1. Eldorado - Electric Light Orchestra 2. Crime of the Century - Supertramp 3. Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell 4. 461 Ocean Boulevard- Eric Clapton 5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Again - Richard and Linda Thompson 6. Heart Like a Wheel - Linda Ronstadt 7. Dragonfly - Paul Kantner, Grace Slick and the Jefferson Starship 8. When the Eagle Flies - Traffic 9. Heroes are Hard to Find - Fleetwood Mac 10. Hergest Ridge - Mike Oldfield 11. On the Beach - Neil Young 12. Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal - Lou Reed And (surprisingly to myself) I’ve listened to every one of these on vinyl since I rediscovered my turntable when the pandemic started in late March.
1. Queen Queen II 2. Get Your Wings Arrow Smith 3. Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Genesis 4. It's Only Rock and Roll The Rolling Stones 5. Eldorado - Electric Light Orchestra
1. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis 2. Fulfillingness' First Finale - Stevie Wonder 3. Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan 4. Crime of the Century - Supertramp 5. Warchild - Jethro Tull
Honourable mentions: Roxy Music - Country Life Neil Young - On the Beach Kraftwerk - Autobahn Hawkwind - Hall of the Mountain Grill 5) Tom Waits - The Heart of Saterday Night 4) Bob Dylan - Planet Waves 3) David Bowie - Diamond Dogs 2) Leonard Cohen - New Skin For the Old Ceremony 1) New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon
1. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece 2. Queen - Queen II 3. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack 4. Bad Company - Bad Company 5. Sweet - Desolation Boulevard 6. Bob Dylan - Planet Waves '74 was an unreal year wow.
5. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece 4. Neil Young - On the Beach 3. John Cale - Fear 2. Miles Davis - Get Up With It 1. Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
My Top 5: 1. Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky (kudos to Jason for recognizing this amazing album) 2. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping 3. Bad Company - self-titled debut 4. Supertramp - Crime of the Century 5. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
Here's my top 10 for 1974. Can't wait for 1975 the second best year in music! A tough decision for my top two...both awesome albums. 1 Crime Of The Century - Supertramp 2 Late For The Sky - Jackson Browne 3 On The Border - The Eagles 4 Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan 5 On the Beach - Neil Young 6 Not Fragile - Bachman-Turner Overdrive 7 Bad Company - Bad Company 8 Court And Spark - Joni Mitchell 9 Caribou - Elton John 10 The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Genesis
Deep Purple - Burn Deep Purple - Stormbringer Queen - Queen II Queen - Sheer Heart Attack Neil Young - On the Beach Supertramp - Crime of the Century King Crimson - Red Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic Kiss - Kiss Kiss - Hotter Than Hell Jethro Tull - War Child Aerosmith - Get Your Wings Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock N' Roll Wishbone Ash - There's the Rub David Bowie - Diamond Dogs Billy Joel - Streetlife Serenade Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale Budgie - In for the Kill Rush - Rush James Brown - Hell Elton John - Caribou Weak year? Can't say I agree about that :)
1. Burn - Deep Purple 2. The Hoople - Mott the Hoople 3. Stranger in My Own Back Yard - Gilbert O'Sullivan 4. The Mirror - Spooky Tooth 5. Pussycats - Nilsson/Lennon
Late For the Sky is a masterpiece. Awesome production by Al Schmitt, who also produced one side of On the Beach. Saw Jackson Browne live once. He was superb.
1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Genesis 2. Red - King Crimson 3. Relayer - Yes (a great year for prog!) 4. The Heart of Saturday Night - Tom Waits 5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson Honorable Mention: Fulfillingness First Finale - Stevie Wonder, Get Your Wings - Aerosmith
1. On the Beach - Neil Young 2. Standing on the Verge of Getting It On- Funkadelic 3. Diamond Dogs - Bowie 4. Preservation Act 2 - Kinks 5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson
1974 has my number 1 album of all time, 5-Elis & Tom - Elis Regina & Tom Jobim 4- No Other - Gene Clark 3- Planet Waves - Bob Dylan 2- On the Beach - Neil Young 1- Veedon Fleece - Van Morrison
"Elis & Tom" is such a cool record. You get Regina's gorgeous vocals, beautiful old school string arrangements mixed with spacy 70s guitar sounds and ofc the genius melodies by the master himself Antonio Carlos Jobim. My favourite from 74.
5. Diamond Dogs by Bowie 4. Burn by Deep Purple 3. Living In The 70's by Skyhooks. We'd had a lot of great singles come out of Australia to this point, but this was the first truly iconic Aussie album. 2. Sheer Heart Attack by Queen 1. Queen II by Queen
It was still a great year in the '70's, though you had to look a little deeper - 1. Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell 2. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson 3. Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Little Feat 4. Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd 5. Phenomenon - UFO 6. Bad Company - Bad Company 7. In For the Kill - Budgie 8. Rocka Rolla - Judas Priest 9. Queen 2 - Queen 10. Planet Waves - Bob Dylan
1. Taking Tiger Mountain - Brian Eno 2. Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno 3. Late For the Sky - Jackson Browne 4. The Phosphoroescent Rat - Hot Tuna 5. Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan 6. On the Beach - Neil Young 7. Country Life - Roxy Music 8. Radio City - Big Star 9. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie 10. Fear - John Cale 11. Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons 12. Rush - Rush 13. The Heart Of Saturday Night - Tom Waits 14. Walls And Bridges - John Lennon 15. When the Eagle Flies - Traffic 16. Quah - Jorma Kaukonen 17. Pussycats - Harry Nilsson 18. Kiss - Kiss 19. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard & Linda Thompson 20. Eldorado - Electric Light Orchestra It was a big year for Eno, after he quit Roxy Music.
Just finalized a 1974 top 15 today. I guess I should check out Late For The Sky at some point, and also I totally subscribe to 1969-73 being the best 5 year stretch in rock history after just going through what I have for those years. 1974 is probably for me the second least awesome year of the 70’s after 1978 but still lots to like a good bit in it. 1. Sparks - Kimono My House 2. Sparks - Propaganda 3. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 4. King Crimson - Red 5. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic 6. Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets 7. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale 8. Yes - Relayer 9. Neil Young - On The Beach 10. Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit 11. Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) 12. Electric Light Orchestra - Eldorado 13. John Cale - Fear 14. Renaissance - Turn Of The Cards 15. Leonard Cohen - New Skin For The Old Ceremony HONORABLE MENTIONS: Aerosmith - Get Your Wings, Badfinger - Wish You Were Here, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping, Bob Marley & The Wailers - Natty Dread, Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark, Queen - Sheer Heart Attack, Roxy Music - Country Life, Supertramp - Crime Of The Century, Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, Frank Zappa / The Mothers - Roxy And Elsewhere
5-Deep Purple-Burn 4-Supertramp-Crime Of The Century 3-Eric Clapton-461 Ocean Boulevard 2-Stevie Wonder-Fullfillingness’ First Finale 1-Elton John-Caribou
I am heartened by Jason's appreciation of Todd Rundgren. Hearing Rundgren lecture on music is an amazing joy! El Dorado by ELO was a big winner in my home town of El Dorado, Kansas.
1. Relayer - Yes 2. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie 3. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis 4. Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan 5. Welcome Back My Friends - ELP 6. Fulfillingness First Finale - Stevie Wonder 7. David Live - David Bowie 8. Red - King Crimson Runaway win for Yes. Don't know how you missed it.
