Writer's Block/The Greatest Albums of the Seventies

Here I am, sitting in my dark basement. I pulled out my keyboard, pulled out my notebook, and intended to write a song.

The pencil hit the paper, and stopped. I pushed it, yet it would not go on. Writer's block.

I could not write a happy song, as I am not happy. But I could not write a sad song, as I am not sad. In this gray, boring mood I'm in, I could not push the pencil past one dot. That dot seems to be mocking me now.

While I was listening to music, trying to inspire me (though it refused to come), I realized that the efforts to write a song were futile. And since I cannot write music, I thought, I might as well write about music. Because that's all my mind revolves around in states like this.

So, The Greatest Albums of the Seventies, in the mind of Kason, are as follows:


#25 High Voltage, AC/DC (1976)
"High Voltage, Rock and Roll!"

Before they had to come Back in Black, they were already here, rocking the world. This album didn't chart, didn't make a dent in the radio, but as they say: "It's a long way to the top, if you want to rock and roll". No, it wasn't popular. But it was the greatest statement AC/DC ever made. It came out in 1976 when Progressive and Disco was ruling the airwaves. And AC/DC, without lining with the Punk Movement, came out and said "Oh no. We're gonna melt some faces, with three chords". And they did.





#24 New York Dolls, New York Dolls (1973)
"When I say I'm in Love, You best believe I'm in Love. L-U-V!

I'll never fully understand why The Ramones get all the credit for starting Punk Rock. Not that The Ramones weren't an absolutely fantastic band, it's just that The New York Dolls were Punk three years earlier, and they weren't even cool for it. They still aren't. (although all their albums undoubtedly get glowing reviews from critics). When people think of Punk Rock, they normally think of The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, and The Clash. The Stooges might get thrown in there, but never do you normally hear of the unsung heroes, The Dolls. Here's your shout out, New York Dolls.




#23 This Year's Model, Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1978)
"Radio is the Sound Salvation"

Elvis Costello was Alternative in persona, not necessarily musically. I mean, he named himself Elvis to make fun of the King of Rock himself. If that's not Alternative Rock, I'm not quite sure what is. But he's one of the most musically talented artists to ever hit the airwaves (or the show house, as he did help write an opera.). He just bled out awesome, in his voice, in his Buddy Holly impression look, and especially in his undeniable sense of rhythm.





#22 More Songs About Buildings and Food, Talking Heads (1978)
"Take me to The River, drop me in the Water"

This albums is my second favorite Talking Heads album, without a doubt. It's also got my favorite song they ever did, a cover of Al Green's "Take me to the River". I just love their personal style of rhythm, which no one can recreate. I've tried painfully to get some of that Talking Head groove into my songs, it just never works out right. You need David Byrne's signature voice, and without it, it just doesn't work. No one can ever out weird these guys, and that's just fine. No one's as wonderful at being weird anyway.





#21 Blue, Joni Mitchell (1971)
"California, Coming Home"

Joni Mitchell is one of the most creative guitarists of all time. I mean, she would make up her own chords with multiple root notes. So when she would go to the recording studio to record, the Bass Players would ask "What's the Root?" And she'd be like "um.. I don't know, just play what sounds good". And they would get all frustrated, thinking they didn't get paid enough for this. And she'd just play without them, unless they'd cooperate. She was not taught music theory, she just felt it. And she felt it well. But not only was she a fantastic guitar player, she was a fantastic songwriter, writing personal lyrics that can relate to almost anyone, anywhere.




#20 Hunky Dory, David Bowie (1971)
"I still don't know what I was waiting for"

Even though this included one of David Bowie's, maybe his most, famous song, "Changes", this song failed to light up a radio dial when it came out. David Bowie was still considered a one hit wonder, and according to the people, he was going to stay that way. It was only until later, when David hit it huge, that people went back and rediscovered this gem. And then "Changes" was requested at every concert, maybe even making his encore. But that's not the only great song on Hunky Dory, in fact, they're all great. My personal favorite is "Oh! You Pretty Things", and "Life on Mars?" is amazing.




