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

[jingle.boy]

Other than Jailbreak and Boys Are Back in Town, did Thin Lizzy ever record anything relevant?

Oh yeah, Metallica covered them once. Decent tune.

[Cool Chris]

Other than Jailbreak and Boys Are Back in Town, did Thin Lizzy ever record anything relevant?

Those are the only two songs I know. And I am not even sure those are relevant.

[KevShmev]

This album actually has a very good rating on various sites, good enough for classic status, so I figured it was good enough to feature before we get to the next real classic.

[ProfessorPeart]

There's got to be some kind of relevance as it seems that every big name Hard Rock / Metal artist talks about how huge of an influence these guys were.

Maiden, Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth have all covered them just off the top of my head. Not to mention all of the other artists I have heard cite them.

I know very little about Lizzy besides the cover tunes and a could of radio hits. This might be like the Beatles with me, every artist talks about them but I just don't get it. Funny, I do love every Lizzy cover I have heard from the bands I listed.

[Stadler]

I started typing up something about being familiar with the roots of the song and the original artist's version and I could feel Stadler channeled through my fingertips. 

  Well, I disagree with Stadler on that.  There are tons of covers I would MUCH rather listen to than the originals, and many where I would go even farther and say that I don't care for the originals at all.  For example:
-I would rather listen to this than James Taylor.
-I would rather listen to this than Procol Harem.
-I would rather listen to this than the Kinks.
...and so on.  And I chose those specifically because I did not hear the originals until YEARS after I first heard the covers.  And while I like those covers immensely, I have no desire to hear the originals at all.

Yeah, but to be fair to Stadler, he's not saying you have to LIKE the original better, just that it helps to have HEARD the original to get the seed for where the artist covering it took it. 

[Cool Chris]

How'd we get to discussing Dylan? I had a Greatest Hits CD of his, I mainly bought it to own Like a Rolling Stone (breaking my own rule of not buying an album for one song, but I figured Greatest Hits from a legend, so should be a good bet, right?) Anyway, it was the only song I listened to regularly.

Yeah, but to be fair to Stadler, he's not saying you have to LIKE the original better, just that it helps to have HEARD the original to get the seed for where the artist covering it took it. 

It doesn't, but we've argued about this several times

[KevShmev]

We can blame the Dylan chatter on Stadler.

As for Like a Rolling Stone, I remember Dylan performing it on one of the last Letterman NBC specials and it was actually comical how bad he sounded.  Found it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YedNVVw8LD0

[ProfessorPeart]

Well, to pile on Dylan talk, don't forget All Along The Watchtower. Yes, I have never actually heard Dylan's version. Of course, even Dylan feels Hendrix's version is far superior.

Dylan has described his reaction to hearing Hendrix's version: "It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn't think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day." In the booklet accompanying his Biograph album, Dylan said: "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way... Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

[TAC]

Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak



Time to throw some read meat to TAC, the biggest, and possibly only, Thin Lizzy fan on the east coast.

I only know the hits from this, but they are all solid tunes.  Maybe I will listen to the whole thing if someone other than TAC can sell me on it...go! 

This album actually has a very good rating on various sites, good enough for classic status, so I figured it was good enough to feature before we get to the next real classic.

Haha!

OK, considering this album gave us one of the great and most played songs of the 70's, The Boys Are Back In Town, I'd say that it's a classic album. In fact, I heard that song on an Applebee's commercial last night!

This is far from my favorite Thin Lizzy album. But it does have a number of great tracks.

Here is the Spotify link to the album:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6Cf545T4jkaiyvMnTRPOB2?si=8N_nG0zvRFqwG2GwEQfIzg

This album contains two of my favorite Thin Lizzy songs..The Boys Are Back In Town (Bon Jovi does a great cover) and The Cowboy Song (Also a great cover by Anthrax)

Emerald is also an all time classic. But this album has a number of cool deep tracks like Warrior and Running Back.



