What's the best calendar year for 'Classic Albums'?
I don't want to get into the rights and wrongs of whether punk was A Good Thing, but on the basis that it produced more long playing records that people still listen to and revere today, is there a more vintage year than 1975? Can anyone come up with a 12 month period that had a richer yield than this? And no, it's not in order:
1. Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks
2. Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run
3. Doctor Feelgood: Down By The Jetty
4. ELO: Face The Music
5. Fleetwood Mac
6. Isley Brothers: Heat Is On
7. Kate & Anna McGarrigle
8. Bob Marley and the Wailers: Live At The Lyceum
9. Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey
10. Parliament: Mothership Connection
11. Queen: A Night At The Opera
12. Nils Lofgren
13. Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti
14. Kraftwerk: Radioactivity
15. Robert Wyatt: Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard
16. Roxy Music: Siren
17. Paul Simon: Still Crazy After All These Years
18. Neil Young: Zuma
19. David Bowie: Young Americans
20. Split Enz: Mental Notes
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I'll see your 1975...
and raise you 1966:
Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde
The Beatles: Revolver
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
The Rolling Stones: Aftermath
Bluesbreakers w/ Eric Clapton: "Beano album"
There are five that are on many people's all-time top 20 just to start with. Then there's...
Otis Redding: The Soul Album
Them: Them Again
The Animals: Animalism
Sam & Dave: Hold On I'm Coming
Simon & Garfunkel: The Sounds of Silence
Stevie Wonder: Up-Tight
Tim Buckley: Tim Buckley
Yes, I think you could get through 12 months quite nicely with that little lot.
1971
The Year I was born, here we go;
In alphabetical order -
1. Al Green Gets Next To You
2. Allen Toussaint: From A Whisper To A Scream
3. The Allman Brothers At Fillmore East
4. The Band: Rock Of Ages
5. Curtis Mayfield: Curtis/Live!
6. Curtis Mayfield: Roots
7. David Bowie: Hunky Dory
8. David Crosby: If I Could Only Remember My Name
9. Elton John: Madman Across The Water
10. Elvis Presley: Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old)
11. The Faces: A Nod's AS Good As A Wink
12. Gene Clark: White Light
13. Joni Mitchell: Blue
14. The Kinks: Muswell Hillbillies
15. Led Zeppelin: IV
16. Link Wray: Link Wray
17. Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
18: Paul McCartney: Ram
19: Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells A Story
20. Rolling Stones: Sticky Finger
21: Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Melody Nelson
22. Sly & The Family Stone: There's A Riot Goin' On
23. T. Rex: Electric Warrior
24. Traffic: Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys
25. Van Morrison: Tupelo Honey
26. The Who: Who's Next
Certainly as good as '75 at least...
1967
Mr Hepworth if we're playing best year "top trumps" I give you 1967 (also not in order).
1.The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2.Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield
3.The Greatful Dead - The Greatful Dead
4.Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
5.Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
6.The Monkees - More Of The Monkees
7.The Velvet Underground & Nico - The velvet Underground
8.The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile
9.The Jimi Henrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
10. Moby Grape - Moby Grape
11. The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (EP)
12. Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again
13. Cream - Disraeli Gears
14. The Doors - The Doors
15. The Doors - Strange Days
16. The Monkees - Headquarters
17. Otis Redding & Carla Thomas - King & Queen
18. Rolling Stones - Between the Buttons
19. Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request
20. Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
21. Love - Forever Changes
22. Van Morrison - Blowin' Your Mind!
23. Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
24. The Who - The Who Sell Out
25. The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday
Listeria
I hope 2008 will be the best
1979 wasn't too shabby
154 - Wire
A Different Kind of Tension - Buzzcocks
Armed Forces - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
The B-52s - The B-52s
Bop Till You Drop - Ry Cooder
Breakfast in America - Supertramp
Cut - The Slits
Do It Yourself - Ian Dury & the Blockheads
Dragnet - The Fall
Drums and Wires - XTC
Entertainment! - Gang Of Four
Fear of Music - Talking Heads
Look Sharp Joe Jackson
If You Want Blood - AC/DC
Inflammable Material - Stiff Little Fingers
Into the Music - Van Morrison
It's Alive - Ramones
Join Hands - Siouxsie & the Banshees
Lodger - David Bowie
London Calling - The Clash (UK Release)
Machine Gun Etiquette - The Damned
Metal Box - Public Image Ltd.