#19 Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin (1973)
"Walk a while with me"

Led Zeppelin was on the top of the world in 1973. They could do almost anything they wanted, and they'd still be the biggest band around. So that's pretty much what they did. In just eight songs, they threw together reggae, soul, folk, and just ran with it. This is probably Zeppelin's most eclectic album, and "Over the Hills and Far Away", is my favorite of their songs. I love all of Zeppelin's work pre 1976, and this is definitely a highlight.




#18 The Ramones,Ramones (1976)
"Hey Ho, Let's Go"

When everybody else was playing 7 minute guitar solos, The Ramones refused to play one. When everybody else was trying to push the boundaries of music as far as possible, The Ramones brought it back down to earth. And When everybody else was getting annoying, The Ramones were standard, down to earth, and rock and roll. Three Chords heard round the world. Gabba Gabba Hey.




#17 Hotel California, The Eagles (1976)
"You Can Check Out Anytime you like, But you can never leave"

The Eagles were not a perfect band. They were not The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, and they never would be. But this album, made them seem like a perfect band, a much better band then they were. Not to say that The Eagles were not amazing before this album, this just made them seem perfect. Like nothing could touch them, like their name was written in the stars. And when people say The Eagles are the greatest american rock band of all time, you always refute them, saying "no way.". And then you listen to this, and your not so sure anymore.




#16 Nevermind the Bollocks, The Sex Pistols (1977)
"There's No Point in Asking, You'll Get No Reply"

I'm going to be completely honest, when I first heard "Anarchy in the U.K.", i thought that Johnny Rotten's voice was one of most annoying sounds I've ever heard. I put the album down, and never really listened to it again. And then I found it again, and instead of turning right to that song, I listened from the beginning. And when "Holidays in the Sun" hit my ears, I fell in love with the song. And as soon as "Pretty Vacant" came on, I knew I was listening to one of the best albums I owned. I now love "Anarchy in the U.K.", and it's strange how that happens.




#15 "Heroes", David Bowie (1977)
"Wavin' down a by-road, Singin a song"

When David Bowie withdrew himself to Berlin, to focus more on the music, and less on being famous, what happened was perhaps the greatest three albums of his career. Low, Heroes, and Lodger. "Heroes" is the most grandeur of the three, and it has the best song David Bowie ever recorded within it. The operatic title track, a song about two lovers being kept away from each other. And even though it might kill them, they'll be together for one day. Just for one day. That's one of the greatest expressions of love I've ever heard. And that song defines the rest of "Heroes". Big Songs, Big Ideas, Raw Emotion.




#14 The Stranger, Billy Joel (1977)
"In our old familiar place, you and I face to face"

Billy Joel was a master of pop melody, and a master of writing songs with stories, stories that other people can relate to. He was also a master of song construction in general, and you know that from the moment you hear "Scenes from an Italian restaurant", how it flows so effortlessly from one section to the next. And on "Only the Good Die Young", how it starts like it's going to be a slow piano song, and it just blows your socks off in five seconds. And you sing along with him on "Just the Way you Are", because you want to be able to love someone like that. Billy Joel just writes song we all can relate to.



#13 Rumors, Fleetwood Mac
"Loving you, isn't the right thing to do"

Fleetwood Mac has gone through so many completely different incarnations, it's kind of hard to keep track of which one's this one, and is this one that one, and that's one's who. But they hit the perfect note, when in the mid seventies when they came out with three fantastic albums, Fleetwood Mac, Rumors, and Tusk. Yes, they hit the perfect not musically, but not within the band. There was more relationship problems in that band than in an early Utah family. And they wrote songs all about it, and performed them with each other. And that's why this album is the perfect relationship album, the perfect break up album, and simply the perfect pop album in general.




#12 Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin (1975)
"I am the Travler of all time and space"

This is the last perfect album Led Zeppelin recorded. They stayed around from 1976-1979, still touring, and still occasionally writing good material (Achilles last stand), but this is the last album that was perfect from start to finish. It's hard to picture a time when the gods of rock were among the mortals, but I suppose it happens. But every time you listen to this album, you recapture that moment when Led Zeppelin was on top of the world, and it still feels like they are. Kashmir hits you so hard, it's like an atom bomb. Black Country Women has you singing along, laughing. And Ten Years Gone has you singing along, feeling every emotion within your one body you can feel. Sure, some say this album goes on to long. But no doubt every song is perfect. And at this moment, Led Zeppelin was.




