Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
Wherein I relent
Yes, there were awesome songs crafted in the 70s.
Of the various versions on YouTube (with Clapton, of course), I chose the one with the best sound. From Wikipedia,
“Layla” is a song by blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos and the thirteenth track from their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, released in December 1970. It is considered one of rock music’s definitive love songs, featuring an unmistakable guitar figure, played by Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, and a piano coda that comprises the second half of the song. Its famously contrasting movements were composed separately by Clapton and Jim Gordon.
Inspired by Clapton’s then unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend and fellow musician George Harrison, “Layla” was unsuccessful on its initial release. The song has since experienced great critical and popular acclaim. It is often hailed as being among the greatest rock songs of all time. Two versions have achieved chart success, first in 1972 and again twenty years later as an acoustic abomination. In 2004, it was ranked #27 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, and the acoustic version won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
Okay, okay, I added “abomination”. In my opinion.
D.
Without thinking about it too much, the 70’s were when the Rolling Stones peaked (well, it started in the late 60s, but goddamit I’ve got a point to make). The 70s contain Exile on Main Street and Sticky Fingers, and in my mind those two tours-de-force make up for all the plastic hair bands, disco drones and schmaltzy balladeers that smeared the decade with crapulence.
The 70s also produced Some Girls, which, while weak in spots, is still an excellent album with some stellar songs (I still sing ‘Faraway Eyes’ to Chris if I happen to be drinking and we’re making dinner together). It produced Linda Ronstadt, whose jailbait covers and gym-short concerts distracted from the fact that she was a very talented singer with a sweet, soulful voice and a gift for bluesy interpretation.
The 70s produced The Ramones. The Clash.
As I said, the decade was a sea of musical flatulence. But so is every other decade, and the 70s has some real gems.
R & B artists of the 70’s weren’t too shabby either: Marvin Gaye, the Reverend Al Green (whom I had the pleasure of seeing a few weeks ago and he still puts on a great show!) the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, James Brown. I still love that music. I was living and working in Aix-en-Provence, France from 1971-1976. Every time I got back to the USA I would buy all the albums (yes, those big, round, grooved, black plastic things that scratched really easily) I could afford and then wear them out until my next trip back to the USA. French rock music from the 70’s was awful, but I really loved the traditional French artists like Leo Ferre, Jacques Brel and Yves Montand.
Two words.
Hotel. California.
I love the Eagles!! ‘The Clap’s’ pretty good too (what my hubby calls Eric Clapton) but omg, Glen Frey, Don Felder, Randy Meisner, and Don Henley were magical!
Tammy, you’re back! And here I thought you were boycotting my blog. I used to like The Eagles, but my chairman (when I was in residency) would ONLY play Best of Eagles in the O.R., and it got pretty tiring by year three or four. But point well taken.
Lucie, absolutely. Especially Al Green and Marvin Gaye.
Dean, don’t forget Sex Pistols 🙂
Looking back, I think the Sex Pistols were more of a social phenomenon than a musical one. They weren’t terribly original – there were tons of bands running around london at that time doing similar stuff – but they were the loudest and most obnoxious.
The Ramones and The Clash have aged well. The Sex Pistols, on the other hand…
I have a soft spot for the Pistols because of the movie Sid and Nancy, which I think is one of Gary Oldman’s best performances. But you’re right, the music? I have Never Mind the Bollocks and I think I’ve listened to it maybe twice. Not all that great. Dead Kennedys, on the other hand, is still fun after all these years.