Eat A Peach by The Allman Brothers Band
This is partly a live album of which a few tracks like the veeeery long Mountain Jam appear on Fillmore East live album but since also these tracks don't appear on other regular it can count as one. To me none of their best tracks on this album and it is also the last with Duane Allman. Some fine guitar playing but not much more and to me a fairly average Allman Brothers album and it moves down from the 5th to the 8th rank of the year.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Stealers Wheel by Stealers Wheel
Two of my favorite songs ever appear on this album: Stuck In The Middle With You which needs no additional explanation because everybody knows it from some movie but Late Again is not much less of a classic. And then the rest of the album: well it is a bit of a disappointment. Of course Gerry Rafferty plays an important role here and he is one of my favorite singers and songwriters; but not on this album (except for the two first tracks). They are ok but not outstanding which means: I'll include this album in my year chart but that's all and at the 21st rank.
Houses Of The Holy by Led Zeppelin
The album where Led Zeppelin tried to find new ways of delivering their music (reggae, soul, ...) and mostly succeeded. The only track where they didn't was The Crunge but the reggae song D'yer Mak'r sounded great and still does. And there's of course the really big ones: The Song Remains The Same, The Rain Song and No Quarter. Enough to promote this album from the 13th to the 12th rank of the year.
Then an album from my wishlist:
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Heaven Help The Child by Mickey Newbury
Somewhere in 2021 I listened to Looks Like Rain, an album by Mickey Newbury, an artist I was not sure I would like, but I liked the album anyway. Maybe also because it made me think of Don McLean and specifically his American Pie. Both album had a lot of country references but I like the story telling quality of both albums together with the fact that I liked the melodic quality. Both the other albums of Don MacLean and this second album of Mickey Newbury have lost this a bit. The focus is again more on country and I can't say I liked it. There's a song which he repeated from his other album, San Francisco Mabel Joy, but that was not the best track from that album anyway. In short, I'm not a big fan of this particular album of Mickey Newbury and will not include it in my 1973 year chart.
Nothing on my wishlist for 1974 so only an album I already know/own:
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Second Helping by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Their big hit is here plus a whole number of semi-hits but none of my absolute favorites of theirs: no Free Bird, no Tuesday's Gone, no Simple Man: those were from that other album. Overall maybe even more focused than that other album but not a classic. And the album moves up from the 21st to the 15th rank.
A Night At The Opera by Queen
Even this "classic" album shows that Queen was in essence a singles band because this album contains two really good songs: the singles. You're My Best Friend and of course especially Bohemian Rhapsody shows that they have it all: the ability to write pop songs and epic songs at the same time. But for me there is nothing much more. Of course the other tracks aren't bad but they are not anything like those other two. So this album remains a mixed bag as a whole but belongs in my year chart but...goes from the 20th to the 27th rank of the year.
Then an album from my wishlist:
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Switch by Golden Earring
A similar band is maybe also this one is the Dutch Golden Earring: great singles but their albums do contain a lot of filler. The single here is Kille Me (Ce Soir) which is a bit of an odd one out in their career as it is somewhat darker than the rest but still is a very good Golden Earring song. And then the rest of the album: again no bad songs but nothing in the neighborhood of that one single and still worthy to be in my year chart but only at the 39th rank.
A Night At The Opera by Queen
Even this "classic" album shows that Queen was in essence a singles band because this album contains two really good songs: the singles. You're My Best Friend and of course especially Bohemian Rhapsody shows that they have it all: the ability to write pop songs and epic songs at the same time. But for me there is nothing much more. Of course the other tracks aren't bad but they are not anything like those other two. So this album remains a mixed bag as a whole but belongs in my year chart but...goes from the 20th to the 27th rank of the year.
Funny. There are two songs I am ever tempted to skip on A Night At The Opera: You're My Best Friend and Bohemian Rhapsody. The first one because it's the closest thing to an average song on the album, and the second because I think having heard it 8 billion times is enough already.
The rest? Death On Two Legs is the single greatest, and most furious, kiss my ass song of all time. To go from that to Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon is pure sonic genius...and to have that tiny song as the meat inside the sandwich of Death On Two Legs and I'm In Love With My Car is sheer genius and bravery. '39 is simply gorgeous, Sweet Lady is Queen at their rocking best. Seaside Rendezvous is Queen at their creative best: it's amazing vocally, and the horn section in the middle is ALL VOICES. The vocal round in the middle of The Prophet's Song is like nothing anyone else has ever done in rock. Ever. Love Of My Life is one of Freddie's greatest vocals...and it's a perfect song. Good Company is Brian May at his best...and the jazz band at the end is ALL GUITAR. Even God Save The Queen is masterful.
