Little River Band - Little River Band (1975)

"Little River Band" is the first album by the Australian rock group Little River Band which was released by EMI in November 1975.
The Australian sextet, Little River Band's debut album sounds as American as anything by The Eagles or The Doobie Brothers, and is driven by "It's a Long Way There"  whose eight and a half minutes of crunchy electric guitars, luminous acoustic guitar, and smooth harmonizing is spread across a musically dramatic arc that is worth every second of its running time. This is an astonishingly strong debut album. There aren't any surprises, just seven more eminently enjoyable if slightly looser structured mainstream rock songs in the same vein, inventive where they had to be (like on the solos or the variations on the extended choruses), all more modestly proportioned than the hit and thoroughly enjoyable. Guitarist Graham Goble dominated the songwriting with the single and "I Know It," but singer Glenn Shorrock contributed significantly with the delightfully exuberant "Emma" and the hauntingly beautiful movie-within-a-song "The Man in Black," and guitarist Beeb Birtles showed himself no slouch in the ballad department with "I'll Always Call Your Name," which overstays its welcome by about 30 seconds but is otherwise nice and catchy.

Tracklist

01. "It's a Long Way There" (Graeham Goble)  - 8:39
02. "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" (Beeb Birtles)  - 3:40
03. "Meanwhile ..." (Glenn Shorrock)  - 3:35
04. "My Lady & Me" (Goble)  - 5:45
05. "I'll Always Call Your Name" (Birtles)  - 4:48
06. "Emma" (Shorrock)  - 3:35
07. "The Man in Black" (Shorrock)  - 5:06
08. "Statue of Liberty" (Shorrock)  - 3:28
09. "I Know It" (Goble)  - 3:21

Personnel
Beeb Birtles - lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars (acoustic, electric)
Ric Formosa - guitars (lead, acoustic, slide)
Graeham Goble - lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars (acoustic, electric), vocal arrangements
Roger McLachlan - bass guitar
Derek Pellicci - drums, percussion
Glenn Shorrock - lead vocals, backing vocals, percussion, harmonica
Stephen Cooney - clavinet , mandolin
Gary Hyde - percussion
Peter Jones - strings (arrangement, conductor), piano
Col Laughnan - saxophone
Ian Mason - piano

Notes
Released:  November 1975
Recorded at:  Armstrong's Studios, Melbourne
Label:  EMI, Capitol
Genre:  Rock
Length:  45:07
Producer:  Birtles, Shorrock, Glenn Wheatley, Goble

The Doobie Brothers - Stampede (1975)

"Stampede" is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1975. It was the final album by the band before Michael McDonald took over from Tom Johnston.  "Stampede" showed the band diversifying elements of their sound more than ever before. Combining elements of their old sound as well as country-rock, Funk and folk music. Many guest musicians contributed on the album including Maria Muldaur, Ry Cooder and Curtis Mayfield. The first single released from this album was "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)", a classic Motown tune written by the legendary songwriting trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland. Tom Johnston had wanted to record the song for several years. "I thought that would be a killer track to cover," he said. "It's probably one of my favorite songs of all time. I thought our version came out great."

The second single, was "Sweet Maxine" which was more akin to the Doobie Brothers' earlier hits style-wise. "Pat wrote the music to this and I wrote the words, " Johnston recalled. "And Billy Payne had a lot to do with the sound of the song, because of his incredible keyboard playing."  The third and final single was Patrick Simmons' "I Cheat the Hangman". It is a somber outlaw ballad that was inspired by the story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce. "It's about a ghost returning to his home after the Civil War and not realizing he's dead," said Simmons about the song. The album version of the song is a progressive rock-style composition ending in a twisted collage of strings, horns and synthesizers made to sound like ghostly wails. "We'd cut the track, and we kicked around how to develop the ending-I thought about synthesizers and guitar solos. Ted Templeman got to thinking about it, and he ran it past [arranger] Nick DeCaro for some orchestration ideas. 'Night on Bald Mountain' by Mussorgsky really inspired the wildness of the strings, and Nick came up with the chorale thing at the end." The ambitious "I Cheat the Hangman".

"Neal's Fandango", inspired by the Santa Cruz mountains is occasionally played on San Francisco Bay Area classic rock station KFOX because of the Doobie Brothers' South Bay roots.

