This is going to be an infinite project that I'm incorporating into my forum ritual. It won't be perfect but it'll be fun and a great experience. I know most people on here think that the 70's is the best decade ever. I can see why they like it as much as they do and while my heart is definitely into my era of music I've discovered some great gems from that decade, a lot more since joining this forum. What I want to do is go through the decade year by year listening to as many albums as I can locate through youtube or preferably Grooveshark based on the yearly album lists on Wikipedia. This is like I said a project that will never end but will be a fun ride as I go through tons of genres, artists catalogs that I know and don't know yet and give my perspective and turn up gems for myself. While my nights will still be filled with recent music this will give each night a great balance. Doing this I will only listen to studio albums and not live releases or compilations unless said compilation is the only way in which their music was released. Hopefully this jogs memories and becomes a fun way to talk about artist that aren't fresh anymore in a fresh way!
Great idea for a thread Sooty! Like you I have a more casual interest in 70's music in comparisson to a lot of the members here - I have a few favourites from the decade but the majority of my music collection is made up of post 80's bands and artists (with a few from the 80's and 60's). Since we have a similar taste in music I'll be interested to see your picks
Wow, thanks guys! Didn't expect interest to start just with my intro but this'll definitely be fun. A lot of these artist themselves and their main hits won't be something I've been oblivious to prior but the specific albums will be very fresh to me and I love that. I'm going through them ALL in alphabetical order by album so even I don't know what's coming. The first entry will be very random actually and was a cool way to start the thread!
Let's start out with what I knew and didn't know I was getting into. I knew, or my hunch was right, that The Ventures were a surf rock like Dick Dale and the Deltones. What I didn't know is that they were only instrumental. After going back, after this album which was all covers, I noticed that they specialized in covers in general. All of them being done with their signature surf rock style. Even one of their biggest most recognizable singles, Walk Don't Run was originally done by a jazz musician prior.
Now hearing these you know why they were able to take this gimmick and run with it. As much as I love the blues these guys give a song like that more bite and flavor with that guitar style similar to what my generation likes in the way Marilyn does all his covers with the same style and adds an edge. Haha, I worked in Marilyn Manson in with the Vultures. Pretty slick, Eh!!!
Now before looking at the actual album I have to make a couple notes. I was looking and saw even the Hawaii 5-0 track was composed by someone else. Further research shows they had originals though overshadowed by the covers. It was one original that I thought was pretty damn cool because it paved the way for fuzzy distorted sounds that certain bands I love in the 90's used. This track was the first recorded use of the fuzzbox and I enjoy it. It showed these guys were innovators and had more than one trick up there sleeve.
So for the album, I listened to "most" of it before I researched the rest. Looking at the track list I was lie "Damn! It must of have been easier to license or cover songs at this time because even a 70's novice like me could tell they picked the cream of the crop. Here's the tracklist:
"Everybody's Talkin'" (Fred Neil, Nilsson)
"Sweet Caroline, Good Times Never Seemed So Good" (Neil Diamond)
"Medley: Who'll Stop the Rain / Bad Moon Rising" (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
"Michelle" (The Beatles)
"Good Morning Starshine" (Galt MacDermot from the musical Hair)
"Bridge over Troubled Water" (Simon & Garfunkel)
"Eleanor Rigby" (The Beatles)
"The Sounds of Silence" (Simon & Garfunkel)
"Strangers in the Night" (Wayne Newton, Frank Sinatra)
"Those Were the Days" (Mary Hopkin)
"MacArthur Park" (Richard Harris)
"Medley: Blowin' in the Wind / Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (Bob Dylan)
"Up, Up and Away" (The Fifth Dimension)
"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (Glen Campbell)
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (B.J. Thomas)
"Let it Be" (The Beatles)
"Sugar, Sugar" (The Archies)
"Never My Love" (The Association)
"Delilah" (Tom Jones)
"Hey Jude" (The Beatles)
"Spinning Wheel" (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
Here's what was missing from my album experience due to availability issues:
Everybody's Talkin'
Bridge over Troubled Water
Eleanor Rigby
Sugar, Sugar
Never My Love
Well, does it work. I'd love to hear your opinions because from my fresh perspective which involved an initial listen and a couple follow through's it's passable. I mean I wouldn't think it would have been that different then as this seemed kind of a later career, throw out some tracks that'll draw people in just by prior adoration and love of the titles and add the same spin to all. It didn't feel like the "Walk Don't Run" cover which had a surging vitality. Most of these at this point seemed paint by number. At the worst end of the scope they sounded like elevator music versions and even cheesy like an 8-bit video game's music. Especially on "Sweet Caroline" :
At the best they exceeded some songs that weren't the most exciting songs initially. The Beatles "Michelle" was one of a couple songs I had to look up the original out of unfamiliarity. I thought it was a snoozer and preferred the instrumental:
I also thought they did well with certain tracks like "MacArthur Park" and "Sounds of Silence" where the style seems to be complimentary to the dreamy feel of both. It like daydreaming on a beach. It made me sad I couldn't hear the "Bridge Over Troubled Water" track.
