Somebody help, me, I’m falling!
Here are the Top Ten (or so) records from 1970
OR SO…
Black Sabbath- Black Sabbath
(blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal)
1. Black Sabbath (6:22)
2. The Wizard (4:25)
3. Behind The Wall Of Sleep (3:37)
4. N.I.B. (6:07)
5. Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me (Crow cover) (3:27)
6. Sleeping Village (3:46)
7. Warning (Ansley Dunbar's Retaliation cover) (10:33)
There are few debuts that have had as much influence as this one from a bunch of kids from Birmingham. Every heavy metal fan knows the story of guitarist Tony Iommi losing the tips of his fingers in a factory accident, and the subsequent sound that resulted from his change of guitar strings. Fans know as well the story of bassist Geezer Butler monkeying around trying to play “Mars” from Holts’ Planets and Iommi turning that tri-tone into the iconic riff of the title track Black Sabbath. However, on a relisten I can notice where this record is just a tad unpolished and rough around the edges compared to its storied successor in the same year. There is a lot to love here though, and it is truly the first entire album that should receive the label “heavy metal.” But don’t let that label scare you. If your impression of metal is a lot of noise and screaming, this is not that. This is really just some darker and riffier blues rock, slow and methodical. It has some truly excellent instrumentation, but what keeps it off the Top Ten proper is its inconsistency. It is very front-heavy, with the best tracks all on the A-Side. That being said, it is worth the listen for any rock and metal historian, as it lays the foundation for so much of what is to come, not just from Tony Iommi and crew but from so many other bands.
Top Tracks: Black Sabbath, N.I.B., The Wizard
Emerson Lake and Palmer- Emerson Lake and Palmer
(prog rock)
1. The Barbarian (4:33)
2. Take a Pebble (12:34)
3. Knife-Edge (5:08)
4. The Three Fates (7:45)
- a. Clotho (Royal Festival Hall organ)
- b. Lachesis (piano solo)
- c. Atropos (piano trio)
5. Tank (6:52)
6. Lucky Man (4:36)
The debut from supergroup Emerson Lake and Palmer is not to be overlooked. With Keith Emerson looking to leave The Nice (a band that broke-up before this project materialised), and Greg Lake on his way out of King Crimson, the two joined forces and eventually settled on Carl Palmer of Atomic Rooster (see below) to form their “supergroup.” The Barbarian is short and sweet, but surprisingly heavy and one of my favourite tracks. The longer tracks are the true highlight though, especially the piano solo and trio on The Three Fates. I also quite like Lucky Man, the album closer. ELP definitely put a solid effort here on the debut, and definitely earned the title of “supergroup” with this album, even if subsequent ones are much better.
Top Tracks: The Three Fates, The Barbarian, Take a Pebble
Genesis- Trespass
(prog rock)
1. Looking for Someone (7:06)
2. White Mountain (6:42)
3. Visions of Angels (6:50)
4. Stagnation (8:48)
5. Dusk (4:13)
6. The Knife (8:56)
Disregarding their abysmal debut, this is where true Genesis begins for me, at least in songwriting. Steve Hackett and Phil Collins have yet to join the band, but Peter Gabriel is beginning to flex his songwriting ability here with longer and more complicated compositions. This album, whilst far from perfect, will always hold a special place for me. Looking for Someone and Stagnation are fine tracks, and evidence of what’s to come in the future. But far and away my favourite track on the album, and one of my favourite Genesis tracks of all time is The Knife. It’s heavy, frantic, and menacing, and has the band firing on all cylinders. Even if the rest of the record leaves much to be desired, The Knife makes it all worth it.
