Longtime readers know that Jonn tolerates an occasional \u201cwalkabout\u201d from me on various and sundry subjects.\u00a0 Well, consider yourself warned.\u00a0 Here comes another.<\/p>\n
. . . <\/strong><\/p>\n The 1970s are considered by many\u00a0 a \u201clost decade\u201d in popular music.\u00a0 And in truth, the 1970s did give us that abomination called \u201cdisco\u201d \u2013 which IMO indeed royally polluted the popular music scene for much of the decade.\u00a0 Derision for that is IMO deserved.<\/p>\n Still, the decade wasn\u2019t musically a total loss.\u00a0 Besides those musicians who sold their souls for a quick buck in the disco\/dance craze, many other artists were making some memorable music.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s some of what IMO is that decade\u2019s better music \u2013 none of which is disco \u2013 at one song per year, along with a few comments on each. \u00a0I\u2019ve intentionally omitted songs from that decade I\u2019ve featured here in previous articles.\u00a0 There\u2019s plenty more from each year worth listening to.<\/p>\n Without further ado:\u00a0 yer 1970s non-disco popular musical sampler.<\/p>\n . . . <\/strong><\/p>\n 1970: \u00a0Mississippi Queen (Mountain)<\/a><\/em>\u00a0 – inspired when Corky Laing (later to become Mountain\u2019s drummer) saw a Southern beauty wearing a near see-thru dress<\/a><\/em> during a power failure at a gig on Nantucket Island \u2013 and pulled out all the stops (with a hour-long drum solo) to keep her dancing.\u00a0 The song is one of two (along with BOC’s Don’t Fear the Reaper<\/em>) responsible for making the cowbell a fixture in rock music.<\/p>\n 1971:\u00a0 Riders on the Storm (Doors)<\/a><\/em> \u2013 the Doors\u2019 final recording, and the final Doors single released in Jim Morrison\u2019s lifetime.\u00a0 Hella good finale.<\/p>\n 1972:\u00a0 Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple)<\/a><\/em>\u00a0 – the lyrics literally tell the story of a fire<\/a><\/em>, stared by \u201csome stupid with a flare gun\u201d, at a Frank Zappa concert in Switzerland in Dec 1971. \u00a0The song\u2019s intro is gripping – I still remember where I was the first time I heard it.<\/p>\n 1973:\u00a0 Time (Pink Floyd)<\/a><\/em> \u2013 from Dark Side of the Moon<\/u>.\u00a0 Perhaps the best (and my favorite) track on the album.<\/p>\n 1974:\u00a0 Free Man in Paris (Joni Mitchell)<\/a><\/em> \u2013 well before she became Don Juan\u2019s Reckless Daughter<\/a><\/em>, Joni was one helluva good singer\/songwriter.\u00a0 One of her best tunes.<\/p>\n 1975:\u00a0 Rock and Roll All Nite (Kiss)<\/a><\/em> \u2013 the lads could rock<\/u>. From the live album that did a great deal to establish them as major stars.<\/p>\n 1976:\u00a0 Lido Shuffle (Boz Scaggs)<\/a><\/em> \u2013 an absolutely great tune from his greatest album, Silk Degrees<\/span>.<\/p>\n 1977:\u00a0 Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett)<\/a><\/em> \u2013 hard call between this and another great Buffett tune from the same year (and title tune of the album containing both), Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes.\u00a0 <\/em>Pretty sure most of us can identify with either tune.<\/p>\n 1978:\u00a0 Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits)<\/a><\/em> \u2013 from their debut album.\u00a0 Introduced a guy named Mark Knopfler, who plays a fair guitar.\u00a0 (smile)<\/p>\n