Today in class, I engaged several of my students with this important question - who topped the 1970's, musically speaking? I gave them the following choices (a multiple choice quiz, of sorts): Elton John, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, David Bowie or Led Zeppelin? They could only consider the material released 1970-79. I considered The Who in there as well, but while their 70's was awesome, too many crucial records and singles were in the 60's. Several immediately went to Zeppelin (as I expected teenage boys would), but once I reminded them that both Led Zeppelin I and Led Zeppelin II could not be considered (both released in 1969), Zeppelin quickly fell out of the running. Although, one student held fast to IV and Houses of the Holy as evidence.
While Elton was initially scoffed at, I rattled off the following discography from the 70's:
Elton John (70)
Tumbleweed Connection (70)
17-11-70 (live) (71)
Madman Across the Water (71)
Honky Chateau (72)
Don't Shoot Me I'm the Piano Player (73)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (73)
Caribou (74)
Capt. Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (75)
Rock of the Westies (75)
Blue Moves (76)
Here and There (live) (76)
A Single Man (78)
Victim of Love (79)
First, how freakin' prolific. '70-'75 is unassailable (well, except Caribou). But Rock of the Westies forward really weakens the argument for Elton, so I think he's out.
I imagine my friend ANCIANT, had he been there, would have picked Bowie. But Pin-Ups, the two live throwaways and Lodger weaken Bowie for me. Plus, Young Americans is mediocre overall once you get beyond the title track.
So that left Neil and Floyd. My students went overwhelmingly with Pink Floyd, and that is tough to argue against. While it is not a long discography, just look at it:
Atom Heart Mother (70)
Meddle (71)
Obscured By Clouds (72)
Dark Side of the Moon (73)
Wish You Were Here (75)
Animals (77)
The Wall (79)
OK, Atom Heart Mother sucks, and Obscured By Clouds was a soundtrack toss-off, but the rest of that is all classic. I mean, rock and roll canon stuff.
Neil Young was about as prolific as Elton in the 70's:
After the Goldrush
Déjà vu (CSNY)
Harvest
Journey Through the Past (soundtrack)
Four Way Street (CSNY) (live)
Time Fades Away (live)
On the Beach
Tonight's the Night
Zuma
Long May You Run (Stills-Young Band)
American Stars 'n Bars
Comes a Time
Rust Never Sleeps (live)
Live Rust (live)
Journey Through the Past sucks, Long May You Run is terrible and American Stars 'n Bars is spotty. But the rest is great to brilliant.
My students were firmly with Floyd, but I can't decide between Floyd and Neil. Each time I want to lean towards Neil, I think Meddle/DSOTM/WYWH/Animals/The Wall. Can you really top that?
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8 comments:
Nice post. But Rush ruled the 1970s over the Floyd:
Rush (1974)
Fly By Night (1975)
Carees of Steel (1975)
2112 (1976)
All the World's A Stage (Live-1976)
A Farewell to Kings (1977)
Hemispheres (1978)
All classics. Plus much more teamwork than the Floyd.
Cold Spring Harbor (1971)
Piano Man (1973)
Streetlife Serenade (1974)
Turnstiles (1976)
The Stranger (1977)
52nd Street (1978)
Not too shabby, eh?
JMW--
I hope you're joking. I really really do.
Dez,
Do you all ever learn American History in your class? Or was this a special unit on classic rock?
Anonymous, nice argument for Rush. But since 'Permanent Waves' and 'Moving Pictures' were 80's, and they are their most essential albums, I don't think we can crown Rush as Kings of the 70's.
JMW, I concur with ANCIANT. The best of those Joel records are only good. His only great record came out in '81, the live 'Songs in the Attic.'
ANCIANT, of course we learn U.S. History. This was part of my, err, Significant Culture of the 1970's unit.
I am joking -- seeing Rush and Pink Floyd mentioned put me in the mood. The Stranger and Turnstiles are good albums, though. Whatever.
I forgot to make an argument about why Bowie is better than Floyd or Elton John. Because, really--should I have to?
I mean, come on.
Pink Floyd???? Seriously!?
Thanks for the response Dez. To me overall the 1970s musically were much better than the overtly worshiped 1960s. Reason being is that while King Jann and his cronies do love the 70s, but only the early part with Allman Bros. and such, the 70s offered such diversity from soul and disco and the birth and growth of arena rock, heavy metal, prog, and soft rock and funk. I recommend getting Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal for future use on this lesson. Need to teach these teens that there is more to the 70s than Floyd, Young, punk, and Zeppelin.
Dez,
I don't know if you've already seen or heard this but last night on Palladia I watched a 2 hour celebration of Neil Young's music (put on by MusicCares?). It featured all sorts of stars doing covers of his songs (Crosby Stills and Nash, Wilco, Elton John, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, etc). I think it was recorded last year (or this year?) It would definitely be something you'd enjoy.
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