Urban75 Album of the Year 1974

[zahir]

Scott Walker - We Had It All

 

[isvicthere?]

This may not have aged well, but I played it to death at the time, and still hold it in great affection.....

 

[zahir]

Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco - Celia & Johnny

 

[zahir]

Fania All Stars - Latin-Soul-Rock

 

[zahir]

Etta James - Come a Little Closer

 

[Dystopiary]

Hawkwind - Hall of the Mountain Grill

 

[Dr. Furface]

Little Feat - Feats Don't Fail Me Now

Arguably their best album.

 

[hitmouse]

Oh, apparently there was a band called Roxy Music who had an album called Country Life that came out in 1974. Does anyone know if Roxy Music were any good?

 

[hitmouse]

Interesting article about the Apollo Stars, with interviews with three of the members, one more complimentary about L Ron Hubbard than the others, one literally having to escape after being put in Scientology prison:

The Apollo Stars

Blimey, that Daniel Dylan Wray gets around.

 

[nogojones]

William DeVaughn - Be thankful for What you Got

A bit too smooth for my tastes, but the title track more than makes up for it

 

[SpookyFrank]

Oh, apparently there was a band called Roxy Music who had an album called Country Life that came out in 1974. Does anyone know if Roxy Music were any good?

Yes.

That is to say, yes I do know if they were any good. No, they weren't. Singer sounds like he's starring in a public health advert about how to tell if your nan is having a stroke.

 

[nogojones]

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Change Up The Groove is just wonderful if you love vibes solos

 

[nogojones]

Lonnie Liston Smith - Cosmic Funk

 

[SpookyFrank]

Lonnie Liston Smith - Cosmic Funk

Love that tune, put on one of my urburn CD's back when we still did them.

 

[krtek a houby]

Steely Dan's third brilliant LP

 

[krtek a houby]

Underrated T-Rex

 

[krtek a houby]

---

Queen's greatest?

 

[The39thStep]

Oh, apparently there was a band called Roxy Music who had an album called Country Life that came out in 1974. Does anyone know if Roxy Music were any good?

First 4 albums were ace

 

[krtek a houby]

What a truly remarkable and rewarding year for music

 

[The39thStep]

Brian Eno - Taking Taking Tiger Mountain (by strategy)

 

[krtek a houby]

From "Kimono My House"

 

[The39thStep]

From "Kimono My House"

Propaganda the next album was released later the same year, boys were on a roll.

 

[Spandex]

Mulatu Astatke released his Ethio Jazz album, mixing jazz, soul, rock, latin & african rhythms. No-one in the west noticed for another three decades, where he's now a cult figure.

 

[andysays]

Oh, apparently there was a band called Roxy Music who had an album called Country Life that came out in 1974. Does anyone know if Roxy Music were any good?

That was their first album after Eno left; not as good as the first two, IMO.

Speaking of Eno, he had a couple of albums out himself this year

 

[Spandex]

The Lafayette Afro-Rock Band released Malik, an excellent funky afro-rock album:



Junglists and hip-hoppers will instantly recognise the much sampled start of Darkest Light:

 

[The39thStep]

Isao Tomita - Snowflakes Are Dancing

You'd be surprised how many people had an album of Debussy interpreted by a Japanese synthetist obsessed with Walter Carlos in their record collection in the 1970s. Not sure what the bridge to it would have been probably prog bands that played the odd classical bit like The Nice, ELP, RickWakeman and the Tangerine Dream type bands. . Anyway its been playing in the bacground for the past hour or so whilst I do some chores and pottering about in the garden and its great for that.

 

[Fez909]

This is lovely. Artwork's a bit dodgy, though...

https://www.discogs.com/master/379410-Nino-Ferrer-Nino-And-Radiah

 

[andysays]

Here's a couple more hot picks from me

 

[The39thStep]

Kevin Coyne is one of those artists whose reach diminished the longer he went on and even after his death there was no revisiting him or reappraisal. His back catalogue was just left untouched for years. Ex -psychiatric worker and drug counsellor his lyrics often contained references to his client's experiences and at times he seemed to reflect his clients behaviours. Blame It on the Night his third album, was an attempt to push him by Virgin , who were desperate for revenue, towards a more mainstream audience, adding saxophones , female singers etc. However, the merit in his work was nearly always either his bluesy type style or his acoustics with cutting and often disturbing lyrics. Blame It on the Night is worth a visit if only to remind/discover what he was all about warts and all.

 

[belboid]

Kevin Coyne is one of those artists whose reach diminished the longer he went on and even after his death there was no revisiting him or reappraisal. His back catalogue was just left untouched for years. Ex -psychiatric worker and drug counsellor his lyrics often contained references to his client's experiences and at times he seemed to reflect his clients behaviours. Blame It on the Night his third album, was an attempt to push him by Virgin , who were desperate for revenue, towards a more mainstream audience, adding saxophones , female singers etc. However, the merit in his work was nearly always either his bluesy type style or his acoustics with cutting and often disturbing lyrics. Blame It on the Night is worth a visit if only to remind/discover what he was all about warts and all.

and was asked to be the replacement for Jim Morrison in The Doors