Off the Wall - Michael Jackson
One Step Beyond... - Madness
Quadrophenia - The Who
The Raincoats - The Raincoats
The Raven - The Stranglers
Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones
Risqué - Chic
Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Secondhand Daylight - Magazine
Setting Sons - The Jam
The Specials - The Specials
The Undertones - The Undertones
Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
The Wall - Pink Floyd
We have a winner....
...yes 1979, deffo. Doubt it's been bettered elsewhere, certainly not on this thread.
I think there is probably a Police album - Regatta le Blanc? - and Graham Parker's Squeezing Out Sparks to be added too.
1968 was pretty good
1 The Beatles: White Album
2 The Band: Music From Big Pink
3 Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding
4 Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
5 Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul
6 Small Faces: Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
7 The Byrds: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
8 The Kinks: Village Green Preservation Society
9 The Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat
10 Dusty Springfield: Dusty In Memphis
11 Simon & Garfunkel: Bookends
12 The Monkees: The Birds The Bees And The Monkees
13 Johnny Cash: At Folsom Prison
14 The Bonzo Dog Band: The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse
15 Neil Young: Neil Young
16 The Rolling Stones: Beggar's Banquet
17 Taj Mahal: Taj Mahal
18 Captain Beefheart: Strictly Personal
19 Pink Floyd: A Saucerful Of Secrets
20 The Doors: Waiting For The Sun
Although I will accept that quite a few of the artists in this list are only listened to via Greatest Hits sets these days I still think it's a pretty impressive tally.
Ahem
"Long playing records that people still listen to and revere today"
Pedants corner
Aren't most albums recorded 6-months to a year before release so the answer is 1974 or 1970 ...
Elaborate
Which ones do you mean?
Er...
...yes, I did shoot myself in the foot there.
If you're doing 1975
Don't forget Dion's Born To Be With You. Some would say Patti Smith's Horses, Emmylou Harris' Pieces Of The Sky/Elite Hotel and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. And, if you feel like bolstering your case, Bob Dylan's Desire was recorded in 1975, and released 5 days into the next year... The Basement Tapes and Tonight's The Night, although recorded earlier, were both released in 1975 too.
But the answer is 1969, surely.
Abbey Road - The Beatles
The Band - The Band
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - Neil Young
From Elvis In Memphis - Elvis Presley
Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Let It Bleed - The Rolling Stones
Nashville Skyline - Bob Dylan
Live At San Quentin - Johnny Cash
And that's just the ones that I like.
It's days later, and I've just remembered this from 1975 - Elvis Today, his best album of the 70s, easily.
And not forgetting...
Hokey Pokey - Richard and Linda Thompson
AND
Pour Down Like Silver - Richard and Linda Thompson
It's 1977 for me
Here's twenty from 1977 most of which I own and even play.
NMTB - Sex Pistols
Low - David Bowie
"Heroes" - David Bowie
The Idiot - Iggy Pop
Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
Before and After Science - Brian Eno
L.A.M.F. - Heartbreakers
New Boots and Panties! - Ian Dury
Rattus Norvegicus - The Stranglers
No More Heroes - The Stranglers
Talking Heads: 77 - Talking Heads
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk
Animals - Pink Floyd
One World- John Martyn
Slowhand - Eric Clapton
Aja - Steely Dan
I Remember Yesterday - Donna Summer
Saturday Night Fever - OST
Chic - Chic
Plus the classic K tel comp - Disco Fever
Wire
Pink Flag deserves a mention
Another vote for 1979!
