FEVER IN THE FUNK HOUSE – Twenty Great Albums of 1972……….

[email protected] October 8, 2020

At a brief glance, which it appears is all some critics are prepared to give most of the music made in 1972, there is a danger of it being lost between the years to precede and follow – 1972 existing in something of a void between the monumental years of 1971 and 1973.

The perpetuating theory of it being a non-vintage year, in hindsight, seems based as much on what did not appear than albums that did. Nothing new from Dylan, Zeppelin, The Who or The Band, each of whom had made colossal contributions to the development of rock music (incalculable in the case of Dylan), their absence later to reveal itself as a pause before new horizons came into view – the road out of 1972 converging for Dylan and The Band, who within months would be recording together again for the first time in six years.

Indeed, if the extraordinary music created in 1971 had, to a degree at least, offset the recent deaths of such luminaries as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, then 1972, if not a year of across-the-board splendor, was 12 months of impressive consolidation – punctuated by moments of enthrallment and sublimity.

If there was a recurring theme among those reaching lofty plateaus, it came from the high percentage of memorable music made by those forging solo careers away from acclaimed acts in which their names had been made.

After parting from Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon cut his solo teeth with a self-titled debut album that eschewed the lush sound of Simon & Garfunkel for a much tighter presentation, the perceptive, wistful lyrics enhancing his reputation as a first-rate wordsmith.

At the other end of the scale, avowed guitar whizz-kid Joe Walsh, fresh from The James Gang, showed a sure touch with melodic rockers on ‘BARNSTORM‘ – an album nicely infused with ‘Who’s Next‘ flavoured keyboards.

For his latest outing former Monkee Mike Nesmith came up with the ironically titled ‘AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN‘ – a wry comment on negligible sales returned by his generally impressive solo work to date. Restricting the musical input to just himself (guitar) and pedal steel virtuoso Red Rhodes, this was ‘unplugged’ before anyone thought of the phrase. From track to track there seemed no limit to the wit, warmth and wisdom contained therein. 

In recent years Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had done much to chronicle aspirations of the 60s counterculture and, despite Woodstock receding further in the ideological rear-view mirror, they remained key commentators – even if their voice was now fragmentary.

As a duo, David Crosby & Graham Nash managed an agreeable collection, but the lasting critical gravitas went to Neil Young for ‘HARVEST‘ a potent slice of folk-rock that was compelling and cantankerous, but in particular Stills – whose newly formed aggregation ‘MANASSAS‘ came up with a double set notable for its blend of country, blues and rock, while at the same time admirable in consistency and ambition.

It might be stretching a point to include Van Morrison in the ‘I’m not with the band anymore’ category as by now he was a long way down the track from ‘Them’ – the fifth year of his solo career bringing forth ‘ST. DOMINIC’S PREVIEW.’ At times the epitome of the ‘Caledonia Soul‘ sound he alone purveyed, in configuring jazz, folk, rock and blues, ‘Van the Man‘ was soulful, serene and soul-searching – often at the same time.

On beginning a solo sideline on leaving the Jeff Beck Group, Rod Stewart maintained it on joining the Faces, a riotous, ramshackle outfit formed from the remnants of the Small Faces and also including his former Beck-band buddy Ron Wood. After two hugely likeable albums Stewart struck gold with ‘Every Picture Tells A Story‘ that deservedly swept all before it in 1971.

With ‘NEVER A DULL MOMENT‘ he produced another stellar set of well-chosen covers and pithy originals (generally written with Wood), this winning mix of rock, folk and soul spawned the glorious ‘You Wear It Well‘ – a worthy successor to ‘Maggie May‘ his breakthrough hit of the year before.

In a year when Poco (‘A Good Feelin’ To Know‘) and the Eagles with their eponymous debut album began to mine the commercial possibilities of country-rock, it still remains a mystery how chart success eluded the superb ‘SAILIN’ SHOES‘ by Little Feat.

Built upon the eclectic songwriting of leader and slide-guitar king Lowell George, gems such as the funky title-track and uproarious ‘Cold Cold Cold‘ may have been too unrefined for mainstream radio – yet that does not explain how truck-driving anthem ‘Willin‘ (resurrected from their 1970 debut) and ‘Easy To Slip,’ the most original country-rocker of the era, slipped beneath the airwaves. 

As debut offerings go ‘CAN’T BUY A THRILL‘ by Steely Dan and ‘JACKSON BROWNE‘ are nigh on impossible to fault – the Dan storming out of the blocks with a soft-rock marvel incorporating jazz licks and Latino shuffles.

