It was 50 years ago today ...

[Frayed Knot]

More or less anyway.
Triggered by a bunch of media retrospectives last year involving the moon landing and Woodstock, I got the idea for this last summer but by the time I started thinking about it the year was nearly ending.
So I’m starting it here and we’ll see if it has any staying power. Basically all I’m doing is noting notable albums that are at or near the 50th anniversaries of their release. And I don’t intend this to be a solo
project so feel free to add your own as release dates approach and/or add comments on other entries as they come up. I'm working from a list going forward, but I'm sure to be missing more than a few.

So I'll kick off 1970 releases with:

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER — SIMON AND GARFUNKEL (Released Jan 26, 1970)
The fifth and final studio album from S&G before going their separate, and often antagonistic, ways, Artie towards acting and Paul towards not wanting to split the credit for his songs.
It also might have been the first album I ever owned. Both mom & dad had younger sisters who, while not exactly hard core rock and rollers, were some seven/eight years younger than my
then-37 & 40 y/o pre-R&R parents and therefore at least familiar enough with current sounds to where my older sister and I started receiving albums as birthday/Xmas presents from the likes
of S&G, Cat Stevens, 5th Dimension, who, even though they were among the 'safer' artists of the times, they were still ones with which my parents would have been thoroughly unfamiliar.
** Includes THE BOXER, CECILIA, BABY DRIVER, ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK and of course the Title track



CHICAGO II — CHICAGO (Released Jan 26, 1970)
Officially released as just CHICAGO owing to the first one being credited to ‘The Chicago Transit Authority’. When subsequent albums were released with Roman numerals this one got retroactively
labeled ‘Chicago II’
I know CHICAGO isn't exactly high on the 'hipness' scale, but back when my Jr-HS era self was starting to sort out what was to be “my” music, this band was among my first favorites. And while
there is certainly stuff I listened to at that age that I would back away from now, these guys, or at least these guys from this stage of their career, still mostly holds up for me. So last summer
when a DJ tracked the entire 15-minute or so long 'Ballet for a Girl in Buchanan' suite, I gladly absorbed and enjoyed the entire thing.
** COLOR MY WORLD, 25 OR 6 TO 4; MAKE ME SMILE



MOONDANCE -- VAN MORRISON (Jan 27)
My 10 y/o self was too young and un-hip to know of this album at the time of its release, but upon hearing it years later I knew I was listening to a gem, particularly 'Side A'.
From first track to last -- AND IT STONED ME, MOONDANCE, CRAZY LOVE, CARAVAN, and INTO THE MYSTIC -- are as good as one side of an LP gets IMO

[41Forever]

What a great idea!

My Dad had some S&G albums, and "The Boxer" was one of the songs he would spontaneously sing a verse to. ("Come Together" was another song he'd do that to.)

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I listened to both Cat Steven (Tea) and S+G (Parsley + Bookends) tonight while making paella. Aon, My paella is too greasy and I can't get the rice to crisp at the bottom.

[Edgy MD]

The best track on Moondance is whatever track is playing. Until the next one comes on.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

So TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN is fresh in my mind... It's probably 🐈's best LP, loaded with sad and soulful folk. Guy was on a roll, considering he'd been mainly a guy who wrote other folks stuff when he came up, he sings about as well as anyone. I guess as a criticism you could say it's not edgy enough but there are moments of drama too.

Where Do the Children Play
Wild World
Father and Son
On the Road to Find Out
Hardheaded Woman
Longer Boats

[whippoorwill]

We had Chicago 2

The very last note of Make me Smile had a skip in it and that poor horn player played that note for eternity while my brother and I were helplessly laughing on the floor

[whippoorwill]

And you know Parsley sage rosemary and thyme is an ancient song?
I wrote an article about it once

[Willets Point]

My big sister was born in 1970 and apparently "Cecilia" was a song that she liked in her infancy.

