An Ear For An Era: 1977

Now that's a turning point. For 1967 I got excited that that "element" would now be present, that I'd have something from the fringe/art/punk/whatever to look forward to with each year I'd listen to. Now in 1977 it is officially the focus. Those '7 years, huh? They seem to be significant. Like, if each decade were a story the '7 would be the climax leading to the denouement of the last couple years. Maybe each decade has a movement in music that reaches its creative prowess at 7 before it becomes commercialized and a bastardized "pop" version of itself (particularly in the early years of the next decade). Just think about '67, and then 1970. Now 1977. The start of new wave before it became lame. Does this make any sense?

I just don't want to screw this entry up. Punk rock turned my life around when I was in high school, it got me started on this journey, it gave me the necessary mindset of rebellion and fighting back and questioning everything, and it "began" here. I know I've been talking about a bunch of different bands in this blog that show the beginning of punk. I know there was already a Ramones album in 1976. But those were the spark and the fuse. This is the ignition. Everything else is going to the "also worth mentioning" section in this post.

Of course, the stuff I include as part of the punk movement will include new wave, post-punk, and whatever other associated styles I feel like including. Such as David Bowie.

Two Bowie albums in one year? You bet! And he's part of this. He worked with Iggy Pop, after all. He's an enigma really. Or just complicated. The first album in his "Berlin trilogy" with Brian Eno was Low, whose first half was full of short, fast songs. Just listen to this. It fits perfectly into 1977.

David Bowie "What In The World"

The second side of the album is a little more of what I would have expected from a Bowie/Eno collaboration with longer, slower, more instrumental songs. The next album in the Berlin Trilogy was "Heroes," one of the few times it is correct to put the name of an album in quotation marks. I think more artists should do that when an album shares its name with one of the songs. Or does he mean the other use of quotation marks, implying the "heroes" that we can be are not real heroes? "Heroes" is a great album though, everyone knows that song is one of his best. The rest of the album is quite great as well. It has a similar layout to Low in that the more song-oriented songs were at the front half with some experimental/instrumental/more-Eno-influenced tracks on the back end. "Sense of Doubt" is a very creepy track that would do well in a suspense movie.

So I feel like I am using the word "punk" way too much here but I don't know how else to go through this. But I'd just like to apologize for that. The godfather of punk Iggy Pop should have been right at home in 1977, because what his band had created was now exploding, but while The Stooges could have had a big payday (I'm sure they did when they finally did reunite recently) if they'd stuck together or got back together for this and played CBGB, instead he went solo, working with David Bowie, and exploring new territory. I think the only way the term "post punk" is valid is because it was what Iggy Pop did post punk. Because besides that, it really came up at the same exact time as punk. 1977 was the landmark year for both genres. But ok, Iggy Pop put out two solo albums in 1977. The Idiot was what I theoretically should like more because it's darker and more artsy. And I do quite like it. But I actually prefer Lust For Life, despite some misgivings about the title track. It's a fun song, it's good to dance to, but it's been played on too many commercials and is too repetitive and long for me to enjoy. But once you're past that song it's post-punk brilliance. His vocals have the same urgency as they did in the Stooges but the bed they ride on is all over the map, from ballads to rhythmic exercises.

Iggy Pop "Some Weird Sin"

And there was Elvis Costello's debut! My Aim Is True! And what a wonderful debut. Not much related to punk in sound, but in attitude and everywhere that matters it is pure and true. "Alison" remains one of my favorite songs of all time. Who can't relate to that one? But what I really love are the bonus tracks that came with the Rhino reissue. A bunch of old demos. I don't know of any other versions of some of these songs, such an early display of absolute brilliance from one of rock's best songwriters. Just him and a guitar. And poetry. Here is one of my favorites but before I "play it for you," let me also mention that when Elvis Costello was on Colbert a while back he was having voice issues and Colbert said he'd sing a song with him. Elvis challenged him with this song, such a rare deep cut, and Colbert knew all the words and nailed it. I didn't know there would be a way for me to like Colbert more, but then he pulled that off.

Elvis Costello "Cheap Reward"

Just remember you'll only be the boss so long as you pay my wage...

