Crag Dweller
aka kindbudmaster
What albums were the soundtrack of your life at 13?
How do you regard them today?
For me, the year in question would be 1977.
At 13 I was only a couple of years removed from listening to The Archies(cut out from the back of a cereal box) and The Jackson 5, but with semi-hippiefied parents and a sister 3 years older, my baptism into rock music was swift.
Although I started buying records myself the year before, 1977 was the year I started to expand my music taste beyond what was in my parents and sisters collection.
So, here is what I was listening to in 1977 in no particular order:
Pink Floyd - Animals
I remember my best friend's brother turning us on to DSOTM and WYWH along with a few other things
the summer of '76. Then Animals came out in '77 and blew me away. David Gilmours guitar playing is what keeps me coming back to this year after year. In fact, I think I've listen to this record every year since it came out, something I can't say about any other record on this list. My sister also likes to bring up the fact that she saw Pink Floyd on this tour and wanted to take me, but my parents wouldn't let me go. Grrrrr.
Current Status: Currently in my top 3 best ever list moving daily between 1 and 3.
Boston - Boston
What I remember most about this album is the massive media blitz that came with this album, it was everywhere. In fact I think they were promoting a concert in town before the album even made it out here. Although the album was released in 1976 it took awhile back in those days before music got to this neck of the woods. Despite all of that I thought(and still do)they had a unique sound, mostly made possible by Tom Shultz. I probably heard a song from this album everyday for the next 5 years whether I wanted to or not.
Current Status: Haven't listen to anything on Boston in years. However, I still rate the guitar solo on Hitch A Ride to be one of my personal favorites.
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors
My first taste of Skynyrd came the year before with the live album One More From the Road. If you could count on one thing in 1977, it was that you would hear the live version of Freebird on the radio at least 3 times a day. Anyways, I still remember sitting in 7th grade history class when I heard the news of the plane crash. I think this album came out a month or two after. This album showed that Skynyrd was trying to move away from some of the trappings of the "Southern Rock" sound, but we're left to wonder how sucessful they would of been without the legacy of a fallen rock star.
Current Status: I don't listen to Skynyrd or really anything Southern Rock anymore. But if I have some realationship trouble or start drinking again, then I might listen to Am I Losin' or Cheating Woman or something, but nothing from this album really pulls me to listen to it again. Pity.
Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
Another album that spawned a song that would'nt stop for years on the radio with The Load-Out/Stay.
At the time of release not particularly one of my favorites, but soon after became one of my all time favorites(at least from the 70's) thanks to an older cousin. Along with the Eagles, Jackson Bowne personfied the West Coast sound for me. Stand-out track include: The Road, Rosie, Shaky Town, Love Needs A Heart, and Nothing But Time.
Current Status: Still listen to this once in a while. Also has my favorite love song on it, "Love Needs a Heart".
Night Moves - Bob Seger
Although released late in 1976, this album didn't hit it big till the spring of '77. I was already aware of Bob Seger from my sister and cruising around listening to Live Bullet. Stand-out tracks included the title song, rock & Roll Never Forgets, Fire Down Below, and Mainstreet. Learning the song "Night Moves" on guitar was also directly responsable for getting me laid for the first time. Thanks Bob!!!
Current Status: I think I heard "Mainstreet" a couple of years ago, but other than that, nothing.
Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
The sequel to the second album I ever bought, A New World Record. I remember being kinda let down with this album when I first heard it. I was already gravitating towards the louder and heavier side of rock at the time so that might have something to do with it. I really liked side three of this album though "Concerto for a Rainy Day". With Mr. Blue Sky being the stand-out track.
Current Status: Although I still manage to listen to ELO sometimes, Mr. Blue Sky is the only song I listen to regularly off this album. Just a great happy song.
Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent
Ah, the madman from motorcity, what teenager didn't rock out to "Turn It Up Ted" in 1977. Probably not many. Not his best work( his debut and Free For All were much better), but when your 13 years old what more do you need besides a song called "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang". Saw him twice in concert the next year but soon faded from my music radar.
Current Status: I haven't heard anything from this album in years although I still like to torture my drummer with the opening from Cat Scratch Fever every chance I get, go figure.
I Robot - The Alan Parsons Project
I bought this because I had heard the title track(I robot/I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You) on the radio and thought it sounded alot like Pink Floyd. After listening to the album I found it really nothing like Pink Floyd in any real way other than sharing a genre.
Current Status: Not a bad album, but only the before mentioned songs are worth listening to today. Still, when The Alan Parsons Project remixed and re-released their 1976 album "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" in 1987 they hit the jackpot with me and wound up in my top ten of all time list. Not bad.
Little Queen - Heart
I was a fan already since I'd heard their debut Dreamboat Annie the year before. The rockers "Barracuda" and "Kick It Out" are what drew me in at first but repeated plays revealed a cool mix of Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin with tracks like Sylvan Song/Dream of the Archer and Treat Me Well. With really no other rock bands fronted by a woman out at the time, Heart was a nice change of pace without giving up the rock.
Current Status: Holding up quite well. It's still a interesting album musically to me after all these years, although I skip Barracuda when I hear it. Just one of those songs I've heard enough of.
American Stars'n'Bars - Neil Young
I didn't have to go far to find this album in 1977, it was in my dad's record collection. A classic the first time I heard it. Everything I like about Neil Young is on this record. How he can go from straight up country to folk to crunching rock all in the span of one album is amazing. Stand-outs of course include "Like A Hurricane" but its "Star Of Bethlehem" that really shines(pun intended).
Current Status: There was a period in the 90's that I didn't listen to much Neil Young, however when I came back to him this album was waiting for me. One of those albums that doesn't feel right unless you hear the whole thing from start to finish. A stand out album from a career filled with them.
