Life - Life (1970)

Swedish prog/psych. This band's only record splits its time between ornate proto-soft rock and heavy, bluesy psych, plus some more experimental diversions. Such an odd, sweet record -- excellent production, too. When I first heard it, I was a young, stoned music nerd combing the internet for every piece of Blue Cheer-worship known to man, and wasn't too fond of all the gentle, symphonic stuff, but it's really grown on me over the years.

Track listing:

1. Quo Vadis (I)

2. Nobody Was There to Love Me

3. Many Years Ago

4. Experience of Love

5. She Walks Across the Room

6. Sailing in the Sunshine

7. Quo Vadis (II)

8. Living Is Loving

9. Every Man

10. Experience of Life

11. One of Us

12. Yes, I Am

13. Once upon a Time

14. Quo Vadis (III)

15. Jag Färdas

16. To the Country

17. Tro pa' va'r värld

Live my life in harmony

Soul is floating in the breeze

Listen to these, too:

Nektar - Remember the Future (1973) + Magic Is a Child (1977)

Automatic Man - Automatic Man (1976)

Anonymous - Inside the Shadow (1977)

West Coast-style 70s rock from Indianapolis. Lovely male-and-female vocal harmonies and acoustic-driven arrangements that undoubtedly harken to the sound of classic Fleetwood Mac, making for a bright, breezy record with shadows in every corner. They truly just don't make 'em like this anymore.

Track listing:

1. Who's Been Foolin'?

2. J. Rider

3. Up to You

4. Shadow Lay

5. Pick Up and Run

6. We Got More

7. Sweet Lilac

8. Baby Come Rising

Paint away the seasons

If you like this, you should listen to:

Bulbous Creation - You Won't Remember Dying (1971)

The Misunderstood - Before the Dream Faded (1982)

Dion - Born to Be with You (1975)

A work of strange beauty and accidental (or, at least, incidental) genius from a usually pretty mediocre folk rock singer. The product of a contentious collaboration with Phil Spector, Born to Be with You is both loved and hated for its murky yet widescreen production, which provides a funereal backdrop for Dion's turn towards hipness. It's honestly difficult to tell whether or not they were trying to make a hit album -- if they were, they failed -- but as a piece of outsider pop art, from the jarringly plainspoken heroin references of "Your Own Backyard" to the baffling cover of "(He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands)", it's a 10/10.

Track listing:
1. Born to Be with You
2. Make the Woman Love Me
3. Your Own Back Yard
4. (He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands
5. Only You Know
6. New York City Song
7. In and Out of the Shadows
8. Good Lovin' Man

I can do anything that I wanna do
I do it straight, I do it better, too

You might also enjoy:

Colin Blunstone - One Year (1971)
Ennismore (1972) Journey (1974)
+ Planes (1976)

Graeme Edge Band
featuring Adrian Gurvitz -
Paradise Ballroom (1977)

Tucker Zimmerman - Ten Songs (1969)

American folk rocker Tucker Zimmerman's excellent debut LP. Surreal, psychedelic songs delivered with a fuzzy, rough-around-the-edges sound. Band includes a pre-cape Rick Wakeman on organ and the great Tony Visconti, who also produced the record.

Track listing:
1. Bird Lives
2. October Mornings
3. A Face That Hasn't Sold Out
4. The Roadrunner
5. Children of Fear
6. The Wind Returns into the Night
7. Running, Running from Moment to Moment
8. Upsidedown Circus World
9. Blue Goose
10. Alpha Centauri

And they kept on falling in
And they kept on crawling out

More along these lines:

Tim Hollier -
Tim Hollier (1970)

Andy Zwerling -
Spiders in the Night (1971)

Ava Cherry & The Astronettes - People from Bad Homes (1995)

Related:
David Bowie - Liveandwell.com (2000)

Raw, unfinished, early 70s studio sessions for a David Bowie-produced project, featuring then-girlfriend and backing singer Ava Cherry, that never got off the ground. In retrospect, it comes off as a dry run of Young Americans. And though there are some scratch vocal tracks strewn about, there's really a lot to love here, including a majestic version of "God Only Knows" that absolutely buries Bowie's version, as well as songs that he ended up rewriting and putting on his own albums, including "I Am a Laser" (which became "Scream Like a Baby") and "I Am Divine" ("Somebody Up There Likes Me".)

