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List and explain your ten most important albums from the year 1973


Entre_Perpetuo
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In your own words, in your own opinion, what were the ten most important albums to come out in 1973. Define important however you want: most influential, most popular, most boundary pushing, most fun, most listened to by you, most likely to turn people on to more music, etc. etc. May try to do similar threads for other years, but for now we're doing 1973, the year where nearly nobody released a sub par album (which means there are nearly no wrong answers!)

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Sounds like a good poll - '73 was a big year for me musically - i had turned 15 and was really starting to buy albums.

I need to think about this as most of my choices will have personal connections to myself rather than being historically acclaimed albums (hopefully a bit of both!!).

Edited by zepphead
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Explain?  Hell, it was just what I was into or listening to at the time!  In no particular order:

  1. Pink Floyd-The Dark Side Of The Moon
  2. The Moody Blues-Seventh Sojourn
  3. Jethro Tull-A Passion Play
  4. Yes-Tales From Topographic Oceans
  5. Elton John-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
  6. Joe Walsh-The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get
  7. Emerson, Lake, & Palmer-Brain Salad Surgery
  8. Mike Oldfield-Tubular Bells
  9. King Crimson-Lark's Tongues In Aspic
  10. Brian Eno-Here Come The Warm Jets

 

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Fun idea!  Dark Side of the Moon and Houses of the Holy are perfect albums and obvious choices, so I guess the work is in identifying the next eight. 

 

Here are the albums that I fixated on as an 8yo kid:

*Carpenters Now & Then encapsulated the kind of music my parents had around the house.  My sisters and I sang along to these songs over and over, and we had fun mimicking the DJ banter between songs.  Karen had an amazing voice, and I learned to really pay attention to harmonies from this album

* Tubular Bells was simply mesmerizing, and I'd never heard anything like it.  It's connection to the Exorcist tickled my curiosity for darker themes

* Jesus Christ Superstar had so many great songs that we're not only fun to sing along with but also made me reflect on my Catholicism

* Goodbye Yellow Brick Road had great music and packaging, and Elton was a larger than life character

*Beatles 1967-1970, aka the Blue Album really turned me on to rock.  I played that more than any other album

 

These three albums have become all-time favorites over the years:

*Montrose, loaded with driving rock beginning to end, and Sammy Hagar is killer throughout

*Jethro Tull A Passion Play has everything I want in a Tull album,  namely brilliant musicianship and a heavy dose of humor 

*Quadrophenia took the longest for me to appreciate, as I wasn't a Who fan until much later in life.  Our dear Lorraine actually got me into it, and what a gift that's been

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ok, I have chosen 12 albums from 1973..... sorry, when I scribbled down a list, 12 immediately came to mind!

 

The only criteria I used was that I actually bought them at the time (there are a load of other '73 albums I got into 

at a later stage e.g. Tull, Joe Walsh, Bob Marley, Genesis, Who etc. but i will not include them).

 

In no order of preference (they are all favourites) -

 

- Alice Cooper Band - Billion Dollar Babies. I was big into Alice at the time and I remember the lavish packaging the original album had .... very fancy. Probably the last of the classic Alice albums for me.

- Mott The Hoople - Mott. Mott were riding high on the strength of the All The Young Dudes hit single. I loved this album.

- Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon. My first Floyd album. By 1973 I was starting to get more into the progressive side of rock. This was an important purchase for me.

- Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. At this stage I had all Sabbath albums to date. They were riding high and this album was the sound of a band at their peak.

- David Bowie - Aladdin Sane. Bowie was all the rage in the UK by '73. This is one of my favourite Bowie albums. He had become a rock god by this stage.

- Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy. I think this album suffered from being 'the one that came after IV' but it had some great tracks on it.

- Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced ... Word was getting around our circles of a band who had a song with a guitar solo that lasted forever. I bought the album on the strength of the rumours and I wasn't disappointed!!

- Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells. I bought it on the strength of The Exorcist soundtrack but everyone I knew seemed to own a copy of it!

- Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure. Eno's last stand with the band and for me their finest hour! Weird, wonderful but simply beautiful music.

- Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans. At the time, my biggest foray into prog. I already owned Fragile and Close To The Edge but I found this more challenging. It took me several listens to get really into it.

- ELP - Brain Salad Surgery. A UK music paper of the time New Musical Express, gave away a free flexie disc containing excerpts from the album. I bought the album on the strength of that. My first ELP album.

- Robin Trower - Twice Removed From Yesterday. I bought this on a whim and was so glad! A fine album and a prelude to the magnificent Bridge Of Sighs released a year later.

 

1973 was a fine year for rock music.

 

 

Edited by zepphead
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At first, I though '73 seemed like kind of a tweener year, but reminding myself of the albums that came out that year, I was wrong about that.