I have made the comparison between Tom Petty and Phil Lynott many times.

So Kev, I ran through Damn The Torpedos last night. You owe me a run through of Jailbreak.

Other than Jailbreak and Boys Are Back in Town, did Thin Lizzy ever record anything relevant?

This was only their one hit album. They were their own worst enemies. But to me, they have a discography that I could not live without.

Laugh all you want motherfuckers, but they are like my 5th or 6th favorite band depending on the day.

Also:

[KevShmev]

Nice!

So Kev, I ran through Damn The Torpedos last night. You owe me a run through of Jailbreak.

I'm listening to a Tommy Shaw solo album at the moment, but I'll get to it.

Laugh all you want motherfuckers, but they are like my 5th or 6th favorite band depending on the day.

And that's all that matters.

I mean, don't we all have a favorite that many others think, "Really?"

[The Walrus]

I started typing up something about being familiar with the roots of the song and the original artist's version and I could feel Stadler channeled through my fingertips. 

  Well, I disagree with Stadler on that.  There are tons of covers I would MUCH rather listen to than the originals, and many where I would go even farther and say that I don't care for the originals at all.  For example:
-I would rather listen to this than James Taylor.
-I would rather listen to this than Procol Harem.
-I would rather listen to this than the Kinks.
...and so on.  And I chose those specifically because I did not hear the originals until YEARS after I first heard the covers.  And while I like those covers immensely, I have no desire to hear the originals at all.

Yeah, but to be fair to Stadler, he's not saying you have to LIKE the original better, just that it helps to have HEARD the original to get the seed for where the artist covering it took it.

Hahaha. My man.

[TAC]

Stadelox!

[TAC]

Maiden, Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth have all covered them just off the top of my head. Not to mention all of the other artists I have heard cite them.

Here's two great versions of Don't Believe A Word.

The Cure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfDrj2CWAcQ

Def Leppard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgM8m1BYvEE


And of course the original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbO3hGrotRk

[TAC]

I love how Kev waits until the BOTTOM post of the page to unleash Jailbreak.

[Cool Chris]

Well, it had to be SOMEWHERE IN THIS THREAD!

[MirrorMask]

Any suggestions for Thin Lizzy songs that have sparkles of what Iron Maiden would later be inspired from? I know that they were a huge influence for Maiden, so I'd be interested to know if there are songs that would make you think "Ah, yeah, I guess this is what inspired Iron Maiden". (I did listen to some stuff here and there and off the top of my head Emerald is a great song, but I wanted to see if there's some consensus about which songs more represent what Iron Maiden got inspired from).

[TAC]

Any suggestions for Thin Lizzy songs that have sparkles of what Iron Maiden would later be inspired from? I know that they were a huge influence for Maiden, so I'd be interested to know if there are songs that would make you think "Ah, yeah, I guess this is what inspired Iron Maiden". (I did listen to some stuff here and there and off the top of my head Emerald is a great song, but I wanted to see if there's some consensus about which songs more represent what Iron Maiden got inspired from).

So considering Steve Harris turned 14 in 1970, you'd have to think he was inspired by the early Eric Bell Era albums. Even though there was only one guitarist on these first three albums, there are a number of songs that have pretty interesting arrangements likeThe Rise And Fall Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes, not that this will make you think of Iron Maiden, but it's a cool arrangement for a 1972 song. Knowing Steve was also influenced by Yes, Jethro Tull, and Wishbone Ash, song arrangements seemed to be something that interested him.

And Gonna Creep Up On You (not a great song by any stretch..) starts out with some serious bass. I mean Steve Harris played basically the same bass guitar as Lynott.

Now I wouldn't start anyone on Thin Lizzy on their first three albums. But once Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson joined the band, there developed a harmonized two guitar style that is Thin Lizzy's greatest gift to Iron Maiden.

That classic era included Fighting (1975), Jailbreak and Johnnie The Fox (both 1976) and Bad Reputation (1977).

