My Top 20 Lists that I compiled as a kid 1973-1990

[Catfish]

January 1976 List
-----------------------
1. Emerson Lake and Palmer (+3)
2. Led Zeppelin (No change)
3. Black Sabbath (-2)
4. Aerosmith (+2)
5. The Who (-2)
6. Kiss (-1)
7. Chicago (+2)
8. Queen (+2)
9. Bad Company (-1)
10. BTO (-3)
11. Deep Purple (+2)
12. Alice Cooper (No change)
13. Mott the Hoople (+3)
14. Golden Earring (No change)
15. Foghat (-4)
16. Grand Funk (New)
17. Trapeze (-2)
18. Robin Trower (-1)
19. Black Oak Arkansas (No Change)
20. Montrose (-2)

Vinyl/Tapes added
-----------------------
Aersosmith - Toys in the Attic


Concert- January 31, 1976
---------------------------------

Head East, Styx, and Foghat- $6.00 according to the stub I have stapled on the month

Beyond excellent. Seeing Styx as a back up band was quite a future conversation piece too. Can remember the synthisizer on Suite Madame Blue being so loud, sternum vibrating, and hitting the right frequency, I felt like it was a memorex commercial. Foghat did not disappoint either. They blasted loud long dueling blues riffs that sure left a big smile on my face by the end of the night. Wow.... this was real rock and roll.

Another blast from the past.....


Wish I had included this in May 1974 list, when it happened, but I really enjoyed the California Jam clips that has Carl Palmer's most amazing drum solo. Very underrated drummer when discussing the best ...

 

[Catfish]

February 1976 List-
------------------------
1. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
2. Led Zeppelin (No change)
3. Black Sabbath (No change)
4. Aerosmith (No change)
5. The Who (No change)
6. Queen (+2)
7. Chicago- (No change)
8. Bad Company (-2)
9. Kiss (-3)
10. Foghat (+5)
11. Deep Purple (No change)
12. Golden Earring (+2)
13. Mott the Hoople (no Change)
14. Alice Cooper (-2)
15. Bachman Turner Overdrive (-5)
16. Trapeze (+1)
17. Uriah Heep- (New)
18. Robin Trower (No change)
19. Styx (New)
20. Montrose (No change)


Vinyl/Tapes added-
-----------------------

Bread- Best of Bread- Okay, stop laughing. This was a date tape. If you don't know what I mean, or the motive for this tape, then go back to Mike Damone's Fast Times at Ridgemont High's comments around dating tips.

Styx-. You will find that Styx will be a powerhouse on this list for several years. The three-ish (minus crystal ball) album streak of Equinox, Grand Illusion, and Pieces of 8 is about as good of a dynasty of bad ass rocking prog tunes that you will ever see. Before Equinox, the band was good, but uneven around the edges with song writing and production. Things really changed for this band in about 1975.

After Pieces of 8, you had the disasters of Cornerstone, Paradise Theatre, and beyond. This is the era that the band sadly let Dennis DeYoung wrestle control of the band, and gave the finger to James Young's and Tommy Shaw's contributions and ideas. The results sucked. Sugary pop shit, pointless concepts, and no chops on the rocking side. Listening to "Babe" or Colonoscopy Prep? Tough choice.

 

[Catfish]

March 1976 List
----------------------

1. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
2. Aerosmith (+2)
3. Led Zeppelin (-1)
4. Black Sabbath (-1)
5. The Who (No change)
6. Queen (No change)
7. Foghat (+3)
8. Chicago (-1)
9. Bad Company (-1)
10. Deep Purple (+1)
11. Nazerth (New)
12. Golden Earring (No change)
13. Kiss (-4)
14. Mott the Hoople (-1)
15. Trapeze (+1)
16. Alice Cooper (-2)
17. Bachman Turner Overdrive (-2)
18. Uriah Heep (-1)
19. Montrose (+1)
20. Styx (-1)

Added vinyl/tapes- none

 

[Catfish]

April 1976 List
--------------------
1. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
2. Black sabbath (+2)
3. Aerosmith (-1)
4. Led Zeppelin (-1)
5. Foghat (+2)
6. Queen (No change)
7. Chicago (+1)
8. The Who (-3)
9. Deep Purple (+1)
10. Bad Company (-1)
11. Narareth (No change)
12, Kiss (+1)
13. Trapeze (+2)
14.Golden Earring (-2)
15. BTO (+2)
16. Alice Cooper (No change)
17. Mott the Hoople (-3)
18. Uriah Heep (No change)
19. Jethro Tull (New)
20. Montrose (-1)

New Viny'/tapes-
---------------------------
Led Zeppelin - Prescence (Major disappointment at the time)


..