Note: "I Am Divine" was actually one of those super-secret songs that you had to rewind from the beginning of the first track to hear.

Track listing:
1. I Am Divine
2. I Am a Laser
3. Seven Days
4. God Only Knows
5. Having a Good Time
6. People from Bad Homes
7. Highway Blues
8. Only Me
9. Things to Do
10. How Could I Be Such a Fool
11. I'm in the Mood for Love
12. Spirit in the Night

And she looks like a magnet
And she comes like a warm rain

You should also hear:

The Diddys Featuring Paige Douglas -
Agony and Extasy (1975)

Daryl Hall -
Sacred Songs (1980)

Daryl Hall - Sacred Songs (1980)

As Hall & Oates enjoyed their first string of hits, Hall sidestepped and made an art rock record, colored by the woozily beautiful guitars of Robert Fripp. And it's not just a curio -- it's fucking topnotch stuff. The first song and a half lull you into a false sense of accessibility, then, midway through "Something in 4/4 Time", the wall of Fripp guitars hits, and you realize this is not just another pop/rock record. This back-and-forth continues throughout the record. Recorded in 1977 but -- as is tradition for any great experimental record by a mainstream artist -- shelved by those damn money-blinded record company fat-cats.

Track listing:
1. Sacred Songs
2. Something in 4/4 Time
3. Babs and Babs
4. Urban Landscape
5. NYCNY
6. The Farther Away I Am
7. Why Was It So Easy
8. Don't Leave Me Alone with Her
9. Survive
10. Without Tears

They're all sacred songs
They're not easily won

You would probably also enjoy:

Mick Ronson -
Slaughter on 10th Avenue (1974)

Dwight Twilley -
Twilley (1979)

Mick Ronson - Slaughter on 10th Avenue (1974)

In keeping with my tradition of posting stuff a day late, here's Slaughter on 10th Avenu, the solo debut of the late, great Mick Ronson, who left us 25 years ago yesterday. It's not just one of best glam rock albums in existence -- it's a showcase for his production and arrangement skills that brings his role in the formation of Bowie's glam-era sound into sharper focus. So put this on and pour one out for Mr. Ronson, one of rock's greatest unsung heroes.

Track listing:
1. Love Me Tender
2. Growing Up and I'm Fine
3. Only After Dark
4. Music Is Lethal
5. I'm the One
6. Pleasure Man / Hey Ma Get Papa
7. Slaughter on 10th Avenue

My friend myself, boredom's hero, prince of the alleys
Stumble falling to a winsome table, in search of wine

If you like this, check out:

Jobriath -
Creatures of the Street (1974)

T-Rex -
Futuristic Dragon (1976)

Jobriath - Creatures of the Street (1974)

A weird genius, lost to the ages. Theatrical, piano-driven glam that's somewhere between Bowie and Big Star. Until a few months ago, I had never even fucking heard of Jobriath or this record, and it's so far up my alley it's probably gonna get stuck up there. I'm pissed. ONE OF YOU IS FIRED.

Track listing:
1. Heartbeat
2. Dietrich/Fondyke (A Brief History of Movie Music)
3. Street Corner Love
4. Ooh La La
5. Scumbag
6. Ecubyan
7. Good Times
8. Sister Sue
9. What a Pretty
10. Liten Up
11. Gone Tomorrow
12. Ooh La La (Reprise and Exit Music)

A star shot across the sky and smiled

If you like this, try:

Wizzard -
Wizzard Brew (1973)

Dwight Twilley -
Twilley (1979)

David Bowie - Liveandwell.com (2000)

So David Bowie is my all-time favorite artist, bar-none. He to me represents all that is good about music. If I were to list my top 20 albums, it'd be pretty boring cause there'd be at least five Bowie records in there (Aladdin Sane, Station to Station, Low, "Heroes", and Blackstar.) He is the only celebrity whose death actually sent me into mourning. Like, I cried, listened to nothing but his music, and was bummed about it for literally months afterwards. During this time, I also became utterly obsessed with Blackstar, and annoyed everyone around me by listening to it and watching its associated music videos at every opportunity.

