Zumwalt Poems Online

Fifty Year Friday: May 1975

May 9, 2025

Henry Cow: In Praise of Learning

Henry Cow released their second album featuring members of Slapp Happy on May 9, 1975. Fiercely uncompromising, both musically and ideologically, it seamlessly blends rock, Twentieth century classical composition, and radical political commentary with a precision, ambition, and effectiveness as praiseworthy as any work in the 1970s.

Vocalist Dagmar Krause provides a stellar brilliancy the moment she takes over the vocals from Peter Blegard, four seconds into the album on “War,” which at 2:31 in length would have been perfect for radio play in some alternate universe — but alas our universe wasn’t quite up to the challenge of accepting irregularly contoured melodic phrases, asymmetrical time signatures, complex and politically charged lyrics, ominous incursions of harmonic instability, and the interspersion of harnessed chaos between vocal passages.

With the listener’s musical mind properly attuned, Henry Cow unleashes Tim Hodgkinson’s 16-minute “Living in the Heart of the Beast.” Initially, Peter Blegvad was asked to provide the lyrics, but ultimately Hodgkinson took over the task, crafting a set of syllables and meanings that seamlessly support the music. The work avoids any traditional structure, initially navigating shifts between vocal intensity and instrumental reflection until a wonderful organ solo introduces a forceful, uplifting instrumental interlude. This gives way to serious introspection from the organ, which then returns to the insistent, march-like vocal over metrical shifts, now irrevocably increasing in intensity until the coda winds down the work. Perhaps this may musically recall for some listeners the finale of ELP’s Tarkus as the wounded Tarkus retreats from the battlefield; however, in this case, the music is a call to charge into “fight for freedom,” providing a remarkable level of optimism and energy, effectively enveloping the listener in an afterglow as side one comes to a close.

Continuing the topic of marching to fight for freedom, side two opens up with “Beginning: the Long March”, an abstract, avant-garde representation of the march towards battle. It’s unstructured collage of electronic effects and musique concrète sensibilities may not appeal to the casual listener, but for someone focused on the overall flow and intent of the album this is a very appropriate and effective transaction to the next musical milestone, “Beautiful as the Moon; Terrible as an Army with Banners.”

This second track of side two, “Beautiful as the Moon; Terrible as an Army with Banners”, begins with Krause’s finely controlled, expressively nuanced delivery, dominating the first half with the entreaty to “seize the morning.” An instrumental commentary propels the start of the second half, with some excellent pointillistic contrapuntal piano punctuation with authoritative commanding vocals seizing the spotlight again to effectively close the work.

The last track, Morning Star, given its significance by the previous track’s lyrics of “A star mourns souls ungraved – ignored. Slow wheels: Mira. Algol. Maia” and “Rose Dawn Daemon Rise Up and seize the morning” brings the album to an effective close, firmly resolute and transcendent, firmly tying the album’s musical and verbal themes of awake, consider, prepare, engage and, ultimately, arrive and be!

Robert Wyatt: Ruth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Robert Wyatt’s Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard, released in May 1975, is a strikingly unpredictable album, filled with angular compositions that shift direction almost from note to note. Unlike his previous two solo albums, which were composed entirely of his own material, this third album finds Wyatt showcasing the music of others, creatively arranging and in most cases adding lyrics. Most compositions are by Wyatt’s friends and musical associates, but Wyatt also provides a fine treatment of jazz bassist Charlie Haden’s “Song for Che.”

The album’s eclecticism is immediately apparent with a strong focus on jazz. Is this jazz-rock, jazz-prog-rock or mostly jazz? Not sure, but it is wonderful and a non-stop thrill from start to finish! The flow of the album never flirts with predictability, its angularity lending a sharp, dynamic energy that keeps the listener engaged.

With contributions from Brian Eno, trumpeter Mongezi Feza and Fred Frith on piano, Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard thrives on musical interplay and spontaneity. It’s a thrilling listen, bursting with invention, providing a richness of the unexpected without being disjointed or even mildly inaccessible. Wyatt’s vision is as playful as it is sophisticated, making this a truly exciting and engaging listening adventure.