Top Tracks: The Knife, Stagnation, Looking for Someone
TOP TEN
10. Atomic Rooster- Death Walks Behind You
(heavy prog, hard rock, psychedelic rock)
1. Death Walks Behind You (7:24)
2. VUG (5:03)
3. Tomorrow Night (4:02)
4. 7 Streets (6:47)
5. Sleeping for Years (5:30)
6. I Can't Take No More (3:36)
7. Nobody Else (5:04)
8. Gershatzer (8:01)
This is a weird animal. Don’t let that frighten you though, it’s not particularly unfamiliar territory. I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of a lot of Atomic Rooster’s work, but Death Walks Behind You is a stellar record that is too often overlooked. It’s a really fun jam of guitar and key-driven rock that has shades of Deep Purple, Cream, High Tide, and the Doors woven in there. It features a ton of long instrumental passages (including VUG and Gershatzer in their entireties). I think, much like High Tide from the previous year, this is where the band really shines. With Carl Palmer out (see above), Paul Hammond takes up percussion duties and does an excellent job all around. The title track is by far my favourite, with the two instrumentals falling right behind. Still, the middle of the record offers some serious good beef with Sleeping for Years and I Can’t Take No More being particularly good. All-in-all it’s a joyous ride and not too heavy or too progressive for most listeners.
Top Tracks: Death Walks Behind You, Gershatzer, VUG
It's your fate, or what's cast. Point a finger at yourself: Death walks behind you…8/10
9. Santana- Abraxas
(blues rock, prog rock, latin rock)
1. Singing Winds, Crying Beasts (4:48)
2. Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (5:17)
3. Oye Como Va (4:17)
4. Incident at Neshabur (4:58)
5. Se a Cabo (2:49)
6. Mother's Daughter (4:25)
7. Samba Pa Ti (4:46)
8. Hope You're Feeling Better (4:10)
9. El Nicoya (1:29)
No sophomore slump for Santana! Building on the magic of the debut, Santana are back with their signature blend of Latin-infused jazz rock. This is Santana at their peak, and I challenge anyone to not have fun listening to this record. This album alternates between the more straightforward blues style and the Latin charm to great effect. Oye Como Va is an absolute classic as is Se a Cabo. Of course we’re already familiar with Black Magic Woman, but it fits really well into the mix here. The star of the show is of course Carlos Santana on guitar and vocals. His lead lines and solos are particular good, alternating between his progressive blues rock style and the latin-infused sound. He’s restrained when he needs to be, and explosive where it counts. An excellent performance all around, and maybe the best record of his career.
(I find the artwork for this record a bit indecent and irreligious, hence just the record image)
Top Tracks: Oye Como Va, Se a Cabo, Amba Pa Ti
Oye cómo va. Mi ritmo. Bueno pa' gozar. Mulata…8/10
8. Led Zeppelin- Led Zeppelin III
(hard rock, folk rock, blues rock)
1. Immigrant Song (2:25)
2. Friends (3:54)
3. Celebration Day (3:29)
4. Since I've Been Loving You (7:23)
5. Out on the Tiles (4:07)
6. Gallows Pole (4:56)
7. Tangerine (3:10)
8. That's the Way (5:37)
9. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (4:16)
10. Hats Off to (Roy) Harper (3:42)
Of the four self-titled Zeppelin records, this one is easily my least favourite. It’s not bad (obviously), but it’s an inconsistent mixed bag of things. The highs are really high, but the lows are some of my least favourite from the band by far. The record thunders out of the gates with the iconic Immigrant Song, with Jimmy’s octave-skipping riff and Plant’s iconic wails. A favourite for metal bands to cover, Zep sure shows their heaviness there. Other standout is of course the show-stopping Since I’ve Been Loving You. Wow what a song, especially from Jimmy on guitar, but everyone is in lock-step here, even giving Jones room to shine on the keys. The album features a lot of folksy acoustic tunes as well, some that are strong, some that bring the record down a notch. Friends and That’s the Way are decent at best, but I’m in love with Tangerine and Gallows Pole. I also think album closer Hats Off to (Roy) Harper is one of the worst songs the band has recorded. Despite a couple missteps, and an eye-sore of a cover art, this is a solid entry in the Zeppelin discography and well worth a listen.