1. "Apostrophe" by Frank Zappa 2. "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" by Doobie Brothers 3. "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" by Genesis 4. "Pretzel Logic" by Steely Dan 5. "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" by Little Feat
My top 20 - 1974 albums: 1) Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 2) King Crimson - Red 3) Camel - Mirage 4) Deep Purple - Burn 5) Yes - Relayer 6) King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black 7) Bad Company - Bad Company 8) Supertramp - Crime of the Century 9) Chicago - VII 10) Tangerine Dream - Phaedra 11) UFO - Phenomenom 12) Scorpions - Fly to the Rainbow 13) Queen - II 14) Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Bulevard 15) Kraftwerk - Autobahn 16) Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties 17) Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping 18) David Bowie - Diamond Dogs 19) Jethro Tull - War Child 20) Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
I think On the Beach is nearly a perfect album. It's both a 'mood album' and an an album that nevertheless takes you on a journey at the same time. That, to me, is the genius of Neil at his best, that he can make albums that are somehow expansive and intimate at the same time, and I feel that is because his records are such a complete document of his personality. He is never trying to impress us, never trying to wow us; he is 100% authentic all the time. That's the intimacy. But, because he is such an imaginative and weird personality, his authenticity remains a journey with stops in very different places. It's his world. A strange world where I nevertheless feel completely welcome.
1. Red - King Crimson 2. Secret Treaties - Blue Öyster Cult 3. Sheer Heart Attack - Queen 4. The Power And The Glory - Gentle Giant 5. Queen II - Queen
Good year. I saw the Burn, Country Life, Crime of the Century, and Bad Company tours, but you already know my favourite album was Caught Up by Millie Jackson!
Revisiting these years is a lot of fun. As always the boys make great selections and interesting comments. How can anyone argue with Neil Young, Queen and Jackson Browne. Love them all. Not my favourite year for music but I do remember 1974 very fondly, I was 16 and the world was a wonderful place.
1. Court and Spark-Joni Mitchell 2. Radio City-Big Star 3. On the Beach-Neil Young 4. The Heart of Saturday Night-Tom Waits 5. Pretzel Logic-Steely Dan.
5 amazing albums that weren't included: 1. Bad Company Debut 2. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping 3. Chicago VII 4. David Bowie: Diamond Dogs 5. Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
I knew it would not likely make anyone's list, but THANK you for including the album cover of Sparks' Kimono My House in the 1974 splash screen graphic!
Isn't Here Come the Warm Jets from 1973? For 74, my two favourite albums are I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (Richard and Linda Thompson) and Country Life (Roxy Music). In the end, the top spot goes for Richard Thompson, just because he is one of my favourite guitarists. Other greats: Radio City (Big Star) Hergest Ridge (Mike Oldfield) and Valentine (Roy Harper)
1. Genesis- The lamb lies down on broadway 2. Yes- Relayer 3. Kansas- Kansas 4. Blue oyster cult- Secret treaties 5. Queen- Queen II 6. Gentle Giant- The power and the glory 7. Jethro Tull- War child 8. Frank Zappa- Apostrophe 9. Return to forever- Where have I known you before 10. Elton John- Caribou
My Top 5 1. SUPERTRAMP - Crime of the Century 2. RENAISSANCE - Turn of the Cards 3. CAMEL - Fragile 4. QUEEN - Sheer Heart Attack 5. GENESIS - The Lamb lies down on Broadway Greetings from Canary Islands
Excellent selections. Album of he Year for 1974 : Supertramp: Crime of the Century ( with the Song of the year , School ) Steely Dan : Pretzel Logic Jethro Tull : Warchild Genesis : The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Roxy Music : Country Life Cheers !
Most of my favorites put out their best work in '74! And two (in a way, three) of them put out two! i had to go the whole twenty... 1. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway- Genesis 2. On the Beach - Neil Young 3. Taking Tiger Mountain - Brian Eno 4. Fear - John Cale 5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson 6. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie 7. Red - King Crimson 8. Country Life - Roxy Music 9. Secret Treaties - Blue Öyster Cult 10. Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno 11. Good Old Boys - Randy Newman 12. Starless and Bible Black - King Crimson 13. Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan 14. Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons 15. New Skin for the Old Ceremony - Leonard Cohen 16. Another Time, Another Place - Bryan Ferry 17. Late for the Sky - Jackson Browne 18. From the Mars Hotel - Grateful Dead 19. Planet Waves - Bob Dylan 20. Sally Can't Dance - Lou Reed VERY hard to place them! I love them all nearly equally...had to rationalize a lot....
Apostrophe and Live at the Roxy both by Zappa. Top notch. Also tons of great soul/funk (but not disco yet) in this year. Band on the Run was technically released at the very end of 73, but it spent all of 74 on the charts and radio. That’s my list, with Apostrophe winning out slightly over Joni. 1 Apostrophe, 2 Court and Spark 3 Second Helping 4 461 Ocean Blvd. 5 Red by King Crimson 6 Cariboo 7 Here Come Warm Jets 8 Pretzel Logic with Fleetwood Mac honourable mention. If Band on the Run is considered for ‘74 then it takes #1. Not Fragile was my favourite album while I was growing up in the 1970s. Live at the Roxy would be top 5 if live albums were considered. Never seen any Zappa on your lists…Zappa, the ONLY real genius ever in rock, stands alongside Stravinsky, Ellington, Armstrong in 20th century music. Come on guys.
Another great year, 26 albums in my top 500, and all 5 picks easily in my top 100: 1. Crime of the century - my 10th favourite album of all time - beautiful throughout 2. Chicago VII - their jazziest. Takes them a side and a half to even use vocals 3. The Lamb lies down on Broadway - Genesis - the last hurrah for the original band 4. Late for the sky 5. Pretzel Logic HMs to Court and Spark, New Skin for the old ceremony, Sheer heart attack and Queen II (their two best albums), Kansas' debut, Boz Scagg's Slow Dancer, Tom Waits' The Heart of Saturday Night, King Crimson's Red, BOC's Secret Treaties, Feats don't fail me now, and Walls and Bridges.
1) NATTY DREAD-Bob Marley/Wailers 2) WAR CHILD-Jethro Tull 3) COURT AND SPARK=Joni Mitchell 4) CRIME OF TH CENTURY- Supertramp 5) WHEN THE EAGLE FLIES-Traffic (In TOP 5 most under-rated albums of all time)
5. Big Star - Radio City 4. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece 3. Renaissance - Turn of the Cards 2. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness's First Finale 1. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
I hope you don't mind but I have, Kimono My House and Propaganda by Sparks tied for the 5th spot. I can't separate those 2 albums because they mean a lot(First 2 albums that I've ever bought). 4. Eagles - On the Border( Their best album in my opinion ) 3. Barclay James Harvest - Everyone is Everybody Else( Highly Underrated Album and Artist). 2. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece ( Criminally Ignored Masterpiece). 1. Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties ( For me, the greatest hard rock album of all time).
1. On The Beach - Neil Young 2. Radio City - Big Star 3. No Other - Gene Clark 4. Phaedra - Tangerine Dream 5. Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons 6. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard & Linda Thompson 7. Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy - Eno 8. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie 9. Crime Of The Century - Supertramp 10. Planet Waves - Bob Dylan
the title track of Late For The Sky is absolutely devastating in the movie Taxi Driver. By the way Kramzer, Not Fragile was my first favourite new album I got hooked on and loved. I know where you’re coming from. Caribou is very underrated too
5. "Kimono My House" Sparks 4. "Queen II" Queen 3. "Red" King Crimson 2. "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy" Brian Eno 1. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" Genesis
IMO 1974 was kind of the beginning of the end for "letting the good times roll" in the music business. As an old hard rock fan, I think Trower's Bridge of Sighs has always been underrated. Gotta mention Gordon Lightfoot's Sundown. There's a reason Lightfoot is so respected by musicians across the spectrum and Sundown is his masterpiece.
