Top 40 Music Albums of 1973
by Romanelli

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1973 – MCA
Produced By AL KOOPER

1. I Ain’t The One
2. Tuesday’s Gone
3. Gimme Three Steps
4. Simple Man
5. Things Goin’ On
6. Mississippi Kid
7. Poison Whiskey
8. Free Bird

While The Allman Brothers Band were reeling from the deaths of key band members and no longer the force of Southern rock they once were, Lynyrd Skynyrd, from Jacksonville, Florida, was rising to take their place. But while The Allmans were the prototypical jam band, Skynyrd was (“Free Bird” aside) more about shorter songs and a more radio friendly sound. Ronnie Van Zant was a strong presence at the front of the band, and the three lead guitars were no joke…Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Ed King (from Strawberry Alarm Clock, of all places) were exceptional players. This, their debut album, shows that Skynyrd started off at the top of their game, and had it not been for the over-exposure of “Free Bird” and a bit too much production from Al Kooper, it could have been perfect, or close to it. Lots to love on this album, for sure.

This album contains three bonafide classics. “Simple Man”, despite Kooper having overdone it on the keyboards, is a beautiful and surprisingly mature song from such a young band. “Tuesday’s Gone” is a flawless song. And like it or not, “Free Bird” is amazing, from the slow, heartfelt singing of Van Zant to the soaring guitar jam at the end. After that, “Gimme Three Steps”, “Mississippi Kid”, and the politically charged “Thing’s Goin’ On” are great fun. “I Ain’t The One” and “Poison Whiskey” are lesser tracks, but they still belong here. The playing throughout is great, from Billy Powell’s powerful piano to the three guitar attack to the air tight rhythm section. All supporting the calm, stoic and powerful vocals of Van Zant. Not a perfect album, but a sure sign that Skynyrd was going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
[First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,734
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Produced by Pink Floyd. A moving, stunning piece of art. This album flows together like no other, and the entire mood and atmosphere is consistent throughout. Not just lyrically...this is musically as sound a concept album as there is. It still sells a gazillion copies to this day, and is revered for good reason. This is a sonic masterpiece that has yet to be even close to duplicated over what is now 40 years plus. Perfect in every way, pleasing to every sense, beautiful in the rarest of ways. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
58,308
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Top rated album (92/100 - 5365 votes)  92 (5,365 votes)
Comments:
1973-CAPITOL
Produced By PAUL McCARTNEY

1. Band On The Run
2. Jet
3. Bluebird
4. Mrs. Vanderbilt
5. Let Me Roll It
6. Mamunia
7. No Words
8. Helen Wheels
9. Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)
10. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five

Don't get me wrong...Paul McCartney is one of my all time favorite musicians. But he's also one of the most frustrating artists I've ever listened to. He's had so many great songs, both with The Beatles and solo, yet he's only come close to a really great album out of his 22 plus solo recordings once.

Band On The Run is that album. His fifth solo album was the one where he finally broke out. His songwriting was on almost like it was before his solo career, and he sings like he knows that this was going to be his best work. The title track, "Jet", "Helen Wheels", "Let Me Roll It" (which may be his best solo work), and the hugely underrated "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five" are all brilliant. "Picasso's Last Words" and "Mamunia" are not as strong, but never mind. This is as close to, on record (live is another story) as he got to really consistently putting it all together. Wings at this point was just McCartney, his wife Linda, and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, but McCartney doing most of the work is written all over it. Band On The Run is a joyous album, McCartney at his studio best. Play it loud...it still sounds great.
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
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Rank Score:
6,319
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1973-ATLANTIC
Produced By JIMMY PAGE
1. The Song Remains The Same
2. The Rain Song
3. Over The Hills And Far Away
4. The Crunge
5. Dancing Days
6. D’yer Mak’er
7. No Quarter
8. The Ocean

Following up the fourth Led Zeppelin album was no easy task, given that it contained Black Dog, Rock & Roll, and Stairway To Heaven. What can you possibly do for an encore? Led Zeppelin’s encore was Houses Of The Holy, an album that somehow showed even more growth and a willingness to try new things, a big thing considering the formula for success that they had already found. The result is another great album, nearly perfect and an all time classic. The album is the first by Zeppelin to contain all original songs, and it shows a change in the recording process in which there is more layering, particularly of Jimmy Page’s guitar. There is territory previously uncharted by the band in the direction of reggae (“D’yer Mak’er”), increased use of keyboards (“No Quarter”) and funk (“The Crunge”). The album cover created a myth: for years, people believed that the child pictured on the front was Robert Plant’s son Karac, who would die 4 years later. The photo actually features a young brother and sister who did frequent modeling shots in England. When the cover was shot, Karac was only a year old.