Weather Report: Tale Spinnin

Tales Spinnin’, released in May of 1975, is a vibrant, colorful album that showcases Weather Report at the height of their fusion creativity. The first side of the album is particularly striking, filled with bold, dynamic compositions that blend intricate melodies with rich textures. It is if I can almost hear colors when listening to this first side — it is that visually evocative, aurally. I wish I had some sophisticated color display screens for both the left and right channels that would translate the music into various bursts and evolving strands of colors, but lacking that, I can luxuriate in the radiant waves of Zawinul’s lush synthesizers and Wayne Shorter’s fluid, expressive saxophone work. The interplay between all five musicians is electric, creating a vivid musical landscape that’s both sophisticated and exploratory. The rhythms are complex yet accessible, propelling the tracks into lush, otherworldly soundscapes that are full of life and color.

Hawkwind: Warrior On the Edge of Time

Released on May 9. 1975, Hawkwind’s Warrior on the Edge of Time is both engaging and consistently accessible, effectively blending their signature space rock with more traditional prog-rock elements. There is strong emphasis on synthesizers with some effective flute, guitar and even violin to supplement the keyboards, thundering bass, and the often incessant forward-driving percussion. “Assault & Battery” begins the album in grand style, immediately immersing the listener in Hawkwind’s signature Space Rock. This album showcases Hawkwind at their peak, delivering a memorable, mythic sci-fi journey through the fabric of time and space rock.

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Album review, Fifty Year Friday, Fusion Jazz, jazz, Jazz Rock, Progressive Rock

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Fifty Year Friday: April 1975

April 4, 2025

King Crimson: USA

Recorded from two concerts, one in New Jersey, one in Rhode Island, in late June 1974, and released in April 1975, USA was the first decent live recording from King Crimson — for the previous live album, Earthbound, sound quality was as close to unlistenable as any official concert release since hard wax cylinders had been replaced by shellac discs. (Before my time, but I am still confident in this assertion!)

USA still falls short in terms of sound quality, with Eddie Jobson having to provide overdubs for sections where David Cross’s violin was inadequately captured, but it is still quite an enjoyable document of the group, particularly for those of us that were not able to attend their June 1974 concert performance in our neighborhood (only thirty-five miles away — so close!) The quality of the performance is incredible. The CD reissue contains extra material — and even better, one can get multiple concert recordings for the 1974 tour at https://www.dgmlive.com/tours?year=1974&download=on&liveshow=on — note the audio quality legend before downloading.

Steve Hillage: Fish Rising

Steve Hillage’s Fish Rising, released on April 11, 1975 is a dazzling fusion of psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and ethereal Canterbury-influenced content. This Hillage’s first solo album after his time with Gong, and one can hear echoes of that band’s cosmic sensibility that provide a solid foundation allowing Hillage’s distinctive guitar work and creative compositional skills to shine.

The album begins with the “Solar Musick Suite” the highlight work of this album, an expansive, four-part work filled with swirling synths, shimmering guitar delays, and celestial melodies. “The Salmon Song” balances intricate instrumental interplay with a driving rock energy, while the excellent “Aftaglid” closes the album in an ethereal, kaleidoscopic swirl of sound.

Hillage’s guitar work is in top form, the quality of the music is further enhanced with high-quality lyrics and an impressive supporting cast including Didier Malherbe and Pierre Moerlen of Gong, bassoonist Lindsay Cooper of Henry Cow and Dave Stewart of Hatfield and the North.

Camel: The Snow Goose

Released in April of 1975, this instrumental concept album is based on Paul Gallico’s novella The Snow Goose, a poignant story of a reclusive man and a young girl who nurse a wounded snow goose back to health — the novella emphasizing themes of love, sacrifice, and healing. Camel masterfully craft a soundtrack that brings the essence of the story to life. Without using any text (originally they had wished to use such text, but it was not allowed by the author) and limiting vocals to vocalese on one track , the album transcendentally communicates a rich, emotional narrative.