 

[Catfish]

May 1976 List
-------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (+3)
2. Emerson Lake and Palmer (-1)
3. Aerosmith- (No change)
4. Black Sabbath (-2)
5. Queen (+1)
6. Foghat (-1)
7. The Who (+1)
8. Bad Company (+2)
9. Deep Purple (No change)
10. The Sweet (New)
11. Chicago (-4)
12. BTO (+3)
13. Nazareth (-2)
14. Golden Earring (No change)
15. Kiss (-3)
16. Alice Cooper (No change)
17. Trapeze (-4)
18. Mott the Hoople (-1)
19. Montrose (+1)
20. Jethro Tull (-1)

Vinyl/Tape Additions
------------------------
Foghat- Rock and Roll Outlaws
Sweet- Desolation Blvd.
Foghat- Fool for the City
Nazareth- Hair of the Dog
Beatles- Sargent Peppers

The Sweet- British Glam / Pop Band that was mostly known by the hit Fox on the Run, and Bar Room Blitz Formulaic . Hate to embarass myself, but my liking this group was more to the fact that a girlfriend at the time and stuffI would listen to this in my car. I will stop with that embarassment right now. No excuses. (Drops head in shame)

 

[Catfish]

June 1976 List
----------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No change)
2. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
3. Aerosmith (No change)
4. Foghat (+2)
5. Queen (No change)
6. Black Sabbath (-2)
7. The Who (No change)
8. Chicago (+3)
9. BTO (+3)
10. Deep Purple (-1)
11. Bad Company (-3)
12. Nazareth (+1)
13. Golden Earring (+1)
14. Sweet (-4)
15. Kiss (No Change)
16. Trapeze (+1)
17. Montrose (+2)
18. Alice Cooper (-2)
19. Styx (New)
20. Jethro Tull (No Change)

Vinyl/tape additions-
--------------------------
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
Aerosmith - Rocks

 

[Catfish]

July 1976 List - Happy Bicentennial America!!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No change)
2. Aerosmith (+1)
3. Emerson Lake and Palmer (-1)
4. Queen (+1)
5. Foghat (-1)
6. The Who (+1)
7. Chicago (+1)
8. Black Sabbath (-2)
9. BTO- (No change)
10. Bad Company (+1)
11. Nazareth (+1)
12. Deep Purple (-2)
13. Kiss (+2)
14. Sweet (No change)
15. Golden Earring (-2)
16. Montrose- (+1)
17. Jethro Tull (+3)
18. Trapeze (-2)
19. Alice Cooper (-1)
20. Mott the Hoople (New)

Vinyl/Tapes added-
-------------------------
The Guess Who- Road Food
The Faces- Live
Aerosmith- Self Titled
Grand Funk - Phoenix

and...

Moody Blues- This is the Moody Blues on July 13, 1976- This date marks the birth of my love for prog rock I had heard a few bits a pieces of this band for close to a decade, but never in any great detail. Their music was mesmerizing, lush, orchestatic, often ethereal and outright beautiful, but could also rock. In the prog area, I liked Pink Floyd, but from an art perspecitve PF was like an abstract work vs. the Moody's being an auditory impressionist brushed. It's all about styles and preferences, I guess

 

[Catfish]

August 1976 List
---------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No Change)
2. Aerosmith (No change)
3. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
4. The Moody Blues (New)
5. Queen (-1)
6. The Who (No change)
7. Foghat (-2)
8. Chicago (-1)
9. Black Sabbath (-1)
10. BTO (-1)
11. Jethro Tull (+6)
12. Kiss (+1)
13. Bad Company (-3)
14. Nazareth (-3)
15. Sweet (-1)
16. Deep Purple (-4)
17. Golden Earring (-2)
18. Montrose (-2)
19. Peter Frampton (New)
20. Steve Miller Band (New)