A Night At The Opera is SO much more than those two hits. It's perfectly written. It's one of the all time top ten vocal albums in rock history...AND one of the greatest guitar albums ever made. They did all of it with just 3 singers. One guitar player. And not one synthesizer.
Queen wasn't a singles band at all...at least in the seventies, when they were out of their minds creative. In the seventies, Queen was the epitome of an album band. They had hit singles, yes...but their best tracks were NOT hits. Stone Cold Crazy. Brighton Rock. Death On Two Legs. Good Company. The Millionaire Waltz. Spread Your Wings. It's Late.
So many more. In the 80's? Queen was a singles band. But Queen 70's albums are all about stopping what you are doing, dropping the needle, turning it up LOUD, sitting down between a pair of speakers, and spending 45 minutes being blown away by a band showing what could actually be done with two sides of a record. And A Night At The Opera is where they did it the most flawlessly.
That's all! 😁 _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
A Night At The Opera by Queen
Even this "classic" album shows that Queen was in essence a singles band because this album contains two really good songs: the singles. You're My Best Friend and of course especially Bohemian Rhapsody shows that they have it all: the ability to write pop songs and epic songs at the same time. But for me there is nothing much more. Of course the other tracks aren't bad but they are not anything like those other two. So this album remains a mixed bag as a whole but belongs in my year chart but...goes from the 20th to the 27th rank of the year.
Funny. There are two songs I am ever tempted to skip on A Night At The Opera: You're My Best Friend and Bohemian Rhapsody. The first one because it's the closest thing to an average song on the album, and the second because I think having heard it 8 billion times is enough already.
The rest? Death On Two Legs is the single greatest, and most furious, kiss my ass song of all time. To go from that to Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon is pure sonic genius...and to have that tiny song as the meat inside the sandwich of Death On Two Legs and I'm In Love With My Car is sheer genius and bravery. '39 is simply gorgeous, Sweet Lady is Queen at their rocking best. Seaside Rendezvous is Queen at their creative best: it's amazing vocally, and the horn section in the middle is ALL VOICES. The vocal round in the middle of The Prophet's Song is like nothing anyone else has ever done in rock. Ever. Love Of My Life is one of Freddie's greatest vocals...and it's a perfect song. Good Company is Brian May at his best...and the jazz band at the end is ALL GUITAR. Even God Save The Queen is masterful.
A Night At The Opera is SO much more than those two hits. It's perfectly written. It's one of the all time top ten vocal albums in rock history...AND one of the greatest guitar albums ever made. They did all of it with just 3 singers. One guitar player. And not one synthesizer.
Queen wasn't a singles band at all...at least in the seventies, when they were out of their minds creative. In the seventies, Queen was the epitome of an album band. They had hit singles, yes...but their best tracks were NOT hits. Stone Cold Crazy. Brighton Rock. Death On Two Legs. Good Company. The Millionaire Waltz. Spread Your Wings. It's Late.
So many more. In the 80's? Queen was a singles band. But Queen 70's albums are all about stopping what you are doing, dropping the needle, turning it up LOUD, sitting down between a pair of speakers, and spending 45 minutes being blown away by a band showing what could actually be done with two sides of a record. And A Night At The Opera is where they did it the most flawlessly.
That's all! :D
Hi Romanelli; just another proof that opinions can differ on BEA. Of the tracks you mention on other albums I only (really) like Spread Your Wings and that also was a modest hit in Europe. I do appreciate their other album tracks but I still think that their singles were the real classics (with Somebody To Love as my favorite: bombastic but I love it); and Queen is an exception because I am and remain an album lover otherwise I wouldn’t be on BEA.
A Night At The Opera by Queen
Even this "classic" album shows that Queen was in essence a singles band because this album contains two really good songs: the singles. You're My Best Friend and of course especially Bohemian Rhapsody shows that they have it all: the ability to write pop songs and epic songs at the same time. But for me there is nothing much more. Of course the other tracks aren't bad but they are not anything like those other two. So this album remains a mixed bag as a whole but belongs in my year chart but...goes from the 20th to the 27th rank of the year.