Andrew Latimer (guitar, flute) and Peter Bardens (keyboards) are in top form both as composers and musicians, aided by bassist Doug Ferguson and drummer Andy Ward. The seamless integration of their musicianship and composition makes The Snow Goose a timeless listening experience, resonating deeply regardless of how it’s approached. Whether one listens with a knowledge of the story or simply as a stand-alone musical journey, its emotional depth makes this one of the top progressive rock albums of 1975.

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Album review, Fifty Year Friday, Progressive Rock

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March 14, 2025

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Fifty Year Friday: March 1975

March 7, 2025

Hatfield and the North: The Rotter’s Club

Released on 7 March 1975, The Rotter’s Club is one of the finest progressive rock albums , delivering a rich blend of humor, virtuosity, and intricate composition that captures the essence of the era while being identifiably distinct from any other album of its time. As the second studio album by British avant-garde and progressive rock band Hatfield and the North, it succeeded their self-titled debut (1973), which established them as a prominent figure in the Canterbury scene. But The Rotter’s Club marked a progression, both musically and conceptually, toward an even more refined and ambitious sound. It is a record that not only brings together various aspects of jazz, rock, and classical music but also emphasizes the playful and eccentric side of progressive rock, a nice contrast to the overly serious, often over-reaching and sometimes pretentious reputation ascribed to it by is staunchest critics.

Tangerine Dream: Rubycon

With the release of Rubycon on March 21, 1975, Tangerine Dream delivered their fourth studio album, a fully realized version of their relentlessly driving “Krautrock” industrial, high-tech, space music. While Rubycon clearly evolves from their previous album, Phaedra, it represents a leap forward, much like the internet is to the stone tablet. Whether Tangerine Dream’s change in direction was influenced by considerations about what musical characteristics would work best for film soundtracks and greater audience engagement, or whether it was partly inspired by the success of Kraftwerk, Rubycon marks the undeniable establishment of a new genre of music — one distinct from anything that came before it. Tangerine Dream’s flirtations with Stockhausen and other electronic composers led them in a direction that was as different from the contemporary world of so-called “classical” and “serious” music as that music was from the tonally extended late Romantic music. What emerged was something accessible, mesmerizing, hypnotic, and directly relevant — an exciting departure from the avant-garde style that, for most of the listening public, had become irrelevant.

Rick Wakeman: Myths & Legends Of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

Rick Wakeman’s King Arthur, released March 27, 1975, is filled with interesting keyboard and instrumental passages that should interest most progressive rock fans. Though the vocal sections are not exactly comprised of tunes your likely to sing on your own or even along with — they functionally provide narrative, much like Baroque and Classical Era recitatives and, overall the album works well as a dramatic experience. An alternative to the original, with much better overall sound and additional musical content (which had to be left off the original single LP due to time constraints) is the 2012 two-CD version. If you haven’t hear either, best to go for the updated version with the extra material and superior production.

Soft Machine: Bundles

Released in March 1975, Soft Machine’s Bundles is successfully melds an electronic jazz-rock sound with compatible prog-rock elements. The addition of guitarist Allan Holdsworth. known for his fluid, virtuosic playing, injects the album with a fresh intensity, particularly notable in the multi-track Hazard Profile, a nineteen minute five-part suite that showcases Soft Machine’s new direction inclusive of Holdsworth’s soaring guitar work supported by a propulsive, energetic rhythm section. Side one concludes with Holdsworth’s acoustic and beautifully introspective “Gone Sailing.”

Side two is equally compelling with the first four tracks seamlessly blending into a a single experience. The next track, “Four Gongs Two Drums” provides a short percussive intermission, with hints of Indonesian Gamelan followed by the final track, “The Floating World”, a reflective, drifting, neo-Impressionistic composition that gently glides the listener through a bliss-invoking, peaceful and relaxing musical state, providing a fittingly tranquil, dreamlike-end to this excellent album.

Steely Dan: Katy Lied

Donald Fagan and Walter Becker follow up the classic Pretzel Logic album, with another strong album, rich with jazz-flavored chords, Katy Lied, released in March of 1975. Though not strictly a concept album, the album sounds musically unified and could be considered a song cycle of sorts, justifying the term “lied”, a German term applied to art songs, giving us an additional meaning underneath the mysterious reference to the “Katy tried” and “Katy lies” lyrics in the fifth and final track on the first side, “Dr. Wu.”

