70's Classic Albums Discussion (now featuring: ZZ Top)

[Stadler]

Say what you want about Dreams, Go Your Own Way, and Gold Dust Woman.  For me, this album is all about Second Hand News and You Make Loving Fun. 

The vocal in that song... 

[KevShmev]

I think I know Go Your Own Way but can't really comment on Fleetwood Mac other than that some of tbeir 80s hits got on my nerves really quick.

Gypsy was my favorite FM song growing up and remains in that spot, and I always loved Hold Me as well. 

From Tango in the Night, I loved Big Love, but was iffy on both Little Lies and Everywhere.  I don't recall if Seven Wonders got played a lot of MTV, but I saw the video a few years ago and really like that one now.

Seems like the Christine songs are usually more miss than hit for me (I am lukewarm on Say You Love Me and You Make Loving Fun at best).

Gimme the Lindsey and Stevie songs.

[pg1067]

I own Rumours, but I don't know it well.  Don't Stop, Go Your Own Way and The Chain are great songs.  I might be familiar with a couple other songs, but I really don't recognize at least five of the songs by name.  Nothing great, but I understand why it's a landmark and highly influential album.

[KevShmev]

Yes - Fragile



Talk about a game-changer.  I can only imagine how many heads exploded when this album hit record stores in the fall of 1971.  Chris Squire's thunderous bass riffs alone can make your change your shorts every few minutes, but the entire band is on fire from the start to the finish, and it is worth noting that this was Rick Wakeman's first album with the band.  All four full band songs are major classics, especially Roundabout, a classic rock mainstay, and Heart of the Sunrise, a prog fan's wet dream.  Throw in some really cool solo pieces like Mood for a Day and The Fish, and it's no wonder that nearly five decades later, this is still considered one of the best progressive albums ever.

[jammindude]

I am of the strong belief that if Roundabout wasn't such a colossal radio hit, Fragile would not be held in so high regard.   The four band tracks are fantastic, but the album is a bit uneven.    I think The Yes Album, and Close to the Edge are FAR stronger.   

EDIT - It is what it is because it's "the album that broke the band" into mainstream....but it's really just an OK album.   I feel the same about 2112. 

[ProfessorPeart]

I'm with jammin. Fragile has never been a favorite for me. I will say that Heart Of The Sunrise is the track that grabbed my attention and pulled me into classic Yes. Speaking of 'Classic Yes', the live version of Roundabout on that little hits CD is my definitive version of the song.

I would also take The Yes Album over this. Of course, Drama is my favorite.

[KevShmev]

The way I see it, the keyboard, Anderson and drum solo songs are all just okay, but they literally take up less than 4 minutes of the album, and the remaining 37 minutes plus is so amazing that I can forgive those three very short tracks.

[Kwyjibo]

Really great record but, like the others said, a bit uneven. The four full songs are stellar, Wakeman's and Bruford's pieces are forgettable but kinda hinder the flow a little bit. Mood For A Day is far weaker than The Clap, Long Distance Runaround is okay and The Fish is interesting but overstays its welcome imo.

So, all in all great record with some flaws. And I probably like The Yes Album and Close To The Edge better, but not by much.

[Podaar]

Fragile is the very definition of "70's Classic Album". This album was seriously innovative at the time and I think the popularity of Roundabout changed program directors idea of what was acceptable for radio. This paved the way for other art rock acts to get some radio play. I love it. A fun and enjoyable experience every time. My favorite Yes listen.

I'm kind of surprised at my reaction to hearing even the mild criticism from this forum; "Y'all can open your pie-hole just as soon as you create music 1/1,000,000 as good as this." 

Seems like blasphemy.

