(29) Gino Vannelli - Powerful People (1974)

"Powerful People" is the title of the second studio album of Italian-Canadian singer Gino Vannelli. The album was released in 1974, and was produced by Gino and his brother Joe Vannelli.
The album is characterized by Joe Vannelli's first experiments with synthesizers.
The music and singing are pleasant enough on this Montrealer's second outing.  The funky "People Gotta Move" was Vannelli's first hit in the United States, when disco music was gaining popularity. And you just know from the lyrics that while you are having a good time grooving to the music that Gino also wants you to think a little bit too. The ballads "lady" and "jojo" are two favoirtes. They showcase Gino's honeyed, crystal clear, beautiful voice (the instrument that I think he plays the best). You feel as if the songs are really personal. I imangined he was singing "lady" just for me (as did, no doubt, a million other women), and I wondered who "jojo" was, if he was really the child of a family member or friend. The last track, "Poor Happy Jimmy", is a tribute to American singer Jim Croce, who died in an airplane accident a year earlier.
"Powerful People" gives listeners a hint that in addition to being a talented singer, musician, and lyricist, Gino is also a superb arranger and orchestrator. The songs on the album that most clearly demonstrate that are, "son of a new york gun", "jack miraculous", and "powerful people".

Tracklist

1.  People Gotta Move  (Gino Vannelli)  - 3:21
2.  Lady  (Gino Vannelli)  - 3:43
3.  Son of a New York Gun  (Gino Vannelli)  - 3:23
4.  Jack Miraculous  (Gino Vannelli)  - 2:42
5.  Jo Jo  (Gino Vannelli)  - 3:40
6.  Powerful People  (Gino Vannelli)  - 6:12
7.  Felicia  (Gino Vannelli)  - 3:04
8.  The Work Verse  (Gino Vannelli)  - 2:54
9.  Poor Happy Jimmy  (Gino Vannelli)  - 3:49

Released:  1974
Label:  A&M
Genre:  Soft Rock, Jazz, Funk
Length:  32:48
Producer:  Gino Vannelli, Joe Vannelli
Arrangements by:  Joe Vannelli

Personnel:
Gino Vannelli - vocals
Joe Vannelli - electric piano, synthesizer
Richard Baker - organ, synthesizer
Graham Lear - drums
Tony Golia - bongos, congas
John Mandel - percussion
Lani Hall - background vocals

(28) Nazareth - Close Enough For Rock 'N' Roll (1976)

"Close Enough For Rock 'N' Roll" was the seventh studio album by the Scottish rock band Nazareth, released in 1976. The album title refers to a saying among guitar players: it doesn't matter if your guitar is fully in tune, as long as its "close enough for rock n' roll".
"Telegram" seriously sounds like a major influence to the upcoming 80's glam metal scene. The one thing that immediately separates it from your typical metal tune is the build-up in great lyrics and bass guitar. "F.M station soundin' good, and gettin' better every mile". That's a great line. Too bad radio stinks these days, har har.
"Homesick Again" is most noticeable for that fantastic verse melody. "Vancouver Shakedown" has a really good bluesy feel to it, and what enhances the experience are, again, the catchy and exciting vocal melody. "Carry Out Feelings" is a nice pop song with a chorus.
Anyway, with the mid 70's approaching, the sound of Nazareth has begun to change, but only slightly. The great songwriting has remained, the distinctive voice of the lead singer is still firmly intact.

Tracklist

1.  Telegram:  (Agnew, Charlton, McCafferty, Sweet, Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman  - 7:54
     Part 1 - On Your Way
     Part 2 - So You Wanna Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star
     Part 3 - Sound Check
     Part 4 - Here We Are Again
2.  Vicki  (M.Charlton, D.McCafferty, P.Agnew, D.Sweet)  - 2:24
3.  Homesick Again  (M.Charlton, D.McCafferty, P.Agnew, D.Sweet)  - 4:30
4.  Vancouver Shakedown  (M.Charlton, D.McCafferty, P.Agnew, D.Sweet)  - 4:04
5.  Born Under the Wrong Sign  (M.Charlton, D.McCafferty, P.Agnew, D.Sweet)  - 3:56
6.  Loretta  (M.Charlton, D.McCafferty, P.Agnew, D.Sweet)  - 3:18
7.  Carry out Feelings  (M.Charlton, D.McCafferty, P.Agnew, D.Sweet)  - 3:18
8.  Lift the Lid  (M.Charlton, D.McCafferty, P.Agnew, D.Sweet)  - 3:51
9.  You're the Violin  (Jeff Barry)  - 4:43

Released:  March 1976
Recorded at:  Le Studio, Montreal, Canada
Genre:  Hard Rock
Length:  38:12
Label:  Vertigo
Producer:  Manny Charlton
Engineer:  Nick Blagona, John Punter

Personnel
Dan McCafferty - vocals
Pete Agnew - bass guitar, guitar, piano, vocals
Manny Charlton - guitar, producer
Darrell Sweet - percussion, drums

(27) Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Best Years Of Our Lives (1975)

"The Best Years Of Our Lives" is an album by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel released in March 1975. It was their first album that used Harley's name ahead of the band (the band was previously known simply as Cockney Rebel). The album contains the band's biggest hit, the million selling "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)".
By his third album, Steve Harley had developed a strong grasp of how to combine his artistic ambitions with strongly crafted pop tunes that win the casual listener over to his artsy cause. The result was "The Best Years of Our Lives", the most successful album of his mid-'70s heyday. This album was a big hit in his native England, thanks to the fact that it spawned two major hit singles. The first was "Mr. Raffles," a surreal yet romanticized portrait of a convention-flaunting outlaw. The odd lyrics work thanks to the phenomenal tune backing them up, which contrasts gentle verses built on piano and acoustic guitar with choruses that work in a surprising but slickly integrated reggae beat. The second and even more impressive hit was "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)," a romantic pop tune that pairs Harley's clever wordplay with a clever pop tune that boasts an inventive stop-start arrangement and a lovely flamenco-styled acoustic guitar solo. Although the rest of the songs on the album aren't as strong as these singles ("It Wasn't Me" has an atmospheric synthesizer-dominated soundscape, but lacks any memorable hooks or surprising twists in its arrangement), there are plenty of highlights for the Harley fan. Some of the standouts include "The Mad, Mad Moonlight," a driving rocker with humorous lyrics about a romantic encounter with an unlikely female suitor, and the title track, a touching acoustic ballad that highlights some of Harley's most direct and emotional lyrics. All in all, The Best Years of Our Lives is a fine, slickly crafted album that will delight Steve Harley enthusiasts and will also appeal to fans of glam-oriented 1970s English rock.

Track listing

01.  Introducing the Best Years  - 1:07
02.  The Mad, Mad Moonlight  - 4:30
03.  Mr. Raffles  - 4:33
04.  It Wasn't Me  - 6:02
05.  Panorama  - 5:38
06.  Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)  - 4:01
07.  Back to the Farm  - 5:53
08.  49th Parallel  - 3:13
09.  The Best Years of Our Lives  - 5:46
10.  Another Journey (Bonus Track)  - 2:52
11.  Sebastian (Live at Hammersmith Odeon) (Bonus Track)  - 10:54

Released:  March 1975
Recorded, Mixed at:  The EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London and Air Studios
Genre:  Pop, Rock
Label:  EMI
Producer:  Steve Harley, Alan Parsons
All songs written and composed by:  Steve Harley

Personnel
Steve Harley - vocals
Jim Cregan - guitars, backing vocals
George Ford - bass guitar, backing vocals
Duncan Mackay - synthesizer, keyboards, Hammond organ, electric piano, clavinet, elka, grand piano, violin
Stuart Elliott - drums, percussion, marimba
Tina Charles - backing vocals
Martin Jay - backing vocals
Yvonne Keeley - backing vocals
Linda Lewis - backing vocals
Liza Strike - backing vocals

(26) Eric Clapton - There´s One In Every Crowd (1975)

Having stayed out of the recording studio for four years prior to making his comeback album, "461 Ocean Boulevard", Eric Clapton returned to recording only a few months later to make its follow-up, "There's One in Every Crowd". It was the first record where Clapton could catch his breath coming out of a battle with drug addiction. Having become enamored with reggae after riding Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" to top of the the charts around the world, E.C. chose to record in Kingston, Jamaica. Slowhand successfully dipped his toe into the reggae pool by way of the loping beat of "Don't Blame Me," along with an infectious take on "Swing Low Sweet Chariot." (He even managed to add an impressive Jamaican patois to his vocal style). Elsewhere, Clapton returned to the roots of American music via straight-forward gospel ("We've Been Told Jesus Is Coming Soon)"and blues (Elmore James' "The Sky Is Crying" and Mary McCready's "Singin' The Blues.") Clapton's bypassing of electric guitar for some vastly underrated dobro playing turned his self-penned "Pretty Blue Eyes" and "High" into gems often overlooked in his enormous canon. Features guests Carl Radle and Yvonne Elliman.