Smart as a Savile Row suit and wordy as The Times crossword, from the off songwriting duo Walter Becker and Donald Fagen ensured Steely Dan were technically accomplished and lyrically droll (as all those who sent ‘Reelin’ In the Years‘ racing up the singles charts would testify). 

His insightful songs already covered by a wide range of artists (Nico, Joe Cocker, The Byrds, Linda Ronstadt and the Jackson Five to name the best known), the auspicious debut LP of Jackson Browne should have come as no surprise.

Yet a lyrical maturity way beyond his years, coupled with the country-rock stylings now beginning to prevail, announced this as a work of enormous pedigree – setting a tone for the run of brilliant albums he would record through the decade.  

Randy Newman had already carved out a reputation as the most sardonic and arguably literate songwriter of the era, his witty, often disconcerting tales, played out over unorthodox melodies that ranged from ragtime to rock. ‘SAIL AWAY‘ saw him reach impressive new levels of social satire, ‘God’s Song‘ and the title track each hitting their targets with unerring accuracy.

At first ‘Political Science‘ comes across as a novelty then turns darkly funny as Newman defends the United States against her detractors (‘Let’s drop the big one and pulverise ’em‘) which was hilarious in a satirical sense, assuming that was the intention. 

Less trenchant but just as compelling, Joni Mitchell followed the epic ‘Blue‘ with ‘FOR THE ROSES.’ Once again poignant and deeply personal, nobody else addressed romantic dilemmas with the same honesty. More accessible, melodically, than its predecessor, it even eeked out a minor hit single (and damned good one) in ‘You Turn Me On I’m A Radio‘ while ‘Cold Blue Steel and Fire‘ and ‘Judgement of the Moon and Stars‘ showed off her unrivalled turn of phrase.

Joni’s fellow Canadians The Band (all-bar drummer Levon Helm that is) weighed in with the superlative live album ‘ROCK OF AGES.’ Their glorious sound, bolstered further by a horn section for whom Allen Toussant came up with brilliant arrangements, is captured on this four-side celebration of what made them so incredible. The record, however, masked a raft of internal troubles – The Band already into a one-year studio hiatus that would last until 1975. 

Like The Band, UK glam rockers Mott The Hoople were four studio albums into their career and like their Transatlantic counterparts had absorbed a Dylan influence into their early work. Yet by 1972 they were at a crossroads, unsure whether to stick or twist on the back of live act accolades, but negligible sales. 

Into the midst at this point came David Bowie, who offered to produce their next album, for he subsequently wrote the ‘ALL THE YOUNG DUDES‘ title track. Not only did the song provide Mott The Hoople with a much-needed hit single, input from Bowie also brought a surge of confidence into the ranks. Vocalist Ian Hunter and lead guitarist Mick Ralphs each asserted themselves as songwriters, increased focus and tighter arrangements all contributing to the critical plaudits suddenly coming their way. 

No strangers to hard rock themselves, Mott The Hoople, like most bands of the time could not match the gargantuan heavy metal sound of Deep Purple for whom ‘MACHINE HEAD‘ was a defining statement – not just for the group, but entire heavy rock movement. While Purple left the thinking to the likes of Lennon and Townshend, even the uninitiated acknowledged they had top-notch guitar riffs (before their eardrums gave in that is) ‘Highway Star‘ and in particular ‘Smoke on the Water‘ rehashed, but never bettered, by hordes of imitators. 

If in chronological – not to mention stylistic – terms Deep Purple fall roughly between the end of The Yardbirds and coming of punk, then SOMETHING/ANYTHING by Todd Rundgren occupies the ground somewhere in the middle of ‘Pet Sounds‘ era Beach Boys and late-70s ELO. 

Bringing all his influences to bear, along with outstanding instrumentation and technical skills – across the four sides Todd plays every instrument on three – this superbly recorded, all-encompassing piece draws on Motown, rock and the best of 60s pop to furnish a work of exquisite cohesion.

With lyrics deft rather than challenging it was the melodies which held lasting resonance and in spawning a multitude of soundalikes (Toto, Hall & Oates, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross), who went on to to ship millions of records, ‘Something/Anything‘ may not be the best album of 1972, but could lay claim to being the most influential – although in laying a foundation stone of what became known as ‘Yacht Rock’ should Rundgren be commended or condemned? 

If ‘What’s Going On‘ had carried Motown to its high-water mark in 1971, then Stevie Wonder and Al Green rode the wave of creative excellence into the following year. 