[The Walrus]

Listening to this album for the first time after I've been meaning to for a very long time... I still hate LDR and Roundabout because of the singer, who is the weakest link of this band and it's not even close. The interludes are nice but Five per Cent for Nothing is almost a waste of time, I really don't like super short tracks like that. Mood For A Day is lovely. Heart of the Sunrise is where it's really at. This is a good album with some mighty keyboard and bass playing but I'd like it a whole lot more if it was instrumental. The singer brings it down big time. I'm guessing it's the same guy on Going For The One - he has better melodies and just sounds better on that one, imo (Wonderous Stories = wow).

[Kwyjibo]

I still hate LDR and Roundabout because of the singer, who is the weakest link of this band and it's not even close

 

Seems like blasphemy.

This doesn't seem like blasphemy, this is blasphemy. 

To each his own but I think Jon Anderson and his voice was an integral part of Yes' music, not to mention his creativeness and driving force behind the scenes. Just like Geddy Lee's singing was integral for Rush. You may not like it but I think it wouldn't have worked the same way with another singer.

[The Walrus]

Don't get me wrong - me disliking his voice is not the same as saying he doesn't fit the band. His voice is the #1 easiest way to identify a 'Yes' song to a non-Yes fan, imo. I just think he has absolutely zero strength to his voice, it's light, thin, airy, weak.

[DTA]

I think the solo piece idea is really cool but I just wish Wakeman’s and Bruford’s were better. The 4 actual songs are pretty high quality but I never rated HotS as high as others. Outside of the intro, the rest of the song feels a bit like a letdown. Miracle of Life from Union does the same thing. The real standout for me is South Side which is probably my favorite <10 minute song of the ABWHS lineup. Overall, it’s probably the weakest of the big 3 (TYA and CTTE) for me. It’s amazing that a band was able to get away with an album like this at one point in time.

[Stadler]

I am of the strong belief that if Roundabout wasn't such a colossal radio hit, Fragile would not be held in so high regard.   The four band tracks are fantastic, but the album is a bit uneven.    I think The Yes Album, and Close to the Edge are FAR stronger.   

EDIT - It is what it is because it's "the album that broke the band" into mainstream....but it's really just an OK album.   I feel the same about 2112.

I think it's a half-step more than that:  it's the album that brought the classic lineup together for the first time.   It was the addition of Wakeman, as much as "Roundabout" that elevated them.   

I actually prefer this to Close To The Edge, for various reasons.   I'm a huge fan of "South Side Of The Sky" and "Heart Of The Sunrise" (that's a top five Yes song for me, no question).   I also got this cassette when I was younger and would listen to it on my Walkman while cutting the lawn or shoveling snow (along with Vol. 4 and We Sold Our Soul by Sabbath).   I also like the "We Have Heaven" piece and how it fits into the record (the footsteps and the closing of the door at the end of "Heart...")

I LIKE CttE, but don't love it.  "And You And I" is by far the highlight of that record, and the rest is pretty good.  But just "pretty good".   

[KevShmev]

To me, Fragile, The Yes Album and Close to the Edge are all so strong that any could be my favorite Yes album on any given day (with Relayer, 90125 and Talk in the next tier below).

Jon Anderson's voice is angelic and perfect for the band.

[Stadler]

I just saw Jon Anderson (and had the pleasure of meeting him before the show) in a small 500 seat theater.  He played almost two hours, half the set was Yes songs, and he DID sound like an angel (some of the tiff between him and Squire/Howe was that Anderson couldn't sing a set of Yes songs anymore; that's been disproved, at least in my observation).   



EDIT:  And yes, I got my favorite album of all time signed by the guy that wrote and sang most of it.

[TAC]

That's awesome Bill!!


So you brought the album (cover) top the concert with you? Does that mean you had to hold it for the entire show?


Was that a meet n greet you paid for, or was he just out meeting people?

[King Postwhore]

Great show as well.  I saw the show in Mass.  He still sounds like he did earlier in his career.  Crazy to hear him sing like that.