Vinyl/Tapes added
---------------------
None


The Moody Blues- Before starting on my narrative on the Moody Blues, let me digress a bit, to say how much of a sham that I think the so called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is, is in Cleveland, Ohio. Their choices, timing, and justification of choices and admissions, has been beyond ridiculous. This Hall of Shame is pretty much the political arm of Rolling Stoned Magazine, and their clown car of editiors, critics, and silly experts. They have included so many non-rock and roll entities that had no busness there in the first place, versus snubbing for politcal and genre reasons too. And I say this as no fan of '80's Hair metal. When Madonna gets recognized 10-15 years earlier than bands like Rush, Yes, Moody Blues, King Crimson (genre based) or political like Rush, Alice Cooper, Kiss, or Ted Nugent. They can not hide their hypocricy, and that is why many great bands have looked at the Hall snub as a badge of honor.

I think John Lyndon of the Sex Pistols said it best in his hand written letter to hall in 1996....

"Next to the SEX-PISTOLS rock and roll and that hall of fame is a piss stain. Your museum. Urine in wine. Were not coming. Were not your monkey and so what? Fame at $25,000 if we paid for a table, or $15000 to squeak up in the gallery, goes to a non-profit organisation selling us a load of old famous. Congradulations. If you voted for us, hope you noted your reasons. Your anonymous as judges, but your still music industry people. Were not coming. Your not paying attention. Outside the shit-stem is a real SEX PISTOL"

I concur.... this Hall, can "F" itself.

Now back to the Moody Blues.... A pioneer of prog rock, the first to use the mellotron (precursor to synthesizer) , and very innovative songwriting that basically dominated this kind of music from the mid '60's to early '70's. I always thought it was strange how their catalog, and their legacy died with time. Truly a mystery. I could go on for an hour with this band, but I will close with a hauntingly beautiful tune of theirs, following an example that really showcases all aspects of their talents.


Peter Prampton-.There weren't many bigger than Frampton in the mid 70's. His live album is one the biggest (I know was) live selling albums in history. Got his chops going with Humble Pie, and elevated himself to stardom. And a show of hands..... How many of you wanted a voice box to talk dirty to your girlfriend too???

 

[Catfish]

September 1976 List
-------------------------
1. Led Zeppelin (No change)
2. Aerosmith (No change)
3. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
4. Moody Blues (No change)
5. Queen (No change)
6. Kiss (+6)
7. Foghat (No change)
8. The Who (-2)
9. Jethro Tull (+2)
10. Chicago (-2)
11. Black Sabbath (-2)
12.Alice Cooper (New)
13. BTO (-3)
14. Robin Trower (New)
15. Bad Company (-2)
16. Nazareth (-2)
17. Golden Earring (No change)
18. Deep Purple (-2)
19. Montrose (-1)
20. Sweet (-5)

Vinyl/Tape additions
----------------------------
Alice Cooper- Goes to Hell
Deep Purple- In Rock
Robin Trower- Live
Kiss- Destroyer

 

[Catfish]

October 1976 List
----------------------
1. Led Zeppelin - (No change)
2. Aerosmith (No change)
3. Moody Blues (+1)
4. Emerson Lake and Palmer (-1)
5. Queen (No change)
6. Kiss (No change)
7. Foghat (No change)
8. The Who (No change)
9. Alice Cooper (+3)
10. Chicago (No change)
11. Synergy (New)
12. Jethro Tull (-3)
13. Black Sabbath (-2)
14. Robin Trower- (No Change)
15. Boston- (New)
16. Steve Miller (New)
17. BTO (-4)
18. Nazareth (-2)
19. Golden Earring (-2)
20. Montrose (-1)

Vinyl/Tape Additons-
---------------------------
Chick Correa- The Leprechaun
Jefferson Starship- Spitfire
Michael Oldfield- Tubular Bells
Michael Pinder- The Promise

Boston- . There is no denying or not recognizing Tom Scholz' spectaular fret wizardry that he put on especially on what I feel might be the best single debut album in rock and roll history. And apparently a lot of people agree, as the album is 17X Platinum. Their first album probably got more airplay from me, than any other single piece of rock music in my life. I spent many a drive with "More than a Feeling" blaring out the window of my Truck. Ahhhh memories. To this day, this first album remains as one of my all time favorites.... still.

Work by Boston afterwards was really good, but very uneven. They never were able to recapture the magic of that first album, but sure had excellent moments ....like 1994's Walk On. Boston's omission to the R&R HOF is another example of the sham that institution is.