#11 Unknown Pleasures, Joy Division (1979)
"I've got the spirit, lose the feeling, takes the shock away"

Joy Division was one of the ultimate turning points in the history of rock music. When Punk became to loud, some bands decided to turn down the dial, add a little pop sensibility, and become what they dubbed "New Wave". But some bands, wanting to keep the Punk sensibility, but still wanting to turn the volume down, turned into "Post Punk", which would later be known as "Alternative Rock". And Joy Division were the ones spearheading this movement. Alternative Rock would later become huge, and Joy Division never would, Ian Curtis killing himself only two years into the bands career. But they do not go without praise, U2 even saying they 'worshiped the band". Not a whole lot more you need than that.




#10 Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (1973)
"The lunatics are in my hall"

I enjoy a love hate relationship with Pink Floyd, that even I can't explain. Okay, so there's a lot that goes into it that I don't really want to go over. However, I cannot deny that Pink Floyd, and especially this album, were one of the most influential rock bands of all time, pushing rock music to it's very limits. Pink Floyd perhaps sometimes took it way to far, and sometimes they were being weird for the sole reason of being weird. But not on this record. Sometimes Pink Floyd just got creepy, wanting to scare the living daylights out of their audience. But not on this album. On this one, Pink Floyd just balanced everything to perfect that even someone who hates Pink Floyd, can't sit down and say this album isn't perfect. Because the plain and simple fact, is that it is.



#9 Van Halen, Van Halen (1978)
"I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passing by"

Please, bring on the criticism. "You put Van Halen above Dark Side of the Moon?!?" "This album isn't even artistic!" "Hair Metal Sucks". Okay, first of all, Hair Metal doesn't suck. It was the most popular version of Rock and Roll from 1978-1990, and totally kicks butt.(Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses?). And this is the album that started it all. I'm always surprised to see this album hanging at the bottom of "Greatest albums of all time" lists, when this is one of the most influential albums ever made. Sure, it's not grandeur, operatic, artistic, avant garde. It's simply hard edged rock and roll, and everybody followed that example for the next 14 years. And Van Halen's finger tapping, changed every genre of rock for the better. Please, bring on the criticism. Because no matter what you say, Van Halen changed rock music.



#8 Who's Next, The Who (1971)
"Don't Cry, Don't Brace Your Eyes, it's only Teenage Wasteland"

Pete Townshend, following the success of Tommy, wanted to write the greatest album of his career. He wanted to write a rock opera better than Tommy, and show the world that he was possibly the greatest rock songwriter, and biggest forward thinker. He tried, and perhaps at first, he failed. The rock opera didn't work out, but he still had a magnificent collection of songs, with nothing to do with. It are these songs that fill up Who's Next. "Baba O'Riley", "Won't Get Fooled Again", "Behind Blue Eyes". All of these are probably the best songs Townshend ever wrote, and he almost succeeded by failing. This could very well be the best album The Who Ever recorded. No, it's not art. It's simply Rock and Roll.



#7 Pink Moon, Nick Drake (1972)
"Saw it written on it, saw it say. The Pink moon, is on it's way"

A Pink Moon, in folklore, always happened before something tragic. Before some catastrophy, the spirits would warn with a Pink Moon. This was Nick Drake's last album, him ending his own life only two years after it was released. Did he know, is that why it's titled such? I don't know. All I know is that this is one of the most emotional, tragic, and yet subtly peaceful, albums I have ever heard. You feel just like he feels at moments, and then you feel just how you think you should. Pink Moon creates more genuine emotions in you then any other album, perhaps. And yet it's so peaceful, like you could lay on a cloud and let his voice take you away.