1. So What - Joe Walsh 2. 461 Ocean Boulevard - Eric Clapton 3. A New Life - The Marshall Tucker Band 4. Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd 5. What Were Once Vices are now Habits - The Doobie Brothers 6. Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley - Robert Palmer 7. Heart Like a Wheel - Linda Ronstadt 8. Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell 9. Veedon Fleece - Van Morrison 10. No Other - Gene Clark 11. Natural Boogie - Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers
5. Kiss - KISS: debut from "The Hottest Band in the Land" - gives us "Strutter," "Cold Gin," "Nothin' to Lose" 4. Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell: "Help Me," "Free Man in Paris," "Down to You" 3. I've Got the Music in Me - The Kiki Dee Band: the most underrated female vocalist of all-time, giving us her most Rock album of all-time. GREAT tracks, includes "Little Frozen One," "Step by Step," "You Need Help" 2. Overnight Sensation - The Raspberries: last gasp before implosion. Classic album with some of their best work. 1. Heart Like a Wheel - Linda Ronstadt: defined the "Formula" album. Ronstadt would rinse & repeat for the remainder of the 70's.
Guys, got a book recommendation for you. 'Shock and Awe' by Simon Reynolds - a history of glam-rock. It's incredible and covers the early seventies in a lot of depth. The chapter on Queen will blow your mind, particularly when he talks about the roots of The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke on Queen II. Great video, good selection. Late for the Sky has my favourite record cover of all time - it's based on a painting by the surrealist artist Magritte. Kudos to Jason for including Eldorado. Cheers, James
1. Steely Dan * Pretzel Logic * 2. Brian Eno * Here Comes The Warm Jets - Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategies * 3. Eric Clapton * 461 Ocean Boulevard * 4. Mike Oldfield * Hergest Ridge * 5. J.J. Cale * Okie * 6. Supertramp * Crime Of The Century * 7. Jackson Browne * Late For The Sky * 8. Bachman Turner Overdrive * Not Fragile * 9. Genesis * The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway * 10. Neil Young * On The Beach * 11. Jony Mitchell * Court And Spark * 12. Roxy Music * Country Life * 13. Rory Gallagher - Live - Irish Tour '74 *
Well.... I’m quite surprised, I don’t have a lot I love from 1974. Having said that, one release remains one of my 5 favourites of all time... Supertramp - “Crime of the Century” I just fell in love with it from the very first notes. It just has a fantastic “atmosphere” that I can’t describe. This and Pink Floyd - “Dark side of the moon” (1973) I bought on the same day back in 1977 and both remain huge personal favourites along with Rush’s “Hemispheres” (1978), Genesis “Seconds Out” (Live, 1977) and ELO’s “New World Record” (1976). These 5 albums mentioned above would be my top 5 of all time Anyway, back to 1974. 1. Supertramp - Crime of the Century. Then these next 5, in alphabetical order, I can’t really seperate them. Bad Company - Bad Company. Jackson Browne - Late for the sky. Genesis - Lamb lies down on Broadway. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark. Van Morrison - It's too late to stop now (Live 1973).
1. Randy Newman-Good Old Boys 2. Van Morrison-Veedon Fleece 3. Richard & Linda Thompson-I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight 4. Jackson Browne-Late For The Sky 5. Neil Young-On The Beach
Top albums that I love today just as much as I did back in 1974. Young, Morrison and Richard Thompson (+ Bob Dylan) are those rare artists who released classic gems in all the decades from the 60s until today.
1974: (Year Average 8.2) 1. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie (8.5) 2. Radio City - Big Star (8.5) 3. Country Life - Roxy Music (8) 4. Walls and Bridges - John Lennon (8) 5. Planet Waves - Bob Dylan (8)
The Hoople - Mott the Hoople Apostrophe' - Frank Zappa Crime of the Century - Supertramp The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis Favorite: Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons
5- Roxy Music --- Country Life 4- Autobahn --- Kraftwerk 3- Lynyrd Skynyrd --- Second Helping 2- David Bowie --- Diamond Dogs 1- Supertramp --- Crime of the Century
Another list that proves all those wrong that called 1974 a "bad" year...Steely Dan and Little Feat would be in my top 10, Neil Young is my #1 of the year and the other two are great albums as well.
1. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping 2. Aerosmith - Get Your Wings 3. Bad Company - debut 4. Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard 5. Kiss - debut Honorable Mention Rolling Stones - It’s Only Rock n Roll Jackson Brown - Late for the Sky Eagles - On the Border ELO - Eldorado Deep Purple - Burn My favorite Skynyrd album, great all the way thru and some all time classics on there like Sweet Home Alabama, Call Me The Breeze, Don’t Ask Me No Questions and the Needle and the Spoon. Aerosmith’s Get Your Wings starts a run of 3 of their best albums right in a row. It’s real close between these 2 albums for me.
@@TastesLikeMusic 1. Pronounced (This is on my list of the top 20 studio albums of all time) 2. Street Survivors (At that point they were ready to dethrone the Rolling Stones or anyone else considered the greatest rock band in the world. Which makes the tragedy even greater than it was already) 3. Gimme Back my Bullets 4. Nuthin' Fancy 5. Second Helping (Al Kooper - their mentor and producer - decided to leave Sweet Home Alabama off the debut album knowing it would be a big hit so that he could use it as a starter for the second one - it had already been recorded together with the first album's tracks.)
'74 is underated; great albums not mentioned on any of these lists; 461 Ocean Blvd-Eric Clapton(his best solo album) Secret Treaties-Blue Oyster Cult(their best,and one of the great hard rock albums ever) I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight-Richard & Linda Thompson(perhaps their best collaboration) The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway-Genesis(widely considered their best) Apostrophe-Frank Zappa(I believe his most commercially succesful album) Court and Spark-Joni Mitchell(her most succesfully commercial album) Bridge of Sighs-Robin Trower(his best) Fear-John Cale(widely considered his best) Second Helping-Lynyrd Skynyrd(I think their best) Veedon Fleece-Van Morrison My point is that for whatever reason 1974 has a poor reputation which I think is undeserved,and as you can see ,many great artists released perhaps their greatest work.
74, like all years of the 70s rules. I think in comparison not quite as good as some of the others, but still better than 99% of the years in human history.
'74's 'bad' reputation comes from the beginning of the 'balkanization' of popular music. After The Beatles were done and Woodstock was fading from memory, there was no longer a unifying musical force. Instead, extremes cropped up: soft rock, hard rock, prog rock, (proto-)punk/pub rock (New York Dolls, SAHB), (pre-)disco (Barry White!), singer-songwriter, funk, fusion, reggae, country, etc. It all coexisted and intermingled, looked backward as it moved forward: Lulu had a hit with "The Man Who Sold the World", Eric Clapton hit with "I Shot the Sheriff", Anne Murray hit with "You Won't See Me", The Carpenters hit with "Please Mr. Postman", Elton John hit with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Linda Ronstadt hit with "I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love with You", Elvis hit with "Promised Land", Grand Funk hit with "Loco-Motion", Nazareth hit with "Love Hurts" and ABBA wins the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo"! On the other hand, look at the variety and choice available. The thing about the mid-Seventies is that you didn't have to limit yourself to one kind of music. All the 'Johns' (Olivia, Denver, Elton, Lennon) were big but it was also a time when hugely (or soon to be) influential artists were hitting their stride (Eno, Kraftwerk, Queen, Lynard Sknyrd, KISS, Roxy Music, Randy Newman, ELO, Hot Chocolate, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell, even Judas Priest!) It'll be interesting to see if our present, weird musical landscape will be as interesting & well regarded a generation from now!
Roxy Music - Country Life Rick Nelson & Stone Canyon Band - Windfall Lou Reed - Sally Can't Dance Bryan Ferry - Another Time, Another Place David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
How is Planet Waves not on anyone's list? This is either my second or third most favorite Dylan album (after Blood on the Tracks and possibly Blonde on Blonde). Nearly every song on this album is on my playlist (sorry "On a Night Like This"). It's an extremely contradictory album with songs that foreshadow the misery of Blood on the Tracks with "Going Going Gone" and "Dirge", alongside loving songs like "Something There is About You", "Forever Young", "Never Say Goodbye", and "Wedding Song". This album captures Dylan between the longing lustfulness of Blonde on Blonde, the loving and happiness of Nashville Skylines, and then misery and despair in Blood on the Tracks.