Top Tracks: Since I’ve Been Loving You, Immigrant Song, Tangerine
But baby, since I've been loving you, yeah I'm about to lose my worried mind, oh yeah…8/10
7. King Crimson- Lizard
(prog rock, eclectic prog)
1. Cirkus (including Entry of the Chameleons) (6:27)
2. Indoor Games (5:37)
3. Happy Family (4:22)
4. Lady of the Dancing Water (2:47)
5. Lizard (23:15) :
- a. Prince Rupert Awakes (4:34)
- b. Bolero - The Peacock's Tale (6:32)
- c. The Battle of the Glass Tears (11:01)
- i) Dawn Song
- ii) Last Skirmish
- iii) Prince Rupert's Lament
- d. Big Top (1:08)
From the heights of In The Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson had an almost instant drop in quality and inner turmoil. The next couple albums are a weird and fraught with tension in the band. Following 1970’s In the Wake of Poseidon, vocalist and bassist Greg Lake departed to form ELP (see above), and so Gordon Haskell takes on both roles here for his only album with the band. However, with Robert Fripp and Peter Sinfield still forming the core and managing songwriting duties, King Crimson were able to grasp some of their former magic. Keith Tippet also features on the record, giving it a jazzier feel than previous efforts. Cirkus is an excellent opener, and the band sticks to short tracks on the A-side. Short songs that are weird as hell. Seriously, this album is tough to digest, but worth it in the long run. The title suite: Lizard, is the masterpiece of this record, taking up the entire B side. It has that eerie dark mood heard on In the Court of the Crimson King. The first section features the talents of Jon Anderson on vocals, and the band takes you on a journey that eventually leaves the jazzier bits of the A-side behind for the more sweeping symphonic sound. It book-ends the album nicely by returning to the Cirkus theme to close out the suite. It really is a work of art, and the true prog-rock track on this record.
Top Tracks: Lizard, Cirkus, Indoor Games
Wake your reason's hollow vote. Wear your blizzard season coat. Burn a bridge and burn a boat. Stake a Lizard by the throat…8/10
6. Creedence Clearwater Revival- Cosmo’s Factory
(blues rock)
Ramble Tamble
Before You Accuse Me
Travelin’ Band
Ooby Dooby
Lookin’ Out My Back Door
Run Through the Jungle
Up Around the Bend
My Baby Left Me
Who’ll Stop the Rain
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Long as I Can See the Light
There is just something special about CCR, and I never really get tired of them. It’s just banger after banger after banger. Cosmo’s Factory is the band at their peak. Just look at that track list. Ooo wee that’s some sweet music from Fogerty and the boys. Travelin’ Band: killer. Lookin’ Out My Back Door: Instant classic. Up Around the Bend: Amazing. It also features Run Through the Jungle, a personal favourite of mine, as well as the stunning cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine. Clocking in at over eleven minutes, the back half of this one is a tightly composed instrumental section that sounds like an extended jam but in reality has everything perfectly placed. It is my favourite song ever from the band, despite being so un-like their other music. If you like CCR (and who doesn’t), then this should do just fine.
Top Tracks: I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Run Through the Jungle, Lookin’ Out My Backdoor
They told me, don't go walking slow, the devil's on the loose. Better run through the jungle…8.5/10
5. Caravan- If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You
(prog rock, canterbury prog)
1. If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You (3:07)
2. And I Wish I Were Stoned - Don't Worry (8:21)
3. As I Feel I Die (5:17)
4. With an Ear to the Ground You Can Make It / Martinian / Only Cox / Reprise (9:56)
5. Hello Hello (3:46)
6. Asforteri 25 (1:21)
7. Can't Be Long Now / Françoise / For Richard / Warlock (14:18)
8. Limits (1:34)
Last year saw King Crimson’s debut, which will likely never be matched as the greatest of prog debuts, but Caravan’s debut the year prior was nothing to disregard. Two years later they dropped this gem: If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You. This is really the album to go to for the whole “Canterbury Prog” scene, which I’ll admit is not my favourite brand of British prog. It’s got distinctive vocals and the so-called “Canterbury keyboards” that so defined the sound. That organ sound is just all over the record and gives it a particular sound that stands out from a lot of the other prog on this list.