#6 Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen (1975)
"You ain't a beauty, but hey, you're all right"

I absolutely love Bruce Springsteen's voice. With all my heart and soul, I wish I could sing like him. Maybe even more than Robert Plant (yeah, perhaps I have weird wishes). But his voice is so awesome! It's like raspy clear, awesome! Anyway, and this is the best album he ever wrote. The music is amazing, the lyrics are amazing, the whole thing just flows together so perfectly. This was his make or break album, with his record company dropping him if it failed to sell. But it sold, it sold well. Because you can't resist The Boss, he just creates a fire in your soul, in your feet, in your very being. There's Springsteen.



#5 Low, David Bowie (1977)
"I Will Sit Right Down, waiting for the gift of sound and vision"

This was the first album of the aforementioned 'berlin trilogy'. And it was the best one of the three. It was more sparse than the other two, more simple. And yet, it was the most avant garde, pushing music forward with every note. And it was the most interesting, you couldn't help but listen to the whole thing just to find out what's going to happen next. This is the album that, perhaps, changed David Bowie from the 'Chameleon figure', going with whatever's popular and adapting to it, to the innovator, pushing things forward himself. There probably isn't a band today that isn't influenced by David Bowie. And it could very well be because of this.




#4 London Calling, The Clash (1979)
"Fury of the hour, anger can be power, if you know that you can use it!"

The Clash were the soul of Punk. The Ramones were the definitive punk band, The Sex Pistols were the Face, but The Clash were the soul. And no Punk band has ever created such a fine work as 'London Calling'. The Clash experimented with ska, reggae, jazz... everything under the sun. While The Ramones were against anything more than three chord punk, and The Sex Pistols were too caught up in The cynicism of the thing, The Clash were all about the music. And as such, they created the finest music punk will ever know. Perhaps some of the finest music Rock will ever know.




#3 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie (1972)
"I'm an alligator! I'm a mama-papa coming for you!"

Ziggy Stardust. Starman. The fictional character has almost reached the same notoriety as an actual rock star. And if this album tells a story, as many believe it does, it's a tragic one. After all, Ziggy's only way out was 'Rock and Roll Suicide'. But even if you can't make out the story, even if your just looking for an album with great songs, this is just that as well. 'Star', 'Sufferagette City', and 'Starman' are all phenomenal songs, 'Starman' becoming the hit. The story that his album tells, transcends generations.

And on a more personal note, this album has never failed to cheer me up. I don't know why, don't know how, but it's always there to make me smile.




#2 Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin (1971)

When I saw The Led Zeppelin DVD for the first time, my mom said I was jumping up and down and freaking out. I was pointing and Jimmy Page and telling my mom "I wanna be just like him, man I want to play like him!". She says it was quite the funny sight to see, as I was twelve at the time.

"I wanna be like him!". Of course I do. Jimmy Page plays the most intricate, rough, incredible solos I've ever heard. And his riffs? Rip right into your heart and you can't control it. Jimmy Page will always be the high king of guitar players to me, and yeah, "I wanna be like him!".

And on this masterpiece, this wonderful album, he mixes everything he's the high king of together into a wonderful piece of art, that transcends words. You're not really a guitar player if you don't get chills down your spine when you hear his solo in "Stairway to Heaven". Heck, i might even question your acceptance into the Human Race. Jimmy Page is simply my guitar hero, and this is HIS masterpiece. Nothing else to say.





You probably never guessed...

















#1 Exile On Main Street, The Rolling Stones (1972)
"Kick me like you kicked before! I can't even feel the pain no more"

What can I even say? Like Ziggy Stardust, this album always cheers me up, but it's more than that. It makes me feel good, like a good I can't describe. Who can't feel good, when they hear the words "May the good lord, shine a light on you.". It just makes you feel empowered, maybe. And Musically? This album does, and goes, everywhere and everything. They have slow, country tinged songs, they have rocking blues songs, and they touch on gospel, jazz..everything you can pretty well imagine.

It mesmerizes me to listen to this album. I'm entranced, and I'm happy. It's one of the few albums I know of that can entrance you with happiness, instead of with mystery or fear. It's a spectacular experience, and I wish that I could recreate it. But perhaps that's the rollings stones masterpiece, to be able to entrance someone with joy.

And they do it like no one else. I will always listen to this album, and it will always make me feel better. Whether I'm already happy, or if I'm sad, I will walk away feeling better than I did before I listened. That's Music. That's Rock and Roll.

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