Fifty Year Friday: July 1974
Stevie Wonder: Fulfillingness’ First Finale
Released on July 22, 1974, Stevie Wonders follows up the magnificent Innervisions album with another remarkable musical achievement. The album begins with the mellow, uplifting “Smile Please” which effectively sets the tone for the entire album. Each track could qualify as a highlight of the album, depending on one’s musical preferences. Of particular note are “Creepin”, a hauntingly beautiful song with a misty dreamlike quality and the always politically relevant (unfortunately) “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” My favorite track is “They Won’t Go When I Go” which with its simple, solemn piano introduction, and profoundly compelling musical material. The album ends with the upbeat yet pleading “Please Don’t Go” with its effective gospel arrangement providing a solid finish to a very memorable album.
Robert Wyatt: Rock Bottom
Released on July 26, 1974, over a year after Robert Wyatt’s accidental fall from a fourth floor window that sadly left him paralyzed from the waist down, this is one of the most exceptional, individually idiosyncratic prog rock albums of the 1970s. It is clearly a work of love and dedication. Wyatt used material mostly written before the accident and singularly sculpted it into an unconventionally effective and rather original album. Wyatt excels at making quirky chord changes sound both natural and logical, and then he furthers elevates his material through highly interesting arrangements that profoundly enhance the musical material. Innovative and compelling, stimulating and emotionally engaging, the album fully delivers a challenging and rewarding listening experience.
Renaissance: Turn of the Cards
I first discovered this album in 1974 on a visit to our local library. Scouring the very limited LP lending section of the library, this was one of the few rock albums available. It had just been released in July of 1974, and the library had put a shiny plastic covering over it, which along with its promising cover art, made it further stand out from the other albums in its bin and the bins that were adjacent to it. I brought it home and was very pleased with the opening piano introduction, particularly appealing to a Keith Emerson fan like myself. I had assumed it was original material, but now know it is an excerpt of a work by French composer and organist, Jehan Alain. Fifty years later, this album sounds even better than I remember — sometimes majestic, often adventurous, progressive rock, sometimes symphonic and often emotive, showcasing Annie Haslem’s soaring vocals and Jon Touts driving, punctuating keyboard work.
zumpoems 