Funny. There are two songs I am ever tempted to skip on A Night At The Opera: You're My Best Friend and Bohemian Rhapsody. The first one because it's the closest thing to an average song on the album, and the second because I think having heard it 8 billion times is enough already.
The rest? Death On Two Legs is the single greatest, and most furious, kiss my ass song of all time. To go from that to Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon is pure sonic genius...and to have that tiny song as the meat inside the sandwich of Death On Two Legs and I'm In Love With My Car is sheer genius and bravery. '39 is simply gorgeous, Sweet Lady is Queen at their rocking best. Seaside Rendezvous is Queen at their creative best: it's amazing vocally, and the horn section in the middle is ALL VOICES. The vocal round in the middle of The Prophet's Song is like nothing anyone else has ever done in rock. Ever. Love Of My Life is one of Freddie's greatest vocals...and it's a perfect song. Good Company is Brian May at his best...and the jazz band at the end is ALL GUITAR. Even God Save The Queen is masterful.
A Night At The Opera is SO much more than those two hits. It's perfectly written. It's one of the all time top ten vocal albums in rock history...AND one of the greatest guitar albums ever made. They did all of it with just 3 singers. One guitar player. And not one synthesizer.
Queen wasn't a singles band at all...at least in the seventies, when they were out of their minds creative. In the seventies, Queen was the epitome of an album band. They had hit singles, yes...but their best tracks were NOT hits. Stone Cold Crazy. Brighton Rock. Death On Two Legs. Good Company. The Millionaire Waltz. Spread Your Wings. It's Late.
So many more. In the 80's? Queen was a singles band. But Queen 70's albums are all about stopping what you are doing, dropping the needle, turning it up LOUD, sitting down between a pair of speakers, and spending 45 minutes being blown away by a band showing what could actually be done with two sides of a record. And A Night At The Opera is where they did it the most flawlessly.
That's all! :D
Hi Romanelli; just another proof that opinions can differ on BEA. Of the tracks you mention on other albums I only (really) like Spread Your Wings and that also was a modest hit in Europe. I do appreciate their other album tracks but I still think that their singles were the real classics (with Somebody To Love as my favorite: bombastic but I love it); and Queen is an exception because I am and remain an album lover otherwise I wouldn’t be on BEA.
It's all good! I love that everyone has their own take on bands and albums. It's just hard for me to pass up an opportunity to scream how much I love A Night At The Opera! 😁 _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers
I know Jonathan Richman and what he did after this album but what I didn't know that this album is recorded under the wings of John Cale out of sessions dating from 1973. That's maybe why this album sounds more psychedelic and indebted to the Velvet Underground than the latter recordings by Jonathan Richman. In any case, what's not to love about this album: from Roadrunner to Pablo Picasso to my personal favorite She Cracked: all good and the album goes from the 21st to the 12th rank of this year 1976.
And an album from my wishlist:
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A Night On The Town by Rod Stewart
The First Cut Is The Deepest is one of my favorites from Rod Stewart and otherwise the other tracks are not bad but also not the top (even not Tonight's The Night for me). And Trade Winds is absolutely awful. So an average album with one really good track which lands at the 28th rank.
And here is 1977 as well with two albums I listened to from that year, to me still about the most pivotal year in rock music where classic rock albums met with classic hardrock albums and met with classic punk albums:
First an album I already know:
Leave Home by Ramones
One of those classic punk albums with not a bad song to be found here (and where maybe Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment is just a teeny weeny bit better than the rest). It goes from the 24th to the 20th rank.
And an album from my wishlist:
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The Real Kids by The Real Kids
In fact a band I had never heard of which bring a mixture between classic rock 'n roll, pubrock and punkrock. And it didn't disappoint me because it just rocked in a really good way. The album starts at the 32nd year of this great year.
This Year's Model by Elvis Costello
This is certainly one of his best. He still is the angry young man on some of the tracks (Pump It Up and certainly (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea), but there is also room for much of his fine pop/rock songs like This Year's Girl, Hand In Hand and Lipstick Vogue. This is a top album for me and it rises from the 24th to the 6th rank of 1978.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Systems Of Romance by Ultravox
The last album with John Foxx before Midge Ure arrived launching them for their big success with Vienna. But already on this album they were leaving their punk infested sound to replace it with a more synths based eighties sound. But I don't really find a lot of good songs here and only I Can't Stick Long and When You Walk Through Me stick out a bit. So not an album for my 1978 year chart.
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Romanelli