Track listing

01.  We've Been Told (Jesus Is Coming Soon)  (Willie Johnson/Traditional)  - 4:28
02.  Swing Low, Sweet Chariot  (Traditional)  - 3:33
03.  Little Rachel  (Jim Byfield)  - 4:06
04.  Don't Blame Me  (Clapton/George Terry)  - 3:35
05.  The Sky Is Crying  (Elmore James)  - 3:58
06.  Singin' the Blues  (Mary McCreary)  - 3:26
07.  Better Make It Through Today  (Clapton)  - 4:07
08.  Pretty Blue Eyes  (Clapton)  - 4:45
09.  High  (Clapton)  - 3:30
10.  Opposites  (Clapton)  - 4:52

Released:  March 1975
Recorded at:  Dynamic Sounds Studio, Kingston, Jamaica and Criteria Recording Studios, Miami, Florida
Genre:  Blues Rock
Length:  40:08
Label:  RSO
Producer:  Tom Dowd
Arranger:  Eric Clapton

Personnel
Eric Clapton - lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, dobro
George Terry - electric and acoustic guitars, group vocals
Jamie Oldaker - drums, percussion
Dick Sims - organ, piano, electric piano
Carl Radle - bass guitar, electric guitar
Yvonne Elliman - lead vocals, group vocals
Marcy Levy - group vocals

(25) Lou Reed - Lou Reed Live (1975)

"Lou Reed Live" is a live album by Lou Reed, released in 1975.
It was recorded at the same concert as "Rock 'n' Roll Animal" ; on December 21, 1973, at Howard Stein's Academy of Music in New York.
It features three songs from "Transformer", one song from "The Velvet Underground & Nico" (Reed's former band's debut album) and two songs from "Berlin".
Between this album and the remastered "Rock 'n' Roll Animal" the entire show has been released, albeit in a different order than the original concert setlist.
The raw edge of the live recording is superb with Vicious, Satelitte of Love and Walk on the Wild Side real stand outs. Favourite is the treatment of Waiting for the Man. Crank it up ,close your eyes and check out the guitar...just great.
This live album's stereo mix differs from its counterpart in that guitarist Dick Wagner is heard on the left channel, and Steve Hunter is on the right; this arrangement is reversed on "Rock 'n' Roll Animal".

Track listing

1.  Vicious  - 5:55
2.  Satellite of Love  - 6:03
3.  Walk on the Wild Side  - 4:51
4.  I'm Waiting for the Man  - 3:38
5.  Oh, Jim  - 10:40
6.  Sad Song  - 7:32

Released:  March 1975
Recorded:  21 December 1973, Howard Stein's Academy of Music, NYC
Genre:  Glam Rock, Live
Length:  37:49
Label:  RCA Records
Producer:  Steve Katz, Lou Reed

Personnel
Lou Reed – vocals
Pentti "Whitey" Glan – drums, percussion
Steve Hunter – guitars
Prakash John – bass, vocals
Dick Wagner – guitar, vocal
Ray Colcord - keyboards
Rob Hegel — background vocals

(24) Frank Ifield - Joanne (1975)

Frank Ifield is an early Australian-English easy listening and country music singer. He achieved considerable success in the early 1960´s. He was born in England, and moved to Australia in 1948. His father was an inventor and engineer famed for creating the Ifield pump, a device used in fuel systems for jet aircraft. While still in his teens, he became a regular on Bonnington's Bunkhouse, a popular radio program, and dropped out of school to pursue a music career full-time. He appeared on other radio shows as well, finally landing on the traveling Ted Quigg Show, where he stayed for many years.
Ifield signed with EMI Australia in 1953 and released two successful singles, including "There's a Loveknot in My Lariat." Soon he was hosting a weekly television show, Campfire Favourites. By 1959, Ifield was appearing on all three of the Sydney television channels. Later that year, he went to London, and had his first British hit in 1960 with "Lucky Devil." He remained in England and in 1962 became a star with his yodeling classic "I Remember You." The song stayed at the top of the British charts for over two months, and when released in the States it hit number five on the pop charts. His most successful year was 1963, when he scored two British number one hits; one of the chart-toppers, "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)," a cover of a Rudy Vallée hit, made it to the middle reaches of the U.S. pop charts as well. He continued having pop chart success through 1964, but after that his career in Britain began to wane. He came to Nashville in 1966 and was made an Honorary Tennessean by the state's governor, Frank Clement. Ifield recorded two albums in Nashville and debuted on The Grand Ole Opry, where he was a great success. During 1966-1967, he had several mid-range hits: "Call Her Your Sweetheart," "No One Will Ever Know," and "Tale of Two Cities," recorded for Hickory. With the album "Joanne" from 1975, he again found popularity in Europe during the '70s, particularly in Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg, and continued to tour and perform at country music festivals and cabarets.

Track listing

01.  Joanne  - 3:06
02.  California Cottonfields  - 2:19
03.  Why Can't People Be People  - 2:50
04.  I Cry My Heart For You  - 3:20
05.  Country Comfort  - 3:07
06.  Say Goodbye To Angelina  - 3:04
07.  Paint The World  - 3:00
08.  Silver Wings  - 3:06
09.  Him Big Top Me The Clown  - 3:03
10.  Don't Forget I Still Love You  - 2:04
11.  My Happiness  - 2:23
12.  Till I Waltz Again With You  - 2:17

Release:  1975
Label:  Blue Jean
Genre:  Country

(23) Emmylou Harris - Pieces Of The Sky (1975)

Emmylou Harris' major-label solo debut quickly establishes the pattern that the vast majority of her subsequent work would follow: "Pieces Of The Sky" is bravely eclectic, impeccably performed, and achingly beautiful. Amid a collection of songs that ranks among her most well-chosen ranging from the catalogs of the Beatles ("For No One") to Boudleaux and Felice Bryant ("Sleepless Nights") and the Louvin Brothers (the hit "If I Could Only Win Your Love") the record's centerpiece is one of Harris' rare original compositions, "Boulder to Birmingham," her stirring tribute to fallen mentor Gram Parsons.  A melding of traditional country's honesty, folk music's heart, and country-rock's punch. Her choice of material followed a similar curve everything from Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, and the Louvin Brothers to the Beatles and Shel Silverstein. Former Elvis sidemen James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, and Ron Tutt along with guests like Ricky Skaggs, fiddler Richard Greene, and pianist Bill Payne of Little Feat form a formidable supporting cast. What's most impressive is Harris's versatility she moves from delicate acoustic ballads to buoyant two-steppers to lavish string arrangements without ever sounding overmatched. She even takes a very personal tale like Dolly Parton's wonderful "Coat of Many Colors" and makes it her story. She may have inherited the band and the vision from her late mentor Gram Parsons, but the shimmering soprano voice is all her own.

Track listing

01.  Bluebird Wine  (Rodney Crowell)  - 3:18
02.  Too Far Gone  (Billy Sherrill)  - 4:05
03.  If I Could Only Win Your Love  (Charlie Louvin, Ira Louvin)  - 2:36
04.  Boulder to Birmingham  (Emmylou Harris, Bill Danoff)  - 3:33
05.  Before Believing  (Danny Flowers)  - 4:44
06.  Bottle Let Me Down  (Merle Haggard)  - 3:16
07.  Sleepless Nights  (Felice, Boudleaux Bryant)  - 3:25
08.  Coat of Many Colors  (Dolly Parton)  - 3:42
09.  For No One  (Lennon–McCartney)  - 3:40
10.  Queen of the Silver Dollar  (Shel Silverstein)  - 5:14
11.  Hank and Lefty  (Dallas Frazier, Doodle Owens) (Bonus Track)  - 2:50
12.  California Cottonfields  (Dallas Frazier, Earl Montgomery) (Bonus Track)  - 2:47

Released:  February 1975
Recorded at:  The Enactron Truck, Beverly Hills, California
Genre:  Country
Length:  44:11
Label:  Reprise
Producer:  Brian Ahern

Personnel
Brian Ahern - Acoustic Guitar, High-Strung Guitar, Super 400 Acoustic Guitar, Bass
Bruce Archer - Acoustic Guitar
Duke Bardwell - Bass
Byron Berline - Fiddle, Mandolin
James Burton - Electric Guitar, Gut-String Guitar, Dobro
Mark Cuff - Drums
Rick Cunha - Acoustic Guitar, High-Strung Guitar
Nick DeCaro - String Arrangements
Amos Garrett - Electric Guitar
Richard Greene - Fiddle
Tom Guidera - Bass
Glen D. Hardin - Piano, Electric Piano, String Arrangements
Emmylou Harris - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Ben Keith - Pedal Steel
Bernie Leadon - Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Dobro, Backing Vocals
Bill Payne - Piano
Herb Pedersen - Acoustic Guitar, 12-String Guitar, Banjo, Backing Vocals
Danny Pendleton - Pedal Steel
Ray Pohlman - Bass
Linda Ronstadt - Backing Vocals
Ricky Skaggs - Fiddle, Viola
Fayssoux Starling - Backing Vocals
Ron Tutt - Drums