I love Dylan and Planet Waves is great. I had it as my #7 when we ranked Dylan’s discography, but the 70s are a very competitive decade. It would probably land between 6-10 somewhere for me on the year. -Jason
5) Autobahn - Kraftwerk 4) Too Much Too Soon - New York Dolls 3) New Skin for the Old Ceremony - Leonard Cohen 2) Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno 1) Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) - Brian Eno honorable mentions - Rush - Rush, Mirage - Camel, Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Diamond Dogs - David Bowie, Burn - Deep Purple, On the Beach - Neil Young
Badfinger's "Wish You Were Here". I think there was some legal wranglings around this album and the band had split by the time of it's release. A great record.
On The Beach is criminally underrated, I really think it's one of the greatest albums ever made. Something about the record just speaks to me, I get totally immersed in the themes, the subdued production gives a ton of space for the lyrics to breathe and take hold, and allows Neil's straight-from-the-heart lead guitar to pierce through and take centre stage. The fact that the album is missing a big hit works in it's favour as it's best enjoyed as a single entity. Simply brilliant, Neil's best album for me and I absolutely love After The Gold Rush.
It is my winner of 1974 as well, it is also my #1 Neil Young album (and that means something, he is in my top 10 artists selection of the last 60 years...and he has about 20 top albums in his catalogue). However, I do not think it is underrated.
@@roxannewalsh That's fair Roxanne, maybe most people rate it highly that's certainly possible. My comment that it was underrated was as a reaction to this video where it missed out on two out of three lists.
I love Ambulance Blues. The melody borrows from Bert Jansch's Needle Of Death then improves on it. He sounds so pissed off, with everyone, particularly Richard Nixon: "I never knew a man who could tell so many lies". Young says side one of the vinyl is side two and vice versa, but I can't see Vampire Blues as the album's last statement, whereas Ambulance . . . has a finality to it. Perhaps I'm just used to it that way round.
@@tonybates7870 I remember having read the same about the sides originally planned to be reverse but I cannot name a source for the information. Young wanted to go from depressed to positive instead of vice versa.
1. Radio City - Big Star 2. Natty Dread - Wailers 3. On The Beach - Young 4. Diamond Dogs - Bowie 5. Kimono My House - Sparks Admittedly not a year I'm very familiar with
I have three 10/10 albums from 1974 Crime of the Century 10 Relayer, 10 Sheer Heart Attack,10 Then I have quite a few I rate at 9/10. Mirage 9 Queen 2, 9 Veedon Fleece 9, Country Life 9, Axe Victim 9, Sheet Music 9, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight 9, Pretzel Logic 9, Bad Company 9, Ducks Deluxe 9, Not Fragile 9, Nightlife 9
5. Autobahn - Kraftwerk 4. Natty Dread - Bob Marley & The Wailers 3. On The Beach - Neil Young 2. Apostrophe (') - Frank Zappa 1. Court And Spark - Joni Mitchell No mention of Over-Nite Sensation in 73 or Apostrophe (') in 74. Starting to think these guys have never listened to any Zappa album. Both are absolute classics.
I love Veedon Fleece as well, although for 1974 my first choice for Van is the incredible live album It's Too Late to Stop Now. Relayer sadly remained the only album with Moraz, I was a big Yes fan up to and including Relayer and had wished they had gone that more experimental way further rather than to drown in symphonic sirup later on...Neil Young is my #1 in 1974, Diamond Dogs is a top 10 album of the year and Gene Clark is a minor gem.
think all are already mentioned, but here we go, in no order ELO - Eldorado Supertramp - Crime Of The Century Sweet - Desolation Boulevard Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight BTO - Not Fragile - Nice pick Kramzer!! A Canadian classic. The first LP I ever bought, Sam The Record Man for $3.99. Safe to say The Guess Who were the first Canadian band to have repeated chart success in The States, and amazing that Randy Bachman achieved the same with BTO, almost immediately after leaving The Guess Who.
1) Gene Clark No Other ( also in my top 10 ever) 2) Van Morrison Veedon Fleece 3) Joni Mitchell Court and Spark 4) Frank Zappa Apostrophe 5) Jackson Browne Late for The Sky
This was admittedly a "down" year for me, especially considering the several years preceding this one. I am fully aware that Jimmy Buffett gets no respect and sometimes gets outright shade from this channel, but his two albums released this year are his two best in my opinion and deserving of some love. These are indicative of his Key West era, decidedly more country and singer/songwriter oriented, and the album covers alone are great. You can tell he had spent time with Steve Goodman and Jerry Jeff Walker. I have told many Buffett skeptics, folks that I also call friends, that the best Buffett is the Buffett you've never heard before, and that stems largely from these early albums. 5) Sundown- Gordon Lightfoot 4) Planet Waves- Bob Dylan 3) Eldorado- Electric Light Orchestra 2) Living and Dying in 3/4 Time- Jimmy Buffett 1) A1A- Jimmy Buffett Honorable Mention: 461 Ocean Boulevard- Eric Clapton; Second Helping- Lynyrd Skynyrd; Sheer Heart Attack- Queen
Pretzel Logic-Steely Dan Here Come the Warm Jets-Brian Eno Lamb Lies Down on Broadway-Genesi Rock Bottom-Robert Wyatt Vol 4-Black Sabbath Court and Spark-Joni Mitchell On the Beach-Neil Young
Queen II, one of my alltime favorites.
What is Joe doing on the top left. Now I'm disoriented.
1. Eldorado - Electric Light Orchestra
2. Crime of the Century - Supertramp
3. Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell
4. 461 Ocean Boulevard- Eric Clapton
5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Again - Richard and Linda Thompson
6. Heart Like a Wheel - Linda Ronstadt
7. Dragonfly - Paul Kantner, Grace Slick and the Jefferson Starship
8. When the Eagle Flies - Traffic
9. Heroes are Hard to Find - Fleetwood Mac
10. Hergest Ridge - Mike Oldfield
11. On the Beach - Neil Young
12. Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal - Lou Reed
And (surprisingly to myself) I’ve listened to every one of these on vinyl since I rediscovered my turntable when the pandemic started in late March.
1. Queen Queen II
2. Get Your Wings Arrow Smith
3. Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Genesis
4. It's Only Rock and Roll The Rolling Stones
5. Eldorado - Electric Light Orchestra
1. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis
2. Fulfillingness' First Finale - Stevie Wonder
3. Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan
4. Crime of the Century - Supertramp
5. Warchild - Jethro Tull
Honourable mentions:
Roxy Music - Country Life
Neil Young - On the Beach
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Hawkwind - Hall of the Mountain Grill
5) Tom Waits - The Heart of Saterday Night
4) Bob Dylan - Planet Waves
3) David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2) Leonard Cohen - New Skin For the Old Ceremony
1) New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon
1. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece
2. Queen - Queen II
3. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
4. Bad Company - Bad Company
5. Sweet - Desolation Boulevard
6. Bob Dylan - Planet Waves
'74 was an unreal year wow.
1. Genesis - The Lamb Lies down on Broadway
2. King Crimson - Red
3. Big Star - Radio City
4. Badfinger - Wish you were here
5. Queen - II
5. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece
4. Neil Young - On the Beach
3. John Cale - Fear
2. Miles Davis - Get Up With It
1. Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
My Top 5:
1. Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky
(kudos to Jason for recognizing this amazing album)
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
3. Bad Company - self-titled debut
4. Supertramp - Crime of the Century
5. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
Here's my top 10 for 1974. Can't wait for 1975 the second best year in music!
A tough decision for my top two...both awesome albums.