Another highly prolific artist is David Byrne and of course he got his start in a little band called the Talking Heads. Their debut, aptly titled Talking Heads: 77 is a very impressive debut. They are already so well established in their sound of African rhythms, funk, and yet something still very caucasian. I think I'll have more on them as we get into their catalog with Eno, but the first album already had the brilliant hit song (still persisting today) "Psycho Killer." But the song that closes the album is one of my favorites, as it keeps some of the funk rhythm but incorporates more of the CBGB rock influence and energy, perhaps as a preview of what the band would go on to accomplish.

Talking Heads "Pulled Up"

Does anyone else think Television singer Tom Verlaine sounds a lot like Gordon Gano? What? There are other amazing things about their debut album Marquee Moon? Such as EVERYTHING ABOUT IT? The sense of rhythm, the technical prowess of the entire band, it really is a direct influence of what would one day become math rock. The way the guitars interweave into an odd combination of driving the rhythm and disrupting it with noise, it also reminds me a lot of Joey Santiago's work in the Pixies. Here is a song that emphasizes that as well as the Gordon Gano-ness of the vocals (yes I do realize that Gano sounds like Verlaine and not the other way around).

Television "Friction"

When I picked up the Joy Division collection Substance 1977-1980 it was because I was a fan of their post-punk-ish/new-wave-ish songs like "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Transmission." Stuff that was good to dance to. Because at the time I was big on stuff I could dance to. Don't judge. So even though I had my fully developed love of punk rock, I somehow wrote off and did not appreciate the early tracks included in the collection when they were really pretty much just a punk band. Listening again in the context of this project, I was shocked that I had given all these 1977 tracks two star ratings in itunes. Just kind of goes to show you that 1) context is huge and 2) itunes ratings are dangerous because they last until you hear the song again and change your mind, and a low rating may prevent you from hearing the song again for quite some time. So let me say that while this is rhythmic (so therefore post-punk?) it is raw as hell, punk as hell, and I gave this track a revised four star rating.

Joy Division "No Love Lost"

That's a good transition into the "real punk rock" as opposed to all the post-punk stuff. The Buzzcocks showed up briefly here with their single "Orgasm Addict." Maybe the fastest song yet encountered here. Or maybe it was Johnny Thunders' "Get Off The Phone."

And immediately after that came The Sex Pistols' Nevermind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols. I got this in high school, of course, and loved it for a while, but in the years since have come to regard it as overrated. Hugely important record, one of the most important ones leading up to another certain other record with "Nevermind" in its title (ahem), but not that great within the context of all this other stuff I've been talking about. Johnny Rotten was willing to sing in a, uh, rotten way, and they were revolutionary in the way they went out of their way to offend people, cashing in on the anger and frustrations of the lower class at the time (and they certainly lived the lifestyle as well, I'm not going to doubt that stories of their final American tour are any less shocking and mindblowing as they are made out to be). There was just better British punk rock at the time.

Yep, The Clash. The Only Band That Matters. One thing that annoys me is American versions of British albums. Particularly with this project. I was ready to talk about their self-titled album's "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" but that song didn't actually come out until 1978. I was all excited that ska-punk was as old as punk itself! But instead it's just nearly as old. Stupid American version of the album, being put out after their second album! Still, "London's Burning" could be considered a ska-punk song so still valid. Once I saw some punk band at a tiny bar and they covered "White Riot." Something was wrong with everyone else and they didn't seem to know the song. But I went crazy over it and got the mic in my face a few times for that one. Great memory. It's hard to believe this isn't the greatest Clash album, because it's one of the greatest albums and probably the best of all these 1977 albums I'm talking about. Not that I've heard the original British version...

And I'll close it out with the same band I closed it out with last time: The Ramones! Two 1977 albums. Leave Home is the first, and I'm a little less familiar with that one. I just got it actually. It all kind of blurs together. They were very true to their sound, to say the least.

Ramones "Pinhead"

Gabba Gabba 

We accept you 

We accept you 

One of us! 

They certainly were inclusive as well. A trait of punk rock that persisted and helped me feel accepted by something at last when I discovered it in high school. And then of course Rocket To Russia, the monster of a punk rock classic that includes so many anthems, goes over so easy, ends so fast, that you gotta just turn it up while it lasts. "Cretin Hop." "Rockaway Beach." "I Don't Care." "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker." "Teenage Lobotomy." To name a few.

ONE TWO THREE FOUR!

(you fill in the rest.)

