Hidden Treasures - 1974

[Scott]

73 and 74 are very diverse years. I read somewhere recently that 1974, specifically, seemed to be a very confusing mix in the music world. Pop music took over the air waves, 60's bands were disappearing and disco was making its debut. As the Hippies began to fade into society music changed as well. The Top 40 of the day was getting very, uh... strange... Check out these very popular tunes - Kung Fu Fighting, Waterloo, Seasons In The Sun, Billy Dont Be A Hero ... you get the idea. What was happening to Rock and Roll?


But first, lets take a further peak into the confusion with some wiki-facts - as a;ways these bullet points are sponsored by JonsMindO'Pedia...

• February 14 – The Captain & Tennille are married in Virginia City, Nevada.
• February 18 - Kiss releases their self-titled debut album.
• February 20 – Cher files for divorce from her husband of 10 years, Sonny Bono.
• March 12 – John Lennon is involved in an altercation with a photographer outside The Troubadour in Los Angeles, California. Lennon and friend Harry Nilsson have been heckling comedian Tommy Smothers and are forced to leave the club.
• March 30 – The Ramones play their first concert at the Performance Studio in New York.
• April 5 – Van Halen play their first gig on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood at Gazzarri's.
• April 6 - Swedish group ABBA wins the 19th Eurovision Song Contest in The Dome, Brighton, England, with the song "Waterloo", kickstarting their stellar international career.
• April 16 – Queen play their first North American concert, opening for Mott the Hoople in Denver, Colorado.
• May 7 – Led Zeppelin announces their new record label, Swan Song Records, with a lavish party at The Four Seasons Hotel in New York.
• June 5 – Sly Stone married model-actress Kathy Silva on June 5, 1974 during a sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden.
• July 29 - Neil Peart officially joins Rush.
• August 7 – Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J. Geils Band, marries actress Faye Dunaway.
• October 5 – AC/DC performs its first official show with Bon Scott as its new lead singer.
• November 28 – John Lennon joins Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden for three songs. It would be Lennon's last stage performance.
• December - 31 Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks join Fleetwood Mac.

PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/CA69EFD9E8C/a1mqo39n

	Ace Five-a-Side 1 - How Long “How Long,” the song that broke Ace and by many measures defines them, doesn’t necessarily present the most accurate picture of the band or its 1974 debut, Five-A-Side. Sure, Ace had a knack for a soft soulful groove that distinguished them from their pub rock brethren and in Paul Carrack they had perhaps the best blue-eyed soul singer the scene produced (Frankie Miller being a close contender for the title), but neither are the focal point on Five-A-Side, a record evenly balanced between the singer and quintet, as the title implies. Most of the ten-track record doesn’t ride the same easy rhythm as “How Long"; “The Real Feeling” and “Why” come close, containing some of the same ‘70s polyester sheen, but those bear stronger resemblance to the rest of the record, the songs that are heavily rooted in American roots rock, some of which are not sung by Carrack.
	Supertramp Crime Of The Century 2 - School Supertramp came into their own on their third album, 1974's Crime of the Century, as their lineup gelled but, more importantly, so did their sound. The group still betrayed a heavy Pink Floyd influence, particularly in its expansive art rock arrangements graced by saxophones, but Supertramp isn't nearly as spooky as Floyd -- they're snarky collegiate elitists, an art rock variation on Steely Dan or perhaps a less difficult 10cc, filled with cutting jokes and allusions, best heard on "Bloody Well Right." This streak would later flourish on Breakfast in America, but it's present enough to give them their own character. Also present is a slight sentimental streak and a heavy fondness for pop, heard on "Dreamer," a soaring piece of art pop that became their first big hit. That and "Bloody Well Right" are the concise pop moments on the record; the rest of Crime of the Century is atmospheric like Dark Side of the Moon, but with a lighter feel and a Beatles bent.
	Bachman Turner Overdrive Not Fragile 3 - Rock Is my Life, And This Is My Song After gaining some recognition from the success of the band's previous album, Bachman-Turner Overdrive got around to recording Not Fragile. Not only had one of the three Bachman brothers (Tim, the rhythm guitarist) left the band to BTO's advantage, but Randy Bachman and C.F. Turner had clearly grown musically. To the album's benefit, most of the material on Not Fragile are the band's much-liked rock anthems, ranging from the hyper-distorted title track, through the famous but far more timid song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet." Indeed, for hard rock fanatics, it doesn't come much better than on Not Fragile. Randy's electrifying lead guitar is here more raucous than ever before, as are his rowdy vocals (particularly noticeable on the predictable, but fun "Sledgehammer"). The man steals the show on Not Fragile through his extensive and often astounding guitar solos. Generally, though, Bachman-Turner Overdrive are at their prime as a whole, both in songwriting and playing terms. As regards the mixing, it's hard to find fault with this release. The drums are clear but not so prominent that they dominate the recording, while the guitars, along with the bass, are kept rigidly in their place. Not Fragile is one of the finest arena rock albums of the era, featuring all the hallmarks of what makes a classic release in the genre.
	Queen Sheer Heart Attack 4 - Now I'm Here Queen II was a breakthrough in terms of power and ambition, but Queen's third album Sheer Heart Attack was where the band started to gel. It followed quickly on the heels of the second record -- just by a matter of months; it was the second album they released in 1974 -- but it feels like it had a longer incubation period, so great is the progress here. Which isn't quite to say that Sheer Heart Attack is flawless -- it still has a tendency to meander, sometimes within a song itself, as when the killer opening "Brighton Rock" suddenly veers into long stretches of Brian May solo guitar -- but all these detours do not distract from the overall album, they're in many ways the key to the record itself: it's the sound of Queen stretching their wings as they learn how to soar to the clouds. There's a genuine excitement in hearing all the elements to Queen's sound fall into place here, as the music grows grander and catchier without sacrificing their brutal, hard attack. One of the great strengths of the album is how all four members find their voices as songwriters, penning hooks that are big, bold, and insistent and crafting them in songs that work as cohesive entities instead of flourishes of ideas.
	Rush Rush 5 - What You're Doing Rush's self-titled debut is about as uncharacteristic of their renowned heavy progressive rock (perfected on such future releases as Hemispheres, Moving Pictures, etc.) as you can get. Instead of complex arrangements and thoughtful lyrics, Rush sounds almost identical to Led Zeppelin throughout -- bluesy riffs merged with "baby, baby" lyrics. The main reason for the album's different sound and direction is that their lyricist/drummer, Neil Peart, was not in the band yet, skinsman John Rutsey rounds out the original line-up, also consisting of Geddy Lee (bass/vocals) and Alex Lifeson (guitar). It's nearly impossible to hear the anthemic "Finding My Way" and not picture Robert Plant shrieking away, or Jimmy Page riffing on the jamfest "Working Man," but Rush was still in their formative stages. There's no denying that Lee and Lifeson were already strong instrumentalists.