David Bowie: Young Americans

With his ninth studio album, released March 7, 1975, once again, Bowie takes off in another musical direction, extending the elements of soulfulness found in Diamond Dogs and in “Lady Grinning Soul” from the earlier Aladdin Sane, into an all-out exploratory, high-art treatment of American soul music. The arrangements are sophisticated, with Tony Visconti deserving similar praise as Bowie for his musical versatility and with strong contributions from Carlos Alomar and additional input from a twenty-three year-old Luthor Vandross. The strongest track, “Fame,” was initially based on an Alomar guitar riff, with John Lennon, who was visiting the New York Electric Ladyland studios, assisting David Bowie in the authoring of the song by providing his sarcastic, ironic, and pessimistic take on the vagaries of fame.

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Album review, Fifty Year Friday, Jazz Rock, Pop, Progressive Rock, Rock

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THE FIRING HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD

February 27, 2025

In a political landscape where the entertainment factor often overpowers any sense of expected reality, the latest episode of governmental theater features none other than tech mogul Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. The duo’s latest escapade? A bureaucratic blunder of epic proportions that saw Musk inadvertently firing the President, only to hastily reinstate him.

It all began when Musk, after missing three days of sleep, dividing his time between stranding much-needed aid in route to save lives across the world and creating numerous offspring with multiple Ai-selected partners, doubled down on his efforts to implement total Government Efficiency

Armed with his signature blend of an annoying disposition and a chainsaw, Musk set out to further escalate his total trimming of governmental fat by focusing on those that didn’t respond to his demand of submitting a list of “five accomplishments this week” and those that appeared to have incorporated governmental fat into their own personal corporeal structure.

The ever-busy President Trump, always the multitasker, found himself entangled in a web of executive orders, golf games, and social media tirades. In the self-created chaos, he neglected to submit his accomplishment list to DOGE. True to his word, Musk, with the efficiency of an overzealous algorithm, identified the oversight and issued a termination notice. The nation was left in a state of bewilderment as the news broke: the President had been fired by his own appointee.

Upon further review, one of Musk’s DOGE members, 25 year-old Marko Elez, clarified that Trump’s termination wasn’t merely a clerical issue. Among the primary reasons cited: an “excessive dedication” to golf, spending more time in Florida than in Washington, and, most troubling, an apparent lack of support and loyalty for the President of the United States.

“I did a poll of my fans on X and, though I won’t disclose the results, many agreed to go with Marko’s decision on this.” Musk explained in a press conference from the Tesla Cyberbunker. “Not only did Trump spend 43% of his workday on the golf course, but he spent another 27% in Florida, which until very recently was a colony of Spain and bordered on a body of water called the ‘Gulf of Mexico.’ .And even more alarming, when I searched for any evidence of him supporting our President, I found that nothing he said really properly glorified or uplifted the President’s image.”

But it got worse. As Musk’s investigative team dug deeper, they uncovered shocking evidence that President Trump had been aggressively pushing a radical DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) agenda. “Frankly, we were stunned,” Musk admitted. “Trump has been hiring non-native-born Americans, like, well… me, for key positions. And his cabinet and advisory circle? Way too many women—Susie Wiles, Tulsi Gabbard, Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, Brooke Rollins, Kelly Loeffler, and, of course, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. I mean, come on. Where’s the meritocracy?”

The report also revealed a suspiciously high number of African Americans in Trump’s orbit, including Scott Turner and Alice Marie Johnson, an alarming infiltration of Hispanics such as Marco Rubio and Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and even one person born to parents of immigrants from the Indian sub-continent. “This level of inclusivity is simply not what we expected,” Musk continued. “I had to double-check to make sure these appointments weren’t leftovers from the Biden administration.”