Other Highlights Worth Mentioning Because Apparently Other Stuff Came Out Too:

• Dennis Wilson's only (official) solo album Pacific Ocean Blue was quite nice, a very different beast that I can't even try to associate with the punk movement. I think it kind of sounds like Bon Iver. Gorgeous.
• In contrast to most R&B of this time, Curtis Mayfield was still quite great on the album Short Eyes. 
• Kraftwerk! I can't say too much about Kraftwerk but Trans Europe Express is pretty great and is officially the first electronic album I've encountered here.
• My only actual Bob Marley album is Exodus. I can see that it is very good but the association with annoying people is too strong for me to want to listen to much.
• I have most of Billy Joel's The Stranger. Kind of a guilty pleasure but not as bad as his 80s work.
• The Bee Gees in full effect! "Stayin' Alive," one of the biggest hits in all of disco, both exemplifies everything that was wrong with popular music at the time and is one of the greatest dance songs of all time. I can hate disco and still love one of the biggest disco hits, right?
• I got a collection of Hall & Oates songs because it was cheap for a lot of songs. And then I realized I kind of hated most of them. But I still can enjoy "Rich Girl."
• There was a VERY brief overlap of the two Elvises! My last Elvis Presley song (except a 2002 remix) was "Way Down." Rest in Peace, king!
• And Queen...well I have some more from them coming up. But all I had for 1977 are their two biggest hits and two of my least favorite Queen songs. Of course, those are "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions."
• Speaking of Queen, The Queens Of Noise had THREE albums in 1977! I'm talking about The Runaways. It got a little tired to me after a while. They are best in smaller doses I think. But their level of rebellion, while a bit quaint next to the punk rock superheroes, was enjoyable and I can see it stirring the kids up.

On The Next Installment...

Punk/post-punk/etc: Blondie, lots more Buzzcocks, more The Clash, more Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe debuts (solo-ly), more Ramones, The 80s arrive early (The Cars! Devo!), a lost Dennis Wilson album, Marvin Gaye returns with an uncomfortably personal album, more of my favorite Queen songs, my last Rolling Stones album, Tom Waits is still great, Warren Zevon, and Willie Nelson does a standards album. Cool!

An Ear For An Era: 1976

Well that one just breezed by. Also I just noticed this is my 176th post on this blog. So ever since my last non-AEFAE post they have all matched like that, 175th was 1975, etc...

So 1976. It's punk or who cares, right? Kind of. Obviously there was other worthwhile stuff so I'll talk about that first.

How about the other 'unk? Funk? The first full album to come up was Mothership Connection by Parliament. One very problematic song aside ("Handcuffs," a pretty creepy song about wanting to handcuff one's woman so she doesn't leave), it is a funk party that just keeps going. Get on the Mothership, baby, and let's groove all night.

The other big soul/funk/whatever album I had from 1976 was the masterwork, the apex of the entire discography of Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life. This is something else entirely from everything else I've had to say about Stevie Wonder thus far (even though it seems I didn't really have much to say before this). It's free, it's less cheesy, it's catchy, it looks at the past, present, and future of black music. The jazz influences on here are great, particularly in the fact that he brought in Herbie Hancock for a song. It's got some disco, some funk, some soul. It has a very famously sampled beat in "Pastime Paradise" which also makes me think of 90s hip hop. I also used this as a way to get excited about my between-AEFAE-listens catchup on new music because I got the new Janelle Monae album and I feel like they share a lineage. There's love songs, there's political songs, and there is this great instrumental.

Stevie Wonder "Contusion"

Where there is funk there is disco. Well maybe not the same exact place. But funk's brother, the overachiever (commercially) of the two children of soul, the polished one that got good grades and etc, established itself alongside the punk kid named funk. Jr Walker seemed to take another turn to the disco side of things with the singles from 1976 ("You Ain't No Ordinary Woman," "I'm So Glad") and the Bee Gees were officially in full disco mode with "You Should Be Dancing." None of these songs caused much derision to me, but I know what was lurking on the charts.

David Bowie was still pretty poppy on Station to Station despite long track times (only one under 5 minutes!). Sources say that this was a transitional album from his disco/soul stuff to his more experimental phase (Berlin trilogy with Brian Eno). So it's gonna be the last "easy" one here.