[cal sharpie]

Owned both Bridge Over Troubled Water and Chicago II at that time (also Junior High for me). Agree with pretty much everything FK has written. I wish I had run into an unexpected Ballet For a Girl in Buchanan as I can't remember anything about that song. There's some pretty strong albums that will show up later that year for their 50th anniversary.

Moondance is terrific but, like FK, it was only later that I realized that fact.

[Edgy MD]

I have to say that, as much as I adore the collection back to front, I feel outwardly hostile toward the title track of "Moondance" when the computer DJ decides to play it at 7:45 AM on a sizzling June morning.

[LWFS]

I came to all this stuff after the fact. Y'know, because I'm not as old as you guys, who are very, very, VERY old.

"Only Living Boy in New York" has become my far-and-away favorite song on that album. Moondance is a much tougher pick-- "And It Stoned Me," "Glad Tidings," the title track. Gun to head, though... kind of has to be "Into the Mystic," doesn't it?

What else was there that you guys were listening to at the time? Paranoid? Loaded? Elton John?

[cal sharpie]

In January, 1970 it would still be albums from 1969: Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin II, In the Court of the Crimson King, Let It Bleed.

In keeping with agreeing with LWFS, best songs on the three albums so far:
Chicago II: Make Me Smile
Moondance: Into the Mystic
Bridge: Only Living Boy In New York

[batmagadanleadoff]

M.y hunch is that the number of people here who were experiencing 1970 music in real time and in a meaningful way is tiny. I think there's a large chunk of posters here who were alive in 1970 but in elementary or grade school and thus, too young really.

[41Forever]

I came to all this stuff after the fact. Y'know, because I'm not as old as you guys, who are very, very, VERY old.

What else was there that you guys were listening to at the time? Paranoid? Loaded? Elton John?

Well, I was 6 at the time. Had this one in heavy rotation.



But my Dad had the good stuff I'd grow to appreciate. Abbey Road, the album with "Hey Jude," Cosmo's Factory. He hooked up speakers in the backyard, and summers meant hanging out in the yard and him playing these as we did stuff.

[Vic Sage]

my top 10 from 1970:

PLASTIC ONO BAND (J.Lennon)
MOONDANCE (V.Morrison)
TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN (C.Stevens)
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER (S&G)
SWEET BABY JAMES (J.Taylor)
DEJA VU (CSNY)
LAYLA (Derek &Dominoes)
AFTER THE GOLDRUSH (N.Young)
LET IT BE (Beatles)
ALL THINGS MUST PASS (G.Harrison)

I recognizes it's a heavy on beatles and folkier stuff, with Black Sabbath, the Greatful Dead, Santana, the Stooges and Velvet Underground all having significant works that year, but its my list. At least i didn't include The Carpenters!

[cal sharpie]

My top ten:

PLASTIC ONO BAND (Lennon)
BITCHES BREW (Miles Davis)
ALL THINGS MUST PASS (Harrison)
COSMO'S FACTORY (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
MOONDANCE (Morrison)
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER (Simon & Garfunkel)
AFTER THE GOLD RUSH (Young)
ABRAXAS (Santana)
LIVE AT LEEDS (The Who)
LAYLA (Derek & the Dominoes)


Just missing: LET IT BE, JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE (Traffic); DEJA VU, STAGE FRIGHT (The Band)

[Frayed Knot]

M.y hunch is that the number of people here who were experiencing 1970 music in real time and in a meaningful way is tiny. I think there's a large chunk of posters here who were alive in 1970 but in elementary or grade school and thus, too young really.

Yeah. As mentioned, I was 10 y/o as the year began and wouldn't really get into music on my own for a couple of years hence so really just about all of this list was at least a little bit in past tense for me and some
of the more 'grown-up' sounds would take another decade or so for me to really absorb them. Hell, some of the stuff released in that year I never got around to which is part of why I don't want this to be a solo
project.

[Frayed Knot]

I wish I had run into an unexpected Ballet For a Girl in Buchanan as I can't remember anything about that song.

