To the self-professed student of popular music, analysing and trying to explain how – indeed if – its divergent strands weave together, remains a fascinating if sometimes fruitless task.
From its earliest days the medium has always been in the midst of a prevailing trend, others fading into the past while another looms on the horizon.
No sooner had rock ‘n’ roll become rock in the mid-60s, then it diversified further incorporating folk, country, blues, soul, jazz – before splintering again into sub-genres compounding things to an even greater extent.
Take 1971 for example. There are career highs for artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin and Marvin Gaye, yet from the mainstream rock highway of the time roads lead to glam, prog, soft, heavy, singer-songwriters – and the lone furrow being ploughed by David Bowie.
You could be forgiven in thinking that rock, to give it an all-encompassing title, could become no more fragmented than that. By and large for the next few years it appeared the case; the big-hitters – Zeppelin, Stones, Dylan, Elton John, Floyd, Who, CSN&Y – hit hard and high, while established categories served to define acts by their sound or, failing that, their footwear (platform shoes, trainers or cowboy boots).
But in the summer of 1976, with release of The Ramones debut LP, came the first stirrings of a backlash against the system.
On its own, an album of high energy, zero pretension songs by a band consisting of four New York street punks would not be enough for the rock elite to lose any sleep, but it inspired thousands of like-minded young dissenters to form bands – groups who before the end of the year would see their disaffection with the times manifest in the nihilism and anti-establishment behaviour of the Sex Pistols.
Raw, aggressive and with only one minor single to their name (the incendiary ‘Anarchy in the UK‘) as 1977 dawned the Sex Pistols, in Britain at least, were a household name – their choice language during a television interview in December 1976 putting them on every front page the following day.
In making rock music dangerous and relevant to the young again, the Sex Pistols were uncompromising and refused to be suppressed – the Pistols and their mercurial manager Malcom McLaren pulling open a door to 1977 The Clash, The Damned and countless others would surge through.
But if this was the rock music equivalent of storming the Bastille, the peasants would cause widespread disturbances without taking their revolt into the Grand Hall – where many of the old guard remained untouched by the revolution.
In a year that swung improbably between Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Clash, Talking Heads and James Taylor, The Ramones and ‘Rumours,’ there was a mix of emergence and ever-presence – and the lone furrow being ploughed by David Bowie.
What makes 1977 so remarkable and, in many ways, unique, is the plethora of outstanding debut albums – each one, to varying degrees, infused with the punk/new wave ethos that was reinvigorating music on almost a weekly basis.
What turned out to be the Sex Pistols only studio LP typified their antagonistic stance and for sheer intensity (not to mention welter of publicity) is a defining record of the decade. Elvis Costello announced his arrival with the stunning ‘MY AIM IS TRUE‘ a stellar collection littered with songs of vitality and bite, while on ‘NEW BOOTS AND PANTIES!!‘, Ian Dury conjured bitter-sweet Kinks-like vignettes on top of jazz-punk rhythms in another debut that barely wasted a second.
New York new wave outfit Talking Heads debuted with an album full of immediacy and nice line in tongue-in-cheek lyrics – but the debut with the most lasting resonance was that of The Clash, whose self-titled effort conveyed the disenchantment and sense of alienation felt by mid-70s youth.
In showing their first album had not been contrived, or even a fluke, The Ramones put out two in order to show there could be no misunderstanding in what they were about – ‘LEAVE HOME‘ and ‘ROCKET TO RUSSIA‘ both teemed with the velocity that had already made them the most interesting band in America.
They were not alone in putting out two albums in 1977 – from the abstract, ever-fertile imagination of David Bowie came ‘LOW‘ and ‘HEROES‘.
Each made in collaboration with Brian Eno and taking their lead from the electronic sounds currently proliferating in the German music scene (both were recorded in West Berlin to where Bowie had decamped), Bowie plunges into what one critic described as ‘technologically informed music‘ – the lyrics, where there are any, alternately foreboding, cryptic and hopeful.
All of which gave rise to the most oft-repeated music press headline of the year: ‘There is old wave, new wave and David Bowie.’
Although far from a debut album ‘EXODUS‘ heralded the widespread breakthrough of Bob Marley and the Wailers and brought reggae to its largest audience yet.
Yielding two major hit singles, Marley espouses his ‘Rasta man‘ beliefs on politics, religion and sex, the fusion with jazz and funk taking ‘Exodus‘ far beyond where any Marley album had been before – becoming a seminal reggae release from virtually the moment it appeared.
Of the well-established to make their mark, Crosby, Stills and Nash returned to the studio as a trio for the first time in eight years, the ensuing ‘CSN‘ containing enough highlights to make the reunion worthwhile, each member of the troupe contributing at least two fine songs.
Despite the heavy air of finality ‘ISLANDS‘ was an engrossing, often serene effort that reminded everyone just how much ‘the only group good enough to be called simply The Band‘ would be missed in the years ahead. Switching labels brought James Taylor fresh impetus, ‘JT‘ his first effort for Columbia since moving from Warner Bros containing the sassy hit ‘Your Smiling Face‘ along with several other impressive pieces that emphasised his return to form.