I wonder if Small Change isn't Tom Waits' greatest album from this early period. Kind of his Rubber Soul, if you will. Meaning it's the one that showed the first real hints at the greatness lying ahead. All his early stuff had shades of it, but this is the album with "The Piano Has Been Drinking." And "Tom Thaubert's Blues." And "I Wish I Was In New Orleans." That last one is the reason I sought this album out. I saw a live performance of that song and it made me miss New Orleans, so I knew I wanted that song. It took me a while to track down the album at a decent price...and now it turns out to be one of his best. Still jazzy, impossibly cool, but showing flaws and maybe a little less calculated.

Tom Waits "The Piano Has Been Drinking"

The Runaways can probably be considered at least a little bit punk. Pop punk. Power pop. Something. Rock & roll. You know. Hard rock? Of 1976. They did cover a Velvet Underground song and the Blondie bassist played on this album (thanks wikipedia!) so they have their creds. I like their fire, I think of them as somewhat a rocked out/updated version of the Shangri-Las. I think mostly because the final track "Dead End Justice" is a story song with talkin' that reminds me of some of the Shangri-Las' cautionary tales. There's something more modern, more liberated (ironic I know since it's about them being in prison) about it though.

Was the first Modern Lovers album considered punk? It's at least in that school of Velvet Underground inspired, rough-and-rumbly, energized rock music. Wikipedia tells me it was actually recorded back in the early 70s but just not released until 1976. How about that. I feel like everyone should already know all these songs. Should I post one? It's one of those albums that has so many great songs that serious music people already know. So maybe I'll leave at that?

Blondie officially let me know that the CBGB scene was in full operational mode at this time. Which makes me very happy. There is something about Blondie. They were part of this scene, one of the first bands in it, and they fit in quite well...but they also played pop music. Anger about them doing a disco song seems silly because while the Velvet Underground influence is apparent and there are some moments of real punk rock (absolutely check out "Kung Fu Girls") they really were a pop band.

Blondie "In The Sun"

Patti Smith's second album Radio Ethiopia did seem to push toward a more punk rock sound, at least in some cases. Particularly the first track "Ask The Angels." But I feel like it looks forward more toward The Clash than any other punk act. It's that diverse in genre exploration while keeping the punk attitude.

So of course this is all to build up to the self-titled debut album by a band called The Ramones. The officially credited "first punk band," I am reasonably confident in saying they are the first band that the word "punk" was used to describe and while they didn't create the sound they created an identity around the sound that I don't believe I heard in this project before them. 2 minute songs, power chords, simple lyrics and simple songs. Played fast. The revolution starts here. Draw the line in the concrete. With a jackhammer. I can't really describe what I felt when it came on in my car. "HEY! HO! LET'S GO!" Turned up the volume, yelled along, and it was just a rush of excitement. We are past the boring 70s rock, time for something with real energy.

Ramones "Beat On The Brat"

Other stuff worth a word or two:

• (My) Tom Petty debut! "Breakdown."
• I may have been missing the full album, but the the hits that Queen released in 1976 were very awesome. Particularly "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" and "Somebody To Love."
• Nilsson's ...That's The Way It Is is (currently) the last work I have of his in my collection. He will be missed. Greatly. Appropriate that the first song on the album is called "That Is All" in addition to the album ending with a reprise of that. It's not his finest work and I'm sorely lacking in his latter era stuff but I could stand to spend a lot more time with his latter discography.
• It's for the suits man! Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. It came up after The Ramones had already refreshed me, so I was mostly bored/disinterested. They have some catchy songs (particularly album opener "Second Hand News") but even though this is a mammoth of a popular album and probably pretty critically acclaimed, the only reason I own this album is because I feel like I'm "supposed to." But in the context of this, it just reinforced that I'm a punk rock kid.

On The Next Installment...

It's hard to think that anything besides punk rock would be important in 1977. It's the year of punk! So Plastic Letters, Buzzcocks, The Clash, My Aim Is True (Elvis Costello may be my favorite artist of all time), TWO Iggy Pop solo albums, Joy Division, Rocket To Russia, Sex Pistols, Talking Heads, and Television. Whew!! But besides that, it was also the year of Saturday Night Fever, Billy Joel's The Stranger, Exodus, the first two chapters of Bowie's Berlin Trilogy, Dennis Wilson, and Kraftwerk.