All in all, there was good material in this album but as a whole it was just too much that didn't work and too much material for this style to feel compelling over a whole album. I prefer the group itself from what I've heard compared to this by the numbers cash-in album.
Thanks again guys! I saw you sneak right before my post as well Riff Raff! Well, now that I've said my piece what's the opinion on The Ventures as a whole here? Anyone own that album? Remember it? How did it rate with you then? Do you get the same or different vibe than I did with it? Let's talk!
Now this is why I like this project. It's going to be full of surprises. I mean this is the Pixar scoring dullard right? I never knew this guy had a legitimate career honestly outside of being the sappy jingle writer for animated flicks. I never liked his vocal style and it sounded like a lounge singer singing after crushing Motrin into their cocktail. That slurred voice was didn't find "a friend in me."
It looks like if I started with his debut self titled album, I would've still gotten that vibe as he still kind of had that style but from what I read and can hear in this live clip the music behind it was of a bigger scope and more orchestral. This live vid has the Philharmonic Orchestra behind it and I like his style a lot as a younger artist with the more ambitious arrangements. His pacing in the way he told the story is great. Pauses in the right places and letting the orchestra build the tension. Also a great simple piano melody I enjoyed.
After reading about how many artist sang Randy's songs it's obvious he's a great respected songwriter who perhaps earned his right to camp in his later years. Harry Nilson even made a whole album of Newman songs. Regardless of what I've found of his reputation, legacy and talent it's still nothing in comparison to hearing 12 Songs. Now that's just a shock to the system to hear how un-Newman that is. I really like what I heard there.
For those that don't know, Randy brought in two musicians from The Byrds as well as Ry Cooder on slide guitar to play on the album. They brought a mix of folk, bluegrass and blues to Randy's style that's perfect for him. I really think this suits his voice and Hell it seem to motivate him into an actual liveliness. Now I can't really comment on the stories told or Randy's lyrics but from reading Randy's style has always been to tell his stories from outside perspectives with his own characters. This was a change from the usual personal narratives of rock until that time. Randy would also tell stories from awkward character perspectives. If I was going to name an artist likely most inspired by randy's writing style it would be Ben Folds. Honestly I prefer the more personal approach over character writing but like with this Newman album I've always felt the music and the way the stories were vocalized saved that for me.
So, onto the actual album and what I liked off of it. First I have to note that I didn't know "Mama told Me Not Come was a Newman song. After listening to Randy's a couple times over I have to say that even though I still prefer Three Dog Nights cover I really like and am intrigued by Randy's version. The piano really does remind me of Folds in a big way. Here's a vid with both versions back to back. Randy's was like the book version while Three Dog Night made it musical theatre.
My two favorite tracks off the album are "Old Kentucky Home" and "If You Need Oil". The first, "Old Kentucky Home" is the most lively I've ever heard Randy. It's a big country hoedown and a really fun song. If you never thought Randy had a drinking song this is it.
The second, "If You Need Oil" is an awesomely strange song with a unique combination of twang and a slow piano crawl. I love the piano in this. It's got a weird fluttering quality. Randy's vocals are really cool here as well. He had much more character in these songs.
So there you go. I actually found that a Randy Newman album could be pretty badass. Whodathunkit? I mean I liked it better than The Ventures album and would actually buy this one. A real surprise and winner in the 1970's catalog thus far!
Off to a great start, sir. I've got the Newman album but not the Ventures. The Ventures was a real ear opener. I'm only familiar with "Walk Don't Run", "Hawaii 5-0" and a few of their Christmas tunes (I especially like their take on "Sleigh Ride"). I loved what you posted and I'll be on the lookout for a copy. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Off to a great start, sir. I've got the Newman album but not the Ventures. The Ventures was a real ear opener. I'm only familiar with "Walk Don't Run", "Hawaii 5-0" and a few of their Christmas tunes (I especially like their take on "Sleigh Ride"). I loved what you posted and I'll be on the lookout for a copy. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Thank you! I truly take that as a compliment knowing I could expose anything in that era to someone with a wealth of prior knowledge to it. How does the Randy Newman album rate with you now?
How Sooty Hears the 70's: 1970 
A lot of these artist themselves and their main hits won't be something I've been oblivious to prior but the specific albums will be very fresh to me and I love that. I'm going through them ALL in alphabetical order by album so even I don't know what's coming. The first entry will be very random actually and was a cool way to start the thread! 
:
I never knew this guy had a legitimate career honestly outside of being the sappy jingle writer for animated flicks. I never liked his vocal style and it sounded like a lounge singer singing after crushing Motrin into their cocktail. That slurred voice was didn't find "a friend in me." 
Linear Mode