No less accomplished was one of the more curious releases, a joint effort between Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane entitled ‘ROUGH MIX.’ Sounding nothing like The Who or Lane’s former band the Faces, this was wistful, engaging stuff, evoking a quieter world than these two old(er) masters were generally thought to inhabit.
Steely Dan were at their most willfully perplexing on ‘AJA‘ and while trying to decide whether this was Art-Rock, Jazz-Rock or plain old ironic Dan-rock, there was also the matter of deciphering the lyrics – Becker and Fagen seemingly intent on wanting their audience to either smile or sneer while scratching their heads in search of meaning.
Pink Floyd made a return to the fray with ‘ANIMALS‘ that even by their standards was an ambitious, if somewhat morbid affair. Based loosely on George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm‘ novel, this sequence of largely long-form tracks painted a bleak picture of society, the world-weary lyrics, primarily by Roger Waters, leaving the listener unsure whether to applaud or be appalled.
In contrast ‘IN COLOR‘ the second album from Chicago-based rockers Cheap Trick is a delight, mixing Beatles/Who hooks with some hard-edged guitar work and wryly funny lines by main songwriter Rick Nielson.
For once the two highest-selling albums were also among the finest. Such is their ongoing popularity even those with only a passing interest in music are aware of the soundtrack to ‘SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER‘ and ‘RUMOURS‘ by Fleetwood Mac.
With hindsight the ‘Saturday Night Fever‘ album has come to define the late-70s in the way Woodstock did the previous decade. While the emerging punk bands were enticing plenty into clubs, millions more headed for the dance floor, compelled by a superb collection of songs mainly by the Bee Gees, but supported admirably by The Trammps and Tavares among others.
Indeed, so propulsive were the rhythms that even an uncoordinated youth from a small town in England could hear where the heavy fourth beat on the drum was.
Combining sophisticated soft rock with inter-band psychodramas (two romantic liaisons within the group dissolved just prior to recording as reflected in several songs), ‘Rumours‘ is an album with appeal for just about everyone.
Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham scores high marks for his accelerated Buddy Holly-styled rockers, keyboardist Christine McVie likewise for her power-pop and ballads, while vocalist Stevie Nicks, even if it was at times difficult to tell whether she was buoyant or bewildered, always had something of note to say.
Sounding fresh and vital from first to last, ‘Rumours‘ is a smart, high-calibre rock record.
Given its central theme ‘Rumours‘ could be loosely termed a song-cycle, but the most ambitious concept of the year was presented by Jackson Browne – who with ‘RUNNING ON EMPTY‘ recorded the most unorthodox live album ever made.
Rather than present in-concert versions of his best-known work, Browne compiled an album of previously unrecorded songs (including three covers) that were performed in hotel rooms, in rehearsal, aboard the tour bus as well as on stage – each one deftly emphasising his theme of being on the road. The title track (his own composition) is a truly exceptional rock song and from this audacious opening cut Browne never allows his highly original intentions to falter.
Any overview of 1977 would not be complete without reference to the passing of Elvis Presley, his death on August 16 the end of an era in popular music. Presley had been there virtually from the start, his early records an inspiration for hundreds who went on to inspire thousands more. As the New Musical Express wrote at the time: ‘Few artists – in any field – have left such a lasting impression on their times.’
After such a tumultuous year it seemed a new chapter had begun – but in 1978 back came Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and The Who.
Plus ca change.
TWENTY GREAT ALBUMS of 1977
- The Clash – THE CLASH;
- Low – DAVID BOWIE;
- Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols – SEX PISTOLS;
- Running on Empty – JACKSON BROWNE;
- My Aim is True – ELVIS COSTELLO;
- Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack);
- Rumours – FLEETWOOD MAC;
- Exodus – BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS;
- Rough Mix – PETE TOWNSHEND & RONNIE LANE;
- Islands – THE BAND;
- Leave Home – THE RAMONES;
- Heroes – DAVID BOWIE;
- New Boots and Panties!! – IAN DURY;
- Aja – STEELY DAN;
- Rocket to Russia – THE RAMONES;
- Animals – PINK FLOYD;
- Talking Heads: 77 – TALKING HEADS;
- JT – JAMES TAYLOR;
- CSN – CROSBY, STILLS & NASH;
- In Color – CHEAP TRICK;
Hello – hope you enjoyed another exclusive production from SAMTIMONIOUS.com
In order to create the best experience for when you drop by to read a page or two, those with the power to ordain such things (me, actually), have decided to remove all external advertising from the site – in other words articles will no longer be subject to intrusive pop-up ads. BUT – and ain’t there always one – should you wish to make a donation toward the on-costs of the most entertaining and original blog-site around, please press on the – ‘DONATE’ – button below. It will be greatly appreciated.
Stay safe everyone and thanks for dropping by – best wishes Neil
SAMTIMONIOUS.com – films, football and fabulous music at The Dominion of Opinion
NEIL SAMBROOK is the author ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book.
