And immediately to 1968 with 2 albums I listened to from that year:
First and album I already know/own:
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Cheap Thrills by Big Brother And The Holding Company
Three tracks make this album: Summertime, Piece Of My Heart and Ball And Chain, three tracks in which Janis Joplin shines as the rough diamond she was and that's in no way an understatement. What a woman and she would continue on this track in her solo career as well. The rest of the album also features more or less Janis but is not as inspired as those three tracks. But together this still makes a fantastic album and it remains firmly at the 14th rank.
and an album from my wishlist:
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Steppenwolf by Steppenwolf
A remarkably good album for a band which only seems to be famous for inventing the term Heavy Metal. Of course Born to be Wild is by far the best tracks but that's no wonder because it's one of the best and most mythical of the sixties but there's so many more heavy tracks here. The second best is The Pusher but in my opinion it's hard to find a bad track here so it enters my 1968 year chart at the 16th rank.
Crosby, Stills & Nash by Crosby, Stills & Nash
The first two tracks of this album are classics. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is a fine example of a suite with different parts which fit toghether perfectly and Marrakesh Express is one of those perfect pop songs. And they both exemplify what the band was good at: just perfect harmonies. The rest of the album is good but doesn't reach the heights of those two tracks but all in all a must-have which goes from the 32nd to the 11th rank.
After The Gold Rush by Neil Young
While CSN only had three members Neil Young released a classic solo album. And classics are surely to be found here: two very breakable songs with the title track and especially Only Love Can Break Your Heart (and this song as well), and harder tracks like Southern Man and Whe You Dance I Can Really Love. Not everything is great but a classic album it remains and it goes from the 20th to the 15th rank of the year.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Supertramp by Supertramp
This is their first and they are clearly still searching for their own sound. The beautiful voice of Roger Hodgson is already there and's certainly a plus but the songs sound fairly experimental and unfinished and sometimes like in the case of Try Again contain its fair share of noodling. Surely not yet their best but already good for the 34st rank of the year 1970.
Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
A few real hits here with Last Year's Man and Famous Blue Raincoat as the standouts and also Avalanche being very good. But overall not as consistent as you would think it to be for a classic album like this. And it moves down from the 17th to the 28th rank of 1971.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Rory Gallagher by Rory Gallagher
His first album being still very young but his love for the blues is clear. Apart from I Fall Apart and Hands Up maybe not yet the quality he would deliver on his other albums but just good enough to be part of my 1971 year chart at the 41st rank.
Lonesome Crow by Scorpions
I have always been a fan of the hardrock period of The Scorpions best captured by their live album Live In Tokyo (around which time I also saw them live). Bit until recently I dodn't know them from this early album which was not yet hardrock but some kind of blues/psych rock with a lot of jamming involved. And most of all: it already included that fantastic guitar playing of a still young Michael Schumacher who would soon after this would be recruited for UFO. And the voice of Klaus Meine also shines already. I must say I really liked the jammy character on this album even on the very long title track. One track appeared also on Live In Tokyo, In Search Of The Peace Of Mind but are a bit untypical both for this album and for their live album but I really like the song. All in all this is much better than it's mostly give credit for and the album slightly moves down from the 9th to the 13th rank.
And an album from my wishlist:
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It Never Rains In Southern California by Albert Hammond
Of course everybody knows him as being the father of... No Everybody knows him because of the title song of this album which was a huge hit but at the same time remains a very mellow song I appreciate but not really consider as the highlight of popular music. Also a hit was Down By The River but the great surprise to me was The Air That I Breathe that I always have linked to The Hollies but was actually co-written by Albert Hammond and doesn't have the worst version here. I also fairly liked Names, Tags, Numbers and Labels but that's about it. To me there are just too many really mellow songs without the songwriting qualities of ex Cat Stevens. But I did appreciate the discovery of The Air That I breathe being one of his even if I won't add this album to my year chart.
Quadrophenia by The Who
This is a rock opera and like most rock operas it features a lot of tracks a lot of which are just intermezzo between some other tracks and like on other rock operas there are some returning themes which keeps it interesting sometimes. And there are of course the main hits which are as good as any other of their greatest hits with of course 5:15 and Love Reign Over Me as the standouts with also Helpless Dancer and The Rock as very good. But as a full album it is just a bit long: the middle sections of the first part and of the second part are just not that interesting. But of course a must have as a whole and it remains at the 29th rank.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Vagabonds Of The Western World by Thin Lizzy
I'm a fairly lukewarm lover of Thin Lizzy but this album surprised me in a good way. The version of the Rocker is already longer and better than on the greatest hits album and especially a song Little Girl In Bloom which has some magnificent twin guitar interplaying blew my socks off. So all in all a good album which immediately enters my 1973 top chart at the 26th rank.
No albums from 1974 on my current wishlist so only an album I already own/know:
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Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne
As far I know the best album of Jackson Browne. The songs have a bit of the general feel of the Eagles (only a bit of piano and sometimes some fiddle added) which is by no means a bad thing. Fountain Of Sorrow is the best track. There are some more rocking track but his ballads are clearly the best. A classic album of the seventies and it moves up from the 18th to the 10th rank on my 1974 year chart.
Horses by Patti Smith
One of her classics with Gloria and Land as the obvious highlights. Her poetic delivery makes this album very special and it goes from the 19th to the 8th rank on my 1975 year chart.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Fool For The City by Foghat
Bluesy hardrock with pretty good guitar work with of course the extended version of their "hit" Slow Ride but also Terraplane Blues is not bad. Not the best album in the world but good enough to enter my year chart at the 43rd rank.
Boston by Boston
It's always a pleasure to hear this album again and it's not a guilty pleasure because these guys have produced one of the most distinguished guitar sounds ever and especially on this album. Also for me More Than A Feeling is still the best of the album but Peace Of Mind is not far behind and nearly every other track is good. So no wonder this semi-classic (or full-blown classic) rises from the 7th to the 6th rank of the year.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Shake Some Action by The Flamin' Groovies
A mix of their usual bluesy songs and some britpop songs which seem to be transported right from the sixties: and I prefer the last. Not an outstanding album but overall ok so good enough to enter my year chart at the 32nd rank.
In The City by The Jam
Except for the title track which is really good a good but not excellent album and remains at the 31st rank.
An album from my wishlist:
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Ultravox! by Ultravox
This is not yet the eighties: on this debut album they tried out all kinds of punk and first new wave influences but to me the songs were not yet there so I won't include this one in my top chart.
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