TURN THIS MUTHA OUT! It's the Alternate 1970s Albums Poll on ILX — Results Thread

Blankin. 'Incredible String Band' comment makes me think this isn't fitting your criteria Tuomas.

This is an amazing album and not much like any other British folk record. Very influential on current 93, nurse with wound, coil, all those guys.

So relieved Comus placed! One of my favorite albums ever.

I thought this being the "alternative" 70s poll would mean it's less rock-centric than the OG poll, but it doesn't look like that yet.

It's still a poll based on consensus, and the most broadly appealing records will always trump the more niche or genre-specific records every time. That said, the results gets less homogenic as we get further in.

I think the Comus album compares well to Family's "Music in a Dolls House" (esp. vocals-wise) except more manic and with Wicker Man cartoon paganism.

Current 93 covered "Diana" from it.

People expecting pleasant jingly jangly brit folk rock will be VERY surprised - seek it out everyone!

The cover sort of gives away the fact it won't be pleasant and jingly jangly.

Comus! Awesome!

20 down, 80 more to go:

100. ZZ Top - Tres Hombres (1973) [80 points, 7 votes]
99. Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges - Clube de Esquina (1972) [80 points, 7 votes, 1 first place vote]
98. Chic - C'est Chic (1978) [80 points, 14 votes]
97. John Lennon - Imagine (1971) [80 points, 15 votes]
96. Patti Smith - Horses (1975) [80 points, 17 votes]
95. Van Halen - Van Halen (1978) [81 points, 6 votes, 1 first place vote]
94. Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac (1975) [81 points, 8 votes]
93. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory (1970) [81 points, 11 votes]
92. Blondie - Eat to the Beat (1979) [82 points, 9 votes]
91. Miles Davis - Agharta (1976) [82 points, 10 votes]
90. Ian Dury - New Boots and Panties!! (1977) [83 points, 6 votes]
89. Neu! - Neu! 2 (1973) [83 points, 10 votes]
88. Tom Waits - Closing Time (1973) [84 points, 6 votes]
87. Black Sabbath - Vol. 4 (1972) [85 points, 8 votes, 1 first place vote]
86. Hawkwind - Space Ritual (1973) [85 points, 11 votes]
85. Aerosmith - Rocks (1976) [86 points, 8 votes, 1 first place vote]
84. Tubeway Army - Replicas (1979) [86 points, 9 votes]
83. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak (1976) [86 points, 11 votes]
82. The Who - Live at Leeds (1970) [87 points, 6 votes]
81. Comus - First Utterance (1971) [87 points, 9 votes]

Opeth took an album name from a lyric on it – "My Arms Your Hearse."

xp

Agree with Tom D's quote that it's not really folk, more a kind of dark, twisted acoustic prog really. I love the mixture of airy beauty and sheer bloody malice on this record.

I tried getting into Incredible String Band bcz people said they sounded like Comus but not nearly enough for my tastes.

I hope the funk albums didn't get pushed out of the top 100 with the last couple of ballots Will be gutted if any of them are 110-101

Also agree w/Tom D – I have never heard a folk album that had near as cool of basslines as "First Utterance" does.

Cool Comus coming so (relatively) high - makes me think there will be further pleasant surprises

I think I am the only person in the universe that thinks "To Keep From Crying," their second album, is really any good.

most broadly appealing records will always trump the more niche or genre-specific records every time.

But why would rock albums be less genre-specific and more broadly appealing? "Rock" is a genre just like "jazz" or "soul" are. I guess my view of things is pretty different from most ILXors, because I've never really listened to or cared for rock music, but I don't quite get why it's always the consensus choice, whereas equally broad genres like jazz are thought as "niche".

People just getting into Comus now are lucky as there's a 2-CD set that has all their songs on it for pretty cheap. (Pretty cheap = cheaper than buying extra-special edition vinyl to get "In the Lost Queen's Eyes" on bonus 12" + also somehow finding a copy of their OOP second album like someone I know)

Tuomas I think you're asking a question that can't be satisfactorily or empircally answered.

empirically

rock and pop are more easily accessible and widespread broadcast-wise than jazz and to some extent soul (certainly from the 70s at any rate). xposts

Jazz and soul and tropicalia have every bit as much worth as rock and pop music, but they'll always be damned to underappreciation because of radio and record company greed. More people grow up with rock and pop music because that's what's playing everywhere they go. For some people, familiarity breeds contempt, but for the rest it's comfort food. xxxp

Hooray for Comus!

