Category Archives: Uncategorized

    When I first realized the next album on my list was going to be a live gospel album from Aretha Franklin, I knew it was going to be good, but even my own expectations were exceeded on this powerful album.  Rated as album #154 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All Time, thisContinue reading “Aretha Franklin “Amazing Grace” (1972)”

    Today we have the first Elton John album I include, even though it is actually his fifth studio release.  “Honky Chateau” was rated as the #251 album by Rolling Stone on their Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and it certainly is a consistently strong album, reflective of the songwriting expertise and consistentContinue reading “Elton John “Honky Chateau” (1972)”

    The Rolling Stones just continue to hit high marks in their run of albums from the late 1960s, heading into the early 1970s.  The era of Mick Taylor replacing Brian Jones continues to fuel some of their best guitar rock work, with today’s album possibly their most consistently strong album, “Exile on Main Street”. Continue reading “The Rolling Stones “Exile On Main Street” (1972)”

    From my perspective, one of the most entertaining singer-songwriters of the early 1970s was Jim Croce.  For some inexplicable reason, his work is ignored and left off the Rolling Stone Top 500 list, which is ridiculous, but I made sure to include him in my journey.  Perhaps his deepest collection of songs was hisContinue reading “Jim Croce “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” (1972)”

    Today I was able to deploy my extremely limited musical knowledge and consult with my much more well-trained son on a discussion surrounding “Music of My Mind”, by Stevie Wonder.  The album is rated #350 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and is an unusual, but very well produced listenContinue reading “Stevie Wonder “Music Of My Mind” (1972)”

    The first album we look at from 1972 also happens to be the best selling album of 1972, the country rock classic “Harvest” by Neil Young.  I have always considered Neil Young’s music to be so rich with Americana, probably due to all of his work with Farm Aid, when in fact, as manyContinue reading “Neil Young “Harvest” (1971)”

    I saw a picture of David Bowie with Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, labeled as the “Unholy Trinity of Punk”.  I don’t know about that, but there are similarities in style, and each had a remarkable impact on the evolution of music in the 1970s.  Of the three, none reached greater heights than DavidContinue reading “David Bowie “Hunky Dory” (1971)”

  In a genre that has become known as “progressive rock”, or “prog rock”, one of the true pioneers of this sound is the British band Yes.   The band has gone through many lineup changes and evolutions in style, with the mainstays being elven vocalist Jon Anderson and their legendary bass player Chris Squire.  KnownContinue reading “Yes “Fragile” (1971)”

    Of all of the albums on my list, there is probably not a single album I would be more capable of fully writing about completely from memory than today’s choice, the 4th album from Led Zeppelin.  This was the first Led Zeppelin album I owned on vinyl, and as a single project, their creativeContinue reading “Led Zeppelin “4th Album” (1971)”

    Earlier in 1971, Marvin Gaye asked all of us, “What’s Going On?”  In response, speaking for many in the black community, Sly and the Family Stone answered with “There’s a Riot Goin’ On”.  Highly praised by many, this album is rated as the #82 album on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of AllContinue reading “Sly and the Family Stone “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971)”