[pg1067]

Yes - Fragile



Talk about a game-changer.  I can only imagine how many heads exploded when this album hit record stores in the fall of 1971.  Chris Squire's thunderous bass riffs alone can make your change your shorts every few minutes, but the entire band is on fire from the start to the finish, and it is worth noting that this was Rick Wakeman's first album with the band.  All four full band songs are major classics, especially Roundabout, a classic rock mainstay, and Heart of the Sunrise, a prog fan's wet dream.  Throw in some really cool solo pieces like Mood for a Day and The Fish, and it's no wonder that nearly five decades later, this is still considered one of the best progressive albums ever.

I was 4 when this was released, so I can't speak intelligently about the impact of an album like this.  I agree somewhat with Ben.  Having each band member do a "solo" track is interesting in theory, but those tracks are very hit or miss.  I dig The Fish, but I'm not sure how popular that opinion is, and Mood for a Day is an incredible piece of music.  Cans and Brahms is and always has been just "meh," and We Have Heaven was initially interesting, but I can't listen to it anymore (even as short as it is).  The one and only redeeming thing about Five Per Cent for Nothing is that it's only 35 seconds.  It is otherwise a steaming pile of garbage.

The rest of the album, however, is a half hour of absolute epicness.  Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise are the stars.  Absolutely perfect songs in every way.  Long Distance Runaround is a sneaky prog song in a radio-friendly format (listen to Bill Bruford hitting the snare on every 5th beat of a 4/4 song).  Finally, South Side of the Sky is the underrated contributor that brings it all together.  This was probably one of the first "real" prog records I bought.

The run of The Yes Album, Fragile, CTTE, Topographic Oceans, Relayer, and GFTO is one of the most epic runs of music that I'd put up against just about anyone (only a handful of skipable tracks, and half of those are the Anderson, Wakeman and Bruford "solo" pieces on Fragile).

Speaking of 'Classic Yes', the live version of Roundabout on that little hits CD is my definitive version of the song.

Absolutely LOVE that version of the song!

I still hate LDR and Roundabout because of the singer, who is the weakest link of this band and it's not even close.

This make me want to surround your car with shopping carts....

[Stadler]

That's awesome Bill!!


So you brought the album (cover) top the concert with you? Does that mean you had to hold it for the entire show?


Was that a meet n greet you paid for, or was he just out meeting people?

Paid, though it was through the venue and I know someone there (unlike when Neal Morse came when you had to buy it from his website).   It's a really small place - it's literally a theater in the Town Hall - and the parking is the parking lot for the Town Hall, so right outside.  They let you put your stuff out in the car and come back in for the show.   I did that for Neal Morse as well (and will likely do it for Rick Wakeman, when he comes in October, if it's like Jon through the venue.)

[DragonAttack]

I would be amiss if I did not recommend DTFers to listen to ALL of the LPs that Kev has listed....as well as the albums preceeding and following his listings (unless it was the band's debut).

You will get a great perspective of the their history, whether their follow ups showed even more of a progression of talent (disregard sales), or that they had hit their zenith.  Maybe there is a weak track or three in each...but....I enjoyed ALL of them eventually (and that includes The BeeGees SNF....otherwise, my wife wouldn't let me sleep with her ever ). 

I have had all of the listed LPs in my record (or recorded cassette) collection at one time or another (often times due to a roommate or three).

Great thread!

btw....listen to Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, and A Day at the Races......and then you will have a hard time of judging whether 'A Night at the Opera' was the best, the most eclectic, or just the best album ever

[KevShmev]

Rush - Hemispheres



When I got into Rush in late '91/'92, this was one of the last ones I got on CD, I think because an album with only four songs, one of which was over 18 minutes, was both baffling and a bit intimidating to the 18-year old me. I remember getting it in June of 1992 and having my socks knocked off by the title track; I don't listen to it that much anymore, but it sure is a helluva epic.  La Villa Strangiato has long been my 2nd favorite song by the band, and The Trees is usually a borderline top 10 song for me as well. Circumstances doesn't really stand out, but it's a solid tune.  Even this album had a bit more hiss than their prior records, I do like the sound of it a lot.  It sounds more bright and colorful than their other 70's albums, musically and texturally.  Great album, and noteworthy as the last one where Geddy's vocals were really up in the stratosphere more often than not, in large part because they recorded the album in a key where he had no choice but to go for it, otherwise they would have had to re-record the entire record.  I am glad they left it the way it is.  What a classic.

