1974 Deep Dive: Part One

      This 1974 deep dive was full of new discoveries, but it was also a long slog. It was a great year for prog and glam. It was not a great year for jazz, fusion, or former Beatles. It was a fantastic year for songs. In the end, I only had four 5-star albums, and two 3.5's made my top 25. And two albums made it onto my Mt. Rushmore. Today's bottom five are by artists I really like, mostly, but these particular records aren't among their best, in my opinion. 

25. RUSH - RUSH (3.5 Stars)

     Obviously, RUSH's debut album is an outlier in their discography with the absence of Neil Peart. He would join for this tour after original drummer, John Rutsey, left the band. The single, "Working Man", broke them right here in Cleveland and they spent years grinding to build a dedicated fan base. Jimmy Page was a huge influence on Alex Lifeson and it shows on the debut. When listeners to WMMS in Cleveland first heard "Working Man" they called in to request the new Led Zeppelin song. This album is probably in the bottom third of RUSH albums, but it's good enough for 1974 to make my top 25. As I've mentioned before, I do own a copy of the original Canadian pressing of this record and it's the most valuable record in my collection. So, great album!

24. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (3.5 Stars)

     Pretzel Logic is also in the bottom of Steely Dan's catalog, but it has two of my favorite songs, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and "Any Major Dude Will Tell You". Otherwise, it's the least Steely Dan sounding Steely Dan record. And the album cover is dumb. Pretzel Logic sums up 1974; average album with a couple tremendous songs. 

23. KISS - KISS (4 Stars)

     Seldom is a debut album also a band manifesto. KISS is one of those. While I'm not certain about the order of importance, KISS came to town to rock, drink and have lots of sex. While parents were terrified of KISS, we knew they were just a fun pop band with cool makeup. RUSH opened for KISS quite a bit and viewed them as important business mentors. It's too bad KISS continued well past their expiration date and are now just considered horrible bastards. They were fantastic in the mid-70's. It's cold gin time again!

22. Mott the Hoople - The Hoople (4.0 Stars)

     While The Hoople isn't All the Young Dudes, it is still a really good record. Although he didn't make my Mt. Rushmore of singers, Ian Hunter would be the first head on my second Mt. Rushmore. He's arguably the most underrated frontman in rock. "The Golden Age of Rock and Roll" is an exuberant and infectious lead track. The band does suffer from guitarist Mick Ralphs leaving in 1973 to form Bad Company. However, "Golden Age", "Roll Away the Stone", and "Born Late '58" are Mott the Hoople classics. It's a really fun album. 

21. Neil Young - On the Beach (4 Stars)

     On the Beach is one of those albums that has become great as a result of revisionist history. It wasn't well-received in 1974, but since the grunge era rediscovery of Neil Young, On the Beach has become a beloved album. In reality, it was always a great album. The opening 1-2 punch of "Walk On" and "See the Sky About to Rain" is gorgeous songcraft. Neil's vocals aren't for everyone, but they take center stage on this record. While I prefer the ramshackle raucousness of the Crazy Horse albums or Live Rust, On the Beach is excellent. Peace.