(22) 10CC - The Original Soundtrack (1975)

10CC's third album, "The Original Soundtrack", finally scored them a major hit in the United States, and rightly so; "I'm Not in Love" walked a fine line between self-pity and self-parody with its weepy tale of a boy who isn't in love (really!), and the marvelously lush production and breathy vocals allowed the tune to work beautifully either as a sly joke or at face value. The album's opener, "Une Nuit a Paris," was nearly as marvelous; a sly and often hilarious extended parody of both cinematic stereotypes of life and love in France and overblown European pop. And side one's closer, "Blackmail," was a witty tale of sex and extortion gone wrong, with a superb guitar solo embroidering the ride-out. That's all on side one; side two, however, is a bit spottier, with two undistinguished tunes, "Brand New Day" and "Flying Junk," nearly dragging the proceedings to a halt before the band rallied the troops for a happy ending with the hilarious "The Film of Our Love." The Original Soundtrack's best moments rank with the finest work 10cc ever released; however, at the same time it also displayed what was to become their Achilles' heel the inability to make an entire album as strong and memorable as those moments.

Tracklist

1.  Une Nuit a Paris: One Night in Paris, Pt. 1/The Same Night in Paris, Pt. 2  (Creme, Godley)  - 8:40
2.  I'm Not in Love  (Gouldman, Stewart)  - 6:06
3.  Blackmail  (Gouldman, Stewart)  - 4:28
4.  The Second Sitting for the Last Supper  (Creme, Godley, Gouldman, Stewart)  - 4:25
5.  Brand New Day  (Creme, Godley)  - 4:04
6.  Flying Junk  (Gouldman, Stewart)  - 4:14
7.  Life Is a Minestrone  (Creme, Stewart)  - 4:42
8.  The Film of My Love  (Creme, Godley)  - 5:07

Released:  March 1975
Recorded:  at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, Cheshire, England
Genre:  Art Rock
Length:  41:46
Label:  Mercury
Producer:  10CC
Engineered, Mixed by:  Eric Stewart

Personnel
Lol Creme - vocals, piano, percussion, guitar, mandolin, autoharp, gizmo, organ, Moog, vibes, violin
Kevin Godley - vocals, drums, percussion, timpani, Moog, bongos, marimba, cello
Graham Gouldman  - vocals, bass, guitar, mandolin, autoharp, percussion
Eric Stewart - vocals, guitar, piano, organ, percussion

(21) Yes - Yesterdays (1975)

"Yesterdays" is a 1975 compilation album by the British progressive rock band Yes. Released as the band were about to explore their own solo projects, it consists mostly of material from their first two albums.
After three years of unparalleled international success, Yes were at a crossroads in late 1974. Star keyboard player Rick Wakeman had exited the lineup in mid-year, to be succeeded by Patrick Moraz, and the reconstituted band had released the "Relayer" album which reached the Top Five in America late that year. But despite that success and an impending tour, there was some doubt about the group's continued viability all five members were planning on releasing their own solo albums as soon as time and a break in touring allowed, and there was some question as to whether the absence of Wakeman would have a long-term impact. In those circumstances, Atlantic Records saw both a need and an opportunity to exploit parts of the group's catalog, and the result was "Yesterdays". The first compilation of the group's work, the album was assembled from parts of the band's first two LPs, "Yes" (1969) and "Time and a Word" (1970), which had never sold in large numbers. Some of the material in question, such as "Astral Traveler," fit the bill without explanation (the latter's title alone being perfect), and original Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye's heavy use of Hammond organ was a strong selling point on the latter, as well as on "Looking Around," "Then," and "Survival," while Chris Squire's bass work on "Time and a Word" coupled with its gorgeous chorus sold the latter song as being of a piece with their established sound; and Bill Bruford's timpani-like playing on the most dramatic moments of this material showed just how advanced these guys were even before they decided on full-out assault on progressive rock. And "Dear Father," with its undercurrent of teen angst, showed an alternate direction into that sound, in almost rock opera terms, that the band might have taken. Of course, most serious fans already owned the two original albums, but many of them were glad to pick this up just to get the band's soaring, prog rock adaptation of Paul Simon's "America," a one-off cut with the classic lineup featuring Wakeman and guitarist Steve Howe, which had previously shown up exclusively on an Atlantic sampler; so in its way, Yesterdays was brilliant from an A&R and marketing standpoint. The album also gave newer fans their first opportunity to appreciate the angular playing of original guitarist Peter Banks, who was well-represented on these tracks. He'd left before the band's breakthrough, but "Yesterdays" became his biggest commercial showcase to date.

Tracklist

1.  America  (Paul Simon)  - 10:30
2.  Looking Around  (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire)  - 4:00
3.  Time and a Word  (Jon Anderson, David Foster)  - 4:32
4.  Sweet Dreams  (Jon Anderson, David Foster)  - 3:50
5.  Then  (Jon Anderson)  - 5:45
6.  Survival  (Jon Anderson)  - 6:20
7.  Astral Traveller  (Jon Anderson)  - 5:53
8.  Dear Father  (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire)  - 4:21

Released:  28 February 1975
Genre:  Progressive rock
Length:  45:36
Label:  Atlantic
Producer:  Paul Clay, Tony Colton, Eddie Offord, Yes

Personnel
Jon Anderson - vocals
Chris Squire - bass guitar, vocals
Peter Banks - guitar
Steve Howe - guitar
Tony Kaye - keyboards
Rick Wakeman - keyboards
Bill Bruford - drums, keyboards

(20) Golden Earring - Switch (1975)

"Switch" is an album by Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 1975.
After the success of "Moontan", Golden Earring could have easily parlayed its success into international stardom by continuing to play up that album's commercial elements. Instead, the group did an about-face, pursuing uncommercial song themes and pushing the prog rock side of its sound to the fore (this move included the addition of Dutch prog rock keyboardist Robert Jan Stips, formerly of Supersister, to the lineup). The band even lampooned the sexy cover art of its recent hit album with a similar cover that replaced the gorgeous showgirl on "Moontan" with a marionette. The result is an album that lacks the consistent sound and coherence of "Moontan", but makes up for it with an adventurous spirit and plenty of instrumental firepower. Highlights include "Love Is a Rodeo," a tune that starts as a thrilling guitar rocker before taking a sudden left turn into a finger-snapping instrumental coda dominated by synthesizer, and "Kill Me (Ce Soir)," a mystical epic that starts with a pulsating bassline and builds to a thunderous, orchestrated climax as its lyrics present a surprisingly incisive portrait of how society inevitably destroys its idols. A downside is that, by encompassing so many different styles, the songs lack the logical flow that would allow Switch to feel like a full, cohesive album. Another problem is that the lyrics have a bitter and defensive tinge (especially on "The Switch", a hard-edged explanation of the group's artistic rationale) that sometimes sits at odds with the exciting quality of the music. Despite these problems, "Switch2 remains a solid album that Golden Earring's fan base will enjoy; the disc might also appeal to adventurous fans of prog and hard rock.

Tracklist

1.  Intro: Plus Minus Absurdio  (Barry Hay, George Kooymans)  - 3:08
2.  Love Is a Rodeo  (Barry Hay, George Kooymans)  - 3:37
3.  The Switch  (Barry Hay, George Kooymans)  - 5:27
4.  Kill Me  (Ce Soir) (John Fenton, Hay, Kooymans)   - 6:22
5.  Tons of Time  (Barry Hay, George Kooymans)  - 4:20
6.  Daddy's Gonna Save My Soul  (Barry Hay, George Kooymans)  - 4:15
7.  Troubles and Hassles  (Barry Hay, George Kooymans)  - 4:20
8.  Lonesome D.J.  (Barry Hay, George Kooymans)  - 4:36

Released:  March 1975
Genre:  Rock
Length:  35:31
Label:  Polydor
Producer:  Golden Earring
Engineer:  Andy Knight, John Kriek, Jan Schuurman
Mixing:  Andy Knight, John Kriek
Arranger:  Golden Earring

Personnel
George Kooymans - guitar, vocals
Rinus Gerritsen - bass, keyboards
Barry Hay - flute, vocals
Cesar Zuiderwijk - drums
Eelco Gelling - guitar
Bertus Borgers - saxophone
Robert Jan Stips - keyboard

(19) Alquin - Nobody Can Wait Forever (1975)

Alquin was a Dutch progressive rock band which released four studio albums in the 1970´s. The band split in 1977. They made a comeback in 2003
"Nobody Can Wait Forever" is the group's third release, from 1975. "Although less progressive than the two previous albums, this is by far my favourite Alquin record.
This is the first album that feature vocalist Michael Van Dijk, his versatile performance in addition to the new approach of the compositions gives a powerful and overall fresher sound to the band.  Highlights are the album opener, the almost hard-rocker Stranger and the album closer Revolution's Eve, coincidentaly the proggiest tracks on this record. While most people may enjoy the two previous albums better, I prefer the less complicated compositions featured on this album, as I said before Alquin managed to sound really fresh and powerful but keeping their progressive influences.

