Music Banter - View Single Post - 10 Great Lesser-Known/Weird Albums of the 1970s

streetwaves · 04-06-2013, 07:06 PM

6. Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (1977)

This is a dub album, and in my opinion, far-and-away the very best example of one. A contact of mine on RYM describes this as the "most un****able-with sounds ever conceived", and I doubt I can put it any better than that. These are 11 near-perfect tracks, all infectious in their own right. And of course, what kind of dub record would it be if the basslines weren't some of the most simple-but-unforgettable you've ever heard?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fanxnVtLg4g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa6vzCs_Bt0

7. Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance (1978)

This is a fairly well-known - infamous, perhaps - album in music circles. For some reason it has the reputation of a very "difficult" album, despite the fact that to my ears it's quite a lot less difficult than people make it out to be. By far the most challenging aspect of it is the singer's voice: David Thomas really does have a unique one, and it's not out to charm you with its beauty. With that said, get past that and enjoy what I think is one of the most wildly and enthusiastically innovative albums of all-time. Once you get to that point, you'll also find David Thomas's voice to be an integral part of the magic. I'll link to the most accessible songs on the record in hopes of drawing you in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqNUVhGYJ0k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Leax63ullPE (Warning: this starts with about 30 seconds of high-pitched feedback)

8 and 9. Tangerine Dream - Zeit (1972) and Klaus Schulze - Cyborg (1973)

I group these two together because of the wealth of similarities between them. Surely, these two are probably the most mood-dependent choices on the list, and certainly there are also people who will never be in the mood to listen to stuff like this. Frankly, I find that to be bizarre, but in the interest of full disclosure, let me describe what these two albums are: dark, droning, spacey, ambient, atmospheric music. Each song - make that 'track' - is over 15 minutes, several of them over 20. That goes for both records. They are very much in the same vein - in fact, the Schulze record preceding Cyborg is supposed to have been based on the very same concept as Tangerine Dream's Zeit, with Schulze having a difference of opinion about the way to execute it and thus leaving to make Irrlicht himself.

Cyborg, though, is the superior record, very much on the same level in terms of scale and quality as Zeit. Both records are fantastic experiences. Naturally, you don't turn on such an album to tap your toes. But is that a requirement for every album? Those who immediately dismiss albums such as these seem to object to the very idea of them, as if they think they should not exist in the first place. I just can't get on board with that.

For what these records are, both are incredibly beautiful. Both are incredibly enthralling and captivating if you'll give them your full attention. They're full of atmosphere and depth, and they're pretty much the closest you'll get to drifting out in space somewhere without leaving your bedroom. You may have heard of them before, but if you didn't like the idea, reconsider. Give them a chance when you're fully prepared for what they are, and I don't see how you couldn't enjoy them.

10. Tom Zé - Estudando o Samba

We end closer to Earth - although still perhaps not quite all the way back down to the surface - with a masterpiece of Brazilian descent by an artist I mentioned by name a couple of times in the previous post. Estudando o Samba literally means "Studying Samba", and the album does so in a way that makes obvious we're dealing with a sort of genius here. Even the more experimental tracks are obviously interesting upon first listen, and the more accessible tracks are basically impossible to resist. I'll link to a couple of those:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBeCskNWxeY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XwxvmyNVsg

04-06-2013, 07:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
streetwaves Music Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 267	6. Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (1977) This is a dub album, and in my opinion, far-and-away the very best example of one. A contact of mine on RYM describes this as the "most un**able-with sounds ever conceived", and I doubt I can put it any better than that. These are 11 near-perfect tracks, all infectious in their own right. And of course, what kind of dub record would it be if the basslines weren't some of the most simple-but-unforgettable you've ever heard? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fanxnVtLg4g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa6vzCs_Bt0 7. Pere Ubu** - The Modern Dance (1978) This is a fairly well-known - infamous, perhaps - album in music circles. For some reason it has the reputation of a very "difficult" album, despite the fact that to my ears it's quite a lot less difficult than people make it out to be. By far the most challenging aspect of it is the singer's voice: David Thomas really does have a unique one, and it's not out to charm you with its beauty. With that said, get past that and enjoy what I think is one of the most wildly and enthusiastically innovative albums of all-time. Once you get to that point, you'll also find David Thomas's voice to be an integral part of the magic. I'll link to the most accessible songs on the record in hopes of drawing you in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqNUVhGYJ0k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Leax63ullPE (Warning: this starts with about 30 seconds of high-pitched feedback) 8 and 9. Tangerine Dream - Zeit (1972) and Klaus Schulze - Cyborg (1973) I group these two together because of the wealth of similarities between them. Surely, these two are probably the most mood-dependent choices on the list, and certainly there are also people who will never be in the mood to listen to stuff like this. Frankly, I find that to be bizarre, but in the interest of full disclosure, let me describe what these two albums are: dark, droning, spacey, ambient, atmospheric music. Each song - make that 'track' - is over 15 minutes, several of them over 20. That goes for both records. They are very much in the same vein - in fact, the Schulze record preceding Cyborg is supposed to have been based on the very same concept as Tangerine Dream's Zeit, with Schulze having a difference of opinion about the way to execute it and thus leaving to make Irrlicht himself. Cyborg, though, is the superior record, very much on the same level in terms of scale and quality as Zeit. Both records are fantastic experiences. Naturally, you don't turn on such an album to tap your toes. But is that a requirement for every album? Those who immediately dismiss albums such as these seem to object to the very idea of them, as if they think they should not exist in the first place. I just can't get on board with that. For what these records are, both are incredibly beautiful. Both are incredibly enthralling and captivating if you'll give them your full attention. They're full of atmosphere and depth, and they're pretty much the closest you'll get to drifting out in space somewhere without leaving your bedroom. You may have heard of them before, but if you didn't like the idea, reconsider. Give them a chance when you're fully prepared for what they are, and I don't see how you couldn't enjoy them. 10. Tom Zé - Estudando o Samba We end closer to Earth - although still perhaps not quite all the way back down to the surface - with a masterpiece of Brazilian descent by an artist I mentioned by name a couple of times in the previous post. Estudando o Samba literally means "Studying Samba", and the album does so in a way that makes obvious we're dealing with a sort of genius here. Even the more experimental tracks are obviously interesting upon first listen, and the more accessible tracks are basically impossible to resist. I'll link to a couple of those: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBeCskNWxeY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XwxvmyNVsg __________________ rateyourmusic Last edited by streetwaves; 04-06-2013 at 07:13 PM.