10 Favorite Recordings from the '70s

[PeeWee]

It's been a wee bit slow here, so what beter way to pick it up a bit than to wax nostalgically about the 1970s?! What were your favorite recordings from the '70s? I thought this to be a good decade to choose as there was a lot going on musically.

These are some that got a lot of playing time when I was a kid growing up in no particular order :

The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street (1972)

The *** Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The *** Pistols (1977)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces (1978)

Led Zeppelin - IV (1971)

B.B. King - Live At Cook County Jail (1971)

The Beatles - Let It Be (1970)

Dire Straits - Dire Straits (1978)

Little Feat - Waiting For Columbus (1978)

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

The Rolling Stones - Some Girls (1978)

[cvansickle]

Oh Geez, there's no way I could narrow it down to 10!

[sliding-tom]

Only 10 is pretty tough, PeeWee, but here goes: I'll chose stuff that I still enjoy listening to.

The Allman Brothers Band - Live at Fillmore
The Band - Rock Of Ages
Humble Pie - Performance-Rockin' The Fillmore
Little Feat - Waiting For Columbus
Derek & The Dominoes - Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Cactus - Cactus (1st album)
Elvin Bishop - Live Raisin' Hell
Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street
Dr.John - Gumbo
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Seems like a good decade for double albums and live double albums!

(I have intentionally left out any blues stuff because most of the blues I prefer has been recorded way before that period, but I do agree on the Live At Cook County.)

[tonefinger]

Impossible to choose only 10.

[tonefinger]

Ok, I'm going to give it a shot, in no particular order:

UFO-Lights Out - Schenker is one of my favorite guitarists, this one is a classic, if you are a rock guitarist, every lick you needed to know was on the live album

Van Halen- Van Halen- enough said

ACDC- Highway To Hell- all of there albums should be included

Tommy Bolin- Teaser and Private Eyes- under rated guitarist

Robin Trower-Bridge of Sighs- absolute classic album, great guitar

Led Zeppelin-pick any album, they were all great

Judas Priest-Hell Bent For Leather-another classic

Rory Gallagher- Photo Finish- another one of my favorite guitarists

Thin Lizzy- Jailbreak-they had many great albums

Blue Oyster Cult-Agents of Fortune- I love this album

I would have to include a Montrose album or two, as well as about a hundred others

[ModTourMan]

From the 70's, huh? Well, since I'm lazy and haven't put my most recently used CD's back on the rack, it was easy to get a quick look at what 70's albums were in recent rotation.
In random order:

Rory Gallager - Photo Finish
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Peter Frampton - Frampton's Camel
Elton John - Capt. Fantastic
Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow
Led Zep - Houses Of The Holy
Led Zep - Presence
Rush - Farewell To Kings
Heart - Little Queen
John Lennon - Walls And Bridges.

Of course, this is only this weeks list!

[jaxson50]

I couldn't possibly narrow it down to ten, but after reading the list posted here, it would be hard to beat the one that Sliding Tom came up with.
There are always two players missing from these "top ten" list's,
Roy Buchanan who PBS declared in a one hour documentary in 1971 "The Best Unknown Guitarist In The World".
And,
Harvey Mandel, years before Eddie Van Halen and Stanley Jordan came along, he employed a 2-handed fretboard tapping. (1970 solo album "Games Guitars Play")

[ModTourMan]

I couldn't possibly narrow it down to ten, but after reading the list posted here, it would be hard to beat the one that Sliding Tom came up with.
There are always two players missing from these "top ten" list's,
Roy Buchanan who PBS declared in a one hour documentary in 1971 "The Best Unknown Guitarist In The World".
And,
Harvey Mandel, years before Eddie Van Halen and Stanley Jordan came along, he employed a 2-handed fretboard tapping. (1970 solo album "Games Guitars Play")

Good call on Roy Buchanan and Harvey Mandel. I have quite a bit of Roy B. stuff on CD now (what I can find) - I just recently picked up Guitar On Fire: The Atlantic Sessions which highlights his sometimes forgotten Les Paul period (among other tunes). I have yet to find any Harvey Mandel albums on CD (I'm sure they're out there)...I remember playing his album Baby Batter quite a bit back in the day.

[B Vance]

Two that I haven't seen in anyones lists yet that would be in mine.

Stevie Wonder - Talking Back
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

Keep in mind, I wasn't around in the 70's so I'm coming from a slightly different perspective.

[PeeWee]

I'd noticed that, too, BVance. My original list was just a few off the top of my head, but I grew up owning and listening to tons of Soul and '70s R&B. Those LPs ( well, actually 8 Tracks :eek: ) really had a huge influence on my playing, especially for rhythm work.

Some of the more influential were:

Ohio Players
Average White Band
James Brown - especially the stuff on his DC-based "People" record lable
early Kool & The Gang ( Funky Stuff, Hollywood Swingin' & Jungle Boogie era )
The Meters
Parliament/Funkadelic

[jaxson50]

Russ
Heres Harvey's web site,
http://www.harveymandel.com/

[B Vance]

I'd noticed that, too, BVance. My original list was just a few off the top of my head, but I grew up owning and listening to tons of Soul and '70s R&B. Those LPs ( well, actually 8 Tracks :eek: ) really had a huge influence on my playing, especially for rhythm work.

Some of the more influential were:

Ohio Players
Average White Band
James Brown - especially the stuff on his DC-based "People" record lable
early Kool & The Gang ( Funky Stuff, Hollywood Swingin' & Jungle Boogie era )
The Meters
Parliament/Funkadelic


A lot of the 60's and 70's soul/R&B has really influenced my playing as well. I love that stuff. That's coming from a guy who wasn't even born when they were released.

[jaxson50]

Steve Winwood should be on someones list

[ModTourMan]

Thanks Jaxson50!

[jaxson50]

Your welcome!