Gah! Beaten to the 1979 list, but want to add my vote because imho a lot of classic albums were released then (especially if you were a nerdy suburban British white kid), as the initial Punk thing gave way to concise and literate songwriting wherein a degree of musical ability was no longer frowned upon, live performances were allowed to be polished, professional, and (hopefully) flob-free, and you DIDN'T HAVE TO BE ANGRY!!. So we had The Attractions' Steve Nieve's classically-trained keyboard talents, Joe Jackson's music degree, XTC's Dave Gregory's precise guitar-work (and string arrangements later on), Dave Greenfields uber-frilly keys etc etc. And those who maybe had no formal musical training were allowed to have imagination and perfect their craft of musicianship in a less showy but equally impressive way as their prog forebears. Also I think that "Off the Wall" is one of the finest albums of its genre Evah, and Chic's "Good times" surely is unsurpassed as a floor-filler.
Sorry if that reads like something from the NME.
Also I would add "Reggatta de Blanc" by the Police to the list.
Z
1973's in with shout
10cc
Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
Band on the Run - Wings
Billion Dollars Babies - Alice Cooper
Catch a Fire - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Closing Time - Tom Waits
Dark side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
For Your Pleasure - Roxy Music
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
Hard Nose The Highway - Van Morrison
Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin
Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
Quadrophenia - The Who
Solid Air - John Martyn
There Goes Rhymin Simon - Paul Simon
Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
A Wizard a True Star - Todd Rundgren
These are just the ones I own(ed). There's loads more here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:1973_albums&from=10cc...
1
1976
Not so good though I think - with a few honourable exceptions like Bowie Station to Station.
This thread really is one for the teenagers...
I'm not saying that my year is the best ever, but I would say it is the best since I was born (1981.)
1994 gave us:
Blur - Parklife
Morrissey - Vauxhall & I
Portishead - Portishead
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Manics - The Holy Bible
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Nirvana - Unplugged in New York
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Nick Cave - Let Love In
Pulp - His N' Hers
Suede - Dog Man Star
Johnny Cash - American Recordings
Spin Doctors - Turn It Upside Down
I would say this was easily the best year in my lifetime?
Don't forget
Neil Young's Sleeps With Angels. I listened to little else but that and American Recordings that summer.
I'm with you on Sleeps With Angels
Great album. 'Change Your Mind' in particular is a mighty, mighty song with its huge slab-like guitar solos. But was it 1994? That's the second time you've made me feel old this week.
What was the other?
Change your mind is about 16 minutes long isn't it? We used to play that in our local, to get value for money from our 50p for 5 plays or whatever it was.
What a strange chioce for a pub cd...
What was the pub called?
Must try to drop in someday.
Wouldn't if I were you David...
The Green Man in Newport Pagnell.
They had to make the pool table free-play eventually as there was a massive tear in one corner of the baize but didn't want to replace it. There was a strict division between the grown ups in the main bar and the young un's in the 'Games Room' (i.e old fruit machine, table football and aforementioned pool table.) I will however be eternally gratefully for their giving my 17-year old self somewhere to keep warm at night though.
Thanks for the tip
Crossed it out in my Country Pubs Of England book.
people "listen to and revere"
spin doctors?? suede??? pulp???
Andrew,
The Spin Doctors was a joke I slipped in at the end there but I think people are more listening to the 2nd Suede album that Doctor Feelgood: Down By The Jetty for instance. Could be wrong but I was just trying to add something from the 'post-punk era' into the debate.
And...
....ahem....(Come On Join) The High Society by These Animal Men
Quite right Lucas
I had missed that one.
I bought
Sleeps With Angels on the strength of the glowing review in Q, I seem to remember. Was it one of yours, Mr Hepworth? That I can't remember, I'm afraid.
I can picture that review now...
5 *****'s
Obligitory refrence to Cobain suicide and quoting of Young lyric in suicide note.
No.
It wasn't.
Sorry
Yours was Neil Young Unplugged though, right?
Sleeps with Angels
was very overrated on its release. It came at a time when Neil could do no wrong, in some people's eyes, but there are probably 20 superior Neil Young albums. Even from around about the same period, Ragged Glory is much better.
Be honest, if you're going to play a Neil Young album today, would it be Sleeps with Angels, or any from After the Goldrush, Rust Never Sleeps, Zuma, On the Beach, Comes a Time, etc etc?
If I was going to play
a Neil Young album from the 90s, it would be this, Weld, or Harvest Moon. Ragged Glory doesn't really do it for me. I'd also place it above Zuma and Comes A Time. Honestly.
