My 6-10 albums are, quite possibly, the most bizarre combination of artists ever on one of these deep dives. There's a stunning first listen, a jazz-rock classic with a repeat artist, a live album, a band from Down Under, and an old blues band that changed personnel to become a pop juggernaut. You will never guess the #10 album in a million years.
10. SCORPIONS - In Trance ( 4.5 Stars )
This is the stunning first listen. Sure, I liked Scorpions for a hot minute in the 80's. Who didn't? The first Scorpions record I bought was Blackout and I still love the title track. Of course, I had Love at First Sting. But over the years I outgrew Scorpions and got rid of those albums and never gave them any more thought. Apparently, they were formed back in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker. Klaus Meine became the singer in 1970 and their first album was in 1972. In Trance is their third album. Who knew? Much to my amazement, this record is great and way better than any of their 80's albums. I have no recollection of In Trance being reassessed in the 80's after the band became hugely popular. It's an album that seems ahead of its time in 1975. On the surface, it's quite similar to Love at First Sting, but it doesn't have that 80's hair metal vibe. It's just a rock solid hard rock record. I was particularly blown away by the tracks "Top of the Bill" and "Longing For Fire". The latter is a two and a half minute masterclass in songcraft. I'm gonna have to track this down and also reacquire Blackout. What a pleasant surprise!
9. KISS - Alive ( 4.5 Stars )
"You wanted the best and you got it." Thus begins one of the great "live" albums of the 70's. Then, KISS kicks into a blistering version of "Deuce", followed by the power riffage of "Strutter". Alive was assembled from shows in Detroit ( obviously ), Cleveland, New Jersey, and Iowa, with some "post production" to fix some live issues. As evidenced by their 1975 studio album, Hotter Than Hell, KISS translated much better live than in the studio. That's not meant to be a knock. Many bands in the 70's were better live; Cheap Trick, J. Geils Band, Pat Travers Band, and Peter Frampton to name a few. Alive also features personal favorite "Cold Gin" and the iconic live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite". It could be argued that the only KISS records anyone needs are the first two live albums. Rick Nielsen's parents might disagree. Surrender!
8. AC/DC - TNT ( 4.5 Stars )
I'm not going to get in the weeds of what version of this record is correct or when it was released. It's a straight-up pub rock masterpiece. While I have mostly moved on from AC/DC and find them annoyingly overplayed on the radio, there's no denying their early albums are pretty great. TNT comes out firing with "It's a Long Way To the Top", which is a classic track. The combination of Bon Scott's beer soaked vocals and Angus Young's riffs is singular.
7. FLEETWOOD MAC - S/T ( 4.5 Stars )
Perhaps, the most significant lineup change in a band was Lindsay Buckingham joining veteran blues band Fleetwood Mac and insisting he was a package deal with girlfriend Stevie Nicks. The rest is history. While I'm not a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, there's no denying their album run of the self-titled record, Rumors, and Tusk is amazing. My favorite track is the exquisite pop deep cut "Blue Letter", but this album is one great song after another. Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie are all in top form as songwriters and vocalists. Commercially, the two standout tracks are Stevie Nicks' "Rhiannon" and "Landslide". For me, the key ingredient is Lindsay Buckingham's guitar playing and his gift for song craft.
6. THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA - Visions of the Emerald Beyond ( 5 Stars )
After a couple years of listening to YouTuber Andy Edwards bang on about The Mahavishnu Orchestra, I decided to check out their 1975 album for this dive. Holy shit! This record is spectacular. Edwards is always on about former Miles Davis guitarist JohnMcLaughlin, jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, and drummer Narada Michael Walden, and now I know why. Walden's drumming is insane. He's on a par with Tony Williams. I've never had an interest in Jean-Luc Ponty before, but now I see where Kansas got the idea for a prog violinist. And John McLaughlin is on fire. Exhibit A is the track "Lila's Dance". There's a bit of weird vocal stuff on here, but it doesn't distract from the musicianship. I'm gonna have to deep dive this band too. Peace.
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