An Ear For An Era: 1975

OK that's better. No shortage in great music here. Music was really moving forward in most every genre, from the fringes of outlaw country to the New York underground. Let's just get started.

Patti Smith made her triumphant debut with Horses. She kind of gets pulled into discussions of the origins of punk rock. I'm not sure how accurate that is with all her sprawling experimental jams, but the attitude was certainly forming. I read her book Just Kids recently and she was living THE New York lifestyle at this time, and it is all very apparent from the opening of "Gloria," the opening track. "Jesus died for someone's sins but not mine..." she immediately expressed an entirely original voice, something quite different from everything else out around that time. Rebellion, newness.

Of course, the original New York rebel Lou Reed had to push things forward more than anyone else (possibly in all of "pop" music history) with his middle finger of an album Metal Machine Music. There's not much I can say about this that hasn't been said but I have to take a side...right? Let's just say that the ways it influenced countless experimental rock bands of the Sonic Youth variety justifies anything negative you can say about it. Yes, it's rough to listen to. It gets old after one track, let alone all four. I couldn't focus on the music while it played, I just let it be my background for an hour. But the last 2-3 minutes of side 4? It became apparent how important the record is. There is a pulsating rhythm that starts to rise out of the fuzz and it sounds like the opening to a truly epic jazz rock freakout. To push things out you have to create new boundaries. Lou Reed re-defined what rock music could sound like by creating something that was really vague about its genre. It's not the best thing to listen to in a sitting. But thanks to Metal Machine Music, we have post rock, we have noise rock, we have everyone from Sonic Youth to The Jesus And Mary Chain that may not have otherwise existed.

There's not really a good way to transition from this, but I've been a lifelong fan of Queen. I own the pre-1975 albums on vinyl but my digital collection only has stuff from the greatest hits collections. But I do digitally own A Night At The Opera, which might be their best album. I have lots of stories about the two big hits off the album, so that's how I'll talk about this. Once I was making a computer game starring my childhood dog Ringo. When you go downstairs (where my room as well as my brother's) I had the background music change to a midi version of "You're My Best Friend." Which was silly, but it's the only thing about that game that I remember and the song always makes me think of Ringo. It makes me smile. And now it also reminds me of Shaun of the Dead because it's featured over the end credits. Ok and Bohemian Rhapsody. So much to say about this song! The wikipedia page for it is one of my favorite uses of wikipedia, as it breaks down the song and analyzes every part of it. Pretty great. I used to think the song was "Bohemian Rap City" and I thought it was so cool. This was when the song was re-released as a single due to its inclusion in the Wayne's World soundtrack (and being the centerpoint of the greatest scene of the movie). I also did karaoke of this song once. It was me and the other quietest person at the party and we decided to go for it. We were both super shy but we just went for it. I can't not sing along with that song. I don't think I'm alone in that sentiment. And for the hell of it, here's another song that'd be considered more of a "deep cut." It shows how truly creative the band is (not that Bohemian Rap City ever fails to do that itself) and there is a pretty amazing vocal workout in the center of this song that reminds me of that Nilsson song I said reminds me of of Montreal. "Now I know...Now I know...Now I know...Now I know..."

Queen "The Prophet's Song"

Hey, Pink Floyd! Wish You Were Here is a quite brilliant album. The "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" bookends that dominate the album are a pretty beautiful tribute to Syd Barrett, while the title track "Wish You Were Here" is heartbreaking. The other songs are an attack on the music industry, so that's pretty awesome too.

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is probably one of Elton John's best albums. The hit song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is great, but I am really into "(Gotta Get) A Meal Ticket" and the closer "Curtains." My mom is a big fan of Elton's. I am less so but albums like this make me respect her opinion on the matter.

Hey, the first Bruce Springsteen in my collection! Born To Run is nowhere near his first album. But this one was pretty huge. I think he's kind of responsible for musical self-importance. If that's the best way to express it. Hell, I sometimes like musical self-importance. But it involves artists like The Arcade Fire and The Killers taking a cue from Springsteen with certain chord progressions to make a song and its lyrics "seem" important. The vocal delivery, the urgency. It doesn't always feel earned but there it is, intensely singing about this or that. Epic at 3 1/2 minutes. Not enough build. Not accusing Springsteen of this, but it seems like some artists take the inspiration and take the shortcut to the emotional punch. Of course, album closer "Jungleland" is quite earned (and owned by sax player Clarence Clemons, rest in peace).