Tracklist

1.  Stranger  - 6:35
     (a) Stranger
     (b) You Might As Well Fall
2.  Mr. Widow  - 3:35
3.  New Guinea Sunrise  - 6:25
    (a) Sunrise
    (b) Wake Me Up
4.  Darling Superstar  - 7:50
5.  Farewell, Miss Barcelona  - 2:55
6.  Wheelchair Groupie  - 3:05
7.  Revolution's Eve  - 7:25
   (a) Revolution's Theme
   (b) Nobody Can Wait Forever

Release:  1975
Label:  RCA
Genre:  Progressive Rock
Length:  38:21
Producer:  Rodger Bain
Music By:  Ferdinand Bakker
Words By:  Job Tarenskeen, Michel van Dijk
Engineer:  Vic Smith

Personnel
Michel van Dijk - Lead Vocals
Ronald Ottenhoff - Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute
The Thunderthighs - Backing Vocals
Hein Mars - Bass
Job Tarenskeen - Drums
Paul Weststrate - Drums, Percussion
Ferdinand Bakker - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Dick Franssen - Organ, Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Moog]
Job Tarenskeen - Percussion, Saxophone, Vocals

(18) The Byrds - Byrds (1973)

"Byrds" is the 12th album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in March 1973 on Asylum Records. It was recorded as the centerpiece of a reunion between the five original members of The Byrds: Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, and Michael Clarke. The last time that all five members had worked together as The Byrds was in 1966, prior to Gene Clark's departure from the band. During the reunion, the current, latter-day line-up of the band continued to make live appearances until February 1973, with McGuinn being the only member common to both versions of the group.
However, if most of the participants meant for this to be anything more than a one-shot get-together, you couldn't tell from listening to the resulting album; Byrds never sounds much like a Byrds album, absent McGuinn's chiming 12-string guitar and the group's striking harmonies (the Byrds' twin aural calling cards). Much of the original material, especially David Crosby's, sounds like cast-offs from their other projects. And what sort of a Byrds album features two Neil Young covers and not a single Bob Dylan tune? In all fairness, Byrds has its moments: Gene Clark's "Full Circle" and "Changing Heart" are great songs from the group's least-appreciated member, and McGuinn's "Born to Rock 'n' Roll" is a top-notch rock anthem. But for the most part, Byrds sounds like a competent but unexciting country-rock band going through their paces, rather than the work of one of the best and most innovative American bands of the 1960s.

Tracklist

01.  Full Circle  (Gene Clark)  - 2:43
02.  Sweet Mary  (Roger McGuinn, Jacques Levy)  - 2:55
03.  Changing Heart  (Gene Clark)  - 2:42
04.  For Free  (Joni Mitchell)  - 3:50
05.  Born to Rock 'n' Roll  (Roger McGuinn)  - 3:12
06.  Things Will Be Better  (Chris Hillman, Dallas Taylor)  - 2:13
07.  Cowgirl in the Sand  (Neil Young)  - 3:24
08.  Long Live the King  (David Crosby)  - 2:17
09.  Borrowing Time  (Chris Hillman, Joe Lala)  - 2:00
10.  Laughing  (David Crosby)  - 5:38
11.  (See the Sky) About to Rain  (Neil Young)  - 3:49

Released:  March 7, 1973
Recorded:  Wally Heider Studios, Hollywood, CA
Genre:  Country Rock
Length:  34:54
Label:  Asylum
Producer:  David Crosby

Personnel
Roger McGuinn – guitar, banjo, Moog synthesizer, vocals
Gene Clark - guitar, harmonica, tambourine, vocals
David Crosby - guitar, vocals
Chris Hillman – electric bass, guitar, mandolin, vocals
Michael Clarke – drums, congas, percussion
Wilton Felder - electric bass on "Cowgirl in the Sand"
Johnny Barbata - drums on "Cowgirl in the Sand"
Dallas Taylor - congas, tambourine

(17) Ekseption - Beggar Julia's Time Trip (1970)

Ekseption's successful debut-album had made them a big name even outside of Holland but Kruisman, Kampen and Leeuwe decided to leave the band in 1970. Dick Remelinck and Dennis Whitebread soon replaced them. The band also included singer Michael van Djik in the new line-up, introducing vocals to their sound. Their second album "Beggar Julia's Time Trip" was an ambitious and continuous concept-album that stands as one of the band's finest moments. The concept told the story of a female beggar who lived in year 900. One day she encounters some kind of a time-machine/space-ship that takes her on a journey through the centuries and up to our time. Musically, the album mixes classical themes with original material written by van der Linden. This includes a very beautiful, medieval-influenced overture, the rocking/jazzy "Pop Giant", the baroque "Feelings" and the vocal-number "Julia". The classical adaptations included Albinoni's "Adagio", Bach's "Italian Concerto" and Tchaikovsky's "Concerto". The latter also includes an uncredited theme from Beethoven's "Patetique". All these pieces are tasty and beautifully arranged in the typical Ekseption-way, dominated by van der Linden's organ, piano, harpsichord, mellotron and the various horns and wind-instruments of Broek and Remelinck. Overall I think that this was maybe Ekseption's most typical progressive album, and that would probably also make it the best starting point for many of you.

Tracklist

01.  Ouverture  (R. van der Linden)  - 3:22
02.  Prologue  (R. van der Linden, L. van Dijck)  - 2:21
03.  Julia  (R. van der Linden, M. van Dijk)  - 2:21
04.  Flying power  (R. van der Linden)  - 0:31
05.  Adagio  (Tomaso Albinoni, Remo Giazotto)  - 3:45
06.  Space I  (J.S. Bach)  - 0:44
07.  Italian concerto  (J.S. Bach)  - 4:59
08.  Concerto  (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)  - 3:52
09.  Space II  (R. van der Linden)  - 0:26
10.  Pop giant  (R. van der Linden, M. van Dijk)  - 3:54
11.  Space III  (R. van der Linden)  - 0:22
12.  Feelings   (R. van der Linden)  - 3:09
13.  Epilogue  (R. van der Linden, L. van Dijck)  - 0:57
14.  Finale (a) Music for mind (b) Theme Julia  (R. van der Linden, M. van Dijk)  - 3:55

Release:  1970
Label:  Philips
Genre:  Progressive Rock
Length:  34:39
Producer:  Tony Vos

Personnel
Cor Dekker - Bass
Dennis Whitebread - Drums
Rick Van Der Linden - Piano, Spinet, Xylophone, Organ [Hammond], Organ [Pipe], Mellotron, Percussion
Dick Remelink - Saxophone [Tenor], Saxophone [Soprano], Flute
Rein Van Den Broek - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Michel Van Dijk - Vocals, Percussion
Tony Vos - Saxes, Tonytone, Electronic effects
Linda van Dijck - Voice On "Prologue" & "Epilogue"
Eric van Lier - Trombone, Tuba

(16) Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick (1972)

"Thick As A Brick" is a concept album, and the fifth studio album, by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released in 1972. Its lyrics are based on a poem written by a fictitious boy, Gerald Bostock, said to have been adapted to music by Jethro Tull although the band's Ian Anderson in fact wrote the lyrics himself. The album features only one song, lasting nearly 44 minutes.
Mixing hard rock and English folk music with classical influences, set to stream-of-consciousness lyrics so dense with imagery that one might spend weeks pondering their meaning assuming one feels the need to do so the group created a dazzling tour de force, at once playful, profound, and challenging, without overwhelming the listener.
The music on here drowns in it's own sophistication, refinement and high-class; the musicianship and it's high-class is something that shouldn't be taken too lightly, and should be the envy of many a musician and a listener. It starts off with acoustic guitar, followed by the flute, then Ian's vocals. The piece takes off from there. From there you will find tremendous melody, some hard rock, folk, jazz, and classical influences combined with many different shifts in tempo and time, and the band pulls no punches, as musical ideas keep flowing and flowing into each other like one huge piece, until the climactic end. It's divided into two halves. To be quite honest, the whole thing sounds like one gigantic classical piece, only with rock added.