1 Crime Of The Century - Supertramp
2 Late For The Sky - Jackson Browne
3 On The Border - The Eagles
4 Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan
5 On the Beach - Neil Young
6 Not Fragile - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
7 Bad Company - Bad Company
8 Court And Spark - Joni Mitchell
9 Caribou - Elton John
10 The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Genesis
Deep Purple - Burn
Deep Purple - Stormbringer
Queen - Queen II
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Neil Young - On the Beach
Supertramp - Crime of the Century
King Crimson - Red
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
Kiss - Kiss
Kiss - Hotter Than Hell
Jethro Tull - War Child
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (')
Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties
The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock N' Roll
Wishbone Ash - There's the Rub
David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Billy Joel - Streetlife Serenade
Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale
Budgie - In for the Kill
Rush - Rush
James Brown - Hell
Elton John - Caribou
Weak year? Can't say I agree about that :)
1. Burn - Deep Purple
2. The Hoople - Mott the Hoople
3. Stranger in My Own Back Yard - Gilbert O'Sullivan
4. The Mirror - Spooky Tooth
5. Pussycats - Nilsson/Lennon
Late For the Sky is a masterpiece. Awesome production by Al Schmitt, who also produced one side of On the Beach. Saw Jackson Browne live once. He was superb.
1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Genesis
2. Red - King Crimson
3. Relayer - Yes (a great year for prog!)
4. The Heart of Saturday Night - Tom Waits
5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson
Honorable Mention: Fulfillingness First Finale - Stevie Wonder, Get Your Wings - Aerosmith
Totally agree Jason!! Fountain of Sorrow is my favorite Jackson Browne song by far!!
1. On the Beach - Neil Young
2. Standing on the Verge of Getting It On- Funkadelic
3. Diamond Dogs - Bowie
4. Preservation Act 2 - Kinks
5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson
1974 has my number 1 album of all time,
5-Elis & Tom - Elis Regina & Tom Jobim
4- No Other - Gene Clark
3- Planet Waves - Bob Dylan
2- On the Beach - Neil Young
1- Veedon Fleece - Van Morrison
"Elis & Tom" is such a cool record. You get Regina's gorgeous vocals, beautiful old school string arrangements mixed with spacy 70s guitar sounds and ofc the genius melodies by the master himself Antonio Carlos Jobim. My favourite from 74.
Yes to No Other!
5. Diamond Dogs by Bowie
4. Burn by Deep Purple
3. Living In The 70's by Skyhooks. We'd had a lot of great singles come out of Australia to this point, but this was the first truly iconic Aussie album.
2. Sheer Heart Attack by Queen
1. Queen II by Queen
Double Queen. I sort of regret not having both on my list. - Joe
I don't know Skyhooks. I'll have to check that out. - Jason
It was still a great year in the '70's, though you had to look a little deeper -
1. Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell
2. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson
3. Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Little Feat
4. Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd
5. Phenomenon - UFO
6. Bad Company - Bad Company
7. In For the Kill - Budgie
8. Rocka Rolla - Judas Priest
9. Queen 2 - Queen
10. Planet Waves - Bob Dylan
1. Taking Tiger Mountain - Brian Eno
2. Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno
3. Late For the Sky - Jackson Browne
4. The Phosphoroescent Rat - Hot Tuna
5. Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan
6. On the Beach - Neil Young
7. Country Life - Roxy Music
8. Radio City - Big Star
9. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie
10. Fear - John Cale
11. Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons
12. Rush - Rush
13. The Heart Of Saturday Night - Tom Waits
14. Walls And Bridges - John Lennon
15. When the Eagle Flies - Traffic
16. Quah - Jorma Kaukonen
17. Pussycats - Harry Nilsson
18. Kiss - Kiss
19. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard & Linda Thompson
20. Eldorado - Electric Light Orchestra
It was a big year for Eno, after he quit Roxy Music.
Just finalized a 1974 top 15 today. I guess I should check out Late For The Sky at some point, and also I totally subscribe to 1969-73 being the best 5 year stretch in rock history after just going through what I have for those years. 1974 is probably for me the second least awesome year of the 70’s after 1978 but still lots to like a good bit in it.
1. Sparks - Kimono My House
2. Sparks - Propaganda
3. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
4. King Crimson - Red
5. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
6. Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
7. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale
8. Yes - Relayer
9. Neil Young - On The Beach
10. Procol Harum - Exotic Birds And Fruit
11. Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
12. Electric Light Orchestra - Eldorado
13. John Cale - Fear
14. Renaissance - Turn Of The Cards
15. Leonard Cohen - New Skin For The Old Ceremony
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Aerosmith - Get Your Wings, Badfinger - Wish You Were Here, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping, Bob Marley & The Wailers - Natty Dread, Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark, Queen - Sheer Heart Attack, Roxy Music - Country Life, Supertramp - Crime Of The Century, Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, Frank Zappa / The Mothers - Roxy And Elsewhere
5-Deep Purple-Burn
4-Supertramp-Crime Of The Century
3-Eric Clapton-461 Ocean Boulevard
2-Stevie Wonder-Fullfillingness’ First Finale
1-Elton John-Caribou
Oh great call on Here Come The Warm Jets....love that record....missed that one
I am heartened by Jason's appreciation of Todd Rundgren. Hearing Rundgren lecture on music is an amazing joy! El Dorado by ELO was a big winner in my home town of El Dorado, Kansas.
1. Relayer - Yes
2. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie
3. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis
4. Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan
5. Welcome Back My Friends - ELP
6. Fulfillingness First Finale - Stevie Wonder
7. David Live - David Bowie
8. Red - King Crimson
Runaway win for Yes. Don't know how you missed it.
1. "Apostrophe" by Frank Zappa
2. "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" by Doobie Brothers
3. "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" by Genesis
4. "Pretzel Logic" by Steely Dan
5. "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" by Little Feat
My top 20 - 1974 albums:
1) Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
2) King Crimson - Red
3) Camel - Mirage
4) Deep Purple - Burn
5) Yes - Relayer
6) King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black
7) Bad Company - Bad Company
8) Supertramp - Crime of the Century
9) Chicago - VII
10) Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
11) UFO - Phenomenom
12) Scorpions - Fly to the Rainbow
13) Queen - II
14) Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Bulevard
15) Kraftwerk - Autobahn
16) Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties
17) Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
18) David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
19) Jethro Tull - War Child
20) Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
I think On the Beach is nearly a perfect album. It's both a 'mood album' and an an album that nevertheless takes you on a journey at the same time. That, to me, is the genius of Neil at his best, that he can make albums that are somehow expansive and intimate at the same time, and I feel that is because his records are such a complete document of his personality. He is never trying to impress us, never trying to wow us; he is 100% authentic all the time. That's the intimacy. But, because he is such an imaginative and weird personality, his authenticity remains a journey with stops in very different places. It's his world. A strange world where I nevertheless feel completely welcome.
King Crimson - Red
Gong - You
Zappa - Roxy & Elsewhere
Camel - Mirage
Harmonia - Musik von Harmonia
1. Red - King Crimson
2. Secret Treaties - Blue Öyster Cult
3. Sheer Heart Attack - Queen
4. The Power And The Glory - Gentle Giant
5. Queen II - Queen
Good year. I saw the Burn, Country Life, Crime of the Century, and Bad Company tours, but you already know my favourite album was Caught Up by Millie Jackson!
Revisiting these years is a lot of fun. As always the boys make great selections and interesting comments. How can anyone argue with Neil Young, Queen and Jackson Browne. Love them all. Not my favourite year for music but I do remember 1974 very fondly, I was 16 and the world was a wonderful place.
1. Court and Spark-Joni Mitchell
2. Radio City-Big Star
3. On the Beach-Neil Young
4. The Heart of Saturday Night-Tom Waits
5. Pretzel Logic-Steely Dan.
5 amazing albums that weren't included:
1. Bad Company Debut
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping
3. Chicago VII
4. David Bowie: Diamond Dogs
5. Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
I knew it would not likely make anyone's list, but THANK you for including the album cover of Sparks' Kimono My House in the 1974 splash screen graphic!