 

1. Pink Floyd -- DSOTM (this is probably self-explanatory, yes?)

2. Led Zeppelin -- Houses of the Holy. My first Led Zeppelin album, bought out of a cassette bargain bin at Musicland, maybe '84 or '85? It took a listen or two and then it clicked. "The Song Remains the Same," "The Ocean," "Over the Hills," etc. Awesome. It was LZ full throttle for the next two or three years.

3. Yes -- YESSONGS -- I've always loved live albums

4. The Beatles -- 1967-70 Blue Album. When I had my Beatles phase in the early '90s, I listened to this thing pretty much non-stop for months.

5. Thin Lizzy -- Vagabonds of the Western World. I started at the end of Thin Lizzy, but when I went back to listen to more, I loved the raw, inchoate quality of this album. "The Rocker" is a stand-out.

6. Genesis -- Selling England by the Pound. A latecomer to a list of this sort (COVID era). I love the imagination of the lyrics, especially.

7. Genesis -- Live. Did I mention I loved live albums? Introduced me to "The Knife."

8. Jethro Tull -- A Passion Play. I'll confess I didn't love this album right away, but it grew on me, and now it's got some of my favorite bits.

9. ELP -- Brain Salad Surgery. I haven't listened to this one in a long time, but after I discovered the original ELP (after being hooked by ELPowell's "Touch and Go"), this was my go-to when I wanted to really wallow in some indulgent prog. Important to me at the time, I'd say.

10. Hawkwind -- Space Ritual. Live albums, you know. "Orgone Accumulator" was a trippy delight. And Lemmy!

 

And I'll tell you what's not on the list: Deep Purple's Who Do We Think We Are. Indeed! That's an album for a line-up at the end of their creative and cooperative tether; bleech.

Edited by Nova Carmina
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I like the idea of most important. (I always have trouble choosing between favorite and artistically best.) I was 14 most of the year. Slumber parties, dances after basketball games, church youth group lock ins, what fun. I'd do it over again in a minute (not true of all years.) No particular order. Musical tastes all over the place as usual! 

 

1.The Marshall Tucker Band- The Marshall Tucker Band  Heard them on the late, great, In Concert TV show and fell in love with the sound.

2.  ZZ Top- Tres Hombres- LA Grange was huge on Pittsburgh radio and I bought the album, fell in love with Billy Gibbons' guitar playing. Held up well. Saw them later w Aerosmith

3. Brothers and Sisters - Allman Brothers Band  This was the first of their albums I ran into. I really liked the Dickey Betts influence. Played and played and played it.

4.  Billy Joel- Piano Man, his debut. Hard to believe but not many people knew of him. Someone's older brother in college said "You have to hear this" (he was in love with Captain Jack track, lol.) Saw him in 1977, awesome musician. Lifelong fan.

5.  Led Zeppelin- Houses of the Holy. Loved Over the Hills and Far Away so much. 

6.  Elton John - Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player  More pop and less huge than Yellow Brick Road, loved it for some reason. Looking back, it's good, not great?? Saw him the next year.

7. Jackson Browne- For Everyman Another one where someone's brother said "listen." Still love his voice and lyrics today.

8. Lynyrd Skynyrd- Pronounced  "Free Bird" before it became a joke and the 3 guitar army. Blew me away. Saw them twice before the crash.

WARNING BASIC GARAGE ROCK ALERT

9.  Grand Funk- We're An American Band

Straight ahead rock, catchy tunes, Mark Farner was cute, what can I say? A party must.

10.  Wings- Band On The Run. Who doesn't like Sir Paul?

 

Later on, I became aware of Aladdin Sane, Greetings From Asbury Park, The New York Dolls, Mott the Hoople  but this is a snapshot of me in 1973, I think. Still like all but the Elton.

Edited by blueschica
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In order of my preference

 

Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd

Houses Of The Holy - Led Zep

Wake Of The Flood - Grateful Dead

Brothers and Sisters - Allman Brothers 

Quadrophenia - The Who

Pronounced LS - Lynyrd Skynryd

Billion Dollar Babies - Alice Cooper

Dixie Chicken - Little Feat

Tres Hombres - ZZ Top

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30 minutes ago, apetersvt said:

In order of my preference

 

Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd

Houses Of The Holy - Led Zep

Wake Of The Flood - Grateful Dead

Brothers and Sisters - Allman Brothers 

Quadrophenia - The Who

Pronounced LS - Lynyrd Skynryd

Billion Dollar Babies - Alice Cooper

Dixie Chicken - Little Feat

Tres Hombres - ZZ Top

I love Little Feat! Waiting for Columbus is one of my favorite live albums.

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4 hours ago, blueschica said:

I love Little Feat! Waiting for Columbus is one of my favorite live albums.

My wife turned me on to them. I'd heard of them but never listened but when we got together she had some albums and I listened and found much of it I liked. I guess some version of that band is touring still but without Lowell George, it's not the same band, imo.