Well, the "ballet" wasn't a song as such but a suite of shorter songs, several of which were strictly instrumentals, ordered in a semi-connected, Abbey Road-Side 2 kind of way.
Written by group trombonist Jim Pankow (about a breakup with a girl then attending college in Buckhannon, WV -- not sure why the spelling got rearranged) it consisted of:
"Make Me Smile" (3:32)
"So Much to Say, So Much to Give" (1:04)
"Anxiety's Moment" (1:00)
"West Virginia Fantasies" (1:34)
"Color My World" (2:58)
"To Be Free" (1:21)
"Now More Than Ever" (1:27)

'Now More Than Ever' is a short reprise to 'Make Me Smile' so ending with it completes the circles as it was - that's why it was a treat to run into a radio program where the DJ had
the freedom to play the entire thing start to finish.

In keeping with agreeing with LWFS, best songs on the three albums so far:
Chicago II: Make Me Smile
Moondance: Into the Mystic
Bridge: Only Living Boy In New York

I could possibly make an argument for 'The Boxer' over Living Boy, but have no problem echoing the selection of these three as well.

[whippoorwill]

M.y hunch is that the number of people here who were experiencing 1970 music in real time and in a meaningful way is tiny. I think there's a large chunk of posters here who were alive in 1970 but in elementary or grade school and thus, too young really.

I was 10 and admittedly my older brother and sister are who brought that music into the house
However I also remember that our radio was ALWAYS on so mom and dad knew all the songs too
Pretty cool times

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I can remember discussing "Glad Tidings" with Sharpie at a CPF get-together brunch 14 years ago... It had recently been used on a SOPRANOS episode. After the brunch me and the pregnant Wifey Bucket went to Tower Record and bought a bunch of Van discs then named our son Ivan after George Ivan "Van" Morrison.

[whippoorwill]

Cool!
Does he know that?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Grand Funk Railroad released I'm Your Captain in 1970. Wasn't there a really long thread about that song here a coupl'a years ago?

[cal sharpie]

I remember that conversation about "Glad Tidings." I didn't know it played a part in your son's name. Good thing we didn't discuss Iggy Pop.

[RealityChuck]

Top ten from 1970 (back then)

1. Spirit "Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus"
2. Who "Live at Leeds"
3. Traffic "John Barleycorn Must Die"
4. Soft Machine "Third"
5. Grateful Dead "American Beauty"
6. Kinks "Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround"
7. Captain Beefheart "Lick My Decals Off Baby"
8. Emitt Rhodes
9. Mothers of Invention "Burnt Weenie Sandwich"
10. Emerson Lake and Palmer

I didn't get into "Moondance" until several years later. Also, the Woodstock album was impossible to avoid on campus -- everyone played it.

[batmagadanleadoff]

What else was there that you guys were listening to at the time? Paranoid? Loaded? Elton John?

All of that eventually, but not "at the time". Here's my in real time 1970 pop music memories that are still fixed in my head and will be forever. The Carpenters "Close to You" on the beach. A happy song with lotsa happy notes when your whole life's ahead of you with not a worry in the world. And sleepaway camp at the end of the Summer and waking up to the counselor's radio playing American Woman and Band of Gold seemingly every single day. To this day, in my mind, those are the only two songs his radio station ever played.

I don't know if these are what I think are the 10 best albums of 1970 or even my favorite top 10. But they're the 1970 albums I probably listened to the most in my life. In estimated order from most listened to to next most listened to.

1 Get Yer Ya Ya's Out -- The Rolling Stones
2 John Barleycorn Must Die -- Traffic
3 Layla -- Derek & the Dominoes
4 Deja Vu -- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5 Loaded -- The Velvet Underground
6 Abraxas -- Santana
7 Led Zeppelin III -- Led Zeppelin
8 Bridge Over Troubled Water -- Simon & Garfunkel
9 After the Gold Rush -- Neil Young
10 Signed, Sealed Delivered -- Stevie Wonder



Wish there were some hidden gems in there but that's all pretty mainstream well known stuff.