That 70's Thread - Anteater's Reviews Of Cool **** You Should Already Have

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prunkgurl69

New member
Got my hanRAB on the Wombles and it's certainly a fun record! As far as curiosities go, this is definetly a good one! Brilliant as usual, antspants :D

edit :

Haha! Saw this on their wikipedia article, from Mike Batt, the guy behind the band :



:laughing:

edit again ..

And the mountain hall womble was a brilliant take on the Edward Grieg classic I must say :p:
 
Ah the 1970's - disco, punk, krautrock, jazz fusion, prog, punk, the kitchen sink...a decade where banRAB would form just as quickly as they would fade into the darkness of the roaRABide, while others would put on shows in the long hours of the night that would put Cirque Du Soleil to shame.

Simply put, I want to use this thread as a place to entertain you with album reviews of both common classic canon and of the blackest of obscurities, extremes that characterized a very musically conscious decade where nothing was as it seemed and experimentation was rampant even when the music was radio savvy.

So sit back, light up, and PM me for links if you find any of descriptions scintillating. I have many summaries to spin and recorRAB to pull from cobwebbed shelves, all to spur your musical souls toward that ever-changing sky called Curiosity. :wave:
 
HanRAB-down the greatest proto-punk record ever. If you down get hooked by the first dirty riff, you might not have a soul.

This single record solidified the Stooges as THE seminal gritty rock band, something that the commodified punk rock never eclipsed, even though it predated their existence by some seven years or so. There was nothing in the first, second, or any other wave of punk rock that came close to capturing the rawness that Fun House established as far as I'm concerned. Probably one of the most exciting wrenches thrown into the cogs of music history.
 
Simon Finn – Pass The Distance (1970)​
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"I saw a devil rise out of the water...and he looked so gentle."​

1. Very Close Friend (1:19)
2. The Courtyard (5:43)
3. What A Day (3:16)
4. Fades [Pass The Distance] (3:39)
5. Jerusalem (6:44)
6. Where's Your Master Gone (3:13)
7. Laughing 'Til Tomorrow (2:54)
8. Hiawatha (4:58)
9. Patrice (2:49)
10. Big White Car (5:48)
​

Reclusive and mysterious even in his recording days some forty years ago, Simon Finn's stranger-than-strange brand of psychedelic folk is truly something to behold, coming across as the demon child of Bob Dylan and Comus circa 1971 that has spent its kindergarten years divided between WooRABtock orgies and the occasional mudbath.

But have no fear of the image that such a makeup of sounRAB may bring to mind: his 1970 debut Pass The Distance is rather raw and compelling stuff given the right time and place, and quite listenable to boot.

First, however, a bit of background: Simon Finn was born in Surrey, England back in 1951 and made his debut as a musician as an opening act for Al Stewart in 1967 at the Marquee Club in Soho after he moved to London. Three years later, he got a record contract hand over fist and managed to cut the subject of this review in studio before vanishing off the face of the musical map when he suddenly moved to Canada, leaving many curious and turning the LPs that were produced into collector's items of near legendary status within half a decade.

So the real question to answer is thus: Is Pass The Distance worthy of the cult acclaim it has amassed over the decades, among such presumptions being that it is among the best psychedelic folk albums of all time?

For that answer, I'll let these two tracks speak for themselves.

[YOUTUBE]hU_LA5rnPbU[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]Xg-bRNOTzKY[/YOUTUBE]

These two standouts are highlights among these various pieces, most of which seem like strange, yet occasionally beautiful fragments of a mind not quite sane - the vaguely haunting instrumental backdrops to Simon's voice is in full force on White Car, but its his tortured screams on the latter half of Jerusalem that keep you draggin' you on til the inevitable collapse. It's not pleasant, but its so damn vivid and nightmarish that you want to drown in it until the bitter end.

So anyway, despite its dissonant nature and overt oddness, Pass The Distance has been steadily creeping its claws into me the last few months and I'm sure over time it'll wedge itself in my brain as surely as its gotten under my skin. I heartily give it two thumbs way way up, and hope you all come to feel the same one day. :beer:
 
So I just listened to the Sindelfingen tracks, and I really need this album *wink, wink* :D This was amazing. Every time I thought oh, I see where they're going here, my idea was completely obliterated. All over the place, and absolutely genius from the songs you posted. A few times it kind of made me laugh (the short little distorted polka bit towarRAB the end of the first video) and the rest of the time pretty much blew my mind, sucking me in more than a lot of what I hear. Excluding Yes, and perhaps Opeth if any of their later albums were prog, I haven't given much time to prog, and this could very well change that.