It made my list
Isn't Here Come the Warm Jets from 1973?
For 74, my two favourite albums are
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (Richard and Linda Thompson)
and Country Life (Roxy Music).
In the end, the top spot goes for Richard Thompson, just because he is one of my favourite guitarists.
Other greats:
Radio City (Big Star)
Hergest Ridge (Mike Oldfield)
and Valentine (Roy Harper)
Jets just made it into 1974 on
my day of birth, January 4th 😎.
1. Genesis- The lamb lies down on broadway
2. Yes- Relayer
3. Kansas- Kansas
4. Blue oyster cult- Secret treaties
5. Queen- Queen II
6. Gentle Giant- The power and the glory
7. Jethro Tull- War child
8. Frank Zappa- Apostrophe
9. Return to forever- Where have I known you before
10. Elton John- Caribou
1. Heart of Saturday Night (Tom Waits)
2. Red (King Crimson)
3. Diamond Dogs (David Bowie)
4. Here Comes the Warm Jets (Brian Eno)
My god guys some great choices! Love Caribou and the Gram Parsons.
My Top 5
1. SUPERTRAMP - Crime of the Century
2. RENAISSANCE - Turn of the Cards
3. CAMEL - Fragile
4. QUEEN - Sheer Heart Attack
5. GENESIS - The Lamb lies down on Broadway
Greetings from Canary Islands
Nice to see someone mention Renaissance :). Annie Haslam had a glorious voice and comes from Bolton, England, near where I live :)
@@SiLatics56 Great underrated band, amazing vocals by Haslam.
Excellent selections.
Album of he Year for 1974 :
Supertramp: Crime of the Century ( with the Song of the year , School )
Steely Dan : Pretzel Logic
Jethro Tull : Warchild
Genesis : The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Roxy Music : Country Life
Cheers !
Most of my favorites put out their best work in '74! And two (in a way, three) of them put out two! i had to go the whole twenty...
1. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway- Genesis
2. On the Beach - Neil Young
3. Taking Tiger Mountain - Brian Eno
4. Fear - John Cale
5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson
6. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie
7. Red - King Crimson
8. Country Life - Roxy Music
9. Secret Treaties - Blue Öyster Cult
10. Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno
11. Good Old Boys - Randy Newman
12. Starless and Bible Black - King Crimson
13. Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan
14. Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons
15. New Skin for the Old Ceremony - Leonard Cohen
16. Another Time, Another Place - Bryan Ferry
17. Late for the Sky - Jackson Browne
18. From the Mars Hotel - Grateful Dead
19. Planet Waves - Bob Dylan
20. Sally Can't Dance - Lou Reed
VERY hard to place them! I love them all nearly equally...had to rationalize a lot....
Apostrophe and Live at the Roxy both by Zappa. Top notch. Also tons of great soul/funk (but not disco yet) in this year. Band on the Run was technically released at the very end of 73, but it spent all of 74 on the charts and radio. That’s my list, with Apostrophe winning out slightly over Joni. 1 Apostrophe, 2 Court and Spark 3 Second Helping 4 461 Ocean Blvd. 5 Red by King Crimson 6 Cariboo 7 Here Come Warm Jets 8 Pretzel Logic with Fleetwood Mac honourable mention. If Band on the Run is considered for ‘74 then it takes #1. Not Fragile was my favourite album while I was growing up in the 1970s. Live at the Roxy would be top 5 if live albums were considered. Never seen any Zappa on your lists…Zappa, the ONLY real genius ever in rock, stands alongside Stravinsky, Ellington, Armstrong in 20th century music. Come on guys.
My top 5
5. Bad Company (Bad Company)
4. Sheer Heart Attack (Queen)
3. Stormbringer (Deep Purple)
2. Kiss (Kiss)
1. Burn (Deep Purple)
Another great year, 26 albums in my top 500, and all 5 picks easily in my top 100:
1. Crime of the century - my 10th favourite album of all time - beautiful throughout
2. Chicago VII - their jazziest. Takes them a side and a half to even use vocals
3. The Lamb lies down on Broadway - Genesis - the last hurrah for the original band
4. Late for the sky
5. Pretzel Logic
HMs to Court and Spark, New Skin for the old ceremony, Sheer heart attack and Queen II (their two best albums), Kansas' debut, Boz Scagg's Slow Dancer, Tom Waits' The Heart of Saturday Night, King Crimson's Red, BOC's Secret Treaties, Feats don't fail me now, and Walls and Bridges.
1) NATTY DREAD-Bob Marley/Wailers
2) WAR CHILD-Jethro Tull
3) COURT AND SPARK=Joni Mitchell
4) CRIME OF TH CENTURY- Supertramp
5) WHEN THE EAGLE FLIES-Traffic (In TOP 5 most under-rated albums of all time)
5. Big Star - Radio City
4. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece
3. Renaissance - Turn of the Cards
2. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness's First Finale
1. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
I hope you don't mind but I have, Kimono My House and Propaganda by Sparks tied for the 5th spot. I can't separate those 2 albums because they mean a lot(First 2 albums that I've ever bought).
4. Eagles - On the Border( Their best album in my opinion )
3. Barclay James Harvest - Everyone is Everybody Else( Highly Underrated Album and Artist).
2. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece ( Criminally Ignored Masterpiece).
1. Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties ( For me, the greatest hard rock album of all time).
Late for the Sky is so good. A top ten all time. Title track, Fountain of Sorrow, For a Dancer and Before the Deluge are perfect! Well done Jason!
1. On The Beach - Neil Young
2. Radio City - Big Star
3. No Other - Gene Clark
4. Phaedra - Tangerine Dream
5. Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons
6. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard & Linda Thompson
7. Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy - Eno
8. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie
9. Crime Of The Century - Supertramp
10. Planet Waves - Bob Dylan
Also like the Bucs T-shirt when discussing '74. Nice...
We're all from Pittsburgh.
the title track of Late For The Sky is absolutely devastating in the movie Taxi Driver. By the way Kramzer, Not Fragile was my first favourite new album I got hooked on and loved. I know where you’re coming from. Caribou is very underrated too
5. "Kimono My House" Sparks
4. "Queen II" Queen
3. "Red" King Crimson
2. "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy" Brian Eno
1. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" Genesis
One of my top ten favorite lps Taking Tiger Mountain, Eno's best album. Blew my mind when I first heard it
IMO 1974 was kind of the beginning of the end for "letting the good times roll" in the music business. As an old hard rock fan, I think Trower's Bridge of Sighs has always been underrated. Gotta mention Gordon Lightfoot's Sundown. There's a reason Lightfoot is so respected by musicians across the spectrum and Sundown is his masterpiece.
1. So What - Joe Walsh
2. 461 Ocean Boulevard - Eric Clapton
3. A New Life - The Marshall Tucker Band
4. Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd
5. What Were Once Vices are now Habits - The Doobie Brothers
6. Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley - Robert Palmer
7. Heart Like a Wheel - Linda Ronstadt
8. Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell
9. Veedon Fleece - Van Morrison
10. No Other - Gene Clark
11. Natural Boogie - Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers
I can't believe you mentioned The Fabulous Thunderbirds. I think I love you
5. Kiss - KISS: debut from "The Hottest Band in the Land" - gives us "Strutter," "Cold Gin," "Nothin' to Lose"
4. Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell: "Help Me," "Free Man in Paris," "Down to You"
3. I've Got the Music in Me - The Kiki Dee Band: the most underrated female vocalist of all-time, giving us her most Rock album of all-time. GREAT tracks, includes "Little Frozen One," "Step by Step," "You Need Help"
2. Overnight Sensation - The Raspberries: last gasp before implosion. Classic album with some of their best work.
1. Heart Like a Wheel - Linda Ronstadt: defined the "Formula" album. Ronstadt would rinse & repeat for the remainder of the 70's.