[Cool Chris]

... I think because an album with only four songs, one of which was over 18 minutes, was both baffling and a bit intimidating to the 18-year old me.

I had the same issue with PF's Animals for the longest time.

I have a hard time calling myself a "Rush fan" as I really only like 2112-MP, CA and a few scattered songs here and there outside those albums. But what I like of Rush I really love. I probably put Hemispheres at the bottom of the 2112-MP stretch if I had to rank them. But that's not a knock on it, it's just the ugliest girl in a hot chick competition. Hemispheres is great, but not better than Xanadu, 2112, Cygnus 1 in my book; The Trees is a fun but not outstanding song, Circumstances I have always loved, and while La Villa is a kicking song, instrumentals don't register as high with me.

[Stadler]

This is a top album for me overall, my favorite Rush album, and LVS is my favorite Rush song. 

[Setlist Scotty]

One of my favorite 3 Rush albums (along with PoW and CP). It's funny that this was one of the last albums you got from them Shmev - for me, I think it was one of the first ones I bought on cassette, after my initial purchase of CoS and p/g. I already knew all the popular radio songs that got me into them in the first place, but when it came to picking up their cassettes, they were kinda hard to come by at the shopping mall music stores that I went to - I had to get what was available, and if there were more to pick from than I had money for, I went for the cheapest ones (which explains why my first 2 were CoS and p/g).

I never realized that "side 1" was just one song - probably due to the way the individual parts were listed on the J-card. I do know they weren't broken up and interspersed the way the label did it to the Fountain of Lamneth on the cassette version of CoS, but still didn't realize that it was one song. Nor did I know that the title track was the sequel to another song on the previous album...because for the longest time I didn't know AFtK even existed, despite knowing CttH extremely well.

Anyway, about the album - it's one of the few that doesn't have a "meh" track on it - even my other 2 favorite both have at least one track I'll skip. I love all of the songs on Hemispheres, altho LVS and the Prelude to the title track are my favorites. It is a shame that the band didn't realize how high Ged would need to sing according to the way the songs were written and recorded. Can't help but wonder what the album would've sounded like if they would've caught this issue during the writing phase or would have been willing to re-record the album tuned down a bit.

[KevShmev]

I think my rough order of getting their studio albums was:

Moving Pictures (had this back in '90 since I always loved Tom Sawyer, even when I liked nothing else I had heard)
Roll the Bones (loved the songs played on the radio and got this right away)

2112 (the title track was what really won me over, thanks to some friends who played it for me)
Power Windows (Marathon and The Big Money kicked my ass when those same friends showed me the A Show of Hands VHS)

Those are the only four I had before seeing them in November 1991.  After that, I immediately got:

Permanent Waves (hearing and seeing The Spirit of Radio for the first time live floored me)
Hold Your Fire
A Farewell to Kings

Signals
Grace Under Pressure
Fly by Night

Then I got Hemispheres, and then eventually got the debut, Caress of Steel and Presto later in '92.

And of course every album they have released was bought the day of its release.

[TAC]

Hemispheres, along with Moving Pictures. are my top 2 Rush albums.

I remember when I first heard Dream Theater my thought was they were making the kind of music Rush should be playing. I never agreed with what Rush did in the 80's. I love Hemispheres Era Rush more than any other. I wanted them to go further with that, even though the band didn't think they could.