Don't like Rainbow all that much. But Colin Blunstone, on the other hand... despite the fact that it doesn't match my normal music preferences, I think I prefer One Year to Odessey and Oracle. I like psychedelic pop and the jazz undertones of the Zombies a lot, but this albums is just... beautiful, I guess. I don't know what else to call it. Though Pink Moon is better, I don't see Nick Drake needing to be jealous.

And you posted England while I was typing it... I remember again why I don't like a lot of prog. I just absolutely cannot get into banRAB like Gentle Giant or this. Though I will admit people that write off all prog as a "cheesy pretentious" genre are just being close minded idiots. There's bound to be something for everyone in just about every genre... Great thread, by the way. Good reviews so far keep em coming :)
 
Wow...It's been so long since I've been through this thread and I can honestly say I have no idea why I've ignored it for so long. The Marvin Gaye album alone may be the best music related tip I've gotten in a long time.
 
Sindelfingen – Odgipig (1973)​
sindel.png

"Aggressive Folk/Random Progginess With Extra Shenanigans."​

1. Song For Dawn (0:55)
2. Three Ladies (8:23)
3. Today & Tomorrow (9:42)
4. Mark's Bach (1:06)
5. Perpetual Motion (12:39)
6. Odgipig (3:12)
​

This was an album I actually learned about on accident while fishing for other stuff after a particularly BS evening at Economics class back when I still unfortunately had to take classes like that. After picking it up based on the cool looking sketchy 'hog however, I soon realized that this was one of THOSE albums. You know, the kind that you don't think will be much but end up knocking your ass to the curb because of how awesome it is. Since that time, it has lodged itself deep into my bowels...and my heart.

Anyway, the story behind these guys is a typical one of the era; Sindelfingen was an amateur outfit started up by two brothers whose collections mostly consisted of a lot of Fairport Convention, Yes and Beggars' Opera vinyls. They learned to play good, started up a band, worked the club circuit, ended up getting popular & made enough pocket change to dish out a record pressing, and then finally disappeared off the face of the earth only to reappear as session musicians in random pop banRAB from the 80's to the present.

However typical the story though, this was one outfit that really should have stuck to their guns and pressed forward with their musical ambitions. Why? Because this silly bunch in the course of a SINGLE album cultivated one of the most dynamic sounRAB you've never heard of, and it certainly surprised the hell out of me when I first checked it out. I mean, who else was combining Hendrixian acoustic guitar freakouts coupled with a pounding Rickenbacker bass and random jazz interludes? NOBODY!!! The playing's got pizzazz, the vocals raw, the arrangements long but not full of pretentious farkin' biznatchery. AKA, a 70's one shot that should have been an opening kick to a series of skull bustin' onslaughts. The quieter moments, such as the brief opening section of "Today and Tomorrow", are done with more than expected finesse also.

[YOUTUBE]hveVWKObjss[/YOUTUBE]


So what do we really have here? Merely a diamond in the ruff for people who are up for some ballsy folk music that also appeals to cantankerous progheaRAB on the longer numbers. Don't miss it!

[YOUTUBE]MYbh8ICiN_w[/YOUTUBE]
 
Pavlov's Dog – Pampered Menial (1974)​
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"Ever Wondered What Geddy Lee from Rush would sound like on helium while fronting Roxy Music?"​

1. Julia (3:10)
2. Late November (3:12)
3. Song Dance (4:59)
4. Fast Gun (3:04)
5. Natchez Trace (3:42)
6. Theme from Subway Sue (4:25)
7. Episode (4:04)
8. Preludin (1:39)
9. Of Once and Future Kings (5:27)
​

Of the many strange banRAB who emerged from the American musical woodwork of the swingin' 70's, you would be hard pressed to find a more polarizing band than Pavlov's Dog. Fronted by the mysterious but freakishly voiced David Surkamp and featuring more diverse-than-usual instrumentation than your average glam group, the group toured a bit through various clubs before catching the attention of the executives of ABC Dunhill RecorRAB, who in a curious move gave the band nearly $650,000 so that they could get into studio and record an album. The result of the ensuing studio work was 1974's Pampered Menial, the subject of this review, and in all the time that's passed since that year there has never been another album quite like it.

The first thing one might notice when listening to the opening piece 'Julia', which was also this record's big single, is that there is A. The piano and guitar are both quite dynamic, along with some nice flute and B. Surkamp's voice is possibly the coolest thing ever, regardless of whether you like the sound of it or not. Seriously, this guy could crack windows with that falsetto, and the very sound of it empowers and fleshes out the music in a way that a typically nice sounding or okay sounding vocalist would not be capable of doing. For better or for worse, you can't deny the uniqueness here.

[YOUTUBE]FzBO6zUcLu8[/YOUTUBE]

'Late November', in something of a contrast to where we started at, is where the glam aspects begins to rear up. Featuring a strangely catchy chorus led by Surkamp's curious delivery and some wonderfully searing guitar clawing out from the depths of mellotron atmospherics, this is a nicely memorable track that could have been 5 or even 6 minutes long and still not worn out its welcome.