Guys, got a book recommendation for you. 'Shock and Awe' by Simon Reynolds - a history of glam-rock. It's incredible and covers the early seventies in a lot of depth. The chapter on Queen will blow your mind, particularly when he talks about the roots of The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke on Queen II. Great video, good selection. Late for the Sky has my favourite record cover of all time - it's based on a painting by the surrealist artist Magritte. Kudos to Jason for including Eldorado. Cheers, James
That book sounds great. I’ll check it out for sure!
1. Steely Dan * Pretzel Logic *
2. Brian Eno * Here Comes The Warm Jets - Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategies *
3. Eric Clapton * 461 Ocean Boulevard *
4. Mike Oldfield * Hergest Ridge *
5. J.J. Cale * Okie *
6. Supertramp * Crime Of The Century *
7. Jackson Browne * Late For The Sky *
8. Bachman Turner Overdrive * Not Fragile *
9. Genesis * The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway *
10. Neil Young * On The Beach *
11. Jony Mitchell * Court And Spark *
12. Roxy Music * Country Life *
13. Rory Gallagher - Live - Irish Tour '74 *
Well.... I’m quite surprised, I don’t have a lot I love from 1974.
Having said that, one release remains one of my 5 favourites of all time... Supertramp - “Crime of the Century” I just fell in love with it from the very first notes. It just has a fantastic “atmosphere” that I can’t describe.
This and Pink Floyd - “Dark side of the moon” (1973) I bought on the same day back in 1977 and both remain huge personal favourites along with Rush’s “Hemispheres” (1978), Genesis “Seconds Out” (Live, 1977) and ELO’s “New World Record” (1976).
These 5 albums mentioned above would be my top 5 of all time
Anyway, back to 1974.
1. Supertramp - Crime of the Century.
Then these next 5, in alphabetical order, I can’t really seperate them.
Bad Company - Bad Company.
Jackson Browne - Late for the sky.
Genesis - Lamb lies down on Broadway.
Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark.
Van Morrison - It's too late to stop now (Live 1973).
1. Randy Newman-Good Old Boys
2. Van Morrison-Veedon Fleece
3. Richard & Linda Thompson-I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
4. Jackson Browne-Late For The Sky
5. Neil Young-On The Beach
Top albums that I love today just as much as I did back in 1974. Young, Morrison and Richard Thompson (+ Bob Dylan) are those rare artists who released classic gems in all the decades from the 60s until today.
@@roxannewalsh I agree.
Great job on the historical perspective, which is important to understanding how the music fits into the time period.
(Honourable Mention: Kraftwerk - Autobahn)
1. The Residents - Meet The Residents
2. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
3. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
4. Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (‘)
5. Billy Joel - Streetlife Serenade
I am very dumb. I forgot to add Gene Clark's 'No Other' to my list. Would have been No. 3. Great album. Thanks for the recommemdation, Joe.
1974: (Year Average 8.2)
1. Diamond Dogs - David Bowie (8.5)
2. Radio City - Big Star (8.5)
3. Country Life - Roxy Music (8)
4. Walls and Bridges - John Lennon (8)
5. Planet Waves - Bob Dylan (8)
5. Hotter Than Hell - Kiss
4. Bad Company
3. Get Your Wings - Aerosmith
2. Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd
1. Kiss
1-Supertramp: Crime of the Century
2-Kansas: Kansas
3-Bob Marley and the Wailers: Natty Dread
4-Deep Purple: Burn
5-Blue Oyster Cult: Secret Treaties
The Hoople - Mott the Hoople
Apostrophe' - Frank Zappa
Crime of the Century - Supertramp
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis
Favorite: Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons
5- Roxy Music --- Country Life
4- Autobahn --- Kraftwerk
3- Lynyrd Skynyrd --- Second Helping
2- David Bowie --- Diamond Dogs
1- Supertramp --- Crime of the Century
Lamb lies down should be on there.
Big Star - Radio City
Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
Neil Young - On The Beach
Little Feat - Feats Don't Fail Me Now
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
Another list that proves all those wrong that called 1974 a "bad" year...Steely Dan and Little Feat would be in my top 10, Neil Young is my #1 of the year and the other two are great albums as well.
Little Feat would be there for me as well. Underrated band for sure.
1. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
2. Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
3. Bad Company - debut
4. Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard
5. Kiss - debut
Honorable Mention
Rolling Stones - It’s Only Rock n Roll
Jackson Brown - Late for the Sky
Eagles - On the Border
ELO - Eldorado
Deep Purple - Burn
My favorite Skynyrd album, great all the way thru and some all time classics on there like Sweet Home Alabama, Call Me The Breeze, Don’t Ask Me No Questions and the Needle and the Spoon. Aerosmith’s Get Your Wings starts a run of 3 of their best albums right in a row. It’s real close between these 2 albums for me.
Second helping is probably their best album. Just missed my list. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic 1. Pronounced (This is on my list of the top 20 studio albums of all time)
2. Street Survivors (At that point they were ready to dethrone the Rolling Stones or anyone else considered the greatest rock band in the world. Which makes the tragedy even greater than it was already)
3. Gimme Back my Bullets
4. Nuthin' Fancy
5. Second Helping (Al Kooper - their mentor and producer - decided to leave Sweet Home Alabama off the debut album knowing it would be a big hit so that he could use it as a starter for the second one - it had already been recorded together with the first album's tracks.)
'74 is underated; great albums not mentioned on any of these lists;
461 Ocean Blvd-Eric Clapton(his best solo album)
Secret Treaties-Blue Oyster Cult(their best,and one of the great hard rock albums ever)
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight-Richard & Linda Thompson(perhaps their best collaboration)
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway-Genesis(widely considered their best)
Apostrophe-Frank Zappa(I believe his most commercially succesful album)
Court and Spark-Joni Mitchell(her most succesfully commercial album)
Bridge of Sighs-Robin Trower(his best)
Fear-John Cale(widely considered his best)
Second Helping-Lynyrd Skynyrd(I think their best)
Veedon Fleece-Van Morrison
My point is that for whatever reason 1974 has a poor reputation which I think is undeserved,and as you can see ,many great artists released perhaps their greatest work.
74, like all years of the 70s rules. I think in comparison not quite as good as some of the others, but still better than 99% of the years in human history.
'74's 'bad' reputation comes from the beginning of the 'balkanization' of popular music. After The Beatles were done and Woodstock was fading from memory, there was no longer a unifying musical force. Instead, extremes cropped up: soft rock, hard rock, prog rock, (proto-)punk/pub rock (New York Dolls, SAHB), (pre-)disco (Barry White!), singer-songwriter, funk, fusion, reggae, country, etc. It all coexisted and intermingled, looked backward as it moved forward: Lulu had a hit with "The Man Who Sold the World", Eric Clapton hit with "I Shot the Sheriff", Anne Murray hit with "You Won't See Me", The Carpenters hit with "Please Mr. Postman", Elton John hit with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Linda Ronstadt hit with "I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love with You", Elvis hit with "Promised Land", Grand Funk hit with "Loco-Motion", Nazareth hit with "Love Hurts" and ABBA wins the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo"!
On the other hand, look at the variety and choice available. The thing about the mid-Seventies is that you didn't have to limit yourself to one kind of music. All the 'Johns' (Olivia, Denver, Elton, Lennon) were big but it was also a time when hugely (or soon to be) influential artists were hitting their stride (Eno, Kraftwerk, Queen, Lynard Sknyrd, KISS, Roxy Music, Randy Newman, ELO, Hot Chocolate, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell, even Judas Priest!)
It'll be interesting to see if our present, weird musical landscape will be as interesting & well regarded a generation from now!
1. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece
2. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
3. King Crimson - Red
4. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale
5. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
GRAM PARSONS-Grievous Angel, GENE Clark-No other (really, really great), NEW YORK DOLLS-Too much too soon, BLUE OYSTER CULT-Secret treaties
Roxy Music - Country Life
Rick Nelson & Stone Canyon Band - Windfall
Lou Reed - Sally Can't Dance
Bryan Ferry - Another Time, Another Place
David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
How is Planet Waves not on anyone's list? This is either my second or third most favorite Dylan album (after Blood on the Tracks and possibly Blonde on Blonde). Nearly every song on this album is on my playlist (sorry "On a Night Like This"). It's an extremely contradictory album with songs that foreshadow the misery of Blood on the Tracks with "Going Going Gone" and "Dirge", alongside loving songs like "Something There is About You", "Forever Young", "Never Say Goodbye", and "Wedding Song". This album captures Dylan between the longing lustfulness of Blonde on Blonde, the loving and happiness of Nashville Skylines, and then misery and despair in Blood on the Tracks.
Can’t speak for the others but I don’t like Dylan much. So that would explain it. - Joe
I love Dylan and Planet Waves is great. I had it as my #7 when we ranked Dylan’s discography, but the 70s are a very competitive decade. It would probably land between 6-10 somewhere for me on the year. -Jason
Probably Autobahn by Kraftwerk. Because no one had put a record out there like that before (at least to my knowledge!)
5) Autobahn - Kraftwerk
4) Too Much Too Soon - New York Dolls
3) New Skin for the Old Ceremony - Leonard Cohen
2) Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno
1) Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) - Brian Eno
honorable mentions - Rush - Rush, Mirage - Camel, Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Diamond Dogs - David Bowie, Burn - Deep Purple, On the Beach - Neil Young
Shinin On..GFR
Badfinger's "Wish You Were Here". I think there was some legal wranglings around this album and the band had split by the time of it's release. A great record.
On The Beach is criminally underrated, I really think it's one of the greatest albums ever made. Something about the record just speaks to me, I get totally immersed in the themes, the subdued production gives a ton of space for the lyrics to breathe and take hold, and allows Neil's straight-from-the-heart lead guitar to pierce through and take centre stage. The fact that the album is missing a big hit works in it's favour as it's best enjoyed as a single entity. Simply brilliant, Neil's best album for me and I absolutely love After The Gold Rush.
It is my winner of 1974 as well, it is also my #1 Neil Young album (and that means something, he is in my top 10 artists selection of the last 60 years...and he has about 20 top albums in his catalogue). However, I do not think it is underrated.
@@roxannewalsh That's fair Roxanne, maybe most people rate it highly that's certainly possible. My comment that it was underrated was as a reaction to this video where it missed out on two out of three lists.
I love Ambulance Blues. The melody borrows from Bert Jansch's Needle Of Death then improves on it.
He sounds so pissed off, with everyone, particularly Richard Nixon: "I never knew a man who could tell so many lies".
Young says side one of the vinyl is side two and vice versa, but I can't see Vampire Blues as the album's last statement, whereas Ambulance . . . has a finality to it. Perhaps I'm just used to it that way round.
@@tonybates7870 I remember having read the same about the sides originally planned to be reverse but I cannot name a source for the information. Young wanted to go from depressed to positive instead of vice versa.
1. Radio City - Big Star
2. Natty Dread - Wailers
3. On The Beach - Young
4. Diamond Dogs - Bowie
5. Kimono My House - Sparks
Admittedly not a year I'm very familiar with
I have three 10/10 albums from 1974
Crime of the Century 10
Relayer, 10
Sheer Heart Attack,10
Then I have quite a few I rate at 9/10.
Mirage 9
Queen 2, 9
Veedon Fleece 9,
Country Life 9,
Axe Victim 9,
Sheet Music 9,
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight 9,
Pretzel Logic 9,
Bad Company 9,
Ducks Deluxe 9,
Not Fragile 9,
Nightlife 9
Throwing some love out to War Babies by Hall and Oates. Featuring some cool production and guitar by Todd Rundgren.
5. Autobahn - Kraftwerk
4. Natty Dread - Bob Marley & The Wailers
3. On The Beach - Neil Young
2. Apostrophe (') - Frank Zappa
1. Court And Spark - Joni Mitchell
No mention of Over-Nite Sensation in 73 or Apostrophe (') in 74. Starting to think these guys have never listened to any Zappa album. Both are absolute classics.
5. Gene Clark - No Other
4. Yes - Relayer
3. Neil Young - On the Beach
2. Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece
1. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Gene Clark No Other - good choice
I love Veedon Fleece as well, although for 1974 my first choice for Van is the incredible live album It's Too Late to Stop Now. Relayer sadly remained the only album with Moraz, I was a big Yes fan up to and including Relayer and had wished they had gone that more experimental way further rather than to drown in symphonic sirup later on...Neil Young is my #1 in 1974, Diamond Dogs is a top 10 album of the year and Gene Clark is a minor gem.
think all are already mentioned, but here we go, in no order
ELO - Eldorado
Supertramp - Crime Of The Century
Sweet - Desolation Boulevard
Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
BTO - Not Fragile - Nice pick Kramzer!! A Canadian classic. The first LP I ever bought, Sam The Record Man for $3.99. Safe to say The Guess Who were the first Canadian band to have repeated chart success in The States, and amazing that Randy Bachman achieved the same with BTO, almost immediately after leaving The Guess Who.
Purple's "Burn" was a superb album from the Coverdale/Hughes lineup. For me Ian Paice and Ritchie Blackmore at their peak.
1) Gene Clark No Other ( also in my top 10 ever)
2) Van Morrison Veedon Fleece
3) Joni Mitchell Court and Spark
4) Frank Zappa Apostrophe
5) Jackson Browne Late for The Sky
So, I finally listened to the Gene Clark album. Damn, it really is great. - Joe
1. Deep Purple - Burn
2. King Crimson - Red
3. Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties
3. Budgie - In For The Kill!
4. KISS - KISS
Dude with full beard totally has my musical taste. Love Zepp, Elton and Steely Dan.
You are very wise. - Joe
Glad supertramp and ELO got some love, it must be a weak year if I like Jason’s picks more then joe or kramzer😂
5. Kraftwerk - Autobahn
4. Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown
3. BOC - Secret Treaties
2. Sweet - Sweet Fanny Adams
1. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
Kraftwerk just missed my top 5.
5. Bad Company-S/T
4. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway-Genesis
3. Crime of the Century-Supertramp
2. KISS-S/T
1. Caribou-Elton John
Far Beyond These Castle Walls by Chris de Burgh. The song The Key sound like it came from the medieval times. The whole album takes you back in time.
Cool lists! 👍
This was admittedly a "down" year for me, especially considering the several years preceding this one. I am fully aware that Jimmy Buffett gets no respect and sometimes gets outright shade from this channel, but his two albums released this year are his two best in my opinion and deserving of some love. These are indicative of his Key West era, decidedly more country and singer/songwriter oriented, and the album covers alone are great. You can tell he had spent time with Steve Goodman and Jerry Jeff Walker. I have told many Buffett skeptics, folks that I also call friends, that the best Buffett is the Buffett you've never heard before, and that stems largely from these early albums.
5) Sundown- Gordon Lightfoot
4) Planet Waves- Bob Dylan
3) Eldorado- Electric Light Orchestra
2) Living and Dying in 3/4 Time- Jimmy Buffett
1) A1A- Jimmy Buffett
Honorable Mention: 461 Ocean Boulevard- Eric Clapton; Second Helping- Lynyrd Skynyrd; Sheer Heart Attack- Queen
Pretzel Logic-Steely Dan
Here Come the Warm Jets-Brian Eno
Lamb Lies Down on Broadway-Genesi
Rock Bottom-Robert Wyatt
Vol 4-Black Sabbath
Court and Spark-Joni Mitchell
On the Beach-Neil Young
Vol 4 is 1972.
Great stuff 💪