Not exactly stuck in the ’70s
But something kinda like it. Musically, anyway. My turntable this summer has been dominated by two ancient pieces of vinyl that suddenly caught fire with me. The first was Joe Cocker’s wildly over-the-top (if murkily recorded) “Mad Dogs and Englishmen,” in which Joe decided to see just how many people he could fit on one stage, attempting the same song. Big singing, big sound, and the kind of thing that just isn’t done anymore. I’ve been so smitten with this album that I ordered the DVD, hoping the sound quality is a notch above the old vinyl but not expecting much. I’ve also been floored by Rod Stewart’s “Every Picture Tells a Story.” I’ve loved his original greatest hits album for years, but this album has some gems that didn’t make the singles charts, including a lovely intro to “Maggie May” that was lopped off for the sake of the 45s, and a beautiful melody called “Mandolin Wind” that enchants me.
Musically, the rest of the summer has been discovering unknown Stones gems on the Underground Garage, listening to the Kaiser Chiefs sing “Ruby” over and over and over, and an unfulfilled intention to put on the Barbarians and listen to Moulty shout out his signature tune for the first time in years. Perhaps today . . . .
Have you ever heard the band Family? If you’re stuck in a Cocker-Stewart vein, they could be a good addition . . . their singer, Roger Chapman, had another one of those great ragged voices, and the band (which included Ric Grech of Blind Faith, John Wetton of King Crimson/Asia, and Jim Cregan, who was Stewart’s lead guitar player for about 20 years) crafted a weird blend of blooze and prog. Here’s a sample of the Wetton era from youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-mx0PgptCk
When it gets progressive is when I check out — much more of a pop guy. I have heard Family but probably not in 20 years. Worth re-checking — I’ve learned not to assume I don’t like something because I didn’t like it before. A friend and I have slowly traded musical tastes over the decades — he now listens to what I was trying to get him to hear in the ’70s and ’80s, and vice versa.