Hi! "Inspired by" the @notesfrom 1971 thread Now it's 2022, and 1972 was 50 years ago! 1972 was 50 years ago... Hard to believe, but it's true. What are your favorite albums, songs, and memories from that year? What immediately pops out? Was the music as good as it was in '68, '69 and '70?
For all that it may be worth, and in the absence of a Mahavishnu Orchestra release that year (one in 1971, two in 1973) here's my faves from 1972: Focus - Focus 3 Slade - Slade Alive! Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs - Aztecs Live! At Sunbury Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Pentangle - Solomon's Seal
In the UK it was the height of the glam rock era. T.Rextasy at it's peak, Slade too, Rock & Roll Part 2 and I Didn't Know I Love You Til I Saw You Rock 'n' Roll by Gary Glitter (I know! But nobody did then and the records are good pop), The Sweet starting their run of classic 45s, Bowie with Ziggy, Lou Reed with Transformer, Roxy Music, All The Young Dudes by Mott The Hoople. A fine year for soul too, with Al Green - I'm Still In Love With You and Curtis Mayfield - Superfly, Stevie, O'Jays, Chi-Lites, JB and Bill Withers being on top form. Bob Marley and the Wailers start their international album career with Catch A Fire. I don't doubt it was fine for progressive rock too, but that's something I'm not massively into. We also got Deep Purple In Rock and Black Sabbath Vol. 4 1972 was a great year, also one where a few of the big rock acts laid low. No Led Zeppelin, The Who or Sly Stone album that year. Edit: How did I forget Exile On Main St?!
Before my time.....but a hell of a year 1 Ziggy 2 Exile On Main Street 3 Roxy Music 4 Transformer 5 Saint Dominics Review 6 Harvest 7 Ege Bamyasi - Can 8 The late great Townes Van Zandt 9 The Spotlight Kid - Beefheart 10 Paul Simon
Not a bad year at all. <---John Entwistle - Whistle Rymes Pete Townshend - Who Came First Pete Townshend - I Am The Pretty Things - Freeway Madness Joe Walsh - Barnstorm The James Gang - Straight Shooter The James Gang - Passin' Through Procol Harum - Live Edmonton The Kinks - Everybody's in Showbiz The Kinks - Kronikles Caravan - Waterloo Lily Jade Warrior - Last Autumn's Dream Deep Purple - Machine Head Deep Purple - Made in Japan The Hollies - Romany Poco - A Good Feelin' to Know Genesis - Foxtrot Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards Uriah Heep - The Magician's Birthday Alice Cooper - School's Out Lindisfarne - Dingly Dell Todd Rundgren - Something Anything Renaissance - Prologue Flash - Flash The Strawbs - Grave New World Gentle Giant - Octopus Gentle Giant - Three Friends Bonzo Dog Band - Let's Make Up Three Dog Night - Seven Separate Fools Humble Pie - Smokin' Return to Forever - Return to Forever Black Sabbath - Volume 4 Mothers - Just Another Band From LA Frank Zappa - The Grand Wazoo Steeleye Span - Below the Salt Sandy Denny - Sandy Pentangle - Solomon's Seal Mountain - The Road Goes Ever On The Beach Boys - Carl and the Passions Janis Joplin - In Concert Pink Floyd - Obscured by Clouds King Crimson - Earthbound Roxy Music - Roxy Music Jethro Tull - Living in the Past Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Jefferson Airplane - Long John Silver Rod Stewart - Never a Dull Moment The Rolling Stones - Exile The Rolling Stones - More Hot Rocks
The Kinks' Everybody's in Show-Biz is a solid enough album, with some funny songs about the tumult of being on the road, and celebrity in general. This is the home of two masterpieces - Alcohol, and Celluloid Heroes. It would be their last album before releasing 4 concept albums in a row, which wasn't a great career move - but we get some compelling art.
The double album makes this one of the best almost releases of 1972! Red Pepper Speedway - Paul McCartney and Wings Tracklist Night Out Get On The Right Thing - 2018 Remaster Mama's Little Girl I Would Only Smile 1882 - Live In Berlin/1972 My Love - 2018 Remaster One More Kiss - 2018 Remaster Little Woman Love - 2018 Remaster Hi, Hi, Hi - 2018 Remaster Seaside Woman The Mess - Live At The Hague/1972 When The Night - 2018 Remaster Tragedy Big Barn Bed - 2018 Remaster Jazz Street Single Pigeon - 2018 Remaster Best Friend - Live In Antwerp/1972 Live And Let Die - 2018 Remaster I Lie Around - 2018 Remaster Country Dreamer - 2018 Remaster Medley: Hold Me Tight/Lazy Dynamite/Hands Of Love/Power Cut - 2018 Remaster Little Lamb Dragonfly - 2018 Remaster Thank You Darling
Not to be confused with the later film soundtrack, in 1972 the Broadway version of Grease was released - and junior and senior high schools are still staging this show year after year. What an impact!
For me, from the perspective of someone who wasn't born yet, 1967-1976 is the apex of modern music (Modern being music of the last 100 years) but within that time frame, I think 1972-1974 is the best 3 year period, and really '72 and '73 are untouchable. It seems like the most creative and timeless music was being made at this point. Before and after 1974 sound a bit dated to me, pre-72 having that '60s sound' from the production, which I enjoy, and late 70s sometimes feels like it wants to be the 80s, or lots of bands having passed their peak, or were moving into more corporate/commercial music directions or breaking up/changing lineups. Everyone was peaking in 72-74, Pink Floyd, Yes, Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Black Sabbath, Santana, David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, Gentle Giant, Elton John, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, were all putting out some of their best stuff in that time frame, and that's just the ones I could think of off the top of my head. There is obviously great music throughout every decade, and obviously there was bad music made in the 72-74 period, but to me, there's more good music than not in that time span, and not only that, it consists of some of the best music ever created, and I can't think of any other time in the modern era, that is like that for me.
1972? Another in an ongoing run of years with great albums and singles. Some of my favourite albums to this day came out then: Exile On Main Street, Paul Simon, Barnstorm, Who Came First...
Olivia's second album like her first, recorded at Abbey Road studio 2 released August 1972 she covered Gerry Rafferty's "Mary Skeffington" she also covered Beatle George, twice ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YC8ViA4g04 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=149VAQRYRUM