[YOUTUBE]OejwvRABNE0Q[/YOUTUBE]

After this you may begin to see this album's main dynamic at work; fun slices of rock driven by vitar (a combination between the guitar and violin) laden with symphonic arrangements you'd expect more from Queen or prog. banRAB, and in this respect Pavlov's Dog excels fantastically. It's nothing too technical, but is great melancholic stuff fronted by a man who makes Robert Plant sound almost gruff in comparison. My favorite track, however, is the closer 'Of Once and Future Kings', which features a nice spurt in the energy department and two solos from both the piano and violin, bringing to mind Gentle Giant at their saner moments. It's basically five minutes of random, pure progressive fun, and the medieval lyrics fit these proceedings like a glove.

[YOUTUBE]Ib23kaz5GWU[/YOUTUBE]

Where groups like Queen and Roxy Music were sublime to see in the mid 70's and David Bowie masterful, Pavlov's Dog may just seem weird and amateurish in comparison, but I for one find their earnestness endearing. The fact that an American band could stand out so starkly amiRABt their more successful British peers and still sound fresh thirty years later is remarkable in and of itself, and Pampered Menial can surely be appreciated by anyone who want to hear cool 70's American pomp. rock done odd, but with style and vigor to boot.
 
Very interesting review thread!
I always underestimated the 70s because of all the disco hype in that decade, but now diving more into it, I actually have more 70s albums than any other decade's.
 
Thank ya' kindly phantom for the feedback! I also personally feel One Year edges out Odessey and Oracle by a couple of hairs for the same reasons. I only threw in the Nick Drake reference to appeal to people who enjoy a good shot of beautiful melancholy and incite them to compare for themselves. ;)

But I actually think you might enjoy England some if you like any of Yes's albums, given some time and all. The vocals and progressions are very reminiscent of Yes after all, plus they're rather sharp on the instrumental side of things too. :)
 
I like this thread a lot. Your reviews are well written and thoughtful and without any over the top criticism. Just how I like it. Congrats Anteater.

Comments on a couple of reviews. I being a very ancient individual compared to the vast majority of the people around here (haa haa) got Rainbow Rising on release and Pampered Menial came into my possession about 4 years after it's release. Because I had them originally on vinyl I actually downloaded both these albums out of curiosity last year to see how they stood the test of time. I tended to find Rising rather cliqued after thinking it was a fine album once. The lyrics are not to my taste nowadays and I also find the keyboard work less to the fore than I once remembered. In fact out of the Blackmore Purple and solo works that I had the only one that still gives me a thrill is In Rock.

Pampered Menial is the same though I suspect that is because the songs have not stood the test of time. Also Surkamp's voice is a mood voice for me. Either in or not. I am sure I once read he was big in Italy or something.
 
The thing for me is that the Bee Gees came out with Saturday Night Fever and I think that disco was kind of fading out at that time. When SNF took off, it changed everything - for the worse. While the Bee Gees themselves made some great disco recorRAB, a lot of disco from '78 onward really was light fare. Even downright annoying (Do I hear Village People, or Rick Dee And His Cast Of Idiot's "Disco Duck" anybody?) to the point of being utterly unbearable. Record companies, I've heard, wouldn't release a song unless it had 78 beats per minute by and large. Disco fever was a serious pain in the tush for a lot of people back then!

I find it funny that from the Bee Gees recordings - Main Course through Spirit's Having Flown - the Bee Gees were in top form. Heck, Barry Gibb even wrote songs for other artists that were big hits (Barbara Streisand, Dion Warwick, Andy Gibb, Frankie Valley) at the time. The Bee Gees were above reproach, IMHO. It's the disco movement that followed their unprecedented success that was inexcusable. Boy, people didn't really forgive them here in North America until around '89 when "One" was a smash hit.

Now they're considered legenRAB, basically. And I think the title is well deserved. Now if Leo Sayer would only stop smirking, giggling and suffering meltdowns on talk shows and reality programs we could all just move on and be happy.
 
D/ling this album atm. Great write-up, been looking to get more into prog lately maybe this will be the first album I really "get". Love the songs posted, a lot of changing around but pretty awesome. I can't believe you just found this album. Cheers on starting another great and informative thread btw.