The White House scrambled to address the unprecedented situation. Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, in a hastily arranged briefing, stated, “The President was momentarily relieved of his duties due to a clerical error. We assure the American people that this administrative hiccup has been resolved. And to clarify, President Trump has always been a strong supporter of President Trump. Also, his diverse hiring record was not DEI-related—he just likes people who flatter him.”

Musk, realizing the magnitude of his bureaucratic faux pas, took to his platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), to rectify the situation. “Oops! Looks like I accidentally fired @realDonaldTrump. Reinstating immediately. Note to self: remind POTUS to submit his TPS reports. Also, need to investigate this Marko Elez character. And remind President Trump that diversity is only good if it’s self-made billionaires. #AdminError,” he quipped.

The incident has sparked a flurry of memes and late-night monologues, with comedians dubbing Musk the “Accidental President” and Trump the “Commander-in-Leave.” Political analysts are left pondering the implications of a tech CEO wielding such unchecked power within the federal apparatus.

As the dust settles, one thing remains clear: in the age of Musk and Trump, the line between reality and entertainment continues to blur, leaving the nation amused, bemused and constantly confused by the antics of its leaders.

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Satire

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Fifty Year Friday: January and February 1975

February 21, 2025

Slapp Happy & Henry Cow: Desperate Straights

Desperate Straights, released on February 21, 1975, is the first of two collaborative studio albums by British avant-rock groups Slapp Happy and Henry Cow. At first glance, these might appear as two rather divergent, though both progressive, ensembles to bring together, but the proof was in the final, vinyl pudding — this worked out nearly perfectly!

From the opening “Some Questions About Hats,” we are placed into a musicscape reminiscent of a German Cabaret with Dagmar Krause executing a delivery appropriate for Brecht/Weill material (think Three Penny Opera). Four more brilliant, short, and pithy songs follow, maintaining a playfully tongue-in-cheek mood. After this, we get the first of two instrumentals, the title track, reflective and a bit out of place with the preceding material. The last song on the first side sets us back on course, with its quirky chord changes and time signatures, upbeat mood, brevity, and general whimsy.

“Apes in Capes,” one of the several gems composed by pianist Anthony Moore, evokes the surreal nature of its title with a circus-waltz atmosphere. The arrangement supports the theatrical mood, as do the rhythmic contours provided for the syllables of the lyrics. The next song, “Strayed,” is reminiscent of Lou Reed and is the sole track delivered by guitarist Peter Blegvad. “Giants” is in reflective waltz-time with its always topical message, “Giants exist to deceive. They retreat if they’re clearly perceived,” and is followed by a quirky arrangement of part of Handel’s “He was Despised” aria from the Messiah, which amazingly fits into the overall mood of the album. The penultimate track is the poignantly haunting “In the Sickbay,” which tapers off, with its dying breaths, into the expressionist “Caucasian Lullaby,” a formidable, generally atonal work that, though not a natural fit for the general tone of the album, is so well composed and performed that we forgive it for any break with the album’s overall mood.

Overall, Desperate Straights endures as a successful exhibition of the creative synergy between Slapp Happy and Henry Cow, blending their unique styles into a cohesive and intriguing musical journey. The masterwork not only showcases their individual talents but also their remarkable ability to forge something truly original and captivating through collaboration.

George Washington Jr.: Mister Magic

I love the first track, and in general, like the entire album, which was released February 7th, 1975, ultimately climbing up the jazz charts to #1, the soul charts to #1, and perhaps even more remarkably, rising up to #10 on the po charts.

The main reason for calling out this album, though, is historical. Like it or not, this album is at least partly responsible for the launching of the smooth jazz genre of the 1970s, paving the way for even more popular albums like George Benson’s Breezin’ and Chuck Mangione’s Feels So Good.

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Fifty Year Friday, jazz, Progressive Rock, Smooth Jazz

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Keep in mind, Valentine!

January 19, 2025

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Fifty Year Friday: December 1974

December 6, 2024

Gryphon: Red Queen to Gryphon Three

Released in December of 1974, Gryphon’s instrumental concept album, “Red Queen to Gryphon Three” masterfully blends progressive rock, folk rock, and renaissance musical elements into diligently crafted, richly-textured, exciting and sonically colorful musical experience.