I would have liked to vote for more funk and jazz, but didn't get time to check out some of the ones I thought were most likely to float my boat (anyone got any thoughts on the Cecil Taylor, for instance? I love the one album I have by him, but didn't know the one nominated). Also, so much kraut in the 70s meant so many records there was no way I could leave off my ballot. I tried the one-album-per-band thing, but couldn't stick to it.

i gave my three top spots to a band who won't place! if the proggers and krauters can moan i guess the jazz/soul/world music enthusiasts can too, difference being their darlings are gonna show up later ;)

I'm sure I was probably the only vote for a few of the jazz records on my ballot (hint: I also nominated them).

I highly doubt most of my darlings are gonna show up. Curtis Mayfield probably will, Herbie and Alice Coltrane might, but I'm not certain about it anymore, and I'd be genuinely surprised if Donny Hathaway or Flora Purim or Baden Powell will land an album in the top 80.

xxpost looking at these scores so far and doing a head count of other threads they might place, y'know.

tuomas if u voted for love unlimited orchestra top 10 we might get some soul up in this piece

I srsly loved voting for this poll bcz it was just some of god's best albums available here.

Yeah, if nothing else, the nominations spread sheet gives me a guide to work with for the next 20 years of record shopping.

"Familiarity breeds contempt." That must be why aside from some Stevie Nicks jams, Fleetwood Mac makes me want to stab my head. Or whoever is responsible for my hearing it.

There's also Tropicália and other Brazilian albums, tons of African stuff, and a shit-ton of great reggae that won't make this list. But that's okay, as long as a couple things make it. What really confounds me is how many times people have said, "this album should be higher." Somehow there's still a failure to recognize the sheer massive amount of great music made in the 70s. The ZZ Top, Van Halen and Aerosmith albums make for some great party music. I have them and love them. But they might not make even my top 500 for the decade.

"Familiarity breeds contempt." That must be why aside from some Stevie Nicks jams, Fleetwood Mac makes me want to stab my head. Or whoever is responsible for my hearing it.

I feel this way about The Beatles, tbh. Love Fleetwood Mac with all my heart, tho.

I also love this poll/thread. Thanks for putting it together. I especially like the notion that it's designed not to create some definitive list, but to raise awareness of some gems that haven't received due credit or attention.

I think I am the only person in the universe that thinks "To Keep From Crying," their second album, is really any good

No you're not...... I've never found a copy of first Utterance, and only have it as a rip, whereas i have TKFC on vinyl and am terribly fond....

I saw Flora Purim recently, Tuomas, and she was great - I don't know her albums but I did sling her a spare vote. Probably not enough to get her in the top 80 though.

I'm hoping people will post their ballots after the countdown finishes, as it'll be interesting to see some records people rate highly that didn't make the top 100. That's as much a recommendation to me as anything on the list.

I actually cant wait to see 200-101.

I would have voted for Purim's Everyday, Everynight because it's one of my favorite albums ever, but it's the only of hers I know and I forgot to nom it.

To continue with RYM '70s rankings:

ZZ Top- Tres Hombres (#440)
Clube de Esquina (#54)
Chic- C'est Chic (Not ranked)
John Lennon- Imagine (#236)
Patti Smith- Horses (#121)
Van Halen (#212)
Fleetwood Mac (#731)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory (#22)
Blondie - Eat to the Beat (Not ranked)
Miles Davis - Agharta (#158)
Ian Dury - New Boots and Panties!! (#979)
Neu! - Neu! 2 (Not ranked)
Tom Waits - Closing Time (#314)
Black Sabbath - Vol. 4 (#179)
Hawkwind - Space Ritual (#141)
Aerosmith - Rocks (#546)
Tubeway Army - Replicas (#400)
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak (#184)
The Who - Live at Leeds (#26)
Comus - First Utterance (#93)

The Comus record seems to me part of the "blog canon," one of those Lps (like Judee Sill's Heartfood or Flower Travellin' Band's Satori) that had a low profile or was unavailable until people started sharing it on MP3 blogs.

Yep i'd definitely agree with that. Add on Bill Fay's Last Persecution which i'm hoping will place pretty high on this list.

was about to curse for forgetting to vote for last persecution only to find out i actually did

twas my number one. love it soooooo much. can't believe i missed out on probably my only chance to see him play live just because i didn't go to the fecking wilco gig where he did a guestslot :-(

Comus were also on the NWW list, so they've had a bit of underground cachet since the late 70s.

I think all of those albums had a cult following, but since they were hard to come by they remained pretty much out of even most music obsessives' purview.

I still can't wrap my head around RYM regulars/voters (other than the huge collective boner for metal).

you posting any more results tonight?

I think i voted mainly funk jazz and krautrock/prog as i knew other stuff i liked would get votes but i didnt vote Neu 2 so im hopeful a lot of krautrock will get in now.

Yep, I love Neu but Neu 2 is definitely the least of the three imo. I would guess that the fact that it made it into the 90s here means that their first and 75 will make it in somewhere in the top 30, if not top ten.