This is all to say that I am almost too familiar with his discography, so coming across a great Bowie record that I haven't already heard is pretty goddamn rare. But that's exactly what recently happened with Liveandwell.com, a live (duh) album, recorded in 1997, that was only ever made available to BowieNet subscribers. (There's a four-track bonus disc, too, but the live part's the focus for sure.)

Half of the tracks are from Earthling, the album for which he was touring at the time Liveandwell.com was recorded. And though Earthling's dated electro production make it one of my least favorite Bowie records (meaning that I just really like it, as opposed to loving it), the problem was never with the songs, and the full-band approach and live setting really help them out -- they're fleshier, jazzier, and just more fun.

The other five tracks are from 1. Outside, a labyrinthine concept album written and recorded with the aid of Brian Eno and released 22 years ago yesterday [EDIT: I meant to post this yesterday and that originally read "today" but I am dumb]. Misunderstood at the time of its release, the years have been quite kind to 1. Outside, as now most Bowie fans recognize it for the knotty masterpiece that it is, especially in light of its dark, jazz- and electro-heavy sound representing the only clear antecedent to Blackstar in Bowie's discography. Just don't ask me what the story's about. Something about a murder, a minotaur, "interest drugs," and someone named Judy? It's like Lost Highway -- the soundtrack to which, incidentally, included "I'm Deranged" -- the closer you get to understanding, the surer you become that you will never understand.

Welp, that's what happens when I start in on Bowie, I guess. I end up with the longest writeup I've ever done on here, for a 10-track live album. Hope it was worth it!

Track listing:
1. I'm Afraid of Americans
2. The Heart's Filthy Lesson
3. I'm Deranged
4. Hallo Spaceboy
5. Telling Lies
6. The Motel
7. The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)
8. Battle for Britain
9. Seven Years in Tibet
10. Little Wonder
-Bonus Disc-
1. Fun (Dillinja Mix)
2. Little Wonder (Sanny Saber Dance Mix)
3. Dead Man Walking (Moby Mix 1)
4. Telling Lies (Paradox Mix)

Now, not tomorrow

Also of interest:

Gary Numan -
Living Ornaments '79 and '80 (1981)

Visage -
Visage (1980)

Supermax - World of Today (1977)

Super-rad Austrian disco-rock. From its funky, locked-in grooves to the deep, effortlessly cool, mildly ominous vocal delivery, World of Today is a fucking gift from the disco gods -- one that I'm almost certain Matthew Dear has given a few spins.

Track listing:
1. World of Today
2. Lovemachine
3. Reality
4. Musicexpress
5. Camillo
6. Be What You Are
7. I Wanna Be Free

The love I will give you is sweeter than anything else in this world

Also of interest:

Adrian Gurvitz -
Il Assassino (1980)

The Creatures -
L'Altro Mondo Studios (1983)

Marsha Hunt - Attention! (1973)

Soul-infused 70s rock. Almost sounds like some good ol' boy shit, only it's helmed by a kickass black lady who refuses to shave her legs/otherwise embrace gender roles ("Man to Woman"), then turns out a seething, wrenching take on "Southern Man" that should be the definitive version. So, so good. How in the fuck does a record like this slip through the cracks.

Track listing:
1. Good Morning
2. Bad Boogie
3. Man to Woman
4. Will They Still
5. Southern Man
6. Rolling
7. Baby John
8. Sister of Mercy
9. Black Flower
10. Dance Hall

Take me as I am

You might also enjoy:

Millie Jackson -
It Hurts So Good (1973)

Claudia -
Reza, Tambor E Raça (1977)

Nektar - Remember the Future (1973) + Magic Is a Child (1977)

First-rate Germany-based prog. I couldn't decide which direction I wanted to go with this post. Typically, with relatively well-known bands, I'll post lesser known or what I see as underrated material, which in this case would be Magic Is a Child, the album on which Nektar abandoned sprawling prog epics in favor of more concise, prog-y pop rock that's kinda along the lines of Supertramp (not unlike Eloy did with Colours.) Cranky old prog-heads hate it because they think it was a sellout move, but we know better, right?