As there are not lyrics, and limited discussion by bandmembers on the intent of the album and its underlying concept, it seems that the game of chess functions as a metaphor — whether this metaphor is representative of human conflict, interaction, some life event or simply the traditional four movement classical symphony where there is an opening movement, a second movement, a more reflective movement (often the second movement but also sometimes the third movement) and a finale (the checkmate), is left for the listener to consider. What is beyond dispute is the music is the propulsive, dramatic nature of the music and the meticulous arrangements with its balanced instrumental layering.

The first track, “Opening Move” begins with a fanfare flourish, followed by a contemplative piano solo revealing the main theme, offset and contrasted by the use of a wealth of exploratory and developmental musical material. The movement gathers intensity appearing to push for a grand finish, but instead dissolves into a more thoughtful coda-like section that serves as reflective musical commentary.

The second track, “Second Spasm” is jaunty, filled with the spirit of English folk and renaissance with a sequence of interesting themes, including a second theme based on material from the first movement, a subsequent section that showcases the distinctive sounds of crumhorn and bassoon, and a march-like fourth section. The original them returns, altered instrumentation and character, developing a bit before followed by the second theme which with at full force concludes the first side of the original LP.

The third track, is the more reflective “Lament” with a contrasting, mostly upbeat section, and the return of the opening theme which ultimately smoothly transitions into an effective coda for the section.

The fourth track, “Checkmate” is an upbeat, energetic finale teaming with energy and colorful creativity. New musical material dominates, but, somehow, it all seems related to what has occurred earlier even without any discernable restatement of earlier material. The track and album conclude with a flourish similar to the material prior to the coda of the first track, which effectively wraps up a wonderful and memorably distinctive musical experience.

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Fifty Year Friday, Folk Rock, Progressive Rock, Rock

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To the Wonder of Fake Intelligence

November 23, 2024

The imagination that we spurned and crave:
Unreal! Give back to us what once we gave….
A band entwining, set with fatal stones,
Bear other perfumes on your pale head wear.
For this, musician, in your girdle fixed,
The difference that heavenly pity brings,
Our feigning with the strange, unlike, whence springs
Too near, too clear, saving a little to endow,
Yet not too like, yet not so like to be….

We give ourselves your latest issuance,
O bough and bush and scented vine, in whom
Among the arrant spices of the sun,
As in your name, an image that is sure,
That apprehends the most which sees and names,
And of all vigils musing the obscure,
The near, the clear, and flaunts the dearest bloom,
That music is intensest which proclaims
That retentive of themselves are men.

In the laborious weaving that you wear
Most rare, or ever of more kindred air
Than yours, out of our imperfections wrought,
Gives motion to perfection more serene,
Gross effigy and simulacrum, none
By being so much of the things we are,
Yet leaves us in them, until earth becomes,
That separates us from the wind and sea,
Now of the music summoned by the birth.

No crown is simpler than the simple hair:
Its venom of renown, and on your head,
Of cloudy silver sprinkles in your gown
And flame and summer and sweet fire — no thread.
And queen, and of deducted love the day
And of the fragrant mothers the most dear
Most near, most clear, and of the clearest bloom,
And of the sisterhood of the living dead
Sister and mother and inducive lore.

— Steven S. Wallace

(– zumwalt’s only known purely “contextual poem”)

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2020s, 2025, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Poem, Poetry, Zumwalt

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Fifty Year Friday: November 1974

November 8, 2024

Yes: Relayer

Yes’s fourth and fifth studio album, Fragile and Close to the Edge, are representatives of Yes at the very best. The eighteen minute title track of Close to the Edge, has no single-track rival in their seven-decades long catalogue. However if one is looking for the closest match possible, one finds it on their seventh studio album (released near the end of November 1974) with its format of one amazing composition on side one and two short works on side two. The longer work, “The Gates of Delirium” inspired by Tolstoy’s “War and Peace: with all the elements of great late nineteenth-century nationalistic tone poems, is wonderfully produced by the ELP and Yes engineer Eddie Offord and shimmers with a multitude of sounds effects and exceptional playing including Patrick Moraz’s synthesizer textures, Chris Squire’s distinctive bass work, Steve Howe’s guitar passages, and Alan White’s selective use of brake drums and auto parts for unconventional percussion effects. Side Two rivals Side two of Close to the Edge with the energetic and rhythmically intricate “Sound Chaser” and the more tranquil, reflective, atmospheric, and deftly shaped “To Be Over” which nicely wraps up the album.