[Scott]

are you confessing to having been a Donny Osmond fan?  tee hee...  I lived in Utah for 7 years in the early 90's, that was about 6 years and 11 months too long...

[Niels (Mod)]

Not a fan, no, but my Sister had the single, and I learned it, even though I didn't had a clue, what I Was singing, and I thought, I did a better job than Donny-boy. I probably did. I was around 7 years old, so I was to young to hate at that point. Still not a bad song, though.

[RJhog (Admin)]

How Long - Fantastic song.  Love the pronounced bass work on this.  Great vocals too.  So that's Paul Carrack?  I've heard his name many times, but had no idea he was the vocalist for this.  Seems like Rod Stewart did a pretty good cover of this song.  I don't know if I've ever heard another tune by Ace.

School - That intro instantly reminds one of Take The Long Way Home.  I have heard this before but never really paid much attention.  It grabs me a bit more this time though.  I need to listen to this album again.

Rock Is My Life, And This Is My Song - I like BTO, but this one just isn't very good in my opinion.  Except for the geeeetar.

Now I'm Here - Cool song.  I am a fan of this album.  And Brighton Rock is a killer opener.  The guitar tone on this song is totally non-Queen sounding if you ask me.  Still a good one, just a different tone.

What You're Doing - I've listened to more Rush over the last five years than I have in my entire life.  For me, this debut is right at the top of the heap.  Working Man may be their greatest song (it would be in a tight race with Tom Sawyer for me).  This has a great riff.  And Geddy's playing keeps right up with Lifeson's.  I think Rutsey's drumming is terrific.  This is cool.

Song Ranking:

1. How Long

2. What You're Doing

3. School

4. Now I'm Here

5. Rock Is My Life.....

Enjoyed this week's episode bro.

[Scott]

slightly surprised you didn't like the BTO track.  Not Fragile doesn't have a flaw on it IMHO...  But I am very happy to see your Rush fandom growing!

[Jon]

Where's "Jungle Boogie"? "Tubular Bells"? Sigh. Just play what you want, I suppose.

So, you (and Wikipedia) are saying that the first public concert from the Ramones was at the Performance Center? Interesting.

I'm impressed that you have a picture of "Phantom Of The Opera" considering it was released on BD this week. Coincidence?

Isn't that Supertramp album incredibly produced? It sounded great on vinyl, on the original CD and on the remaster. Plus it's kind of a dark album, but funny. 

I couldn't tell you how many times I played this Queen song, but it was a LOT. Side two of this album is fantastic and quite overlooked. There's melodic rock, speed metal, an old-timey song, a ballad...it's one of those that you hear the first time and have no clue what's going on and then after repeated listens it just becomes better and better. 

The first time I heard this Rush album? Glad you ask. There was a triple LP released which included their first three albums. It had a silver cover and the nekkid guy on the cover.

Well, this was ok even though you missed out on some great songs. At least you didn't play "The Streak". Awful song, that was. Yet people thought it as funny.

4 songs (maybe 5 but I'm too lazy to look)/3 albums

[Scott]

I like the Kool and the Gang with James Taylor at lead vocal and Tubular Bells gives me nightmares!  The Phantom pic is a happy accident as I was Bing-ing images of 1974 (SafeSearch turned ON of course) - Im not an Opera fan of any sort....

oh yeah...  Don't go there with Wiki!  You are the sponsor afterall...