Tracklist

1.  Thick as a Brick, Part I  - 22:40
2.  Thick as a Brick, Part II  - 21:06

Released:  10 March 1972
Recorded at:  Morgan Studios, London
Genre:  Progressive Rock
Length:  43:46
Label:  Chrysalis
Producer:  Ian Anderson
Written by:  "Gerald Bostock" (Ian Anderson)

Personnel
Ian Anderson – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, violin, trumpet, saxophone
Martin Barre – electric guitar, lute
John Evan – piano, organ, harpsichord
Jeffrey Hammond - Bass guitar, Vocals
Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion, timpani
David Palmer – Brass and string arrangements

(15) The Three Degrees - The Three Degrees (1973)

The divas of Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International stable, the Three Degrees debuted their self-titled album for the label in 1973 before they hit the mainstream with MFSB and "TSOP" the following year. And, although they are so often piggybacked on that glory, it's important to remember that this remarkable trio was already established as one of the country's premier female vocal groups. With successful sides for Roulette already under their belt, The Three Degrees found them combining their already tried and true R&B style with Gamble & Huff's trademark orchestral, instrumental flourish. It was a heavenly marriage that easily, and obviously, brought the band into the Top 40. With the lion's share of "good" material crowded on side one, the set is highlighted by the opening "Dirty Ol' Man," which brought the band's harmonies cascading over the opening strings before they descended into edgier waters. Following apace is a wonderful version of "A Woman Needs a Good Man," before closing with "When Will I See you Again" the gorgeous, breathless ballad that nearly topped the charts in 1974. Elsewhere, the band tempers the obvious and silly "I Like Being a Woman" with the overlooked gem "If and When." The song, one of several written by Philly International bigwig Bunny Sigler, is a rough-and-tumble ballad that heats up by merging classic '70s rock elements with the Three Degrees' girl group ethics. Although it's ultimately patchy in places, The Three Degrees was a fine introduction for the partnership between the band and the label that would put them on the map. A fine bridge between sugar soul and the sexy disco strings lurking in the band's future.

Tracklist

1.  Dirty Ol' Man  (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff)  - 4:33
2.  Can't You See What You're Doing To Me  (Bruce Hawes, J.B. Jefferson)  - 2:31
3.  A Woman Needs a Good Man  (Bunny Sigler, Marvin E. Jackson, Mikki Farrow)  - 4:19
4.  When Will I See You Again  (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff)  - 2:58
5.  I Didn't Know  (Bunny Sigler, Jean-Pierre Lang)  - 2:50
6.  I Like Being a Woman  (Bruce Hawes, J.B. Jefferson)  - 3:56
7.  If and When  (Bruce Hawes, J.B. Jefferson)  - 7:07
8.  Year of Decision  (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff)  - 2:42

Released:  1973
Recorded at:  Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genre:  Soul
Length:  31:26
Label:  Philadelphia International Records
Producer:  Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff
Engineer [Recording]:  Joe Tarsia

Personnel
Sheila Ferguson - vocals
Valerie Holiday - vocals
Fayette Pinkney - vocals
Music By – MFSB

(14) Soundtrack - Tommy (1975)

"Tommy" is a soundtrack album by The Who featuring contributions from numerous artists. The soundtrack was used in the 1975 Tommy film that was based on the original album that was released by The Who in 1969.
Pete Townshend oversaw the production of this double-LP recording that returned the music to its rock roots, and on which the unrecorded orchestral arrangements he had envisaged for the original Tommy LP were realised by the extensive use of synthesiser.
The soundtrack LP also employed many leading sessions musicians including Caleb Quaye, Phil Chen and Nicky Hopkins (who also receives a "Special Thanks" in the album credits for help with the arrangements) as well as members of The Faces: Ronnie Wood and future Keith Moon replacement Kenney Jones. The song "Pinball Wizard", performed by Elton John, was a major hit when released as a single. Curiously, although the music for this song is performed by Elton John and his band, the film depicts Elton being backed by The Who. Townshend performs additional synthesizer and/or guitar on all tracks. Credits to "The Who" indicate performances by Townshend, John Entwistle and Moon jointly, regardless of vocalist.

Tracklist

Disc 1
01.  The Who - Overture from Tommy  - 5:01
02.  Pete Townshend and John Entwistle - Prologue: 1945  - 2:55
03.  Pete Townshend, Margo Newman and Vicki Brown - Captain Walker/It's a Boy  - 2:38
04.  The Who with vocals by Oliver Reed, Ann-Margret and Alison Dowling - Bernie's Holiday Camp  - 3:42
05.  Mott the Hoople with vocals by Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed - 1921/What about the Boy?  - 2:49
06.  Pete Townshend - Amazing Journey  - 3:19
07.  The Who and the vocal chorus with lead vocals by Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed and Alison Dowling - Christmas  - 3:59
08.  Eric Clapton - Eyesight to the Blind  - 3:21
09.  Tina Turner - The Acid Queen  - 3:47
10.  Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed - Do You Think It's Alright?  - 0:57
11.  Paul Nicholas - Cousin Kevin  - 3:07
12   Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed - Do You Think It's Alright?  - 0:46
13.  The Who with lead vocals by Keith Moon - Fiddle About  - 1:40
14.  Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed - Do You Think It's Alright?  - 0:29
15.  The Who - Sparks  - 3:07
16.  Simon Townshend - Extra, Extra, Extra  - 0:37
17.  Elton John - Pinball Wizard  - 5:22

Disc 2
01.  The Who with vocals by Ann-Margret and Roger Daltrey - Champagne  - 4:43
02.  Oliver Reed and Ann-Margret - There's a Doctor  - 0:29
03.  Jack Nicholson, Roger Daltrey and Ann-Margret - Go to the Mirror  - 3:49
04.  Ann-Margret - Tommy, Can You Hear Me?  - 0:55
05.  Ann-Margret - Smash the Mirror!  - 1:22
06.  Roger Daltrey - I'm Free  - 2:36
07.  Pete Townshend with vocals by Ann-Margret and Roger Daltrey - Mother and Son  - 2:36
08.  Roger Daltrey - Sensation  - 2:49
09.  Simon Townshend - Miracle Cure  - 0:23
10.  Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey - Sally Simpson  - 5:38
11.  Pete Townshend with vocals performed by Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed - Welcome  - 4:15
12.  Pete Townshend with vocals performed by Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed - T.V. Studio  - 1:14
13.  Keith Moon - Tommy's Holiday Camp  - 1:29
14.  Roger Daltrey and the vocal chorus - We're Not Gonna Take It  - 4:46
15.  The Who and the vocal chorus with lead vocals by Roger Daltrey - See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You  - 4:19

Released:  March 1975
Recorded at:  Eel Pie Sound, London, England; Ramport Studios; Ramport(The Kitchen)Studios
Genre:  Rock
Length:  90:35
Label:  Polydor
Producer:  Pete Townsend, Ken Russell, Gus Dudgeon
Arrangers:  Martyn Ford, Nicky Hopkins

Personnel
Eric Clapton - vocals, guitar
Pete Townshend - vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer
Elton John - vocals, piano
Keith Moon - vocals, drums
Ann-Margret - vocals
Vicki Brown - vocals
Margo Newman - vocals
Jack Nicholson - vocals
Alison Dowling - vocals
Oliver Reed - vocals
Paul Nicholas - vocals
Roger Daltrey - vocals
Simon Townshend - vocals
Tina Turner - vocals
Davey Johnstone - guitar
Mick Ralphs - guitar
Ron Wood - guitar
Caleb Quaye - guitar
Chris Stainton - acoustic guitar, piano, organ
Alan Ross - acoustic guitar
John Entwistle - brass, horns
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Gerald Shaw - organ
Mike Kelly - drums
Richard Bailey - drums
Kenney Jones - drums
Nigel Olsson - drums
Tony Newman - drums
Graham Deakin - drums
Ray Thomas, Ray Cooper - percussion

(13) Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)

"Physical Graffiti" is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 24 February 1975 as a double album. Recording sessions for the album were initially disrupted when bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones considered leaving the band. After reuniting at Headley Grange, the band wrote and recorded eight songs, the combined length of which stretched the album beyond the typical length of an LP. This prompted the band to make "Physical Graffiti" a double album by including previously unreleased tracks from earlier recording sessions. Led Zeppelin returned from a nearly two-year hiatus in 1975 with "Physical Graffiti". Led Zeppelin treat many of the songs on "Physical Graffiti" as forays into individual styles, only occasionally synthesizing sounds, notably on the tense, Eastern-influenced "Kashmir." With John Paul Jones' galloping keyboard, "Trampled Underfoot" ranks as their funkiest metallic grind, while "Houses of the Holy" is as effervescent as pre-Beatles pop and "Down by the Seaside" is the closest they've come to country. Even the heavier blues the 11-minute "In My Time of Dying," the tightly wound "Custard Pie," and the monstrous epic "The Rover" are subtly shaded, even if they're thunderously loud. Most of these heavy rockers are isolated on the first album, with the second half of "Physical Graffiti" sounding a little like a scrap heap of experiments, jams, acoustic workouts, and neo-covers. This may not be as consistent as the first platter, but its quirks are entirely welcome, not just because they encompass the mean, decadent "Sick Again," but the heartbreaking "Ten Years Gone" and the utterly charming acoustic rock & roll of "Boogie With Stu" and "Black Country Woman." Yes, some of this could be labeled as filler, but like any great double album, its appeal lies in its great sprawl, since it captures elements of the band's personality rarely showcased elsewhere and even at its worst, "Physical Graffiti" towers above its hard rock peers of the mid-'70s.