No song really screams IRON MAIDEN to me.

Obviously, there's Massacre which Iron Maiden actually covered.

You mentioned Emerald, which would be the first Thin Lizzy song I would play for an Iron Maiden fan wanting to dive into Thin Lizzy.

I think Steve Harris would have generally been influenced by Thin Lizzy's storytelling and imagination. Again, the musical component was the twin guitar harmonies.


I'm not sure what Nicko's influences are. Pretty sure he was already professionally playing in the mid 70's, but I always found that the drumming to Opium Trail reminds me of Nicko.


I'll repost this in the Iron Maiden thread. I don't want to give Kev a popsicle headache.

[KevShmev]

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here



One of the most perfect records of not only the 70's, but of any era, ever.  Every single thing about this record is perfect - the music, the lyrics, the atmosphere, the playing, the artwork, everything. 

[TAC]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this album. I don't in any way consider myself a Pink Floyd fan, but this album is fantastic.

[ProfessorPeart]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this album. I don't in any way consider myself a Pink Floyd fan, but this album is fantastic.

Almost the same. Seeing Gilmour perform Shine On a few years ago was spine-tingling.

[TAC]

Yeah, I'm more of a hard rock/metal guys, but there's something about this album....and Animals that totally hit the spot.

[Cool Chris]

Definitely one of the most played CDs in my classic rock phase. At this point, the middle three songs are 'Retired Favorites' that I never feel compelled to listen to, and rank in the middle of the pack of PF's material. But if I grow to be 100 listening to Shine On... will never cease to bring me joy.

[silentmac6]

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

One of the most perfect records of not only the 70's, but of any era, ever.  Every single thing about this record is perfect - the music, the lyrics, the atmosphere, the playing, the artwork, everything. 

Yes, in fact the holy trinity of Dark Side, Wish... and Animals (cared less for The Wall) are a must for any self respecting prog fan, each showcasing a slightly different aspect to the band. But Wish... highlighted Floyd's mastery of space and atmospherics. The two Animals songs initially slated for Wish... would have detracted from the overall feel of this individual album. Certainly this was the last 70s one Rick Wright was happy with.

[The Curious Orange]

Wish You Were Here is as perfect an album as it is possible to get. 'Nuff said.

[The Curious Orange]

And as for Bob Dylan -

Really? You've never heard Blowin' in the Wind? The Times they are a-Changing? Subterranean Homesick Blues? Like a Rolling Stone? Just Like A Woman? Lay Lady Lay? A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall? Hey Mr Tamborine Man? Quinn the Eskimo? It's All Over Now Baby Blue? Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again?

[jingle.boy]

WYWH is god-tier.  I put it slightly behind The Wall for my own personal reasons (the latter had a bigger impact on my teenage years), but not by much.  Many a 'baking' session was spent with WYWH.  Welcome to the Machine is a Top 10 song of all time for my preferences - #8 to be precise.

[MirrorMask]

I'll play along, even though it was not directed at me.

And as for Bob Dylan -

Really? You've never heard.....

Blowin' in the Wind? Yes
The Times they are a-Changing? Yes, thanks to Blackmore's Night
Subterranean Homesick Blues? No
Like a Rolling Stone? I assume yes, but I can't tell right now how the song goes
Just Like A Woman? Lay Lady Lay? Both no
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall? Yes, thanks to a local folk artist who used it as an intro for a song of his about New Orleans during Kathrina 2005
Hey Mr Tamborine Man? I recognize the title, don't know if I heard the song and if I did I don't know right now how it goes
Quinn the Eskimo? It's All Over Now Baby Blue? Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again? All no.

[Podaar]

WYWH is my favorite Pink Floyd album! Everything about it is perfect, IMO.

[KevShmev]

WYWH is god-tier.  I put it slightly behind The Wall for my own personal reasons (the latter had a bigger impact on my teenage years), but not by much. 