Track listing

01.  Sweet Maxine  (Johnston, Simmons) - 4:26

02.  Neal's Fandango  (Simmons)-  3:16

03.  Texas Lullaby  (Johnston) - 5:00

04.  Music Man  (Johnston) - 3:28

05.  Slack Key Soquel Rag  (Simmons) - 1:50

06.  Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)  (Holland-Dozier-Holland) - 3:39

07.  I Cheat the Hangman  (Simmons) - 6:38

08.  Précis  (Baxter) - 0:56

09.  Rainy Day Crossroad Blues  (Johnston) - 3:45

10.  I Been Workin' on You  (Johnston) - 4:22

11.  Double Dealin' Four Flusher  (Simmons)  3:30

Released:  April 25, 1975

Recorded at:  Warner Brothers Studios, North Hollywood, CA, Burbank Studios, Burbank, CA, Curlom Studios, Chicago, IL and The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA., Creative Workshop, Nashville, TN

Genre:  Rock

Length:  40:50

Label:  Warner Bros.

Producer:  Ted Templeman

Personnel

Tom Johnston - guitars, vocals

Patrick Simmons - guitars, vocals

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - guitar, steel guitar

Tiran Porter - bass, vocals

John Hartman - drums

Keith Knudsen - drums, vocals

Bill Payne - keyboards

Ry Cooder - bottleneck guitar

Maria Muldaur - vocals

Karl Himmel - drums and percussion

Conte and Pete Candoli - trumpets

Bobbye Hall Porter - congas

Victor Feldman - marimba, percussion

Sherlie Matthews - vocals on

Venetta Fields - vocals

Jessica Smith – vocals

Ted Templeman - percussion

Bintangs - Genuine Bull (1975)

De Bintangs zijn een van de oudste Nederlandse popgroepen.

De groep werd in 1961 in Beverwijk opgericht door Frank (bas, zang) en Arti Kraaijeveld (gitaar, zang). Men speelde indorock (Bintang betekent 'ster' in het Indonesisch en is ook een biermerk) maar ging al snel over tot een ruig soort rhythm & blues. De optredens waren enerverend en de Bintangs werden een soort Nederlandse Rolling Stones - de Mick Jagger-achtige stem van Gus Pleines droeg daar zeker toe bij.

De Bintangs kenden zeer veel bezettingen, met Frank Kraaijeveld als (bijna) constante factor. Frank was er alleen enige tijd tussenuit in de periode 1972-1974 toen hij met zijn broer Arti de groep Kraaijeveld oprichtte (later Circus Kraaijeveld). Onder anderen zanger Gus Pleines en de gitaristen Jack van Schie en Jan Wijte hebben met onderbrekingen vele jaren deel uitgemaakt van de band.

In Wales wordt onder supervisie van Link Wray-producer Steve Verocca "Genuine Bull" opgenomen. Dit uitstekende album staat inmiddels te boek als klassieker, al zijn de verkoopresultaten teleurstellend. Gitarist op deze plaat is het jeugdige talent Jaap Castricum.

Track listing

01.  Hobo Man  (Steve Verroca, Link Wray)  - 3:13

02.  Insight Inside Out  (Gus Pleines)  - 3:43

03.  Agnes Grey  (Arti Kraayeveld)  - 5:26

04.  Open and Blusted  (Steve Verroca)  - 3:34

05.  Biyou Woman  (Steve Verroca)  - 4:14

06.  New Orleans, New Orleans  (Steve Verroca)  - 3:02

07.  Handmade High-Heeled Fleshcoloured Boots  (Gus Pleines)  - 3:25

08.  Traveling Mood  (James Waynes  - 3:40

09.  Do John  (Steve Verroca)  - 5:30

10.  Cold War Generation Kids  (Rob Ten Bokum, Yme De Jong)  - 4:16

11.  Gone Dead Train  (Nitzsche, Titelman) (bonus track)  - 3:29

12.  Wait  (Justman, Wolf) (bonus track)  - 2:52

13.  I Been Hoodood  (Rebennack) (bonus track)  - 4:14

Released:  1975

Recorded at:  Rockfield, Monmouth, S.Wales

Label:  Corazong Records

Genre:  Rhythm & Blues

Length:  50:38

Producer:  Steve Verroca

Personnel

Frank Kraaijeveld - Bass, Vocals

Gus Pleines - Vocals, Percussion

Harry Schierbeek - Drums, Percussion 

Jack Van Schie - Guitar

Japie Castricum - Guitar, Piano

Earth & Fire - To The World Of The Future (1975)

