My discoveries per year

[dihansse]

More 1977 albums I listened to:
- Before And After Science by Brian Eno (nr 23 on the overall BEA top chart of 1977): one of the best albums I already heard by Brian Eno solo. The first tracks sound a bit like talking heads (and resemble his collaboration with David Byrne) and are very good and I also liked King's Lead Hat. After that the album dwindles down a bit but overall a good one.
- Heart Of The Congos by The Congos (nr 24): I can't say I dislike the many rhythms on this album but overall I had higher hopes of it.
- Going For The One by Yes (nr 25): Wondrous stories is one of their best but the rest of the album didn't really do a lot for me.
- Let There Be Rock by AC/DC (nr 26): When you get one of the best intros ever, when you got one of the stupidest and at the same time most brilliant opening lines ever, when you got one of the most exhilarating guitar solos ever: then you have Whole Lotta Rosie, one of the best songs ever made. And then there's also Let There Be Rock which is the genesis for rock in the same way the other genesis was for christianism: also one of my favorites. In short this must be the most overlooked album by me ever because it didn't appear yet in my charts (although I knew most of the tracks already) and it immediately steamed up to nr 2 of the year, nr 3 of the decade and nr 32 in my overall top 100.
- Saturday Night Fever by Various Artists (nr 27): this was one of the albums you definitely had to hate as a rock music lover 14 year old and I did. Now I don't dislike it any more and even like its grooviness when I feel like it but it still is not an album I would include in my top charts.
- Peter Gabriel by Peter Gabriel (nr 30): Solsbury Hill is my favorite Peter Gabriel track and although the rest of the album is not really able to reach that high standard, overall it's still fairly worthwhile.
- I Robot by The Alan Parsons Project (nr 31): I just think this is a very boring album.
- Damned, Damned, Damned by The Damned (nr 32): while this one is the opposite of boring: short sharp punk songs with New Rose as the highlight and Neat Neat Neat not far after that. A great debut for a band that even would get better after that.
- Slowhand by Eric Clapton (nr 33): some people the Clapton on this album is too mellow but even if Clapton is mellow he is a mellow genius. The first three tracks are classics also in my esteem and I was also pleasantly surprised by the fourth one: Next Time You See Her. Only the last two tracks are below par, certainly the MOR last one but also the blues one is not really inspired.
- Heavy Weather by Weather Report (nr 35): Birdland is a good jazz standard and there are interesting parts in nearly all the other tracks but overall the album is a bit too much wallpaper for me.

The next album to listen to is The Grand Illusion by Styx.

[dihansse]

Further enquiry into 1977 albums:
- The Grand Illusion by Styx (nr 36 on the overall BEA top chart of 1977): I like Pieces of Eight but this album is a bit of a letdown although it contains a few tracks which were also semi-hits in Belgium.
- Running On Empty by Jackson Browne (nr 37): I doubted a long time before including this one in my top chart but The Load-Out and Stay at the end finally won me over. A lot of tracks on this album are fairly cheesy but somehow I like this guy's albums.
- The Album by ABBA (nr 38 ): Take A Chance On Me is one of my favorite ABBA tracks and there are plenty of other hits ie enough to include in my personal top chart.
- New Boots and Panties!! by Ian Dury (nr 41): the ultimate pub album ie lots of fun but not really a lot of quality or originality. Wake Up is allright but it's a bit downhill after that.
- Songs From The Wood by Jethro Tull (nr 42): I don't really like that British folky medieval atmosphere.

The next album to listen to is Pacific Ocean Blue of Dennis Wilson.

[dihansse]

In principle my last contribution for 1977 but I'm not planning to stop yet:
- Pacific Ocean Blue by Dennis Wilson (nr 43 on the overall BEA top chart of 1977): in some tracks like The River his genius filters through and some it just doesn't happen but overall this is a very interesting Dennis Wilson album so I'll add it to my year chart
- Point Of Know Return by Kansas (nr 44 and the last album still to listen to with an overall BEA rank better than 2500): To me this is the best Kansas album for one and only reason: I'm an absolute fan of Dust In The Wind, one of the best slows ever written. I also like the title track and although the rest of the album is or too proggy or too cheesy, I still like the overall feel well enough to include it in my personal top chart.

And like I said there seem to plenty of other albums on my wishlist so I'll go on a bit:
- Lights Out by UFO (nr 46): Michael Schenker is one of my favorite guitarists and this is one of his finest contributions to UFO so an absolute must: I especially like Too Hot To Handle, Lights Out and Love To Love.

More 1977 albums to follow.

[Repo]

[dihansse]

[Yann]

[dihansse]

There are so many very good 1977 albums to be found just outside the overall BEA top 2500 and here are some of those:
- Foreigner by Foreigner (nr 49 of the BEA top chart of 1977): I've always seen Foreigner as a greatest hits band more than as a regular album band but this first album of theirs is really good. Of course there is Cold as Ice, one of my favorite tracks ever but also Feels Like The First Time and Starrider are very solid.
- In Color by Cheap Trick (nr 57): and here everything Cheap Trick ever made is overshadowed by At Budokan but also this album of theirs is better than expected. The main hit I Want You To Want Me rocks a bit less than on the live album but is still a fun song and I also like Hello There and Clock Strikes Ten. Not the best band/album in the world but I like it.
- Book Of Dreams by Steve Miller Band (nr 61): I like this album better than Fly Like An Eagle, not in the least because it contains Jet Airliner which throttles forward like a jet airliner. Winter Time, Swingtown and Jungle Love and The Stake are the other highlights. I quite like the groove this band produces.

And there's more 1977 albums to follow but first there's.... The Posies.

[dihansse]

Just as a side dish I want to do something on the Posies because they made my evening today (all this while watching Brasil-Serbia at the same time):

First I discovered on Youtube that they have played some Hüsker Dü songs with Greg Norton a few days ago in the Turf Club of Saint-Paul: really great and this is an example on Youtube
[youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1HehDFFwsg[/youtube]

Then I discovered this was part of a tour the Posies are doing to celebrate their 30th anniversary and they're performing mainly from Dear 23, Frosting On The Beater (one of favorite albums ever) and Amazing Disgrace.
They are also re-issuing these albums.
Then I looked if they were playing somewhere near Belgium and they do in Mechelen on the 19th of October so I booked a ticket immediately.

Then I discovered to my shame that I hadn't even heard of their most recent album of 2016, Solid States.
Solid States by The Posies
So I listened to that one and while it's not their best album: the guitars are a bit less prominent, the voices of Dan Auerbach and Ken Stringfellow still sound heavenly together.
And then I discovered I hadn't even heard their first album of 1989 yet so I listened to that on as well:
Failure by The Posies
Failure is a real hidden gem: these guys were very young then but they already had the harmonies that they perfected on their other albums.

Both of these albums are cruelly underrated on BEA so I really advise everyone to listen to them and try to go to one of their concerts: they're still playing in many place in the States and then they come to Europe.
And of course if you've never heard of them then start with Frosting on a Beater: you won't regret it: this is one of the best power rock albums around.

[Repo]

[dihansse]