That 70's Thread - Anteater's Reviews Of Cool **** You Should Already Have

[Unknown Soldier]

A great idea for a thread and agree with most of the comments about Rainbow above. I was never a fan of DP with David Coverdale in the band. As for Rainbow, I`m also a big fan of their first two albums and they could easily be described as power metal with their classical influences and keyboards along with their swords and sorcery Heavy metal image, as opposed to the satanic darker feel of Sabbath. These albums are certainly my favourites as far as Dio is concerned and Blackmore`s best work in his post DP days.

After this it was all downhill really, as they like some of their counterparts such as UFO and Uriah Heep etc steered into a much easier listening radio commercial sound. Admittedly they were capable of releasing catchy songs such as "Since You`ve Been Gone" and "I Surrender" As good as these songs were, they`re probably not the kind of thing that a metal head wants to hear, from a band that were capable of producing much better.

[Anteater]

^ Yeah, I've always felt that Rainbow could have upped their game even more after Rising, but chose the easier path because it meant more money for them. Big shame really. As for today's review-

Colin Blunstone – One Year (1971)

"Vocalist from The Zombies + Baroque Pop = Hell Yeah!"

1. She Loves The Way They Love Her (2:49)
2. Misty Roses (5:04)
3. Smokey Day (3:13)
4. Caroline Goodbye (2:54)
5. Though You Are Far Away (3:24)
6. Mary Won't You Warm My Bed (3:11)
7. Her Song (3:31)
8. I Can't Live Without You (3:28)
9. Let Me Come Closer To You (2:24)
10. Say You Don't Mind (3:22)

Anyone who loves the 60's can tell you a bit about The Zombies. How they came at the end of the counterculture era and shattered just after as 'Time of the Season', a single issued from their 1968 masterpiece Odessey And Oracle hit airwaves and made them legends.

But what most people don't really know (or bother to look up) is what happened to the various members AFTER the big breakup, especially Colin Blunstone, the man whose voice gave the group such a distinctive edge over so many other bands at the end of the age of Flower Power. After spending some time washed-up as an insurance agent and a brief stint to re-record some Zombies tracks for radio, this strangely underrated vocalist pulled himself together, got some material into a studio along with some musician pals, and released his debut album as a solo artist, One Year, in 1971, and you couldn't ask for a more fantastic sounding slice of classically-tinged pop to kick off a new decade.

To fans of The Zombies: don't walk into this record expecting anything. Much of the psychedelia and slight jazz touches that characterized Blunstone's former group is basically non-existant here. What is emphasized, however, are extremely LUSH arrangements around the strings and a lorn, strangely tantalizing melancholy in Blunstone's delivery that would make Nick Drake green with envy...and the results are sometimes so breathtakingly gorgeous that your heart will bleed through your shirt merely hearing it.





It isn't all about the gorgeous folk and ballads though. One Year contains a couple of upbeat rockier works, such as 'Mary Won't You Warm My Bed' and 'She Loves The Way They Love Her', that keep the album balanced and mature as an experience for the listener. The subject matter is typical pop song fare, but with all the lushness and classical inclinations dashing about, its very easy to just flow with the tracks themselves and revel in the act of smiling with the swell of an orchestra, a touch of tension or any number of crescendos that Blunstone's voice hits as he croons off into the darkness.





Pop music has always been a hit and miss affair to people who want something to tap their fingers to while at the same time making some kind of emotional connection with whats being played, but One Year manages to do just that with both a sophistication beyond its era and genuine heart to boot, and it stands out as a major gem of the 70's because of them.

So for those looking to hear some of the best stuff that this talented mofo has sung and set to posterity, pick this up immediately. Hopefully you won't cry at some point through it!

[music_phantom13]

So I just listened to the Sindelfingen tracks, and I really need this album *wink, wink* This was amazing. Every time I thought oh, I see where they're going here, my idea was completely obliterated. All over the place, and absolutely genius from the songs you posted. A few times it kind of made me laugh (the short little distorted polka bit towards the end of the first video) and the rest of the time pretty much blew my mind, sucking me in more than a lot of what I hear. Excluding Yes, and perhaps Opeth if any of their later albums were prog, I haven't given much time to prog, and this could very well change that.

