Top 5 of 1970!!

And so we begin this new series of articles!  Just to make the record clear, I am just one guy, listening to music off-and-on through my days, so it is impossible to listen to everything of a given year (especially within just a month).  I will also limit my choices to genres that I generally cover in this blog (melodic rock and metal), though that isn't much of a problem for me here with 1970.  It should also be noted that, since this was put together by one guy, this list will be very subjective, as they are essentially my favorite albums from the year.  

When I wrote about this year for my Anniversary Article, I mentioned how it was a time of change, with some bands ending and others beginning.  However, when it comes to finding the best of this year, it seems that I found it with bands that had some experience but were interested in expanding their sound into new ideas.  Here are my Top 5 for 1970!

5. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory

By 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival had already established themselves as a solid rock band, focusing on a roots-rock style instead of the popular psychedelia their San Franciscan peers were into.  However, with this album, they step back into a bit, with an 11 minute rendition of "Heard It Through the Grapevine" that really flows, as well as a nice groove-heavy section in the middle of "Ramble Tamble."  However, they still had their hard-hitting cuts like "Run Through the Jungle" and "Up Around the Bend," with a good measure of whimsy with songs like "Looking Out My Back Door."  While not every song is great, it's a solid collection of rock songs from a band that was looking beyond their established formula to create something fresh.  While I did listen to Pendulum as well, but it wasn't as strong as this one, so it gets the slot.

4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Another band with two albums this year, I think most metal fans will say that Paranoid is the better of the two.  Their self-titled debut isn't bad, but definitely leans into the jammy blues-rock that was popular at the time.  Here, with Paranoid, the band finds their proto-metal sound, as the title track, "Iron Man," and "War Pigs" set the standard that many bands would follow for decades to come.  The album does get a bit silly towards the end, and it's not quite the heavy metal we may recognize today, but the raw materials were established here, and they have aged pretty dang well.

3. Led Zeppelin - III

I've always been a Led Zeppelin fan ever since I took the time to dig into them when I was in college.  While their third album features some great songs, it does end up being stuck between their very successful second album and their iconic fourth one.  Still, the emphasis on more acoustic tracks and the inclusion of other sounds show this band was moving beyond their blues-rock origins and working toward the stadium rockers they would become shortly after this album.  It may not be the favorite of many people, but it's a solid entry in a discography that has stamped itself in rock history as one of the best.

2. Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You

I still remember when I first gave this shot on a Sunday when I had a headache, finding it rather pleasant and chill.  However, since then, the album has really grown on me.  Despite all its jazz-fusion-branded chaos, I find this album oddly comforting, full of little melodic earworms and neat transitions.  I really should listen to more from this band, if this album is anything to go by.

1. Yes - Time and a Word

However, my favorite band also released an album this year.  While it's not one of my favorites of theirs, I still can't deny that it has excellent songs, building on their first album's blend of sounds for something bigger and more dynamic.  The opening starts with a great cover of Richie Havens' "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" that packs a lot of punch, followed by the enigmatic "Then."  The title track is a decent ballad, but the my favorite has to be "Sweet Dreams," with Christ Squire's rockin' bass taking front-and-center!  I will say that the second half of the album isn't as strong, as they dabble in some psychedelic weirdness that doesn't quite click.  But the fanboy in me still says this is the best album of the year, even if the band hadn't quite found their iconic sound just yet.

Last Played - January 2019

I know I've been putting out a lot of articles about new music, I'm still working my way through the backlog of great rock and metal of the past.  Let's turn it up for the January edition of Last Played!

Van Halen - 1984

Can you believe this classic is 35 years old now?  It’s kind of crazy to think what a huge impact this album had back in the day, mostly through some huge hits like “Panama” and the MTV favorite “Hot For Teacher,” as well as Eddie Van Halen’s increased use of synthesizers, most noticeably on “Jump” and “I’ll Wait.”

As for the rest of the album, it’s pretty standard Van Halen: good riffs and good times.  They really had the right combination of heavy guitars and incredible accessibility, and shows what good songwriters they were.  As it would turn out, it was also the last album with David Lee Roth for quite some time, as he decided to go solo.

Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You

So one Sunday, I had a pretty big headache and decided I was in the mood for something kind of mellow.  I wanted to give a shot to one of the Canterbury scene prog rock bands, known for their chill brand of jazz-fusion rock.  I ended up choosing this one, and it turned out to be a pretty solid chunk of music.

While I don’t know if there was any particular stand-out to this album (though the “For Richard/Warlock” section was a pretty neat jam), the whole album occupies this groove-laden level of quality all the way through, making it a rather pleasant listen.  There’s also this element of quiet hope, as the band can feel they’re on the edge of a breakthrough in their career.  A pretty neat, jazzy, uplifting little album.

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

A definitely classic, I mostly relistened to this to help me get in the mood for The Big Three Article I wrote earlier.  I personally think this is Pink Floyd’s best album, as it has all the members firing on all cylinders.  The lyrics are thoughtful, the synths grand and textured, and Gilmour’s solos remain powerful and emotive, even all these years later.

The main reason I like this over Dark Side of the Moon, is that while Dark Side is a great album to listen through as a whole, the individual songs are a little more mixed.  Wish You Were Here does both: works as a full album and as individual songs, even with “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” split up.  A beautiful masterpiece of mood and melody.

Kamelot - Siége Perilous

Named after the infamous empty seat at the round table of King Arthur’s court, we have Kamelot’s first album featuring the epic voice of Roy Kahn, and the difference is quite noticeable.  However, many of the progressive elements from the band’s previous albums are still hanging around, making this one an album of transition into the power metal sound they would become known for.

As such, it’s a clunky album.  “Millennium” stands out with its high-speed energy and riffing, while “Rhydin” and “Irea” provide good, epic numbers that foreshadow the band’s output in the 2000s.  Everything else is just okay, but slightly better than the previous two albums.

Europe - Prisoners in Paradise

Still riding the wave from their success from The Final Countdown, we have Europe’s final album before they went on hiatus for the 90s, and just in time, as it would seem.  Released at the dawn of the grunge wave, this album is a last stand of shiny, glossy, anthemic 80s style pop metal right before the style was abandoned by record labels across the world.

So what do we have here?  Mostly, it’s an album of arena-ready rockers, with a bit of a blues-y vibe, wearing their Whitesnake influence on their sleeves for this one.  Not much of it really stands out, but it’s decent while it’s on, with “Seventh Sign” and “Girl From Lebanon” being the closest they come to their classic mid-80s style, and the opener “All or Nothing” kicking things off well.  While they’ve always had a radio-friendly sound, this one feels particularly thin compared to their better known albums.

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Well, that's it for the moment.  Looking ahead to February, I'm seeing a lot of new albums I want to listen to, ranging from the epicness of Dream Theater and Avantasia, to the Herman Frank album I won't shut up about!  I don't know I'll give each one their own article or if I'll end up grouping them together, but I'm pretty excited for what's coming!