Top Tracks: With an Ear to the Ground You Can Make It / Martinian / Only Cox / Reprise, As I Feel I Die
I'll give you anything that I've got if you take me away…8.5/10
4. Miles Davis- Bitches Brew
(jazz, jazz fusion, jazz rock)
1. Pharaoh's Dance (20:06)
2. Bitches Brew (Listen To This) (27:00)
3. Spanish Key (17:34)
4. John McLaughlin (4:26)
5. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (14:04)
6. Sanctuary (11:01)
Any fan of Miles Davis would’ve expected to find this here, as it’s widely regarded as the greatest jazz fusion album ever put to recording. This one is a weird one, and revisiting it has confirmed this for me. First things first, it’s long as hell. Just look at those tracks. It features a similar set of guests as the last record, a real tour-de-force of jazz greats. The title track is where it really shines, and despite a lot of meanderings and prog wanderings throughout the record, it certainly cements itself as the jazz fusion record of the decade. Just put it on in the background and then see how often your ears perk up with: what the heck did he just play? If you like this style of music at all, it is more than worth several listens.
Top Tracks: Bitches Brew, Pharaoh’s Dance, Sanctuary
9/10
3. Deep Purple- Deep Purple in Rock
(hard rock, proto-metal)
1. Speed King (4:18)
2. Bloodsucker (4:12)
3. Child in Time (10:15)
4. Flight of the Rat (7:52)
5. Into the Fire (3:29)
6. Living Wreck (4:30)
7. Hard Lovin' Man (7:10)
Deep Purple were all over the place in their first few years as a band, but 1970 has found them in the definitive “Mark II” lineup, with Ian Gillian having replaced Rod Evans on vocals, and Roger Glover replacing Nick Simper on bass guitar. These two were added to the stalwart core that was Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Ian Paice on drums, and John Lord on keyboards. Blackmore and crew then carved themselves into rock history with this hard-rockin’ proto-metal masterpiece (after 1969’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra of course). This album is incredible, a staple of any hard rock collection. Speed King races out of the gates, and keeps on truckin through Bloodsucker. The centerpiece and highlight of the album is the 10 minute Child in Time. It has this eerie balance of Gillian’s subdued vocals, then his piercing wails before Blackmore’s extended solo. It is breathtaking, surprisingly proggy, and something I listened to on a daily basis years ago. This album cemented the Mark II line-up of Deep Purple as a force to be reckoned with, and one that will shape the entire course of rock music in the seventies.
Top Tracks: Child in Time, Speed King, Flight of the Rat
Sweet child, in time, you'll see the line. The line that's drawn between good and bad…9/10
2. Black Sabbath- Paranoid
(blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal)
1. War Pigs (7:55)
2. Paranoid (2:47)
3. Planet Caravan (4:24)
4. Iron Man (5:53)
5. Electric Funeral (4:47)
6. Hand of Doom (7:07)
7. Rat Salad (2:29)
8. Fairies Wear Boots (6:13)
If the Black Sabbath debut was groundbreaking, the follow-up dropped in the same year is straight up monumental, a force to be reckoned with in the world of heavy metal. Honestly, I went into this revisit expecting to say things along the lines of this record being overrated, how it doesn’t deserve the praise constantly heaped on it, but a re-listen has found me enjoying it more than ever. Sure, it sounds quaint compared to modern metal, but hot dang it’s simply a master-class in blues-rock riffage that doesn’t quit. Tony Iommi is the riff-master, and will not take no for an answer. In terms of tracks, War Pigs is an absolute stunner, as is the very popular Iron Man. Both of those are some of the earliest riffs I ever learned on guitar, and Electric Funeral is one of the first electric songs I learned all the way through. Fairies Wear Boots is a trip and a half, and Hand of Doom shows the shades of “doom metal” that will be even more present on the next record. The title track was actually an afterthought shoved in to be a single, and is basically a rip-off of Communication Breakdown. It’s still great, and it’s name is now cemented as a staple of the heavy metal genre. This album is a must-listen for any metal fan, and one of the best of the band’s career.
