Great Rock Albums of 1978: The Band- The Last Waltz

There were many movie soundtracks before 1978, I know, I had to endure my sister listening to such soundtracks as "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and "Lady and the Tramp." Even in this pivotal year of 1978, there was "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease," but for me, it was the soundtrack from the film, "The Last Waltz" that made me ever want to listen to a soundtrack.

I went to see this film when it came out, only one cinema in the area even showed it and I must concur with the friend who I went to see it with. The movie sucked, the music was great. Seeing such great legends as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, the guitar talents of Eric Clapton and the finale with Bob Dylan rocking away on "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" totally blew my then seventeen year old mind.

                     

The Last Waltz was the final concert by The Band after sixteen years on the road. Eight years in bars, the other eight years playing arenas. The concert actually took place on Thanksgiving Day in 1976 and there were numerous guest stars in addition to the ones pictured here, to help them take it home. From what I saw from the film, it was a great night of music and the soundtrack bears witness to it.

Track Listing:

1. Theme From the Last Waltz

2. Up On Cripple Creek

3. with Ronnie Hawkins Who Do You Love

4. with Neil Young Helpless

5. Stagefright

6.  wtih Joni Mitchell Coyote

7. with Neil Diamond  Dry Your Eyes

8. It Makes No Difference

9. with Dr John Such a Night

10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

11. with Paul Butterfield  Mystery Train

12. with Muddy Waters  Mannish Boy

13. with Eric Clapton  Further On Up the Road

14. The Shape I'm In

15. with Bobby Charles Down South In New Orleans

16. Ophelia

17. with Van Morrison   Tura Lura Lura (It's an Irish Lullabye)

18. with Van Morrison Caravan

19. Life is a Carnival

20. with Bob Dylan  Baby Let Me Follow You Down

21  with Bob Dylan  I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Met)

22. with Bob Dylan  Forever Young

23. with Bob Dylan  Baby Let Me Follow You Down (reprise)

24. with all the guests plus Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood   I Shall Be Released

The Last Waltz Suite

25. The Well

26. with Emmylou Harris  Evangeline

27. Out of the Blue

28. with The Staples  The Weight

29. The Last Waltz Refrain

30. The Last Waltz with Orchestra

The Band:

Robbie Robertson- guitar

Rick Danko- bass

Garth Hudson- keyboards

Richard Manuel- organ, piano, dobro guitar

Levon Helms- drums

This album definitely changed my view of movie soundtracks and since then, I have purchased and listened to a good number since. The Last Waltz is definitely a piece of music history which I would encourage everyone to listen to at least once in their life time.

Nest post: Jefferson Starship- Earth

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Great Rock Albums of 1978: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- You're Gonna Get It

The second album from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers got my attention back then. I must admit, that I never even knew they had put out an album prior to "You're Gonna Get It" until I did some preliminary research. Some have said that the first album was musically superior to the second. If that's the case, then it must be a really good album. Still, I curse the sheltered life I lived back then, but that's another story.
Like any new music back in 1978, many people called Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers a punk band. That's just the ignorance of some people, because when I listened to some of the tracks, I was convinced they were not. "You're Gonna Get It" is a good rock album that has some good bits with both guitar and organ used in a combination that works on so many levels. It's just a well made feel good album.

Track Listing:

1. When the Time Comes

2. You're Gonna Get It

3. Hurt

4. Magnolia

5. Too Much Ain't Enough

6. I Need to Know

7. Listen to Her Heart

8. No Second Thought

9. Restless

10. Baby's a Rock'n Roller

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty- lead vocals, guitar, piano

Mike Campbell- lead guitar, accordion

Bermont Tench- piano, organ, vocals

Ron Blair- bass, accoustic guitar

Stan Lynch- drums, vocals

For me this album was the start for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Although, I haven't always liked everything they've done since, I can say that I really like this album.

Next Post: The first movie soundtrack I liked, The Last Waltz

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Great Rock Albums of 1978: Patti Smith Group- Easter

One great thing visiting all of these classic albums does for me in other ways is to take me down various alleys off memory lane. The same applies to this classic rock album. See, I first learned of the Patti Smith Group when I saw them perform on the old Saturday Night Live Show way back in 1978. This was the original Saturday Night Live, which brought us the talents of Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, the late Gilda Radner. (I won't name the entire crew here.) As was the norm, the Patti Smith Group performed two songs and though I can never remember what the second song was, the first song was the famous rock anthem, "Because the Night."

