This era of popular music is unquestionably brilliant. It represents the shimmering harmonic convergence in music production history where the best analogue recording equipment was used to record the best talent in the world. It’s full of well executed superfluous details like legions of backup singers, saxophone solos, 30 piece orchestras, bongos, disco, krautrock, motorik, audaciously brilliant bass playing (not that superfluous), the birth of electronica, and everyone swung for the fences to achieve radio hits that would take over the world and buy enough blow to bake a fucking wedding cake. It is impeccably arranged, performed, and mixed on massively high budgets. The list of groundbreaking moments in musical history are in such an intense concentration that I will just let the song links at the end of this piece do the talking.
Not to be ignored, history has shown that rock ‘n roll never dies and will in time both outpace and outlive us. It’s inevitable reaction to pop music from this particular decade was giving birth to the duel demon baby twins of heavy metal and punk. These genres satisfied humanity’s original appetite for pure carnal power with the golden age of tube amplifiers and the exact same recording equipment. The “regular” blues-based rock from this era is nothing to sniff at either. The guitar effects pedals developed at this point in history also represent the apex of innovation in this area.
In radio, the distinction of ‘FM’ means that it uses Frequency Modulation technology invented in the 1930’s to transmit more data over the radio waves using a higher frequency than AM radio. Furthermore, this allowed the music to be transmitted stereophonically over the airwaves, first done in 1961 for orchestral performances. Families at this point had excellent stereo systems in the living room as fashion demanded, which sparked a market share grab by consumer audio manufacturers to make elite hi-fi systems that still definitely kick ass today if found in working order. Those dusty speakers at Goodwill still have some miles in them and if you’re quick enough to grab that equally dusty stereo receiver, pony up the $50 and watch what happens. My dad gave me his two years ago and it is undeniably astounding. The quality of listening apparatus during this era perfectly matched the recording and performer’s quality in lock step, hence the “golden age” label that gets bandied about when discussions of this era arise.
In the 19th century utopian novel Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy*, he envisions (along with credit card technology and universal health care) a world where all of society’s best musicians are chosen and trained their whole lives to perform a 24 hour program every day to be broadcasted in real time into everyone’s purpose-built wooden listening room “with the witchery of a summer night.” If that were to one day be a reality, as it could have been in the 70’s, you can sign me up, comrade. Did we get close to touching this in the 1970’s? Just be sure to ignore the awful clothing fashion from this time.
Abba – Money, Money, Money https://youtu.be/ETxmCCsMoD0
Led Zeppelin – When The Levee Breaks https://youtu.be/ErOMQL8PgIQ
Chic – I Want Your Love https://youtu.be/Xv744Ckqp5U
Steely Dan – Black Cow https://youtu.be/J7K68GuARf4
Neu! – Isi https://youtu.be/7VswPaZIuYI
David Bowie – Heroes https://youtu.be/Tgcc5V9Hu3g
Iggy Pop – Night Clubbing https://youtu.be/G3OaMZojJRg
Kraftwerk – The Man Machine https://youtu.be/cQe9eK_4U0U
Ramones – Judy Is A Punk https://youtu.be/K6GAGdBiJF0
The Clash – Im So Bored With The USA https://youtu.be/qzrK00UZhjU
Steve Miller Band – Fly Like An Eagle https://youtu.be/6zT4Y-QNdto
Buzzcocks – Why Can’t I Touch It https://youtu.be/L1G0jl0Vc64
Ted Nugent – Stranglehold https://youtu.be/0c3d7QgZr7g
Black Sabbath – Iron Man https://youtu.be/5s7_WbiR79E
Here is the playlist link (just copy and paste this shit like a true millennial and get on with it, make love to your partner with one eye on your cell phone and Tinder with care):
*Passage :http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1647, Bellamy, Looking Backward, Ch. XI, (1891)
Born In The Wild 