All in all, 1971 wasn’t one of the greatest years for rock in the seventies. But it was a pretty great one for Alice Cooper, Rory Gallagher, and Yes, who each had two albums on my Top 30.
As before, 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.
I also reserve the right to change any of these whenever I damn well feel like it.
A Nod is as Good As a Wink…: The Faces (“Miss Judy’s Farm”, “Stay With Me”, “Too Bad”)
Aqualung: Jethro Tull (“Aqualung”, “Locomotive Breath”, “Cross-Eyed Mary”)
A Space in Time: Ten Years After (“One of These Days”, “I’d Love to Change the World”, “Baby Won’t You Let Me Rock ‘n’ Roll You?”)
At Fillmore East: The Allman Brothers (“Statesboro Blues”, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”, “Whipping Post”)
The Cry of Love: Jimi Hendrix (“Ezy Ryder”, “Freedom”, “Angel”)
Deuce: Rory Gallagher (“I’m Not Awake Yet”, “In Your Town”, “Used to Be”)
Electric Warrior: T-Rex (“Jeepster”, “Get It On”, “Rip Off”)
Every Picture Tells a Story: Rod Stewart (“Every Picture Tells a Story”, “Maggie May”, “That’s All Right”)
First Pull Up, Then Pull Down: Hot Tuna (“Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning”, “Candy Man”, “John’s Other”)
Fragile: Yes (“Roundabout”, “Long Distance Runaround”, “Mood For a Day”)
Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers: Hound Dog Taylor (“44 Blues”, “She’s Gone”, “Phiilips’ Theme”)
Hunky Dory: David Bowie (“Changes”, “Life on Mars?”, “Queen Bitch”)
Imagine: John Lennon (“Imagine”, “Jealous Guy”, “How Do You Sleep?”)
Killer: Alice Cooper (“Halo of Flies”, “Desperado”, “Under My Wheels”)
L.A. Woman: The Doors (“Love Her Madly”, “L.A. Woman”, “Riders On the Storm”)
Led Zeppelin 4: Led Zeppelin (“Black Dog”, “Rock and Roll”, “Stairway to Heaven”)
Live Johnny Winter And: Johnny Winter (“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, “Mean Town Blues”, “Johnny B. Goode”)
The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions: Howlin’ Wolf (“Built For Comfort”, “Highway 49”, “The Red Rooster”)
Love It to Death: Alice Cooper (“Caught In a Dream”, “I’m Eighteen”, “The Ballad of Dwight Fry”)
Master of Reality: Black Sabbath (“Sweet Leaf”, “Children of the Grave”, “After Forever”)
Meddle: Pink Floyd (“One of These Days”, “Fearless”, “Echoes”)
Nantucket Sleighride: Mountain (“Don’t Look Around”, “Nantucket Sleighride”, “The Great Train Robbery”)
Naturally: J.J. Cale (“Call Me the Breeze”, “Crazy Mama”, “After Midnight”)
Rory Gallagher: Rory Gallagher (“Laundromat”, “Sinner Boy”, “I Fall Apart”)
Sticky Fingers: The Rolling Stones (“Brown Sugar”, “Dead Flowers”, “Bitch”)
Straight Up: Badfinger (“Baby Blue”, “Day After Day”, “Suitcase”)
Tapestry: Carole King (“I Feel the Earth Move”, “It’s Too Late”, “So Far Away”)
Who’s Next: The Who (“Going Mobile”, “Behind Blue Eyes”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”)
The Yes Album: Yes (“Yours Is No Disgrace”, “Starship Trooper”, “I’ve Seen All Good People”)
ZZ Top’s First Album: ZZ Top (“Brown Sugar”, “Goin’ Down to Mexico”, “Certified Blues”)