Top Tracks: War Pigs, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom
Day of judgement, God is calling. On their knees, the war pigs crawling…9.5/10
1. Van der Graaf Generator- H to He, Who Am the Only One
(progressive rock, eclectic prog)
1. Killer (8:07)
2. House With No Door (6:03)
3. The Emperor In His War-Room (9:04)
- a) The Emperor
- b) The Room
4. Lost (11:13)
- a) The Dance In Sand And Sea
- b) The Dance In The Frost
5. Pioneers Over C. (12:05)
Of all the staple prog greats of the golden age of prog, Van der Graaf Generator is one of the last bands I discovered. It’s a shame it took so long too, because on paper they seem tailor-made for me. They have that weird prog sensibility of King Crimson and Genesis, with a certain lugubrious and sombre tone in their lyrics. Just what the doctor ordered, eh? They dropped two records in 1970, but the confusingly titled second one, H to He, Who Am the Only One, is easily the greater. Indeed, it may be my favourite from the band. Just five tracks, the shortest is still over six minutes, and the rest over eight. It really is an astounding feat of songwriting.
It starts off with a killer track…Killer. What the band does really well is write a riff or melody and really hammer it home. Good luck getting this one out of your head after a few listens. The House With No Door is gentle and soothing, and shows that the band can restrain their obvious musical chops when necessary. However, the rest of the record is where Van der Graaf Generator show themselves here as experts in long-form composition. The Emperor In His War-Room is haunting and ethereal, whilst still being catchy. That spacy-organ and the bitter lyrics pair really well. Lost is just incredible, having some of my favourite lyrics the band has ever composed. The drums play that marching rhythm whilst Peter Hammill wails the sadness over top before fading into the sax solos. Then we come to Pioneers Over C, the sci-fi infused closer. That droning bass, that organ riff and thumbing drums…what an intro. Then you get the high-pitched “somebody help me.” Indeed somebody help me, I’m in love with this record.
Top Tracks: Lost, Killer, Pioneers Over C
Into sky, into earth, into sky, into earth. It is so dark around, no life, no hope, no sound, no chance of seeing home again. The universe is on fire, exploding without flame. We are the lost ones; we are the pioneers …9.5/10
Song(s) of the Year
Led Zeppelin- Since I’ve Been Loving You
Black Sabbath- War Pigs
Deep Purple- Child in Time
Creedence Clearwater Revival- I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Van der Graaf Generator- Pioneers Over C
Grand Funk Railroad- Closer to Home
Sir Lord Baltimore- Kingdom Come
Simon and Garfunkel- Bridge Over Troubled Water
Genesis- The Knife
James Taylor- Fire and Rain
Chicago- 25 or 6 to 4
Honourable Mentions
Sir Lord Baltimore- Kingdom Come
James Taylor- Sweet Baby James
Simon and Garfunkel- Bridge Over Troubled Water
Gentle Giant- Gentle Giant
Supertramp- Supertramp
Chicago- Chicago II
King Crimson- In the Wake of Poseidon
Yes- Time and Word
Pink Floyd- Atom Heart Mother
The Who- Live at Leeds
Worthy Listening
Colosseum- Daughter of Time
High Tide- High Tide
Fleetwood Mac- Kiln House
Creedence Clearwater Revival- Pendulum
Van der Graaf Generator- The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other
The Beatles- Let It Be
Jethro Tull- Benefit
The Moody Blues- A Question of Balance
The Doors- Morrison Hotel
Bound for the Bin
Jesus Christ Superstar- Sorry Andrew Lloyd Webber, this is sacrilegious and I’ll have none of it.