected Detroit rocker since the sixties, this is actually his tenth album. It was also one of his biggest sellers, even though none of it measures up to the title song. Nothing special compared to the more distinct and rockin' Seven (1974), Back In '72 (1973) and Mongrel (1970).
93. Blue Öyster Cult * Agents Of Fortune (Columbia)
I've always struggled to see what was so special about this band. Yes, they were ironic smartasses before it was common to be, employing the lyrical skills of Richard Meltzer, sci fi author Michael Moorcock and even Patti Smith. But their music couldn't measure up. Harder than your average rock band but too wimpy to be considered metal, they bounced around styles, never really having their own sound. Despite being far too overplayed, "Don't Fear the Reaper" is still awesome, but they sound like a different band on the rest of the album.
99. Boston (Epic)
Overplayed on classic radio as they are, the two singles still hold up over repeated listening. The uber-compressed studio sheen, however, would eventually be a negative aesthetic influence on mainstream rock as far as I'm concerned, robbing MOR bands of what little grit and power they may have had.
101. Warren Zevon (Asylum)
While I respect Zevon as a lyricist, he made the grave mistake of allowing the album to be produced by Jackson Browne, part of L.A.’s mellow mafia that included The Eagles and British ex-pats Fleetwood Mac. To me, it's unlistenable.
Remastered
23. Electric Light Orchestra * A New World Record (Jet/Epic Legacy)This was one of the first albums I ever owned, and it was perfect music for a kid. I dismissed it for about 20 years, and then realized that it's simply great music. Joyous, maybe a little too innocent and bombastic, but good fun.
33. Lou Reed * Coney Island Baby (RCA/Legacy)
Stuck between his career suicidal tendencies of Metal Machine Music (1975) and Rock And Roll Heart (1976), it's easy to see why Coney Island Baby has been dismissed out of hand. Reed was broke and desperate, and was allowed to record again after the debacle of MMM as a personal favor from friend and label president Ken Glancy. Reed was expected to make a good rock record, and he delivered, with actual singing, hooks, melodies, tight playing, his most personal songs ever. It was probably his best album of the 70's. The 30th Anniversary edition adds six 1975 demos recorded with former Velvet Underground guitarist Doug Yule.
94. Steve Miller Band * Fly Like An Eagle (Capitol)
I liked his massive singles enough, but didn't give much thought about Steve Miller until I heard songs from his early albums (check out Best Of 1968-1973). His accomplished guitar skills and rocking band were kind of obscured by the suffocating production of the sessions that produced this album and Book Of Dreams (1977).