Tracklist

Disc 1
1.  Custard Pie  (Page, Plant)  - 4:14
2.  The Rover  (Page, Plant)  - 5:37
3.  In My Time Of Dying  (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant)  - 11:06
4.  Houses Of The Holy  (Page, Plant)  - 4:02
5.  Trampled Under Foot  (Jones, Page, Plant)  - 5:36
6.  Kashmir  (Bonham, Page, Plant)  - 8:28

Disc 2
1.  In The Light  (Jones, Page, Plant)  - 8:47
2.  Bron-Yr-Aur  (Page)  - 2:06
3.  Down By The Seaside  (Page, Plant)  - 5:16
4.  Ten Years Gone  (Page, Plant)  - 6:33
5.  Night Flight  (Jones, Page, Plant)  - 3:37
6.  The Wanton Song  (Page, Plant)  - 4:09)
7.  Boogie With Stu  (Bonham, Jones,Page, Plant, Stewart)  - 3:53
8.  Black Country Woman  (Page, Plant)  - 4:32
9.  Sick Again  (Page, Plant)  - 4:43

Released:  24 February 1975
Recorded:  July and December 1970 – March 1971, May 1972, January–February 1974 at multiple locations
Genre:  Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Length:  82:15
Label:  Swan Song
Producer:  Jimmy Page

Personnel
Jimmy Page – electric, acoustic, lap steel, and slide guitar, mandolin, production
Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, organ, acoustic, electric piano, Mellotron, guitar, mandolin, VCS3 synthesiser, clavinet, hammond organ
John Bonham – drums, percussion
Ian Stewart – piano

(12) John Lennon - Rock ´N´ Roll (1975)

"Rock 'N' Roll" is a 1975 album of late 1950s and early 1960s songs covered by John Lennon. Recording the album was problematic and spanned a year.
"Rock 'N' Roll" has long been one of John Lennon's least appreciated albums, partially because an album of covers has never been embraced by a fan base that loves him as a singer/songwriter, and partially because the production on the 1975 album has dated poorly. Over the years, its reputation has grown somewhat, at least among Lennon fanatics, since it is true that John was one of the greatest rock & roll singers, and it's a pleasure to hear him sing this set of oldies. That doesn't erase the biggest problem with the record: the production and the arrangements. This is the sound of '70s studio pros cutting loose with talk boxes, fuzz and slide guitars, clavinets, and way too many horns, playing arrangements that are just a little too show biz for their own good (witness how Lee Dorsey's easy-rolling "Ya Ya" turned into a lively little number that would have sounded perfect on a television variety show. After all, Lennon is a great rock & roll singer, he's having a good time here, and the album is enhanced by four bonus tracks including the outtake "Angel Baby," featured on Roots, the legendary, controversial, unofficial early version of Rock 'n' Roll, but not its companion cut, "Be My Baby," which remains in the vaults (the other three bonus tracks are "To Know Her Is to Love Her," a reprise of "Just Because," and a take on Elvis Presley's version of Arthur Crudup's "My Baby Left Me," here inaccurately titled "Since My Baby Left Me," which suggests it's a cover of the Ivory Joe Hunter chestnut when it's not.

Tracklist

01.  Be-Bop-A-Lula  (Tex Davis, Gene Vincent)   - 2:39
02.  Stand by Me  (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Ben E. King)  - 3:26
03.  Medley: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy  (Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell, John Marascalco)  - 1:33
04.  You Can't Catch Me  (Chuck Berry)  - 4:51
05.  Ain't That a Shame  (Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew)  - 2:38
06.  Do You Want to Dance  (Bobby Freeman)  - 3:15
07.  Sweet Little Sixteen  (Chuck Berry)  - 3:01
08.  Slippin' and Slidin'  (Eddie Bocage, Albert Collins, Richard Wayne Penniman, James H. Smith)  - 2:16
09.  Peggy Sue  (Jerry Allison, Norman Petty, Buddy Holly)  - 2:06
10.  Medley: Bring It On Home to Me/Send Me Some Lovin'  (Sam Cooke)/(John Marascalco, Leo Price)  - 3:41
11.  Bony Moronie  (Larry Williams)  - 3:47
12.  Ya Ya  (Lee Dorsey, Clarence Lewis, Morgan Robinson)  - 2:17
13.  Just Because  (Lloyd Price)  - 4:25
14.  Angel Baby  (Rosie Hamlin)  - 3:44
15.  To Know Her Is to Love Her  (Phil Spector)  - 4:31
16.  Since My Baby Left Me  (Arthur Crudup)  - 4:40
17.  Just Because  (Reprise)  - 1:25

Released:  21 February 1975
Recorded:  A&M Studios, October, December 1973; Record Plant Studios (East), 21–25 October 1974
Genre:  Rock and roll
Length:  40:03
Label:  Apple/EMI
Producer:  John Lennon, Phil Spector

Personnel
John Lennon - Guitars, vocals
Jesse Ed Davis - Guitar
Jim Calvert - Guitar
Eddie Mottau - Acoustic guitar
José Feliciano - Acoustic guitar
Michael Hazelwood - Acoustic Guitar
Steve Cropper - Guitar
Klaus Voormann - Bass guitar, answer vocal on "Bring It on Home to Me"
Leon Russell - Keyboards
Ken Ascher - Keyboards
Jim Keltner - Drums
Hal Blaine - Drums
Gary Mallaber - Drums
Arthur Jenkins - Percussion
Nino Tempo - Saxophone
Jeff Barry - Horn
Barry Mann - Horn
Bobby Keys - Horn
Peter Jameson - Horn
Joseph Temperley - Horn
Dennis Morouse - Horn
Frank Vicari - Horn

(11) David Bowie - Young Americans (1975)

"Young Americans" is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released in 1975 and showing off Bowie’s 1970’s “obsession” with soul music.
David Bowie had dropped hints during the "Diamond Dogs" tour that he was moving toward R&B, but the full-blown blue-eyed soul of Young Americans came as a shock. Surrounding himself with first-rate sessionmen, Bowie comes up with a set of songs that approximate the sound of Philly soul and disco
For this album, Bowie let go of the influences he had drawn from in the past, replacing them with sounds from “local dance halls”, which, at the time, were blaring with lush strings, sliding hi-hat whispers, and swanky R&B rhythms of Philadelphia Soul, Bowie is quoted describing the album as “the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of Muzak rock, written and sung by a white limey”.
What does hurt the record is a lack of strong songwriting. "Young Americans" is a masterpiece, and "Fame" has a beat funky enough that James Brown ripped it off, but only a handful of cuts ("Win," "Fascination," "Somebody up There Likes Me") comes close to matching their quality. As a result, Young Americans is more enjoyable as a stylistic adventure than as a substantive record.

Track listing

1.  Young Americans  (Bowie)  - 5:10
2.  Win  (Bowie)  - 4:44
3.  Fascination  (Bowie, Luther Vandross)   - 5:43
4.  Right  (Bowie)  - 4:13
5.  Somebody Up There Likes Me  (Bowie)  - 6:30
6.  Across the Universe  (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)   - 4:30
7.  Can You Hear Me  (Bowie)  - 5:04
8.  Fame  (Bowie, Carlos Alomar, Lennon)   - 4:12

Released:  7 March 1975
Recorded at:  Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Electric Lady Studios, New York
Genre:  Funk, rock
Length:  40:32
Label:  RCA
Producer:  David Bowie, Harry Maslin, Tony Visconti

Personnel
David Bowie – vocals, guitar, piano
Carlos Alomar – guitar
Mike Garson – piano
David Sanborn – sax
Willie Weeks – bass
Andy Newmark – drums
Larry Washington – conga
Pablo Rosario – percussion
Ava Cherry – background vocals
Robin Clark – background vocals
Luther Vandross – background vocals
John Lennon – vocals, guitar, backing vocals
Earl Slick – guitar
Emir Kassan – bass
Dennis Davis – drums
Ralph MacDonald – percussion
Jean Fineberg – backing vocals
Jean Millington – backing vocals

(10) Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Burnt Weeny Sandwich (1970)

"Burnt Weeny Sandwich" is a studio album with live elements by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, released in 1970. In contrast to "Weasels Ripped My Flesh", which is predominately live and song-oriented, most of "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" focuses on studio recordings and tightly arranged compositions.
The album was essentially a 'posthumous' Mothers release having been released after Frank Zappa dissolved the band. Ian Robertson Underwood's contributions are significant on this album. The album, like its counterpart "Weasels Ripped My Flesh", comprises tracks from the Mothers vault that were not previously released. Whereas Weasels mostly showcases the Mothers in a live setting, much of "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" features studio work and structured Zappa compositions, like the centerpiece of the album, "Little House I Used To Live In," which consists of several movements and employs compound meters such as 11/8 with an overlaid melody in 10/8 (parts of which were recorded by the Mothers, while the middle violin solo section featuring *Don "Sugarcane" Harris, was an outtake from the Hot Rats sessions).
The album's rather unusual title, Zappa would later say in an interview, comes from an actual snack that he enjoyed eating, consisting of a burnt Hebrew National hot dog sandwiched between two pieces of bread with mustard.