Surely it's 2007
But 2008 is coming up fast......
(My optimism remains unbounded by the combined age of these "now" poptastic groovers)
Raising Sand : Krauss & Plant
Upfront and Down Low : Teddy Thompson
My Secret is my Silence : Roddy Woomble
Between Daylight & Darkness : Mary Gaulthier
River, the Joni Letters : Herbie Hancock
Dirt Farmer : Levon Helm
West : Lucinda Williams
Casadega : Bright Eyes
Prodigal Son : Martin Simpson
It has to be... 1959
Ornette Coleman: The Shape of Jazz To Come
George Russell: New York New York
Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um
John Coltrane: Giant Steps
Art Pepper: Plus Eleven
Billy Taylor: And Four Flutes
Charles Mingus: Blues and Roots
Gerry Mulligan: What Is There To Say
Horace Silver: Blowin; the Blues Away
Horace Silver: Finger Poppin'
Illinois Jacquet: Flies Again
Ira Sullivan: Blue Stroll
Jimmy Heath: The Thumper
Milt Jackson: Bags And Trane
Dave Brubeck: Time Out
Mongo Santamaria: Mongo
Jimmy Giuffre: Seven Pieces
Are Some of These Albums Filler?
I don't mean to be a grouch, but it seems to me that some of these lists are filled out by whatever album certain major artists had out that year. Are "Lodger" and "Their Satanic Majesties Request" still listened to and revered today? When was the last time you listened to "Smiley Smile" all the way through?
Having said that, 1979 looks good - great diversity: AC/DC to Michael Jackson
Agree with you Calum..
Some of these lists are bulked out by the fact that they come from a time when people had an album out every year. I did think for a second of adding Monster by R.E.M to my 1994 list but, just because they bought out an album that year it's hardly seen as one of their better works (even though I've always liked it.) So I didn't mention it.
Another vote for 1979
Don't really want to dwell too much on the "punk good or bad" thing either as it's been done to death elsewhere, but it might be worth noting that on Andy's 1979 list there appears to be a greater proportion of UK-based acts than on David's 1975 list. Also, quite a number of the acts on the 1979 list had not been making records for more than 2 years previously. Obviously a fair number of these had no connection at all with punk (or new wave or postpunk or whatever you want to call it) but the suggestion here is that the UK music scene had undergone some sort of renewal and re-invigoration in the years between 1975 and 1979. Which has to be a good thing.
soft spot for 1987
i seem to recall with alarming alacrity the following being added to the burgeoning record collection:
in no particular order of preference
Joshua Tree- U2
Document-REM
Bad-Michael Jackson
Tunnel of Love-Bruce Springsteen
Sign o The Times-Prince
Licensed to Ill- Beastie Boys
not a bad haul.....
Nice work Mat
I think we might have a winner from the 80s
1965. Some real competition for pocket money then.
In no particular order:
Angry Young Them
Temptations sing Smokey
The Byrds/Mr. Tambourine Man
Lovin Spoonful/Do you Believe in Magic
The Who/My Generation
Everly Brothers/ Gone Gone Gone and Rock n Soul
Dusty Springfield/Everything coming up Dusty
Otis Redding/Sings Soul Ballads
Paul Butterfield Blues Band/1st
Spencer Davis Group/1st LP
Ray Charles/Live in Concert
Rolling Stones/2nd and Out of our Heads
Four Tops/1st
Booker T. and the M.G's/Soul Dressing
Animals/Animal Tracks
Marvin Gaye/How Sweet it is
Kinks/Kink Kontroversy
Beach Boys/ Today and Summer Days and Summer Nights
Dionne Warwick/The Sensitive Sound
Elvis Presley/Elvis for Everybody
Pretty Things/Get the Picture
Jr. Walker/Shotgun
Righteous Brothers/You've Lost that Loving Feeling
Martha and the Vandellas/Heatwave
Donovan/Fairytale
Miracles/I like it Like That
and (ahem) the Beatles/ Help and Rubber Soul
and Bob Dylan/ Bringing it all Back Home and Highway 61