I remember when this album first came out, everyone (at least in my redneck area) called the Patti Smith Group a punk rock group. Even Saturday Night Live kind of made fun when Gilda Radner came up with the character, Punk Rock Star Candy Slice, who many thought was based on Patti Smith.

When I listened to the album, I never considered the album to be punk, nor did I care if it was. To me, it was just a great rocking album with some great tracks like "Rock and Roll Nigger" as well as the well known single already mentioned.

Track Listing:

1. Til Victory

2. Space Monkey

3. Because the Night

4. Ghost Dance

5. Babeloque

6. Rock And Roll Nigger

7. Priviledge (Set Me Free)

8. We Three

9. 25th Floor

10. High on Rebellion

11. Easter

The Patti Smith Group

Patti Smith- vocals, guitar

Lenny Kaye- guitar, bass

Jay Dee Dougherty- drums, percussion

Ivan Kral- bass, guitar

Bruce Brody- keyboards, synthesiser

 If this album is to be branded punk, then it does a magnificent job of bridging the gap between punk and more mainstream rock from the time. "Easter" is one of those albums that everyone remembers when talking about the classic albums. It always manages to sneak in there with all of the great albums of 1978. I shall always remember it for this and its brilliant music.

Next Post: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

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Great Rock Albums of 1978: Rory Gallagher- Photo Finish

It was 1982 when I first discovered Rory Gallagher and then it was several months later before I learned his name.  The encounter happened when I was on sea duty in the marines. The ship' s onboard tv station would show anything that came to hand, the many reruns of  the then popular sitcom "Alice" laid proof to that. One evening, when expecting the same, I saw a three piece band on the television, with most of the camera focused on the guitarist/singer. I didn't know who they were and there was much speculation among my fellow marines, but what we all agreed was, these guys could jam. The guitarist especially was "bitchin'."

A few months later, the mystery as to who had rocked us out was finally solved. While on liberty in Barcelona, Spain, we were in a bar that decorated its walls with album covers. I could amaze you with some of the great albums that were stuck on them, but I won't. However, in amongst those albums was the "Photo Finish" album by Rory Gallagher. Fortunately, we weren't drunk enough yet so we could all look and agree that the person on the front cover of the album was that guitar ace who had dazzled us a few months earlier. Unfortunately, I waited a month to when I went home on leave to purchase this album and being Sound Odyssey in South Jersey, they had no clue what I meant and said they couldn't get it. (Probably weren't bothered.) But there is a happy ending. Four years later, I came to the UK and saw that this album was still readily available. Needless to say, I purchased it there and then and haven't regretted it since.

Not only should Rory Gallagher have been included in my "Great Guitarists of the 70s" post many months ago, he also is number one on my list of "Great acts who never made it in America." Many Americans, although I am bracing myself for replies to the contrary, haven't heard of Rory Gallagher and know what a great musician he was. I say "was" because his death in 1995 robbed the world of yet another great musician.

"Photo Finish" is proof in the pudding of what a great guitarist Rory Gallagher was. Each of the tracks on this album displays a unique riff coming from his talented hand and every track on it shines in its own way. Unlike a lot of albums, I can subvocalise most of the songs and am right now playing them in my head. Obviously some stand out more than others. My favourites are "Shin Kicker," "Brute Force and Ignorance," "The Mississippi Sheiks," "Cloak and Dagger" and "Shadow Play."

Track Listing:

1. Shin Kicker

2. Brute Force and Ignorance

3. Cruise on Out

4. Cloak and Dagger

5. Overnight Bag

6. Shadow Play

7. The Mississippi Sheiks

8. Last of the Independents

9. Fuel to the Fire

10. Early Warning

11. Juke Box Annie

 

Rory Gallagher- guitar/vocals

Gerry McAvoy- bass

Ted McKenna- drums

For a classic blues based album, this is one of the best. It shows that Rory Gallagher deserves his place along with the greatest guitarists. For metal heads, there are some great rocking moments on it as well, another reason why it appeals to so many. "Photo Finish" is definitely, for many Americans anyway, a great undiscovered gem.

Next post: Patty Smith- Easter

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 p.s. I have just learned from a friend that when Jimi Hendrix was asked in an interview at Woodstock what it was like to be the world's greatest guitarist, he responded with "I don't know, ask Rory Gallagher.

My Olympics Closing Ceremony Rant

As you can clearly see there are some photos of the Olympics Closing Ceremony which took place in London last Sunday.  There are pictures of some of the acts that played there like George Michael and The Spice Girls and here's a shot of my favourite act on the evening, Eric Idle of Monty Python fame. I thought bringing him into to sing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," was pure genius.