Tracklist

01.  WPLJ (Four Deuces)  (Frank Zappa)  - 3:02
02.  Igor's Boogie, Phase One  (Frank Zappa)  - 0:40
03.  Overture to a Holiday in Berlin  (Frank Zappa)  - 1:29
04.  Theme From Burnt Weeny Sandwich  (Frank Zappa)  - 4:35
05.  Igor's Boogie, Phase Two  (Frank Zappa)  - 0:35
06.  Holiday In Berlin, Full Blown  (Frank Zappa)  - 6:27
07.  Aybe Sea  (Frank Zappa)  - 2:45
08.  Little House I Used to Live In  (Frank Zappa)  - 18:42
09.  Valarie (Jackie and the Starlites)  (Frank Zappa)  - 3:14

Released:  February 9, 1970
Genre:  Jazz Fusion, Experimental Rock
Length:  41:07
Label:  Bizarre/Reprise
Producer:  Frank Zappa
Engineer:  Dick Kunc
Arranger:  Frank Zappa

Personnel
Frank Zappa – organ, guitar, vocals
Jimmy Carl Black – percussion, drums
Roy Estrada – bass, vocals
Janet Ferguson – vocals
Bunk Gardner – horn, wind
Buzz Gardner - trumpet
Billy Mundi - Drums (Uncredited, left group in December 1967)
Lowell George – guitar
Don "Sugarcane" Harris – violin, vocals
Don Preston – bass, piano, keyboards
Jim Sherwood – guitar, vocals, wind
Art Tripp – drums, percussion
Ian Underwood – guitar, piano, keyboards, wind

(09) Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats.
Though many fans find the previous album, "Bookends", to be the apex of the duo's artistic creativity, it's hard to think of another pop act that exited with a success comparable to this album and its title track. Despite Garfunkel's initial reservation, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" made good on Simon's feeling that it was the best song he'd ever written, topping the Hot 100 for six weeks and winning Grammy awards for song and record of the year. Though the recording is deeply tied to Garfunkel's brilliant vocal performance, the composition spawned dozens of successful covers, including Aretha Franklin's Grammy-winning R&B chart-topper and Buck Owens' Top 10 single. In the 1970s it became a staple in Elvis Presley's stage show, and cover versions continue to be recorded to this day, with a live version from the 2010 Grammys having charted,
But the title song is far from the album's only jewel. With Garfunkel away for the better part of 1969 filming Catch 22, Simon was left to work alone, and apparently consider a post-Garfunkel career. "The Only Living Boy in New York City" and "Why Don't You Write Me" are easily heard to be contemplations of Simon's isolation, while "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" includes the telling lyric "so long Frank Lloyd Wright, all of the nights we harmonized `til dawn," an allusion seemingly tied to Garfunkel's study of architecture at Columbia. The seeds of Simon's multicultural solo career can be heard in the Peruvian flute of "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)," broad rhythm instrumentation of "Cecilia," and reggae styling of "Why Don't You Write Me."

Tracklist

01.  Bridge Over Troubled Water (Paul Simon)  - 4:52
02.  El Condor Pasa (If I Could) (Daniel Alomía Robles, Paul Simon)  - 3:06
03.  Cecilia (Paul Simon)  - 2:55
04.  Keep the Customer Satisfied (Paul Simon)  - 2:33
05.  So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (Paul Simon)  - 3:41
06.  The Boxer (Paul Simon)  - 5:08
07.  Baby Driver (Paul Simon)  - 3:14
08.  The Only Living Boy in New York (Paul Simon)  - 3:58
09.  Why Don't You Write Me (Paul Simon)  - 2:45
10.  Bye Bye Love (live recording from Ames, Iowa) (Felice and Boudleaux Bryant)  - 2:55
11.  Song for the Asking (Paul Simon)  - 1:39

Released:  January 26, 1970
Genre:  Folk Rock
Length:  36:29
Label:  Columbia Records
Producer:  Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Halee

Personnel
Paul Simon – lead vocals, guitar
Art Garfunkel – lead vocals
Los Incas – Peruvian instruments
Joe Osborn – bass guitar
Larry Knechtel – piano
Fred Carter, Jr. – guitar
Hal Blaine – drums
Pete Drake – Steel guitar, Dobro
Jimmie Haskell and Ernie Freeman – strings
Bryan Beck – flute, saxophones, horn section

(08) Elton John - Elton John (1970)

"Elton John" is the eponymous second album by English singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1970.
This self-titled album was Elton John's second and breakthrough release in America. Mr. John and Bernie Taupin had been collaborating for a few years, but they really started to gel as a team on this release. The album has almost a baroque sound to it with alot of strings, harpsicords and airy syntheseisers. Of course everyone knows the megahit "Your Song", but the album contains others that would become Elton John classics. "Sixty Years On" is a stirring lament about growing old, "The Greatest Discovery" is a sweet ode to the birth of a brother, while "The King Must Die" ends the album in dark epic fashion. "I Need You To Turn To" & "First Episode At Hienton" carry on in the somber-like tone. The album is dominated by, but not regulated to classical stylings. "No Shoestrings On Louise" has a country twang, "The Cage" is a funky rocker, while both "Take Me To The Pilot" & "The Border Song" have gospel influences (Aretha Franklin had a big hit with "Border"). While not as radio-friendly as future Elton John releases, this album has an experimental feel and is worth repeat listenings.

Tracklist

01.  Your Song  - 4:02
02.  I Need You to Turn To  - 2:35
03.  Take Me to the Pilot  - 3:47
04.  No Shoe Strings on Louise  - 3:31
05.  First Episode at Hienton  - 4:48
06.  Sixty Years On  - 4:35
07.  Border Song  - 3:22
08.  The Greatest Discovery  - 4:12
09.  The Cage  - 3:28
10.  The King Must Die  - 5:04

Released:  10 April 1970
Recorded at:  Trident Studios, London
Genre:  Rock
Length:  39:27
Label:  DJM
Producer:  Gus Dudgeon
Engineer:  Robin Geoffrey Cable
Arranger:  Paul Buckmaster
All songs written by:  Elton John and Bernie Taupin

Personnel
Elton John - piano, harpsichord, vocals
Frank Clark - acoustic bass
Colin Green - guitar, Spanish guitar
Roland Harker - guitar
Clive Hicks - acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, 12 string guitar
Alan Parker - rhythm guitar
Caleb Quaye - guitar
Les Hurdle - bass
Dave Richmond - bass
Alan Weighall - bass
Brian Dee - organ
Diana Lewis - Moog synthesizer
Paul Buckmaster - cello
Skaila Kanga - harp
David Katz - violin
Terry Cox - drums
Dennis Lopez - percussion
Barry Morgan - drums
Tex Navarra - percussion
Madeline Bell - background vocals
Tony Burrows - background vocals
Roger Cook - background vocals
Lesley Duncan - background vocals
Kay Garner - background vocals
Tony Hazzard - background vocals
Barbara Moore - vocals, choir, chorus

(07) Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

"The Dark Side Of The Moon" is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure in 1968 of founding member, principal composer and lyricist, Syd Barrett. The Dark Side of the Moon's themes include conflict, greed, the passage of time and mental illness, the latter partly inspired by Barrett's deteriorating mental state.
The suite was developed during live performances and was premiered several months before studio recording began. The new material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at Abbey Road Studios in London. The group used some of the most advanced recording techniques of the time, including multitrack recording and tape loops. Analogue synthesisers were given prominence in several tracks, and a series of recorded interviews with the band's road crew and others provided the philosophical quotations used throughout. Engineer Alan Parsons was directly responsible for some of the most notable sonic aspects of the album, and the recruitment of non-lexical performer Clare Torry. The album's iconic sleeve features a prism that represents the band's stage lighting, the record's lyrical themes, and keyboardist Richard Wright's request for a "simple and bold" design.
By condensing the sonic explorations of "Meddle" to actual songs and adding a lush, immaculate production to their trippiest instrumental sections, Pink Floyd inadvertently designed their commercial breakthrough with "Dark Side of the Moon". The primary revelation of "Dark Side of the Moon" is what a little focus does for the band. Roger Waters wrote a series of songs about mundane, everyday details which aren't that impressive by themselves, but when given the sonic backdrop of Floyd's slow, atmospheric soundscapes and carefully placed sound effects, they achieve an emotional resonance. But what gives the album true power is the subtly textured music, which evolves from ponderous, neo-psychedelic art rock to jazz fusion and blues-rock before turning back to psychedelia. It's dense with detail, but leisurely paced, creating its own dark, haunting world.

