Salutations™!!
I don’t like to do video posts on Monday and I still don’t know that I will do one today, but February 10 has a lot of history for releases.
In 1971, Carole King released her seminal album, Tapestry. It contains 12 songs and there isn’t a clunker one. “I Feel the Earth Move,” “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late,” “Home Again,”
“Beautiful,” “You’ve Got a Friend” (I really don’t like James Taylor’s version but love this one), “Where You Lead” (I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan and that was the theme song sung by Carole and her daughter Louise Goffin), “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” “Smackwater Jack,” “Tapestry” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” The album is amazing. It’s #36 on the RS list and I wonder if that’s too far up the list. Should it be in the 20s? I don’t know, but man, it’s a great album.
Now, in 1978, there were three big albums released. Well, I know one of them was big, the other two were pretty big for fans of those bands, too. Let’s start with the “other two.”
Waiting for Columbus is Little Feat’s first live album. 17 tracks on 2xLP. I’m not a Little Feat fan, really. But for some, it’s the tops.
Stained Class is the fourth album from Judas Priest. It’s the first album with temporary drummer Les Binks. Binks gets a songwriting credit with “Beyond the Realms of Death.” Bassist Ian Hill gets his first writing credit with “Invader.” I always thought anyone could be the bassist for Priest because he doesn’t “do anything.” Now, he isn’t flashy, but Hill is a good solid bassist. I think the best song on the album is the opening track, “Exciter.” I have grown to really dig Judas Priest.
Now, the big one is where we were introduced to the magic that was Van Halen. On this day in 1978, Van Halen was released. The wizardry of Eddie Van Halen was something that few had heard before. His fretboard work, combined with his tremolo picking was earthshattering. Yeah, it’s not as out-there as it used to be but in 1978, it certainly was. Combine Eddie’s guitar work with Alex’s thunderous drumming, Michael Anthony’s near virtuoso-like bass playing, he was matching Eddie in a lot of those tunes, and his ultra-high harmonies and the frontman that is second, in my opinion to Paul Stanley in stage presence (at least then), Diamond David Lee Roth and you have a band like no other. Dave’s ability to split his vocals in those early days was amazing.
From the siren into with the growling bass in “Running With the Devil” to the groove rock of “Jamie’s Cryin'” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” to the classic rock and roll feel of “Feel Your Love Tonight” to the speed boogie of “I’m the One.” All of that on their own would be a darn-great rock album. But, then you add the laid back feel of “Little Dreamer,” the in-your-face version of the Kink’s “You Really Got Me,” the classic “Ice Cream Man” and the song that changed the lives of as many up-and-coming/wannabe guitarists as “Purple Haze,” “Stairway to Heaven” and “Iron Man,” “Eruption” and that makes this one of the greatest rock albums I have ever heard. I say that and I’m not even a big VH fan. It’s #410 on the RS list and I think that’s a bit too high. I think it should at least be in the top 200. But, that’s just me, I guess.
So, I’ll spare you a video to watch, but I just wanted to bring attention to this day in record releases, of which I have three of the four on vinyl! Thanks for indulging me.
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
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“It used to be so easy living here with you. You were light and breezy and I knew just what to do. Now you look so unhappy and I feel like a fool.” – “It’s Too Late” (Stern/King)