With ‘TALKING BOOK‘ Wonder proved he was just that; innovative, clever, imaginative, taking themes and motifs proffered by Gaye and Issac Hayes, then adding sparkling dimensions of his own. On ‘Superstition‘ and ‘Maybe Your Baby‘ he virtually creates techno-funk, ‘You Are the Sunshine of my Life‘ and ‘You and I‘ pop/soul ballads of beguiling simplicity. 

For those who liked their Motown luscious and layered, then Al Green had become the go-to (soul) man. ‘LET’S STAY TOGETHER‘ is a joyous, uplifting set that barely wastes a second (his other 1972 album ”I’m Still In Love With You‘ is none too shabby either). If the purpose of popular music is to raise spirits, then Green was definitely for go. 

If subscribing to the theory that ‘Hunky Dory‘ (1971) was the first album to reveal the ‘true’ David Bowie, it made ‘THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS‘ that ‘difficult’ second album.

Ha.

Based on the concept of an alien rock band, (led by Bowie in the bi-sexual, androgynous guise of ‘Ziggy’), descending to earth, it took from where The Beatles and The Who had been, then drew in glam and shades of the Velvet Underground. What emerges is Bowie creating a hybrid of theatre and rock unique to him, alien in fact, to anyone else.

‘Queen Bitch‘ and ‘Suffragette City‘ sound like The Clash long before they did, but on the ominous, apocalyptic opener ‘Five Years‘ the swagger is held back as downbeat notions on the future of mankind abound. All through Bowie receives knockout support from the ‘Spiders’ band of Mick Ronson (guitar/keyboards), Trevor Bolder (bass) and ‘Woody’ Woodmansey (drums), each making a crucial contribution to a seminal rock record. 

The seminal rock group of the time (any time for that matter) began 1972 in something of a quandary. ‘Sticky Fingers‘ (1971) with all its attitude and antagonism revealed the Rolling Stones were drawing on a creative well that showed no sign of running dry, but tax and legal issues necessitated decamping to the South of France – conspiring a chaotic state of affairs that would have pulled the rug from beneath any other band.

Yet out of well-documented episodes of Stones-patented debauchery came the sprawling, gutsy, ‘EXILE ON MAIN STREET‘ – a double-set that could yet go down as the most remarkable album in their illustrious catalogue.

With a number of songs having a raw, almost unfinished quality, no other Stones collection sounds quite so immediate or atmospheric. On tracks such as ‘Rocks Off,’ ‘Loving Cup,’ ‘Happy,’ the country-tinged ‘Sweet Virginia‘ and gospel-flavoured ‘Shine A Light,’ the hot-house conditions of the chateau basement where much of the material was recorded is transposed directly to the living room of the listener. 

But were they bourgeois buccaneers fleeing their obligations? Or simply giving the finger to the system? Did it even matter when they could hit such peaks as ‘Tumbling Dice‘? 

Containing great swathes of essential Stones music, so by virtue rock music at its most essential, ‘Exile on Main Street‘ would not only become the last truly great Rolling Stones album, but perhaps the final album of its kind – nobody since having the audacity and sheer bloodymindedness to create so much glory out of such backstory fragmentation. 

Beyond 1972 the Stones would go on to make several worthwhile albums, even the least-likeable including a couple of affirming tracks, but they would never again sound quite so intense or willing to chance their arm in a quest to be vital and exciting.

After ‘Exile on Main Street‘ it was, simply, only rock ‘n roll. 

Twenty Great Albums of 1972:

1. EXILE ON MAIN STREET – Rolling Stones;
2. TALKING BOOK – Stevie Wonder;
3. ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS – David Bowie;
4. ST. DOMINIC’S PREVIEW – Van Morrison;
5. PAUL SIMON – Paul Simon;
6. JACKSON BROWNE – Jackson Browne;
7. SAIL AWAY – Randy Newman;
8. MANASSAS – Stephen Stills;
9. NEVER A DULL MOMENT – Rod Stewart;
10. CAN’T BUY A THRILL – Steely Dan;
11. SAILIN’ SHOES – Little Feat;
12. ROCK OF AGES – The Band;
13. FOR THE ROSES – Joni Mitchell; 
14. LET’S STAY TOGETHER – Al Green;
15. SOMETHING/ANYTHING – Todd Rundgren;
16. ALL THE YOUNG DUDES – Mott The Hoople;
17. AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN‘ – Mike Nesmith;
18. BARNSTORM – Joe Walsh;
19. HARVEST – Neil Young;
20. MACHINE HEAD – Deep Purple; 

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