[The Walrus]

When I was introducing myself to Rush a couple years ago, I only 'liked' the band until I heard Hemispheres. Then I must've played that album on loop a couple dozen times before I even thought about moving on to the next. Hemispheres is my #2 Rush album and was SO close to making my top 50 all time albums, but perhaps in a few years when I take another look it will make the cut. Not a bad moment on this record and I love Geddy's higher vocal lines. The title track is in a three-way battle with Marathon and The Garden as my favorite Rush song. The Trees, Circumstances, La Villa - incredible. Hemispheres is a spectacular record!

[Podaar]

When this album came out I was pretty busy with life and for a long time I didn't really have the time to absorb Cygnus X-1 Book II. Side 2 was easier to digest. One day, I knew I'd have a long wait picking up my little sister from school--the folks were out of town so chauffeur duty fell to me--so I recorded side one onto a TDK 90. I clearly remember when I became familiar with it enough to get chills and have it click for me in a way that has never gone. I was sitting in my Bronco with the AC on full blast (Scottsdale, man) competing with the volume on the stereo. I was staring out the window at some queen palms, but not really seeing them, you know? The sun was hot, the truck was cool, I don't know...the memory of it is fading but the feeling of the moment comes back every time I hear this album.

I also remember the band photo in the center of the cover. Black and white, 3 panels. Alex on the left dressed all in black so you really only see his head floating in the darkness. Ged on the right leaning against a corner of a hallway (his hair was fucking cool in those days). Neil in the center panel looking dorky as hell in some waist coat with a corsage at the chest and canvas sneakers.

A completely brilliant album that is my favorite from Rush, and shall remain so. It may be my favorite album by anyone ever.

[DTA]

I’m not as big on Hemispheres as most Rush fans. The 3 non-epic tracks are all perfect but the epic is their weakest imo. The Prelude is great, but the Apollo/Dionysus section goes on forever. I just feel like somethings missing that would elevate it for me above 2112/Fountain. Maybe a few more callbacks to Cygnus X-1 would’ve done it. The writing on the other songs was so strong I wish they would’ve written a few more during that period (same with PeW).

[KevShmev]

The connection to Cygnus X-1 is superficial at best anyway (calling it Part II and then having those brief reprises in the form of the actual music from Cygnus X-1 in the background for like 3-4 seconds twice), so I was fine with that.  I remember getting the CD and thinking, "Oh cool, a part 2 of Cygnus X-1," and then I listened to it and realized they were very different.

[pg1067]

Rush - Hemispheres

What to say about this one?!

Might be my favorite album by any band ever.  On the other hand, there are days when I wouldn't rank it #1 among Rush albums.

I started getting into Rush sometime in 1983.  I saw videos for Sudivisions, Countdown, Tom Sawyer and Red Barchetta on MTV, and one of my best friends was already a fan (in part because of his older brother).  Signals was the first Rush album I bought, and I think 2112 was the next.  I borrowed the rest of the catalog from my friend's brother and made cassette copies.  I recall having one with Hemispheres and AFTK.

It took me a while to get into side one, but once I really sat and listened, it captured me and hasn't let me go since.  Circumstances hooked me right away, as did the Trees.  La Villa Strangiato, among many other Rush songs, really cemented my desire to learn to play bass.  The only negative I can think of is that, like all of Rush's prog-era albums, it's really short.

[KevShmev]

The length (just over 36 minutes) does not bother me.  Albums being under 40 minutes was pretty much the norm in the 70's.

[King Postwhore]

Heard this at my cousin's house.  See had an 8 track of it.  Of course Cygnus x-1 Book ii: Hemispheres was split into different "programs."

[Dublagent66]

Rush is still my favorite band of all time.  Became a fan during the Power Windows release (one of my favorite albums).  I started collecting the back catalog right away and Hemispheres ranks very high in that group close to 2112.  What can be said about the run they had through several eras and styles?  It's been nothing short of mind blowing.  I'm going to Cinema Strangiato next week!!