But from all of the act that played on the night, can anyone tell me what was desperately missing from the night? Yes, that's right, the total absence of heavy metal bands. I won't repeat all the things I wrote about the absence of metal at the Jubilee concert, but you can see a common thread here. In spite of the fact that Britain is the birthplace of heavy metal, it seems that the country as a whole is embarrassed to admit it. Would anyone have been offended if Iron Maiden had played on the night? Or do you agree with me in saying it would have improved things 300%?

I don't know why the United Kingdom, which has given the world so much, is ashamed of the fact that it gave the world heavy metal. I can't think that it's because they were afraid of what the American religious right would have said. Most people in Britain think they're a total joke. As I said in that last post, Iron Maiden are great ambassadors of heavy metal and Great Britain. Most of the world would have head banged away to them while they blasted one of their many great songs on stage. Maiden not being there only dampens what could have made a great ceremony and made Great Britain even greater.

So, I'll include them here:

This is how they would have gone down at the Closing Ceremony.

See you all next time.

80smetalman

Great Rock Albums of 1978: ELO Out of the Blue

                                              

 Before everybody starts getting on my case about historical accuracy, something I myself am big on, I know that "Out of the Blue" was actually released in 1977. However, I didn't hear this fine album until 1978 and because it was the very first album I listened to that year, I thought it was only fitting that I begin the new series with it. I first heard it on the very first weekend in January 1978 while over my friend's place and I must say I was hooked from the very first track, "Turned to Stone." It was only fitting that I listen to the rest of it.

Back in 1978, I considered ELO's "Out of the Blue" album to be state of the art as did many back then. I was completely impressed with the use of instruments, synthesisers and other sound effects like the recording of actual rainfall in the four song piece, "Concerto for a Rainy Day." I was further impressed with how ELO used classical instruments such as cellos and violins and still maintained a unique rock sound. This is why the album was considered a scientific breakthrough back then.

Track Listing:

1. Turned to Stone

2. It's Over

3. Sweet Talkin' Woman

4. Across the Border

5. Night in the City

6. Starlight

7. Jungle

8. Believe Me Now

9. Stepping Out

Concerto for a Rainy Day

10. Standing in the Rain

11. Big Wheels

12. Summer and Lightning

13. Mr Blue Sky

14. Sweet is the Night

15. The Whale

16. Birmingham Blues

17. Wild West Hero

 ELO:

Jeff Lynne- lead vocals, guitar

Bev Bevan- drums, percussion

Richard Tandy- keyboards, guitar

Kelly Groucutt- bass

Mik Kaminski- violin

Melvin Gayle- cello, piano

Hugh McDowell- cello

Since this album kicked off 1978, for me I think it is only fitting to start 2012 by listening to this classic album once again and I invite you to do the same. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

Next post: Rory Gallagher- Photo Finish

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A Different Compilation Album

Whenever a rock compilation is unleashed onto the public, you can bet that there will be a repetition of the same songs. When you buy it, you are really only buying it for a few songs you don't have, because the other songs on it will definitely be on all the other rock compilations you own. These include:

Boston- More Than a Feeling

Blue Oyster Cult- Don't Fear the Reaper

Black Sabbath- Paranoid

Deep Purple- Smoke on the Water

Rainbow- Fool For Your Loving

Whitesnake- Here I Go Again

Heart- Alone

Marillion- Kayleigh

Motorhead- Ace of Spades

There's nothing wrong with any of these songs, I like all of them. But I don't want them on every compilation I buy. Besides, there are songs from many of these artists which I like more than the ones listed here. Taking all of this into consideration, I have decided to put together my own compilation album, (not for sale) with the following songs.

1. Michael Stanley Band- My Town

2. Heart- If Looks Could Kill

3. Black Sabbath- War Pigs

4. Blue Oyster Cult-Godzilla

5. Whitesnake-  Slide it In

6. Jay Ferguson- Thunder Island

7. OPM- Heaven is a Half pipe

8. Anthrax- Make Me Laugh

9. Ted Nugent- High Heels in Motion

10. Saxon- Wheels of Steel

11. Marillion- Sugar Mice

12. Motorhead- Killed By Death

13. Night Ranger- Don't Tell Me You Love Me

14. Boston- Piece of Mind

15. Rainbow- Death Alley Driver

16. Deep Purple- Woman From Tokyo

You might like some of these or most likely you have your own suggestions for a rock compilation. If so, feel free to post your suggestions here.

Next post: 1978- They Year the Rivers Began to Overflow

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