How do you regard them today?
For me, the year in question would be 1977.
At 13 I was only a couple of years removed from listening to The Archies(cut out from the back of a cereal box) and The Jackson 5, but with semi-hippiefied parents and a sister 3 years older, my baptism into rock music was swift.
Although I started buying records myself the year before, 1977 was the year I started to expand my music taste beyond what was in my parents and sisters collection.
So, here is what I was listening to in 1977 in no particular order:
Pink Floyd - Animals
I remember my best friend's brother turning us on to DSOTM and WYWH along with a few other things
the summer of '76. Then Animals came out in '77 and blew me away. David Gilmours guitar playing is what keeps me coming back to this year after year. In fact, I think I've listen to this record every year since it came out, something I can't say about any other record on this list. My sister also likes to bring up the fact that she saw Pink Floyd on this tour and wanted to take me, but my parents wouldn't let me go. Grrrrr.Current Status: Currently in my top 3 best ever list moving daily between 1 and 3.
Boston - Boston
What I remember most about this album is the massive media blitz that came with this album, it was everywhere. In fact I think they were promoting a concert in town before the album even made it out here. Although the album was released in 1976 it took awhile back in those days before music got to this neck of the woods. Despite all of that I thought(and still do)they had a unique sound, mostly made possible by Tom Shultz. I probably heard a song from this album everyday for the next 5 years whether I wanted to or not.
Current Status: Haven't listen to anything on Boston in years. However, I still rate the guitar solo on Hitch A Ride to be one of my personal favorites.
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors
My first taste of Skynyrd came the year before with the live album One More From the Road. If you could count on one thing in 1977, it was that you would hear the live version of Freebird on the radio at least 3 times a day. Anyways, I still remember sitting in 7th grade history class when I heard the news of the plane crash. I think this album came out a month or two after. This album showed that Skynyrd was trying to move away from some of the trappings of the "Southern Rock" sound, but we're left to wonder how sucessful they would of been without the legacy of a fallen rock star.
Current Status: I don't listen to Skynyrd or really anything Southern Rock anymore. But if I have some realationship trouble or start drinking again, then I might listen to Am I Losin' or Cheating Woman or something, but nothing from this album really pulls me to listen to it again. Pity.
Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
Another album that spawned a song that would'nt stop for years on the radio with The Load-Out/Stay.
At the time of release not particularly one of my favorites, but soon after became one of my all time favorites(at least from the 70's) thanks to an older cousin. Along with the Eagles, Jackson Bowne personfied the West Coast sound for me. Stand-out track include: The Road, Rosie, Shaky Town, Love Needs A Heart, and Nothing But Time.
Current Status: Still listen to this once in a while. Also has my favorite love song on it, "Love Needs a Heart".
Night Moves - Bob Seger
Although released late in 1976, this album didn't hit it big till the spring of '77. I was already aware of Bob Seger from my sister and cruising around listening to Live Bullet. Stand-out tracks included the title song, rock & Roll Never Forgets, Fire Down Below, and Mainstreet. Learning the song "Night Moves" on guitar was also directly responsable for getting me laid for the first time. Thanks Bob!!!
Current Status: I think I heard "Mainstreet" a couple of years ago, but other than that, nothing.
Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
The sequel to the second album I ever bought, A New World Record. I remember being kinda let down with this album when I first heard it. I was already gravitating towards the louder and heavier side of rock at the time so that might have something to do with it. I really liked side three of this album though "Concerto for a Rainy Day". With Mr. Blue Sky being the stand-out track.
Current Status: Although I still manage to listen to ELO sometimes, Mr. Blue Sky is the only song I listen to regularly off this album. Just a great happy song.
Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent
Ah, the madman from motorcity, what teenager didn't rock out to "Turn It Up Ted" in 1977. Probably not many. Not his best work( his debut and Free For All were much better), but when your 13 years old what more do you need besides a song called "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang". Saw him twice in concert the next year but soon faded from my music radar.
Current Status: I haven't heard anything from this album in years although I still like to torture my drummer with the opening from Cat Scratch Fever every chance I get, go figure.
I Robot - The Alan Parsons Project
I bought this because I had heard the title track(I robot/I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You) on the radio and thought it sounded alot like Pink Floyd. After listening to the album I found it really nothing like Pink Floyd in any real way other than sharing a genre.
Current Status: Not a bad album, but only the before mentioned songs are worth listening to today. Still, when The Alan Parsons Project remixed and re-released their 1976 album "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" in 1987 they hit the jackpot with me and wound up in my top ten of all time list. Not bad.
Little Queen - Heart
I was a fan already since I'd heard their debut Dreamboat Annie the year before. The rockers "Barracuda" and "Kick It Out" are what drew me in at first but repeated plays revealed a cool mix of Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin with tracks like Sylvan Song/Dream of the Archer and Treat Me Well. With really no other rock bands fronted by a woman out at the time, Heart was a nice change of pace without giving up the rock.
Current Status: Holding up quite well. It's still a interesting album musically to me after all these years, although I skip Barracuda when I hear it. Just one of those songs I've heard enough of.
American Stars'n'Bars - Neil Young
I didn't have to go far to find this album in 1977, it was in my dad's record collection. A classic the first time I heard it. Everything I like about Neil Young is on this record. How he can go from straight up country to folk to crunching rock all in the span of one album is amazing. Stand-outs of course include "Like A Hurricane" but its "Star Of Bethlehem" that really shines(pun intended).
Current Status: There was a period in the 90's that I didn't listen to much Neil Young, however when I came back to him this album was waiting for me. One of those albums that doesn't feel right unless you hear the whole thing from start to finish. A stand out album from a career filled with them.
