1974 Deep Dive: Part Three

      I was going to say my 11-15 picks were the most diverse group of artists on these deep dives, but then I looked at the rest of my list, and they are all remarkably diverse. I forget how much musical variety there was in the 70's. Even on the Top 40 charts. There are a couple new discoveries, and my favorite singer, in this group. 

15. YES - Relayer (4 Stars)

     Relayer is proggy, but not as proggy as the album cover would lead you to believe. Certainly, the opening epic "Gates of Delirium" is classic YES. The lineup on Relayer is slightly different with Patrick Moraz on keyboards, but it's a showcase for Anderson, Squire and Howe. Steve Howe, in particular, really stands out on Relayer. He branches out into playing blues and slide guitar, but there's still plenty of classical. When I've mentioned before that The Flaming Lips were influenced by YES, it's evident on the closing track, "To Be Over", which sounds very Soft Bulletin-y. In past interviews, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have both mentioned Relayer as their favorite album. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough to make my list. 

14. Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets (4 Stars)

     I've never had any interest in Brian Eno. I'm not exactly sure why that was. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge fan of him as a producer, and I was never exposed to him as an artist when I was younger. However, Here Come the Warm Jets is fantastic. It sounds remarkably modern for 1974. I'm guessing this record was a huge influence on the Talking Heads. The title track is my favorite new discovery song of the 1974 deep dive. 

13. Toots and the Maytals - In the Dark (4.5 Stars)

     I feel a little guilty about this pick. I gave it 4.5 stars because it's the perfect album for a white guy laying by the pool on vacation in the Florida Keys. I would never listen to it again in any other context. But it's tremendous for that.

12. Jackson Browne - Late For the Sky (4.5 Stars)

     Jackson Browne has the most beautiful voice in the history of recorded music. Fight me! Seriously, listen to "Fountain of Sorrow" and tell me I'm wrong. I'm not. And his right-hand man, David Lindley, is amazing on all manner of guitars and strings. Jackson Browne is an incredible lyricist as well, and Late For the Sky is Exhibit A. "Lookin' through some photographs I found inside a drawer. I was taken by a photograph of you. There were one or two I knew that you would have liked a little more, but they didn't show your spirit quite as true." I rest my case. 

11. Bad Company - Bad Company (4.5 Stars)

     During my formative years, this album was unavoidable. It's practically a greatest hits album. "Can't Get Enough", "Rock Steady", "Ready For Love", "Bad Company", "Movin' On" and "Seagull". Bad Company were one of the early Supergroups, led by powerhouse frontman Paul Rodgers. The group was rounded out by Mott the Hoople's Mick Ralphs, and Boz Burrell and Simon Kirke. "Now these towns, they all know our name. 6 gun sound is our claim to fame". Fuck yeah! Peace.