Masterpiece 70's Studio Albums

[darklands]

I am NOT a Springsteen fan but have all the earlier albums from Ashbury Park N.J. in 1973 up to Nebraska but rarely play them. As some people would know Manfred Mann's Earth Band did a great version of Blinded By The Light better than the bosses version and even Alvin Stardust done a great version of Growing Up again better than the bosses version in my humble opinion(?) and even 1950s rock & roller Link Wray did a good version of Fire as well.

Yeah, the first springsteen album was maybe too wordy, lacking in tunes. It's Hard to be a Saint in the City was maybe my favourite from that album. However, on The Wild, the Innocent... we have 'Sandy' (lyrics - & tune!), NYC Serenade (more the tune) and, an off-kilter personal favourite, Wild Billy's Circus Story. Saving the best to last - easily in the top ten Springsteen songs - Incident on 57th - as good as Jungleland for the pictures it paints.
Yep, Link Wray's version of Fire (with the Link Wray-touch!) is good (Springsteen wrote Fire with Elvis in mind - but he died!). Might look up the Alvin Stardust (?!) version of Growin Up'.... I like The Mendoza Line's version of Tougher Than the Rest, Steve Earle's done State Trooper quite well and (according to Q magazine some years ago) Tom Waits' version of Springsteen's Jersey Girl isn't bad!!! Hmmm... (always intended to write into Q and point out their error - but never did).
Presume top ten Springsteen albums and tracks has all been done, ad infinitum, elsewhere...

 

[E-Z]

Yeah check out the Alvin Stardust version of Growing Up it's worth it and again I didn't realise it was a Springsteen song until I listened to Ashbury Park N.J. I thought it was either a Alvin Stardust original or someone wrote it especially for him not that he had covered it possibly after listening to the first album himself?. Alvin made a good job of covering it I thought.

 

[darklands]

I may have a listen to Bruce's Born To Run soon. You have a good way of articulating what you hear on a record.

I liked Darkness On The Edge Of Town and didn't realise Because The Night was a Springsteen song I always thought it was a Patti Smith original??.

I picked up Darkness On The Edge Of Town because I wanted to hear Fire after Link Wray covered it?.

Born to Run - may have been an age thing - but the music, combined with the lyrics (girls, beaches, the night-time, escape, romance)....
On Backstreets he sings "Backstreets" 26 times (if i remember correctly) and it's not too many! The start of Thunder road, the intro to Backstreets (hearing that live...!), the 'poetry' of Jungleland. And always loved the deadbeat, understated, lyrics of 'Meeting'. Think he's a bit of a love / hate artist (tho I'm getting from where i loved him to almost being embarrased). I still can't believe how rubbish the lyrics of his more recent songs are in comparison.... couldn't recommend him to anyone these days unfortunately - just seems so out of touch.
I had a thing where i wanted to get Gabriel, Sting, Bono, Young, Springsteen, Geldof (&, I'm sure, some younger artists - Tom Morello) all together to discuss and sort out the problems of the world (i.e. America!) (they, combined, should have some influence). However, wouldn't really want them all bumped off by the C.I.A....
Too political....?

 

[E-Z]

Ha ha ha... yeah BUT it's possible a CIA file is on all those artists.

With regards to Bruce the dust has only just settled on Western Stars and he's releasing a new album soon?.

I must admit I'm a bit out of my depths on posting about Bruce in regards to not being a real fan.

 

[darklands]

Since one Greatest Hits has been mentioned (Simon & Garfunkel), here's another suggestion. OK, not a masterpiece exactly but, hell, did this get a lot of plays. This was late seventies / early eighties (i.e. after the fact) - taped it from the record library (as one did) after hearing All the Way to Memphis / All the Young Dudes (best 'cover' ever?). Have tried the individual albums but never got anywhere with them.
Ian Hunter's voice and delivery (he kind of sounded as cool as he looked) and the lyrics ("some kind of temporary buzz"!)[Ian Hunter's 'Diary of a Rock n Roll Star' book isn't bad] - 'Ballad of Mott' and 'Saturday Gigs' - both excellent (bittersweet) narratives - a little more than teenage stuff (a self-awareness, aware of what they were doing [an act], but truthful rather than pastiche).