Tracklist

01.  Speak to Me  (Mason)  - 1:07
02.  Breathe (In the Air)  (Gilmour, Waters, Wright)  - 2:49
03.  On the Run  (Gilmour, Waters)  - 3:45
04.  Time  (Gilmour, Mason, Waters, Wright)  - 6:53
05.  The Great Gig in the Sky  (Torry, Wright)  - 4:44
06.  Money  (Waters)  - 6:23
07.  Us and Them  (Waters, Wright)  - 7:49
08.  Any Colour You Like  (Gilmour, Mason, Wright)  - 3:26
09.  Brain Damage  (Waters)  - 3:46
10.  Eclipse  (Waters)  - 2:12

Released:  1 March 1973
Recorded:  at Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre:  Progressive Rock
Length:  42:59
Label:  Harvest
Producer:  Pink Floyd
Engineering:  Alan Parsons

Personnel
David Gilmour – vocals, guitar, synthesisers
Nick Mason – percussion, tape effects
Roger Waters – bass guitar, vocals, synthesisers, tape effects
Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals, synthesisers
Dick Parry – saxophone on "Money" and "Us and Them"
Clare Torry – vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky", background vocals
Lesley Duncan – background vocals
Barry St. John – background vocals
Liza Strike – background vocals
Doris Troy – background vocals

(06) The Hollies - The Hollies (1974)

"Hollies" is a 1974 album by the English pop-rock band The Hollies. The centerpiece is the band's classic cover of Albert Hammond's ballad "The Air That I Breathe," a major worldwide hit that year. It also contains another "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress soundalike in "The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee".
This record would have disappeared long ago were it not for regal centerpiece "The Air That I Breathe," arguably pop's greatest ballad. The rest of the material naturally pales in comparison, but 1974's Hollies delivers likable-enough smiley face rock with the quintet's lilting trademark harmonies throughout. Of course, silly star fables like "Out on the Road" can't measure up to past glories. Same goes for the morally ambiguous, similarly titled openers. Luckily, the album maintains the Brits' peculiar pent-up energy, even in countrified hootenannies like "Rubber Lucy" (surprisingly not a companion to Roxy Music's blow-up doll ode). The meaningless "Transatlantic Westbound Jet" cruises along enjoyably, with visions of Cheap Trick dancing in the verses. "Pick up the Pieces Again" is rolled up in Crosby, Stills, & Nash (the last a former Hollies running mate), and the boys cannibalize their own "Long Tall Women in a Black Dress" for denouement "The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee" (whew). Unfortunately, here, the Hollies have run out of tunes to match their talent. But that beautiful ballad will live forever: "Sleep, silent angel, go to sleep." By the way, the band is named after Buddy Holly.

Tracklist

01.  Falling Calling  (Clarke, Sylvester)  - 3:10
02.  It's a Shame, It's a Game  (Hicks, Jennings)  - 3:41
03.  Don't Let Me Down  (Clarke)  - 4:21
04.  Out on the Road  (Hicks, Lynch)  - 2:57
05.  The Air That I Breathe  (Hammond, Hazelwood)  - 4:12
06.  Rubber Lucy  (Clarke)  - 4:12
07.  Transatlantic West Bound Jet  (Elliot, Sylvester)  - 3:13
08.  Pick Up the Pieces Again  (Sylvester)  - 3:58
09.  Down on the Run  (Hicks, Jennings)  - 3:49
10.  Love Makes the World Go Round  (Clarke, Sylvester)  - 3:44
11.  The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee  (Clarke)  - 4:25

Released:  March 1974
Recorded:  EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England
Genre:  Rock, Pop
Length:  41:42
Label:  Epic
Producer:  The Hollies, Ron Richards

Personnel:
Allan Clarke - vocals
Terry Sylvester - guitarist, vocals
Duffy Power - harmonica
Bernie Calvert - keyboards
Bobby Elliott - drums, percussion

(05) Soundtrack - Turks Fruit (1973)

Turks fruit is een film uit 1973 van Paul Verhoeven met in de hoofdrollen Rutger Hauer en Monique van de Ven, naar de roman Turks fruit van Jan Wolkers.
De muziek in de film werd verzorgd door componist en dirigent Rogier van Otterloo die met "Turks Fruit" debuteerde als filmmuziekcomponist. Aanwezig zijn de klanken van Toots Thielemans' mondharmonica. De elpee met de muziek (waaraan ook het trio Louis van Dijk een bijdrage leverde), verkocht goed en stond ruim vier maanden in de albumlijsten. Echter, Verhoeven gaf later toe dat het nooit zijn favoriete filmmuziek is geworden en dat hij zich aan de "drummetjes met van dat veeggedoe" ergerde: "Toen ik het voor het eerst hoorde, was ik erg gedeprimeerd.
De hit "Meisjes Met Rode Haren" van Arne Jansen uit 1972 kwam ook voor in de film.

Tracklist

01.  Dat Mistige Rooie Beest  - 6:31
02.  Na De Val  - 3:00
03.  Requiem Voor Een Dooie Mus  - 1:34
04.  Variatie Op "Dat Mistige Rooie Beest"  - 4:31
05.  Heksencentrale  - 0:36
06.  Moord Met Geduld  - 2:17
07.  Een Hoofd Met Een Deurtje  - 1:44
08.  Turks Fruit  - 3:54
09.  Niets Aan Te Doen  - 2:38
10.  Rosa Turbinata  - 3:52
11.  Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose  - 3:41
12.  Wat Zonde  - 1:59

Release:  1973
Recorded at:  Soundpush Studio
Label:  CBS
Genre:  Soundtrack
Length:  36:23
Producer:  Ruud Jacobs
Conductor, Composed By:  Rogier van Otterloo
Engineer:  Jan Audier

Personnel
Letty de Jong - Vocals
Jacques Schols - Bass [Trio Louis Van Dyke]
Rob Langereis - Bass Guitar
Louis Debij - Drums
John Engels - Drums [Trio Louis Van Dyke]
Rob Franken - Electric Piano
Ary Jongman - Flute, Flute [Bass]
Peter Nieuwerf Guitar
Jean "Toots" Thielemans - Harmonica [Mondharmonica], Guitar
Jonny Kroon - Leader [Strings]
Gerard Soeteman - Liner Notes
Nils Walen - Oboe, English Horn
Louis van Dyke - Piano [Trio Louis Van Dyke]

(04) Nicky Hopkins, Ry Cooder, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts - Jamming With Edward (1972)

"Jamming With Edward!" is an album recorded by three members of The Rolling Stones with Nicky Hopkins and Ry Cooder at London's Olympic Studio during the Let It Bleed sessions of 1969 and released on Rolling Stones Records in 1972. Keith Richards had stormed out of the sessions for a few days in protest at producer Jimmy Miller's decision to bring Cooder in to beef up the guitars as Dave Mason did during the Beggars Banquet sessions.
The eponymous Edward was pianist Nicky Hopkins, in reference to Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder, Hopkins' star turn on Quicksilver Messenger Service's album Shady Grove. Hopkins also contributed the cover art. Though many feel that the Stones were at their best when playing loose, sloppy rock & roll à la Exile on Main St., with this 1972 release on Rolling Stones Records the unrehearsed style of the album is more of a hindrance than a call to ragged glory. Not an official Rolling Stones release, the assembled band does contain three-fifths of the group (Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts) along with session man extraordinaire Nicky Hopkins and guitarist Ry Cooder. The band stumbles through keyboard-dominated original numbers such as "Boudoir Stomp" and "Edward's Thrump Up," as well as more conventional cuts like a cover of Elmore James' "It Hurts Me Too." Yet the songs never get beyond giving the listener the impression they were thrown together during a drunken night's rehearsals. In that sense the album is a bit of a letdown.

Tracklist

1.  The Boudoir Stomp  - 5:13
2.  It Hurts Me Too  (Elmore James/Mel London)  - 5:12
3.  Edward's Thrump Up  - 8:11
4.  Blow with Ry  - 11:05
5.  Interlude a la El Hopo  - 2:04
6.  Highland Fling  - 4:20

Released:  7 January 1972
Recorded:  23 April 1969, Olympic Studio, London, United Kingdom
Genre:  Rock
Length:  36:05
Label:  Rolling Stones
Written:  Ry Cooder, Nicky Hopkins and Charlie Watts
Producer:  Glyn Johns

Personnel
Ry Cooder – guitar
Mick Jagger – harmonica, vocals
Charlie Watts – drums
Nicky Hopkins – keyboards, piano
Bill Wyman – bass guitar