Last year I put together a list of my 30 fave albums from 1973, which was a particularly awesome year since it included the release of what I’ve always felt was the world’s greatest rock album, the Who’s Quadrophenia.
Now that you’ve all had a good chance to go out and purchase each and every one of those discs in whatever format you desire–including that fancy-ass boxed-set version of Quadro–it’s time again for me to head back four decades and reminisce about what was truly rockin’ in the Year of Our Lord, 1974.
Like last year, I’ve listed the LPs alphabetically by title, and included three choice tracks from each disc to help you remember how wicked they really were.
(By the way, it’s pretty shocking how many of these fine acts haven’t even been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet. Man does that place suck.)
Axe Victim: Be Bop Deluxe (“Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape”, “No Trains to Heaven”, “Rocket Cathedrals”)
Bad Company: Bad Company (“Rock Steady”, “Ready For Love”, “Movin’ On”)
Bridge of Sighs: Robin Trower (“Day of the Eagle”, “The Fool and Me”, “Lady Love”)
Burn: Deep Purple (“Burn”, “Might Just Take Your Life”, “You Fool No One”)
Diamond Dogs, David Bowie (“Diamond Dogs”, “Rebel Rebel”, “1984”)
Energized: Foghat (“Honey Hush”, “Home in My Hand”, “Step Outside”)
Get Your Wings: Aerosmith (“Same Old Song and Dance”, “Seasons of Wither”, “Spaced”)
The Hoople: Mott the Hoople (“Born Late ’58”, “Golden Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, “Roll Away the Stone”)
Irish Tour ’74: Rory Gallagher (“Cradle Rock”, “A Million Miles Away”, “Tattoo’d Lady”)
Kiss: Kiss (“Strutter”, “Deuce”, “Black Diamond”)
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway: Genesis (“In the Cage”, “The Carpet Crawlers”, “In the Rapids”)
Not Fragile: Bachman Turner Overdrive (“Blue Moanin'”, “Roll On Down the Highway”, “Second Hand”)
Okie, J.J. Cale (“Cajun Moon”, “I’ll Be There If You Ever Want Me”, “Anyway the Wind Blows”)
On the Beach: Neil Young (“Walk On”, “For the Turnstiles”, “Revolution Blues”)
On the Border: Eagles (“Already Gone”, “James Dean”, “Good Day in Hell”)
Paper Money: Montrose (“Underground”, “The Dreamer”, “I Got the Fire”)
Phenomenon: UFO (“Doctor Doctor”, “Rock Bottom”, “Too Young to Know”)
Pretzel Logic: Steely Dan (“Night By Night”, “Barrytown”, “Any Major Dude Will Tell You”)
Rock n Roll Animal: Lou Reed (“White Light/White Heat”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll”, “Sweet Jane”)
Rush: Rush (“Finding My Way”, “In the Mood”, “Working Man”).
Saints & Sinners: Johnny Winter (“Stone County”, “Boney Moronie”, “Feedback on Highway 101”)
Second Helping: Lynyrd Skynyrd (“Don’t Ask Me No Questions”, “The Needle and the Spoon”, “Call Me the Breeze”)
Secret Treaties: Blue Oyster Cult (“Career of Evil”, “ME262”, “Astronomy”)
Seven: Bob Seger (“Get Outta Denver”, “Long Song Comin'”, “Schoolteacher”)
Queen 2: Queen (“White Queen (As It Began)”, “Ogre Battle”, “The March of the Black Queen”)
Stormbringer: Deep Purple (“”Lady Double Dealer”, “The Gypsy”, “Soldier of Fortune”)
There’s the Rub: Wishbone Ash (“Persephone”, “Don’t Come Back”, “F.U.B.B.”)
Too Much Too Soon: New York Dolls (“Babylon”, “Who Are the Mystery Girls?”, “Human Being”)
Twin Peaks: Mountain (“Never in My Life”, “Nantucket Sleighride”, “Mississippi Queen”)
What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits: Doobie Brothers (“Black Water” “Eyes of Silver”, “Another Park, Another Sunday”)