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, "Jungleland"

And I got to hear the "return" of Bob Dylan with his classic Blood On The Tracks. I like this one a lot, it takes Dylan's usual style of storytelling and makes it much more personal, much more immediate.

Speaking of storytelling, Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger is quite the concept album. Sadness, murder, travel. Denver. And lots of instrumental breaks. The way it's put together kind of works against my general definition of a country album. Country opera maybe? Willie pullin' a Who? Sure.

I only have the one song by him from this year (thanks to the Crazy Heart soundtrack) but Waylon Jennings' "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" seems like it must have been a rallying cry for the outlaw country movement, as mainstream country got worse and worse. It really is saying something that my introduction to Emmylou Harris was "Hank And Lefty," a song about what she was raised on. Declaring her as on the right side of country music history.

That was a bonus track from the re-release of Pieces of the Sky. This angelic voice is now upon us. My favorite of all country voices, Emmylou Harris could break my heart singing the dictionary. But instead she'll break my heart singing about her dead fried Gram Parsons (on the brilliant, and one of her most if not her most successful song "Boulder to Birmingham"). There were also many Beatles covers (Elton John, David Bowie) but the best of the bunch was her take on "For No One." She actually had two albums come out in '75 with Elite Hotel following closely in Pieces of the Sky's wake. Elite Hotel was a bit more upbeat in general with a cover of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" and a song about Vegas. My favorite song on this album (even though I think I slightly prefer Pieces of the Sky) was "Till I Gain Control Again." Seems to be similarly arranged to "Boulder to Birmingham" but this Rodney Crowell composition is refreshing (in that I haven't heard it nearly as many times) and one of the top heartbreaking moments of Harris' long career:

Emmylou Harris "Till I Gain Control Again"

Other Highlights Worth Mentioning:

• Frankie Valli's chameleon quality of blending in with the popular music of the day reached its logical conclusion, as the 50s pop star put out "Swearin' to God," a 9+ minute disco opus.
• Also a sign of the pending upending of music rising out of New York? The first demos from Blondie have come up. Including a very early version of "Heart of Glass" referred to "Once I Had A Love (The Disco Song)." It's funny, that song was considered by many to be a moment they sold out, but it was one of their first songs, before they even released a record. It's funny how people get associated with their environments so much that the supposed "values" of said movement are assumed to apply to everyone. Blondie had nothing against disco, even though punk rock was thought to be the antithesis of disco.
• Blowfly's "Aries (If Eating You Is Wrong I Don't Want To Be Right)" is quite the dirty song. I actually saw him perform once, opening for Nashville Pussy. Who else? I think I downloaded this track because I'm an aries. I don't particularly like it (especially the hateful homophobia involved in the song).
• I think the 1975 singles of James Brown are the last in my collection. That's sad. I was quite enjoying those. But it just shows that we are moving along quickly. Funk is about to give way to full disco times. I really liked "Thank You For Lettin' Me Be Myself, And You Be Yours." Total funk and an awesome trombone solo.
• Neil Young's Zuma (with Crazy Horse) showcases his rocking out skills. Which are great. But I still prefer his quieter moments.
• Tom Waits' Nighthawks At The Diner is a very intimate performance, a live performance from a studio. It'd be great to be in that crowd. 
• Lloyd Brevett & The Skatalites' African Roots is an awesome instrumental ska album. Seems to be years after their heyday, particularly since it features Lloyd Brevett instead of Tommy McCook, and this was reggae time in Jamaica, but this is old school ska through and through.
• Led Zeppelin are back for the last time! Physical Graffiti is a nice double album, meaning it has some degree of experimentation filling out the 80+ minutes. But I'm still mostly into "Kashmir." 
• Young Americans is a very catchy David Bowie album. Kind of disco even? Particularly non-album track "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)."

On The Next Installment...

We get deeper into this emerging underground/punk rock movement. An actual Blondie album! The Modern Lovers! More Patti Smith! And it's official...we have launched. THE RAMONES. Also...funk's not dead if Parliament has anything to do with it. Or Stevie Wonder! Also Fleetwood Mac, The Runaways, more Tom Waits (always welcome), and (a little bit) more! It looks like I don't have a ton but the bit I have looks like it counts.