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1 hour ago, Fordgalaxy said:

My wife turned me on to them. I'd heard of them but never listened but when we got together she had some albums and I listened and found much of it I liked. I guess some version of that band is touring still but without Lowell George, it's not the same band, imo.

Yeah, I keep seeing ads for that tour but I feel the same way, I think he was the real soul of the band.

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1973 was a good year.

 

In no particular order:

The Who - Quad

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon 

Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

Genesis -- Selling England by the Pound

The Stooges - Raw Power

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic 

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane

ZZ Top - Tres Hombres

BOC - Tyranny and Mutation

 

 

 

 

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1973... An important year for me.   First year of college, getting out and living on my own  ( in a college dorm ) and music, concerts and music.

 

 

DSOTM - Big PF fan before the release of this album but it was my first time seeing the band in concert.

 

Goats Head Soup - Love the flow of the songs on this album.

 

Quadrophenia - Saw The Who for the first time when they toured supporting this album. 

 

Houses Of The Holy - Again, big fan of LZ before this album but it was my first time seeing the band when they toured supporting this album.   TSRTS is in my top 3 LZ songs.

 

A Passion Play - Saw Tull on this tour too.  APP>TAAB

 

Tales - Took some time appreciate this album.  My first YES concert.

 

A Wizard, A True Star - RIP Rich !   Spent many hours with my buddy Rich listening to this album from Todd :smoke:

 

Brain Salad Surgery - Again,  saw the band at MSG supporting this album.  

 

YESSONGS - Along with the movie, this triple live album is amazing.

 

Grand Hotel - I was a casual Procol Harum fan until I heard this album. 

 

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, custom55 said:

1973... An important year for me.   First year of college, getting out and living on my own  ( in a college dorm ) and music, concerts and music.

 

 

DSOTM - Big PF fan before the release of this album but it was my first time seeing the band in concert.

 

Goats Head Soup - Love the flow of the songs on this album.

 

Quadrophenia - Saw The Who for the first time when they toured supporting this album. 

 

Houses Of The Holy - Again, big fan of LZ before this album but it was my first time seeing the band when they toured supporting this album.   TSRTS is in my top 3 LZ songs.

 

A Passion Play - Saw Tull on this tour too.  APP>TAAB

 

Tales - Took some time appreciate this album.  My first YES concert.

 

A Wizard, A True Star - RIP Rich !   Spent many hours with my buddy Rich listening to this album from Todd :smoke:

 

Brain Salad Surgery - Again,  saw the band at MSG supporting this album.  

 

YESSONGS - Along with the movie, this triple live album is amazing.

 

Grand Hotel - I was a casual Procol Harum fan until I heard this album. 

 

 

 

 

I had forgotten a few of these were from 1973. Thoughtful and great list! Thanks!

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15 hours ago, blueschica said:

I had forgotten a few of these were from 1973. Thoughtful and great list! Thanks!

The early 70s' were an amazing time for music.  It was tough to keep up ! 

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I wanted to, and would do this.  In no particular order of preference.

 

ABBA - Ring Ring * When I was growing up, ABBA was one of the first bands, and groups I've started, and been listening to.  My grandpa on my dad's side of the family was listening to them, and he may've got me into liking them.  I enjoy their music a lot.

 

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon * I listened to the radio more, heard Pink Floyd's songs including from that c.d., and album on it, and liked them.  From them, it was one of my first albums I bought.  I have it on c.d., too.

 

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy * On the radio, their "IV" was, and has been played including "Stairway to Heaven", and other songs from their first four c.ds, and albums a lot.  I like this c.d., and album a lot including "the Rain Song", and "the Song Remains the Same".

 

Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans * Another band, and group I listened to on the radio like "Roundabout".  I've liked them the same, and similar to "Genesis".

 

Genesis - Selling England By the Pound * With "Yes", how I like them it's been the same way.

 

Queen - I * On the radio, I listened to Queen.  The song "Keep Yourself Alive" is a standout one.  From it, the other standout songs are: "Liar", "Doing All Right", and among others.    

 

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane * When I first listened to him on the radio, I thought he was different, and unique.  At the time, songs from his previous "the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars", and his first four c.ds, and albums before that were, too, including "Changes".

 

Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells * The song was on the radio, and in the movie "the Exorcist" were two main reasons why I've liked it.  I have it on c.d.

 

To make it a list of top ten, and more, here are honorable mentions.

 

the Beatles - 1962-1966, and 1967-1970 * My grandpa on my dad's side of the family liked, listened, and had c.ds of them.  On the radio, I listened to them, too.  They've been one of the greatest bands, and groups formed, and around.

 

Paul McCartney and Wings - Red Rose Speedway, and Band On the Run * Since I included "the Beatles" on this, I felt he and Wings should've been, too. 

Edited by Derek19
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