Don't like Rainbow all that much. But Colin Blunstone, on the other hand... despite the fact that it doesn't match my normal music preferences, I think I prefer One Year to Odessey and Oracle. I like psychedelic pop and the jazz undertones of the Zombies a lot, but this albums is just... beautiful, I guess. I don't know what else to call it. Though Pink Moon is better, I don't see Nick Drake needing to be jealous.

And you posted England while I was typing it... I remember again why I don't like a lot of prog. I just absolutely cannot get into bands like Gentle Giant or this. Though I will admit people that write off all prog as a "cheesy pretentious" genre are just being close minded idiots. There's bound to be something for everyone in just about every genre... Great thread, by the way. Good reviews so far keep em coming

[Anteater]

Thank ya' kindly phantom for the feedback! I also personally feel One Year edges out Odessey and Oracle by a couple of hairs for the same reasons. I only threw in the Nick Drake reference to appeal to people who enjoy a good shot of beautiful melancholy and incite them to compare for themselves.

But I actually think you might enjoy England some if you like any of Yes's albums, given some time and all. The vocals and progressions are very reminiscent of Yes after all, plus they're rather sharp on the instrumental side of things too.

[NumberNineDream]

Well I am a Zombies fan that's why I picked up One Year, from what I gathered of the review, I must like it.
Loved the England songs, and the review in all, would love a link on that one, couldn't find it anywhere.

Keep it up

[Guybrush]

Great, I just found this thread this morning and as I'm writing this, I'm currently on the wireless which is taking me away from where I live so I can go celebrate christmas with the family. I'd love to check more of these albums out right now, but it seems I'll have to wait until new years.

Still, it's not all new. I was surprised and quite happy to see Rainbow get a mention Rising is one of those albums that have gotten a fair amount of play from me a couple of years ago. I still find a lot of Rainbow tracks on burned CDs in my parents' car. Odgipig I already checked out on your recomendation and their debut is certainly interesting.

England and Mu sounds the most interesting to me at the moment - although I thought I'd drop playing those youtube vids on the buss. Of course there had to be a prog-outfit called England by the way .. I mean, there's one called U.K., so.

Anyways, great thread and I'm rooting fot you in the member awards for best writer. You deserve it

[Anteater]

^ Ah shucks Tore, thanks for the nomination. Glad you've enjoyed the thread so far, and hope you have some merry holidays over the next couple of days.

And now...

Miles Davis – On The Corner (1972)

"The King of Jazz goes funky and commercial...and in the process redefined what music could become."

1. On the Corner (19:55)
2. Black Satin (5:16)
3. One and One (6:09)
4. Helen Butte / Mr. Freedom X (23:18)

Miles Davis is a musician that never has and never will need an introduction. From the 40's up until the early 90's he was Jazz's favorite spokesman and among the most well known entrepreneurs working in music period. As the 70's dawned, when the idea of electric guitar playing alongside a sax quartet horrified traditional jazz critics, Miles Davis recorded A Silent Way and then the ever lauded Bitches Brew and shut them all up for good. In 1991 when had ever really tried to do a serious jazz-rap album, Davis brought out Doo-Bop just in time to die from a stroke at the ripe young age of 65.

Still, the impact of these aforementioned works pale in comparison to a particular work of Davis's from 1972, an album so far ahead of its time that it not only bombed commercially, but was nearly forgotten by even Davis's own fanbase. It's a funky beat-busting little ditty that almost singlehandedly laid that foundations for both post-punk and drum n' bass over a decade before either genre had even begun to stir in the minds of their creators.

Ladies and gents, welcome to On The Corner!

The title track which opens the album, although a potentially turn-offer clocking at the 20 minute mark, is most definitely an ear catcher despite the length and memorable as well. The groove is immediate, explosive and thick with snaking polyrhythms from the percussion and drumming, supported from the depths of the mix by some wah-wah guitar riffagee and Davis's snarky trumpet. Tempo changes are prominent, noticeably quieting down around the 6:40 mark at first and slowly picking up speed as it goes uphill for the remaining fourteen minutes. If I had to sum up the experience of this piece in one word, it would probably be "Hard-boiled"



Next comes my personal favorite 'Black Satin', a five minuter that could most definitely be considered a big forerunner to early drum n' bass, particularly in regards to the opening beat and how it spirals down over the ensuing minutes. It's also got a few electronic touches that are pretty nice.