BUT is Nektar really that well-known? They're not exactly a household name. If that's the case, I'd have to go with Remember the Future, the album on which they IMO perfected their expansive, noodle-y sound with a single epic, divided across two sides of an LP. It has everything that you like about 70s prog -- space-y buildups, odd-time signature breakdowns, hints of fusion, heavy payoffs, quasi-philosophical lyrics about time travel, pretension galore -- and if you haven't heard it, you need to. What's a nerdy music blogger to do?

So, you get both. Happy day!

Track listing:
-Remember the Future-
1. Remember the Future - Part One
2. Remember the Future - Part Two
-Magic Is a Child-
1. Away from Asgard
2. Magic Is a Child
3. Eerie Lackawanna
4. Midnight Light
5. Love to Share (Keep Your Worries Behind You)
6. Train from Nowhere
7. Listen
8. On the Run (The Trucker)
9. Spread Your Wings

Spin the wheel of never-ending time

You should also hear:

Starcastle -
Starcastle (1976)

Novalis -
Brandung (1977)

The Graeme Edge Band Featuring Adrian Gurvitz - Paradise Ballroom (1977)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Adrian Gurvitz - Sweet Vendetta (1979)
Adrian Gurvitz - Il Assassino (1980)

Some choice, funk- and disco-infused, melancholic, psychedelic 70s rock.

Track listing:
1. Paradise Ballroom
2. Human
3. Everybody Needs Somebody
4. All Is Fair
5. Down, Down, Down
6. In the Light of the Light
7. Caroline
8. Be My Eyes [bonus]
9. Paradise Ballroom [bonus]
10. Everybody Needs Somebody [bonus]

Don't laugh about my face
Cause I found mine in space

You might like these, too:

Brass Construction -
Brass Construction (1975)

Mazarati -
Mazarati (1987)

Rusty Wier - Stoned, Slow, Rugged (1974)

Picked up this lil' gem of hard livin', heart-broken country/Southern rock based entirely upon the album title. Didn't even hit the listening station. Figured, how could I possibly not like an album called Stoned, Slow, Rugged? As you have surely surmised, my instincts served me well.

Track listing:
1. Whiskey Still/Whiskey Man
2. Easier to Hurt
3. Texas Morning
4. Painted Lady
5. Busted
6. Stoned, Slow, Rugged
7. Jeremiah Black
8. Country Style
9. Cobey's Song
10. Railroad

Outside the sun is up
The wind, it blows me like a paper cup
Down the highway

You'll probably also enjoy:

Lee Clayton - Lee Clayton (1973)

Mickey Newbury - A Long Road Home (2002)

Dwight Twilley - Twilley (1979)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Dwight Twilley Band - Sincerely (1976)

Twilley's first official 'solo' record is a tad darker than Sincerely and Twilley Don't Mind -- less songs about cruising around in cars loving life, more about being heartbroken and stoned -- but that doesn't stop it from being pure power pop perfection.

Track listing:
1. Out of My Hands
2. Nothing's Ever Gonna Change So Fast
3. Runaway
4. Standin' in the Shadow of Love
5. Alone in My Room
6. Betsy Sue
7. Darlin'
8. I Wanna Make Love to You
9. Got You Where I Want You
10. It Takes a Lot of Love

There will come a day

You might also like:

Colin Blunstone - One Year (1971)
Ennismore (1972)  Journey (1974) + Planes (1976)

The Professionals - I Didn't See It Coming (1981)

Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul - Men Without Women (1982)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Bruce Springsteen - Chimes of Freedom (1988)

Steven Van Zandt's (of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band/Silvio on The Sopranos) first solo record. Men Without Women makes it clear just how greatly he contributed to the classic E Street Band rock/girl group/soul/folk hybrid sound, in that it plays like a lost Springsteen record, circa The River. Earnest, upbeat songs of love, lust, and heartbreak, embellished by classic soul horn sections.

Track listing:
1. Lyin' in a Bed of Fire
2. Inside of Me
3. Until the Good Is Gone
4. Men Without Women
5. Under the Gun
6. Save Me
7. Princess of Little Italy
8. Angel Eyes
9. Forever
10. I've Been Waiting

I spent my whole life just tryin' to find
Something I know I need but can't define

Dwight Twilley Band - Sincerely (1976)

Sincerely is the kind of perfect, would-be classic power pop record that makes you realize just how arbitrary success in the music business is. Like, I think that in some weird, imaginary world, every record that I post on here would be a hit, but Sincerely could have been a huge hit in this world. Listen to this and tell me I'm wrong.