Earth & Fire was een Nederlandse popgroep uit de jaren zeventig, die uit elementen van psychedelica, pop en symfo een uniek geluid creëerde, dat begin jaren '70 een hele reeks succesvolle en bovenal prachtige singlehits oplevede. De Voorschotense-Voorburgse-Leidschendamse groep had als boegbeelden Jerney Kaagman (zang) en de tweelingbroers Gerard (keyboards) en Chris Koerts (gitaar). De overige bandleden wisselden in de loop van de tijd. Het vierde album "To The World Of The Future", uitgebracht op 15 mei 1975.Dit album herbergt twee nummers die hoge ogen gooiden in de hitlijsten van weleer. Het zijn "Love Of Life" en "Only Time Will Tell".

Track listing

01.  "To The World Of The Future"  (Chris Koerts, Hans Ziech)  - 11:30

02.  "How Time Flies" (Ton van der Kleij)  - 3:17

03.  "The Last Seagull"  (Chris Koerts, Gerard Koerts, Theo Hurts)  - 7:34

04.  "Only Time Will Tell"  (Chris Koerts, Gerard Koerts, Hans Ziech)  - 3:40

05.  "Voice From Yonder"  (Theo Hurts)  - 6:58

06.  "Love Of Life"  (Chris Koerts, Gerard Koerts, Hans Ziech)  - 3:07

07.  "Circus"  (Gerard Koerts, Jerney Kaagman)  - 6:12

Personnel

Jerney Kaagman - zang

Theo Hurts - Bas, gitaar, arrangeur

Ton van der Kleij - Drums, slagwerk, xylofoon

Gerard Koerts - Toetsen, arrangeur

Chris Koerts - Gitaar, toetsen, zang, arrangeur

Neppy Noya - drums

T.Tieman van de Laars - harp

Notes

Released:  1975

Opgenomen in:  de Soundpush Studio's te Blaricum

Label:  Polydor

Genre:  Progressive Rock, Symphonic Rock

Length:  42:19

Producer:  Jaap Eggermont

(45) Barry White - Just Another Way To Say I Love You (1975)

"Just Another Way To Say I Love You" is the self-produced fourth album by American Soul singer Barry White, released in 1975 on the 20th Century label.

With his 1973 debut, "I've Got So Much Love to Give" White redefined the Soul and pop with his grand arrangements and pursuit of studio excellence. The frothy "Love's Theme" from his Love Unlimited Orchestra is considered influential early disco. By the time this was released, the sound was slightly on the wane. With his demanding schedule of cranking out an album or more a year, as well as work from Love Unlimited and Love Unlimited Orchestra This effort shows the strain. The album kicks off with "Heavenly, That's What You Are To Me," and despite its great intro, it ultimately pales in comparison to earlier tracks. On "I'll Do for You Anything You Want Me To" finds White in ragged voice throughout and the onslaught on his grunts and groans didn't help him not be a parody of himself. Just Another Way to Say I Love You seems to cautiously plod along, but White had something innovative planned here. "Love Serenade" has him throwing all caution to the wind with lines like "I don't wanna feel no clothes," followed by the even better, "And take off that brassiere, my dear." As for regular ballads, "Let Me Live My Life Lovin' You Babe" clocks in at a sleep-inducing 10:29. This album closes out with "Love Serenade (Part II)," a bass heavy, libidinous instrumental.

Track listing

01.  Heavenly, That's What You Areto Me  (White)  - 4:59

02.  I'll Do for You Anything You Want Me To  (White)  - 6:07

03.  All Because of You  (Nunes, White, Wilson)  - 6:34

04.  Love Serenade  (White)  - 4:43

05.  What Am I Gonna Do With You  (White)  - 3:36

06.  Let Me Live My Life Lovin' You Babe  (White)  - 10:17

07.  Love Serenade, Pt. 2  (White)  - 3:05

Released:  March 1975

Recorded at:  Whitney Recording Studio, Glendale, CA.

Genre:  Soul

Length:  39:21

Label:  20th Century

Producer:  Barry White

Conductor:  Gene Page

Engineer, Mastered By:  Frank Kejmar

Mastered By:  Steve Hall

(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

(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