The last two tracks are well up there with the best Davis has ever done as well. 'One And One' has a strong Eastern feel underlying the drums and trumpeting, making one think of some of Coltrane's mid 60's work with a funkier beat, while 'Helen Butte/Mr. Freedom X', as expected of a strong closing suite, pulls elements from all the other tracks into thick cohesion. It never quite achieves the energy of the title track or Black Satin, but the chill factor is quite excellent nevertheless and ends On The Corner with a satisfactory feel, as if the music could simply play on and on toward the horizon and never really stop.



From start to finale, Davis set to recording a very very focused set of tracks here back in the early years of jazz-fusion, laying some musical foundations for future generations to work with in a variety of genres while still attempting to reach out to the young people of the 70's with a strong funk touch to his usual compositional approach. In all honesty, I think it's actually rather baffling that this album got such a cold shoulder back in '72 when it hit shelves: the rhythms are first-class, the playing is tightly wound and full of crash and the compositions themselves are well written. What more could you want?

For people just getting into Miles Davis, jazz cats, fellows who love their funk, and anyone who loves a hot beat that sounds fresh from the street, you can't go wrong with this seminal masterpiece. Merry Christmas MB!!

[Anteater]

Cerrone – Cerrone 3: Supernature (1977)

"Disco from the Depths of The Screaming Space Time Continuums...With Flavor"

1. Supernature (10:20)
2. Sweet Drums (3:30)
3. In the Smoke (4:40)
4. Give Me Love (6:10)
5. Love Is Here (5:20)
6. Love Is the Answer (6:00)

For many of us, Disco is one of those genres that's generally far too obnoxious for its own good. Like much of today's club music, the genre was just a plain snoozefest; unlike the pseudo-electronic crap around today though, most Disco was more often than not just watered down funk with cleaner bass for the musically sedated masses, and hence had very little durability on the charts when the beginnings of what would become New Wave hit big in the late 1978 or so.

Still, even the most unimaginative profit mongering music categories generally have a couple of gems that get buried amidst the commercial garbage, records that were more than definitely accessible but had that little extra something to make them stand out, such as much of the early material of French musician and dancefloor maestro Cerrone. Incorporating psychedelic and space rock influences into poseur funk that thrived on mediocrity, the man's experimentation and his commercial ambitions eventually clicked together in 1977 with the release of his third album Supernature, and thus his reputation as an artist became solid.

"But what makes Supernature so good?" you might say. Well, whereas most disco is boring and dated, full of cheesy horns and a general lack of energy, this work seethes, grooves, and perhaps best of all is actually varied in content; although the 10-minute opening title track is quite the hypnotic club number, tracks such as 'In The Smoke' provide a spacey quietness that has more in common with Pink Floyd than Earth, Wind & Fire, while 'Give Me Love' has a razor sharp jazz-funk bent, emphasizing some fantastic drumming and guitar rather than the pulse of a club beat.




Another fun fact is that this is actually a concept album, mostly told through the title track and based around the story of animal-human mutants who are created by science to put an end to world hunger, but end up rebelling against their creators. Pretty camp, but nevertheless a nice touch to an album that already sounds leagues better than 99% of the disco that came out in the mid to late 70's.

So for those of you afraid of anything with the word "disco" attached to it, fear no longer -- this is one of those things you'll want to get your paws around and your ears on standby for. Thirty some odd years later, Supernature can still bust a move where it counts, and that's what makes it grand. Bon appétit!

[NumberNineDream]

Didn't like much of the first track, but the second surely made her mark.

Tho when you said disco is like watered down funk with cleaner bass, I wonder why would anyone mess with the bass in funk music, isn't that the best part?

Anyway, nothing bad with giving disco a chance once in a while, and I think this one succeeded in impressing me.
Thumbs up (x7) I guess.

[Anteater]

Originally Posted by NumberNineDream

Tho when you said disco is like watered down funk with cleaner bass, I wonder why would anyone mess with the bass in funk music, isn't that the best part?

The bass is certainly the best part, but as most folks have trouble with anything that isn't in 4/4 time or squeaky clean out of a studio, it was important that all the grit be squeezed out of Funk so that white folks with a bit too much time on their hands could go boogie on Saturday nights without wondering why they weren't listening to something like the Beejees.

Also, disco WAS part of the 70's, so in accordance with this review thread's mojo I decided to review something that might be interesting to people who hate the genre.