So, much like their spiritual comrades, Big Star, the Dwight Twilley Band mixed 70s dad rock sounds with a kinda fey, pop-oriented approach and ended up generating a series of positively perfect power pop gems while toiling in virtual obscurity; unlike Big Star, though, DTB --and their namesake, who continues to record and release records to this day -- have stayed there. I only found them because their song "Looking for the Magic" is prominently featured in the movie You're Next. Having finally heard it, though, I genuinely believe that Dwight Twilley should be at least indie-famous by now, and I implore you: give this one a spin.

For more info, here's an article that I found; apparently, I'm not the only one who's made the Big Star comparison, nor the only one to think that Twilley should be a star.

Track listing:
1. I'm On Fire
2. Could Be Love
3. Feeling in the Dark
4. You Were So Warm
5. I'm Losing You
6. Sincerely
7. TV
8. Release Me
9. Three Persons
10. Baby Let's Cruise
11. England
12. Just Like the Sun

I don't wanna sit and watch it all roll by

Lou Reed - Magic and Loss (1992)

Magic and Loss is a strong contender for Lou Reed's most underrated album. Clearly it has enjoyed its share of accolades, but when it comes to discussions of Reed's greatest records -- even those dealing with albums other than Transformer, Berlin, Metal Machine Music, and Coney Island Baby -- Magic and Loss rarely seems to come up. But to me, this album's alternately big hearted, downcast, determined, harrowing, and ultimately life-affirming musings on mortality and the process of dying represent some of the most touching, unadorned, and all-in-all beautiful material that this otherworldly talent ever conjured.

Track listing:
1. Dorita
2. What's Good
3. Power and Glory
4. Magician
5. Sword of Damocles
6. Goodbye Mass
7. Cremation
8. Dreamin'
9. No Chance
10. Warrior King
11. Harry's Circumcision (Reverie Gone Astray)
12. Gassed and Stoked
13. Power and Glory, Pt. 2
14. Magic and Loss

Sitting with my back straight, it becomes hard to hear
Some people are crying, it becomes hard to hear
I don't think you'd have liked it, you would have made a joke
You would have made it easier, you'd say, "Tomorrow I'm smoke"

Christine Perfect - Christine Perfect (1974)

Shortly before joining Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie, assuming the moniker Christine Perfect, recorded and released her first solo album. While its blues- and soul-tinged rock sound isn't terribly unique, the songs are all quite well written and performed, and regardless, McVie's melancholic, soulful vocals could elevate to greatness even the most tepid of songs. Highly recommended to any fans of Fleetwood Mac or 70s rock in general.

Track listing:
1. Crazy 'Bout You Baby
2. I'm on My Way
3. Let Me Go
4. Wait and See
5. Close to Me
6. I'd Rather Go Blind
7. When You Say
8. And That's Saying a Lot
9. No Road Is the Right Road
10. For You
11. I'm Too Far Gone [Bonus]
12. I Want You [Bonus]

I would rather go blind, boy
Than to see you walk away from me

Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Kill City (1977)

Recorded by Pop and Stooges guitarist James Williamson in 1975 (that's two years after Raw Power), Kill City can be considered a 'lost' Stooges record. As might be expected, they continue their progression towards a more easily digestible, Stones-y sound, while retaining the nasty, unhinged delivery and sense of drug-fueled, sex-crazed abandon that helped to make the Stooges one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. There are strutting rockers ("Beyond the Law", "Consolation Prizes"), dark, saxophone-driven protopunk ballads ("Sell Your Love"), some of the most unabashedly 'pretty' moments in the Stooges' catalog ("I Got Nothin'", "No Sense of Crime"), and even some synths. Don't be fooled by the half-assed album cover -- this is mandatory.

Track listing:
1. Kill City
2. Sell Your Love
3. Beyond the Law
4. I Got Nothin'
5. Johanna
6. Night Theme
7. Night Theme (Reprise)
8. Consolation Prizes
9. No Sense of Crime
10. Lucky Monkeys
11. Master Charge

The scene is fascination, man, and everything's for free
'Til you wind up in some bathroom overdosed and on your knees