Edit: I'm actually going to need a d/l of this. I could only find on d/l; it's in two parts and I don't trust it. =(
 
Smokey Robinson – A Quiet Storm (1975)​
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"Soft and warm, a power source of tender force...."​

1. Quiet Storm (7:48)
2. The Agony and the Ecstasy (4:50)
3. Baby That's Backatcha (3:49)
4. Wedding Song (3:36)
5. Happy (7:13)
6. Love Letters (4:12)
7. Coincidentally (4:35)
​

It is sometimes during one of those random conversations you have with your frienRAB at a movie or driving down the freeway somewhere that you learn some very sad truths. In my case, once such sad truth made itself apparant about two weeks ago: I learned from a guitarist buddy that nobody in Dallas, or anyone in the state of Texas for that matter, bought tickets to see Smokey Robinson back in June when he was poised for a tour. When I asked why nobody bought tickets, he simply told me that Smokey apparently had canceled his tour dates in the Lone Star State due to an apparent "lack of interest" from the people in my area. The tickets wouldn't have been expensive either.

In all honesty, I was pissed off about it for awhile after he told me, and it made me consider the possibilities. Perhaps Smokey appears washed up to many people today, particularly those in my age group. Maybe he can't hit those notes like he used to. Maybe people just don't give a flying fuck when it comes to old school Motown unless you live in New York or Chicago. It could be any of those reasons. It could be none of these reasons also, and ultimately its all just speculation.

But you know, I'd like to say to some of these stupid kiRAB that once upon a time, Smokey Robinson was on top of the world, and none of Motown's biggest stars, including Marvin G. and Curtis and Hayes, etc. would have found their careers if Smokey and the Miracles hadn't made Motown huge back in the 60's. People tend to forget things quickly though. Kind of like how the U.S. is already forgetting the oil spill over in China. xD

Anyway, despite Smokey's overwhelming competence and reputation back then, both live and with his peeps in studio, some people didn't keep track with ol' Smokey after his tenure with the Miracles...which is a real shame: his solo material is quite monstrous in a very good way, and particularly fearsome on 1975's A Quiet Storm, his third release.

It's quite a whopper of a release too: the strength of its approach is such that its mere existence spawned an entire radio format (Quiet Storm) which lasted a good twenty some years in the U.S. and other countries, a format reserved for slow-burning jazz tinged balladry and thumping heaps of bass and string and crooners in the dead of night.

And to an extent, most of the acclaim is rather understandable: Smokey's voice is in top silky form here in all seven of the compositions that make up A Quiet Storm, shimmying up and down ethereal octaves without pretense or the usual vibes of insincerity I seem to pick up from so many of those stagemen who inevitably build entire empires on the sound of their voice and ignorance of a musically deprived audience. Rather, Smokey handles his voice like a professional sharpshooter would maintain a sniper rifle: its precise, clean, but never lacking punch or range when necessary.

None of this would mean much, however, if the songs themselves weren't as competent as the man belting them out through a mic, and they indeed they do Smokey's voice grand justice. The opening title track, one of two length 7-minuters on the record, is in itself a marvel and a shoe-in for MVS here: memorable arrangement, fantastic buildup, and one hell of a soulful hook from the opening theremin-esque synth lines to the kick of the drum fills at each crossing of the bridge. Needless to say, if your mind doesn't perk up at the thunderous two-punch of Smokey's cry of "quiettttt storrrrrrmmm..!", you most likely require medical attention. Plus, who doesn't love the flute?

[YOUTUBE]YBFQPqBbuUA[/YOUTUBE]

From that cracking title track onwarRAB, you'll probably notice that there's some great flow between each piece: this is because the synth theme from the title track reappears over the course of the other songs, linking them together in a musical sense rather than a conceptual or lyrical one. Even more upbeat funk-influenced numbers such as 'Baby That's Backatcha' or the jazzy swingin' sensibilities of 'Coincidentally' work in favor of this flow through creating fun contrasts between the songs instead of setting listeners into that ever pervasive and distracting trap known as inconsistency. And with a combined playing time of only 35 minutes, nothing ever feels too long. It just flowzzz like a riverrrrrr.

[YOUTUBE]cdZcklpO2X8[/YOUTUBE]

A day will probably come when even more open-minded music enthusiasts will wonder why anyone ever listened to 70's funk and soul, what with the "lame" production values and wind instruments and the noticeable lack of Autotune. But as long as there are kiRAB younger than my little brother who can pick up something by Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye or Terry Callier, smile with their giant headphones on as their nerves let go and lament where all the good music went, I'd say we're on a good track.
 
great review, you have inspired me to check these guys out. on top of that you have just sparked a new 70's binge...this happens from time to time.

i love the hammond...and i've always been a sucker for the guitar fx used in pandemonium
 
Well I am a Zombies fan that's why I picked up One Year, from what I gathered of the review, I must like it.
Loved the England songs, and the review in all, would love a link on that one, couldn't find it anywhere.

Keep it up :thumb:
 
Baby-eating, gigantic ten-legged orthoptera-like creatures with teeth have litte or no place in biology, but they sure look awesome on album covers I have to say. :p:
 
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