The best tracks on Houses Of The Holy rank with Zeppelin’s best work. The power of Page’s guitar riffs is still very much in full effect on tracks like “Over The Hills And Far Away”, “The Ocean”, and “Dancing Days”. Plant is in fine voice, and John Paul Jones is not only steady on bass, but he also adds new dimensions for the band with keyboards and mellotron. The album has long been debated as possibly the best by Zeppelin. However, two tracks have to be considered as slight weaknesses. “D’yer Mak’er” (pronounced Jamaica) was the hit, but it’s also not up to par with the rest of the songs here. And “The Crunge” is clunky and awkward sounding, showing that one thing the band was not good at was funk. But overall, Houses Of The Holy is a necessary part of the Led Zeppelin discography. It’s highs are too great to ignore, and it bridges the gap between the fourth album and Physical Graffiti very nicely. Almost perfect.
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,292
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Average Rating:
Top rated album (85/100 - 2062 votes)  85 (2,062 votes)
Comments:
1973 – CAPRICORN
Produced By PAUL HORNSBY

1. Take The Highway
2. Can’t You See
3. Losing You
4. Hillbilly Band
5. See You Later, I’m Gone
6. Ramblin’
7. My Jesus Told Me So
8. AB’s Song
9. Everyday (I Have The Blues) (Live)

In case it’s forgotten, southern rock was more than The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. There were also some fine bands like Blackfoot, The Charlie Daniels Band, Molly Hatchet, and more. But one of the better bands of the genre from the 70’s was The Marshall Tucker Band, which leaned more toward the country side of things. Founded in South Carolina in 1972, the band, named after a blind piano tuner, had a run of success in the 70’s that included 10 straight albums that reached the top 40, and hits like “Fire On The Mountain” and “Heard It In A Love Song”. They lost their momentum at the dawn of the 80’s when bass player Tommy Caldwell was killed in a car accident, but before then, this was a fine band that make some pretty good records. This album, their first, shows how good these guys were, rocking without ever breaking the loudness barrier. These guys had the talent, and a more than capable songwriter in Toy Caldwell.

The most memorable song here is “Can’t You See”, which was later a fine hit for Waylon Jennings. It showcases not only their fine guitar work and excellent rhythm section, but also the secret weapon that no other southern rock band had: it was the flute work of Jerry Eubanks that made this band stand out from the crowd. The rest of the album, while well played and well written, doesn’t stand out much, a problem the band had for years…their albums tend to blend together without much change. This is still a fine effort, but it never quite makes it far enough off the ground. The bonus track, “Everyday”, is a live gem that shows their jamming abilities, and if you get it on your copy, stands as the real highlight. The band continues today with only one original member (Doug Gray), without a notable hit since the dawn of the 80’s, and an alumni of 31 current and former members.
[First added to this chart: 04/29/2013]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
88
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[First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
796
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1973-PARLOPHONE
Produced By JOHN LENNON

1. Mind Games
2. Tight A$
3. Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)
4. One Day (At A Time)
5. Bring On The Lucie (Freda People)
6. Nutopian International Anthem
7. Intuition
8. Out The Blue
9. Only People
10. I Know (I Know)
11. You Are Here
12. Meat City

Welcome to the very beginning of John Lennon's lost weekend, as depicted in the cover art of Mind Games. The album is John on his own, truly, for the first time ever. And the title track is a wonderful piece of music. Unfortuntely, Mind Games is also the album that truly showed how weak Lennon had become as a songwriter. The performances are great...particularly the lead guitar work of David Spinozza and the unusually strong vocals of Lennon himself.

Songs, though, are what is missing here. After "Mind Games", the pickings are thin. "Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)" is strong, and "Meat City" is pretty good, but all else is below standard...of what Lennon had been capable of doing in the past. The album also marks an end to Lennon's political period, with "Bring On The Lucie (Freda People)". "Nutopian National Anthem" is an non-creative 3 seconds of silence. John's best work was behind him by this time. This isn't terrible...but it's not a great Lennon album by any means.
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
480
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Produced by Willie Mitchell. The run of hits and great albums that Al Green went on in the early 70's was quite remarkable, and this album is the best of them. He hadn't yet gone over the gospel deep end yet, and his golden voice and natural soulfulness make this a true masterpiece. "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)" and "Call me (Come Back Home)" were the big hits, but it's his take on the saddest song ever written, Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" that really brings it home. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,093
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[First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
645
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1973 – ABC
Produced By TERRY CASHMAN & TOMMY WEST

1. I Got A Name
2. Lover’s Cross
3. Five Short Minutes
4. Age
5. Workin’ At The Car Wash Blues
6. I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song
7. Salon And Saloon
8. Thursday
9. Top Hat Bar And Grille
10. Recently
11. The Hard Way Every Time

The story behind some albums makes them difficult to write about. Jim Croce had released a pair of albums in the 1960’s that had little or no impact on the music industry. His third album, 1972’s You Don’t Mess Around With Jim, was his big breakthrough, with three sizeable hits. He followed that up the next year with Life And Times, and he was well on his way to a substantial career. But barely a year after You Don’t Mess Around With Jim, he was killed in a plane crash in Louisiana. Less than two months later, his already finished fifth album, I Got A Name, was released. It’s a continuation of Croce’s career path and shows that he was still growing as an artist. But he had also indicated to his wife (in a letter she received after he had been killed) that he wanted to leave music behind and live a low-key life out of the spotlight. We’ll never know…

The highlights here are the title track, the excellent folk rock of “Workin’ At The Car Wash Blues”, and the lovely “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song”. Also of note is “Salon And Saloon”, the last song he recorded, which was written by his musical partner, Maury Muehleisen, who was also killed in the crash. These tracks are wonderful and show the full promise of Croce. But it’s also easy to forget that Croce was one of the original second wave of folkies, with more interest in singing about personal reflection than about the world and what goes on in it. Croce shows his penchant for what became the genre of adult contemporary here as well, so the album loses points for that. But Croce, who was 30 when he died, was also capable of making great music. Did he have, somewhere in his future, an album of consistently great material? We’ll never know…
[First added to this chart: 06/28/2018]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
257
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Total albums: 40. Page 1 of 4
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89/100 (from 4 votes)
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