Queen: Sheer Heart Attack

Queen’s third studio album, Sheer Heart Attack, released on November 8, 1974, is a dazzling display of the band’s brilliant inventiveness. The album delivers a attention-grabbing diversity of hard rock, glam, and English Musical hall styles — sometimes playful, sometimes dramatically serious, sometimes campy, sometimes harmonically sophisticated, but always compelling and of impressive quality.

The album opens up forcefully with the explosive “Brighton Rock,” with Freddie Mercury’s jaw dropping vocals and an instrumental section with notable work by Roger Taylor drums and John Deacon on bass and expressive solo work by guitarist Brian May. This is followed by the classic “Killer Queen”, airplay friendly yet artistically flawless. The kaleidoscope of sparkling musical jewels continues to the very end, providing a lively and immersive listening experience.

After purchasing my first Queen album, I quickly noted that my favorite tracks were always those by Freddie Mercury, so upon first opening any Queen album at that point, I would look at the listing of tracks, noting which were by Mercury and anticipating each of those as the LP followed it course to its center. For this album, seven of the thirteen tracks are by Mercury (or in one case Mercury and the rest of the band) with the remaining holding their own quite well, making this the second or third best Queen album, depending on one’s preference for this album or Queen II as the runner up to the indispensable Night At The Opera.

Genesis: Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Genesis gives it their all with their double LP concept album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, released in late November of 1974. This is the best example I can think of where excellence and brilliance come so dangerously close to flirting with tediousness, but always keep just enough distance. The album is over ninety-three minutes with dense, complex, and seemingly symbolic lyrics and a wide arrange of moods and style of music. There is the mixed meter contributions of Tony Banks, the excellent compositional collaborations between Steve Hackett and Banks, Mike Rutherford and Banks, other collaboration combinations, and individual compositions from both Gabriel, Hackett and Banks. Gabriel provides those difficult, sometimes playful, sometimes clever, lyrics that support all the music, with one exception where Banks and Rutherford wrote lyrics to the return of the melodic material from the start of the album — and both the lyrics and music shift, slither, creep, crawl and demand full attention and acceptance to gain entry into the total experience. Though it is so easy to overuse “one of a kind”, this is truly a one of a kind album. Some of the repetition and material could have been removed to create a tighter, more compact work, but the character and exploratory qualities of the work would have been severely compromised. This is Peter Gabriel’s favorite Genesis album and his last, marking an end to the Gabriel era of Genesis.

Kraftwerk: Autobahn

Released in early November 1974, Autobahn’s fourth album brought them global fame rising as high as number four in the UK charts and number five in the US driven largely by the single, but also by word of mouth and FM airplay of the 22 minute title track, a electronic-based work that captures the feel of extended driving on the German autobahn — that portion of the German modern highway system of that time that allowed unrestricted kilometers per hour speeds for autobahn drivers. The album, particularly that transcendent title track with its addition of a dimension of pop and instant accessibility to the previously more ponderous and gothic German electronic music genre had significant influence on other artists including David Bowie, Brian Eno, Depeche Mode, Gary Numan and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

Roxy Music’s fourth studio album, Country Life, released on November 15, 1974, with its then-controversial cover irresistible to at least one particular 19 year old American male, featured a variety of inventive and catchy songs from vocalist and keyboardist Brian Ferry and strong musicianship by the same fine band that excelled on their previous album, Stranded. The variety of styles on the album will likely ensure that there is something that will resonant with most pop music lovers, with “Thrill of it All”, “Out of the Blue” with effective soloing by Phil Manazena and some awesome violin work by Eddie Jobson, and the evocative “Bitter Sweet”, being some of my favorite tracks.


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