 

[darklands]

Yeah check out the Alvin Stardust version of Growing Up it's worth it and again I didn't realise it was a Springsteen song until I listened to Ashbury Park N.J. I thought it was either a Alvin Stardust original or someone wrote it especially for him not that he had covered it possibly after listening to the first album himself?. Alvin made a good job of covering it I thought.

Checked out Alvin Stardust's Growin' Up - softened and a bit more musical, but certainly better than it might have been - never considered Stardust as a 'serious' artist that one would listen to; rather just a part of the [less 'serious'] glam rock scene (which i have quite a lot of time for) (some of the artists, anyway!). Alvin Stardust (and many glam rock acts) are probably better heard and not seen (as i stated recently elsewhere in this forum).
Does Tom Waits get discussed at all - he's one of the few artists I can rate above (old) Springsteen?

We're going a bit off-piste here - I still need to suggest a few 'masterpieces'....

 

[E-Z]

Checked out Alvin Stardust's Growin' Up - softened and a bit more musical, but certainly better than it might have been - never considered Stardust as a 'serious' artist that one would listen to; rather just a part of the [less 'serious'] glam rock scene (which i have quite a lot of time for) (some of the artists, anyway!). Alvin Stardust (and many glam rock acts) are probably better heard and not seen (as i stated recently elsewhere in this forum).
Does Tom Waits get discussed at all - he's one of the few artists I can rate above (old) Springsteen?

We're going a bit off-piste here - I still need to suggest a few 'masterpieces'....

First off I must correct myself and as I previously posted I am not a fan of 'the boss' so not to familiar with his albums so when I said I bought Darkness On The Edge Of Town to hear the song Fire that particular song actually appeared on the double-cd The Promise which I believe was mainly recorded around the same time as Darkness On The Edge Of Town so I just thought I would get that straight.

Yeah Alvin Stardust is a bit of a surprise and personally I enjoy all his recordings from the early/mid 1970s then he recorded occasionally during the 1980s through to the 2000s some times re-recording his past hit songs from the 1970s.

As for 'classic albums' I would say-
1.Deep Purple-Machine Head from 1972
2.Deep Purple-Burn from 1974
3.Wishbone Ash-Pilgrimage from 1971
4.Wishbone Ash-Argus from 1972
5.Derek & the Dominos-Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs from 1970
6.Jimi Hendrix-Electric Ladyland from 1968
7.Led Zeppelin-IV from 1971
8.Eric Clapton-461 Ocean Boulevard from 1974
9.Robin Trower-Bridge of Sighs from 1974
10.Boston-Boston's debut album from 1976
11.Montrose-Montrose debut album from 1973
12.Uriah Heep-Very Eavy, Very Umble from 1970

 

[Nai Noswad]

This was grown up Punk straight from America..released on a label with proved provenance.
Andy Johns was at the helm and guitars weaved nicely between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd..

 

[E-Z]

Masterpiece 70s studio albums?.

It doesn't get any BIGGER than ROBIN TROWER'S- BRIDGE of SIGHS from 1974.

The 'classic' album cover- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8b/Trower_Bridge_of_Sighs.jpg

Side A-
1.DAY OF THE EAGLE
2.BRIDGE OF SIGHS
3.IN THIS PLACE
4.THE FOOL AND ME

Side B-
1.TOO ROLLING STONED
2.ABOUT TO BEGIN
3.LADY LOVE
4.LITTLE BIT OF SYMPATHY

"""NO ALBUM 'FILLER' TRACKS INCLUDED"""

This album 'broke' Robin in the USA as a 'guitar star' and major arena draw attraction for the rest of the 1970s.

 

[Nai Noswad]

Absolutely E-Z... an album that was not a concept one.... but kinda is.... it flows naturally, got a new version a while back... Has been my Garage companion for several weeks.