Same here.  The Wall was the first Floyd album I heard, in the fall of 1990, and it was a life-changing album for me. I would concede that Wish You Were Here is probably the slightly better overall record, but The Wall is a bit more of a personal favorite. Both would be in my top 10-15 all-time list. 

[bosk1]

As I have posted before, I was pretty late to the Pink Floyd party.  And they are one of those bands whose discography I have never felt compelled to complete (although there are two albums I still need to add).  I got this one relatively recently (about 5 years ago, I think), and I love it.  Really great album from start to finish. 

[Podaar]

WYWH is god-tier.  I put it slightly behind The Wall for my own personal reasons (the latter had a bigger impact on my teenage years), but not by much. 

Same here.  The Wall was the first Floyd album I heard, in the fall of 1990, and it was a life-changing album for me. I would concede that Wish You Were Here is probably the slightly better overall record, but The Wall is a bit more of a personal favorite. Both would be in my top 10-15 all-time list. 

Kev,

We've talked before about how much the order in which you hear a band's discography effects your feeling toward it. I'm as guilty as anyone in this regard. WYWH was released shortly after my 14th birthday. I was kind of a record store junky in those days and I proudly brought the record home that same week to one up my older brother. He'd been the first to introduce me to DSotM and I couldn't wait rub it in his face that I'd beat him to the punch.

I often relate 70's music to the books I was reading at the time. In this case, Lord of the Rings. That could also have an effect on how I feel about this album since I was completely obsessed with LotR then. 

[pg1067]

And as for Bob Dylan -

Really? You've never heard Blowin' in the Wind? The Times they are a-Changing? Subterranean Homesick Blues? Like a Rolling Stone? Just Like A Woman? Lay Lady Lay? A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall? Hey Mr Tamborine Man? Quinn the Eskimo? It's All Over Now Baby Blue? Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again?

Blowin' in the Wind?  Yes, but it was the Peter, Paul & Mary version.
Mr. Tambourine Man?  Yes, but it was the Byrds' version.
Quinn the Eskimo?  Yes, but it was the Manfred Mann version.

I've heard OF Like a Rolling Stone (although that phrase makes me think of Dig It by the Beatles) and The Times They Are a-Changing, and I might have heard them, but I have no idea how they go.

They others don't even sound familiar to me.


As for Floyd, the mere mention makes me sleepy.

[jingle.boy]

WYWH is god-tier.  I put it slightly behind The Wall for my own personal reasons (the latter had a bigger impact on my teenage years), but not by much. 

Same here.  The Wall was the first Floyd album I heard, in the fall of 1990, and it was a life-changing album for me. I would concede that Wish You Were Here is probably the slightly better overall record, but The Wall is a bit more of a personal favorite. Both would be in my top 10-15 all-time list. 

I was 4 years ahead of you, but otherwise, we're identical in this regard.  As I look back at my Top 50 ranking, WYWH was #17; The Wall #14

[KevShmev]

I was 4 years ahead of you, but otherwise, we're identical in this regard.  As I look back at my Top 50 ranking, WYWH was #17; The Wall #14

 

Kev,

We've talked before about how much the order in which you hear a band's discography effects your feeling toward it. I'm as guilty as anyone in this regard. WYWH was released shortly after my 14th birthday. I was kind of a record store junky in those days and I proudly brought the record home that same week to one up my older brother. He'd been the first to introduce me to DSotM and I couldn't wait rub it in his face that I'd beat him to the punch.

 

[KevShmev]

Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack)



I actually remember my parents listening to this a lot in the late 70's/early 80's on 8-track. That's right, 8-track! I cannot say I have ever actually listened to it since, but it's definitely a disco classic, featuring five songs that most people my age or older know pretty well, the four big Bee Gees hits and Disco Inferno by the Trammps.  Say what you want, but Disco Inferno is one helluva fun song.  Let's hear from the older fans who grew up listening to this.