Has there ever been a more febrile and innovative decade in music than the one that announced itself in January 1970 with Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel and signed off with London Calling by The Clash in December 1979? It’s subjective of course, but I would argue there hasn’t. As a teenager in the mid-seventies, it was during the second half of this period that I began to discover a more interesting side of music, basically albums and the stuff you wouldn’t hear in the singles charts or on mainstream radio. From classic rock to prog, from punk to reggae, from soul and funk to disco then add in for good measure the emergence of electronic music, courtesy of Tangerine Dream and the influential and cultural phenomenon that is Kraftwerk; this was a golden time for music, a decade of unquantifiable influence and creative output.
Against a continuing backdrop of conflict in Vietnam, India and Pakistan, as well as troubles closer to home in Northern Ireland, 1971 was witness to what many consider to be the greatest ever year for album releases and a high-water mark for the burgeoning rock scene. Following on from the previous year and with the legal dissolution of the Beatles, popular music was undergoing change, witnessing the last vestiges of psychedelia and purity, being replaced by a new flow of innovation and aspiration. Artists on short contracts pumping out music, going with their instinct and not really overthinking it. Recording whenever they could on tour and just releasing great music at unprecedented pace with no artistic or commercial restrictions, all peaking at the same time. With record sales exploding, it was a perfect storm.
Fueled heavily by sex, drugs, anti-war protest and civil unrest, leading the likes of Marvin Gaye, Sly and The Family Stone and Leonard Cohen to release dark but brilliant pieces of social commentary, this hot run would begin in January 1971 and would burn strongly through to December by which time rock had entered the mainstream and would never be as authentic again. As well as being considered the strongest individual year in terms of creative output, the run from 1970 to 1974 might also be the strongest 5 year stretch in history, highlighting the rich vein that would course through the decade.
In 1971, all the big hitters were experiencing a creative flow that many would subsequently struggle to equal in later years. The roll call of artists releasing albums in 1971 reads like a who’s who in the pantheon of all-time greats and includes Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Carole King, Marvin Gaye, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, The Beach Boys, Rod Stewart, Funkadelic, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, The Who, David Bowie and countless more. So prolific was Bowie that he released The Man Who Sold the World at the end of 1970, recorded and released Hunky Dory in 1971 and had already recorded Ziggy Stardust by the end of the same year. This body of work alone would have been enough to secure his legacy.
Most music today is instant and can be streamed from digital platforms therefore the temptation often is to look back, but in 1971 there was only one way and that was forward.
The influence of these artists and their respective albums as well as their subsequent output throughout the decade cannot be overestimated and continues to be felt by listeners and performers alike. In 1976 John Lydon from the Sex Pistols famously wore a “I hate Pink Floyd” t-shirt yet years later admitted he loved the band, particularly their 1973 release, “The Dark Side of The Moon”.
If you were a teenager in the 70’s you will know how privileged you were to grow up during such an eclectic time for music with an unbelievably fantastic body of work to dive into. If you were lucky enough to graduate to adulthood in 1971 then you had timed it to perfection; it really was the equivalent to winning lottery.
And what is considered to be the album that burns brightest from 1971? There are too many to choose from and of course it’s a personal choice but it might be one from the holy trinity, “Who’s Next” by The Who, “Sticky Fingers” by The Rolling Stones and “Led Zeppelin IV”by Led Zeppelin. Three of the most iconic rock albums in history. Timeless pieces from artists on top of their game, full of ridiculous tracks and all-time classics that sound as good now as they did then. A personal favourite of mine is David Crosby’s “If I Could Only Remember My Name”, a gorgeous sounding album recorded in San Francisco with guest appearances from members of the West Coast alumni, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Joni Mitchell, Santana, Graham Nash and Neil Young. It features a range of psychedelia, folk and rock and is a hauntingly beautiful record with a dreamy feel by an artist at his artistic peak. Although not particularly acclaimed on its release it has since been rediscovered and acquired legendary status.
Whether you are 17 or 70 there is something from 1971 for everyone to discover or re-discover and if you’re able to listen to it on vinyl, even better.
As the writer and broadcaster David Hepworth elegantly put it in his book “Never A Dull Moment”, “There are moments in all creative stories when the right sort of talent meets the right amount of opportunity with just enough money and technology (but not too much) and then lays the result before an audience which is in the ideal state of readiness to ensure that things will happen in a way they have never happened before and will never happen again. 1971 was one of those moments”.