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1971 - the miracle year for music

It is all relative to our rite of passage years. For me it was 1976-77 - between the age of 12 and 13 when my focus was much less on the television and much more on music and the family stereo system (McIntosh Mac1700, Bose 901, Dual 1219).

Checking out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_in_music brought back so many memories. Looking month by month as albums made their debut. Steely Dan's AJA and Billy Joel's The Stranger were pivotal to me in New York City.
 
1971 also gave us Blue by Joni Mitchell, arguably her best, Keith Jarrett's first ECM album Facing You (still one of his very best imo), Kevin Ayers' marvellous Whatevershebringswesing, and Patto's Hold Your Fire, the high point of the guitar wizardry of Britain's most underrated guitarist Ollie Halsall. A very good year.
 
1971 was OK, it gave us:

Tangerine Dream - Alpha Centauri and Ultima Thule 7"
Ash Ra Tempel - Ash Ra Tempel
Kluster - Zwei Osterei and Klopfzeichen
Stanley Turrentine - Sugar
George Benson - White Rabbit
Black Sabbath - Paranoid

And so on.

For me, the best year in rock was 73 though
 
For a 'rock' journalist Hepworth seems to almost overlook the heavy rock genre - though wasn't it generally called 'hard rock' at the time? For example, the two outstanding recordings of that year being Deep Purple's 'Fireball' (BTW - Gillan's favourite) and the Pink Fairies' 'Never Never Land'.

I will admit 1971 was an amazing year for music, though somewhat eclipsed by 1974.
 
gassor said:
According to David Hepworth (critic) 1971 is unsurpassed as the year of most landmark albums.

"This is the year of Hunky Dory, Sticky Fingers, Every Picture Tells A Story, Pink Floyd's Meddle, Elton John's Madman Across the Water, Who's Next and Led Zeppelin IV. Those are just the British ones. Think about it. If there had been a Mercury Music Prize in 1971 these would have been on the shortlist."

Mind you it did produce "What's Going On, Tapestry and Blue" as well as Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground Featuring Nico by The Velvet Underground.

http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/1971-was-annus-mirabilis-of-rock-album.html
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I was 4 & still listening to lily the pink.
 
David Hepworth 'The difference is I'm right. This list proves it.'

I don't really see how his list proves anything. I can look through it and think yes that song/album was/is key for me, but there are not that many for me personally, I'm not sure the same would not happen for another year in the 70s or perhaps a year in another decade. I also feel that there are a number of artists in that list who did better stuff in other years.

I'm sure that some of my key albums are from 1971 but I'm not sure whether the quantity would beat another year without counting them.

A quick look at my LP collection and I can only think of:

Camembert Electrique Gong
Tago Mago Can
Tanz Der Lemminge Amon Duul
Faust s/t
Church Of Anthrax Cale/Riley

I reckon other years before or after are more significant for me.

David Hepworth was 21 in 1971 and I wonder whether musical significance in years is related to a person's age.
 
stephen bennett said:
In the Land of Grey and Pink by Caravan and The Polite Force by Egg were two of my '71 faves. And of course Nursery Cryme by Genesis and Broken Barricades by Procol Harem and Faust by Faust were also out then—all fantastic albums.

Everything seemed possible in music in '71.

Stephen
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Yes, he misses Faust s/t. But I think Egg Polite Force was recorded a year before it came out.
 
I think 1967 was the key year, when everything changed. Before then half the charts were crooners.
I was only 9 then, so I missed out on a lot of the better music at the time
 
davidsrsb said:
I think 1967 was the key year, when everything changed. Before then half the charts were crooners.
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I also think 1967 is the main year given what came before. It was the year that rock/pop developed into a fully fledged art form and reflected what was happening in the hearts and minds of young people everywhere.
 
davidsrsb said:
I think 1967 was the key year, when everything changed. Before then half the charts were crooners.
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As they were afterwards:

[Strawberry Fields Forever] For the first time since "Love Me Do" in 1962, a single by the Beatles failed to reach number one in the UK charts. It was held at number two by Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me"
 
davidsrsb said:
I think 1967 was the key year, when everything changed. Before then half the charts were crooners.
I was only 9 then, so I missed out on a lot of the better music at the time
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Pre-ignition in 1966 with Blonde on Blonde, Revolver and Pet Sounds.

With honourable mentions for Aftermath, Freak Out, Fresh Cream, and many others. Are You Experienced? surprisingly doesn't quite make it. Recorded in 1966.

Paul
 
Joe Hutch said:
As they were afterwards:

[Strawberry Fields Forever] For the first time since "Love Me Do" in 1962, a single by the Beatles failed to reach number one in the UK charts. It was held at number two by Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me"
Click to expand...

Dead cat bounce old bean. The crooners along with tin pan alley didn't survive much after 1967. Things were moving quickly and not only the Sinatras but the Elvises were soon replaced by the long haired weirdos.
 
1967 was also the last gasp of the execution and crash obsessed songs, (Tell Laura I Love Her up to the Green Green Grass)
 
Basically the final flowering of that amazing burst of creativity that began in the 50s. But that cover for 'Whos next', how ****ing depressing is that? And why??
 
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