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

Not "In Through the Out Door"?????

They both made my ballot.

thought about voting for it, but threw underdog votes to Presence and In Through The Out Door instead. there are lots of great classic rock double albums that don't suffer from double album syndrome, but that one just doesn't hold together for me.

Glad The Song Remains The Same hasn't made it...yet...

the first of my top 10 to place! my favorite zeppelin album, it's astonishingly close to the mythical fillerless double album. shame about 'black country woman'...

(Specialist aside: Was there any Afro-Cuban music on the nominations list? Everything I nominated was Puerto Rican or NuYorican salsa, which may build on an Afro-Cuban base, but I resent the idea that Puerto Rican salsa somehow reduces to "Afro-Cuban." It has its own distinctive sound.)

My one "Afro-Cuban" vote was for Afro-Indio by Mongo Santamaría. I'm not sure how to label it, it's a fusion of a lot of things, sorry if "Afro-Cuban" is a misleading category for Mongo.

(x-post)

Yay, Fela made it after all! I didn't vote for Zombie because there were so many different albums by him nominated, and I didn't want to fill my ballot with Fela albums, but Zombie is one of his strongest records. I'm glad to see it here! The title song of course a classic, both for the insistent sax groove and the socio-political weight it carries, but I always found the B-side song to be a bit mediocre, which is why I voted for Fela albums that I think are great from the beginning to the end.

Streaming Starsailor on Grooveshark now. Tim Buckley is one of those artists, like Scott Walker and Nick Drake, that seem to have a significant following on ILM, but that I don't "get".

27. Talking Heads - 77 (1977) [147 points, 15 votes]

http://i49.tinypic.com/2ropa10.jpg

I put it on last week and it seemed so offensively fruity that I had to take it off after 2.5 tracks.

― sundar subramanian, Thursday, October 25, 2001 8:00 PM (8 years ago)

Their first two albums are pretty much unbearable but in an interesting way ("Fruitiness" sums it up).

― Tom, Friday, October 26, 2001 8:00 PM (8 years ago)

Classic, classic. "Pulled Up" is clearly the greatest song of all time. The howls and screams are more 'soul' than 'fruit'.

― Keiko, Friday, October 26, 2001 8:00 PM (8 years ago)

C to the 77th power. One of the most startling, original, quirky and (yes, occasionally) fruity first LPs ever.

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Monday, October 31, 2005 2:03 PM (4 years ago)

xp, I can understand not getting Tim Buckley or Scott Walker, but Nick Drake? He recorded some of the most straightforward music ever written.

I'm surprised More Songs about Buildings and Food was the only Talking Heads in the first poll. I always thought it was easily the weakest of the first three. Fear of Music is a strong contender for the top ten surely?

Zombie was my #1 vote for this poll. It's a tough call. "Mister Follow Follow" is certainly less frenetic, but I think it's great. However, on given days I might prefer Roforofo Fight, Open & Close, Shuffering and Shmiling, Sorrow Tears & Blood, Gentleman, He Miss Road, Shakara, Confusion, even London Scene. For those who don't have all those, the two disc Black President actually does a great job in putting together many of his best jams.

shuffering and shmiling was my top fela vote

Given how Remain In Light won the 80s poll, and there's a lot of people who now believe Fear Of Music is the better album, I'd say it's top 5 contender.

OK now i feel embarrassed about publicly rooting for Fear Of Music if the far inferior '77 is this high. i still have strong associations of the word "fruity" with that album because of the above quoted posts.

xp, I can understand not getting Tim Buckley or Scott Walker, but Nick Drake? He recorded some of the most straightforward music ever written.

― Johnny Fever, Friday, January 8, 2010 1:43 PM

I will grant you that. If I had to choose one of three to listen to; it would be Nick Drake first.

26. Led Zeppelin - III (1970) [149 points, 11 votes]

http://i49.tinypic.com/svkq5f.jpg

Led Fucking Zeppelin III - Forward into the past, as Page & co. retreat to the country and break out the banjos (and bongs).

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, December 23, 2005 2:13 AM (4 years ago)

Led Zeppelin III is my in-the-car default album. I have a tape of it there, and it seems that even the hardest to please passengers will enjoy it, not to mention there's no feeling like driving alone rocking out to Immigrant Song or Out on the Tiles.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, January 3, 2005 11:44 PM (5 years ago)

Things that make this album great:

1/ The tape hiss before the first note in 'Immigrant.'

2/ The bass riff in the chorus of 'Immigrant.'

3/ The 'Hammer of the gods' lyric in 'Immigrant.'

4/ The mumbling and studio speak before the opening of 'Friends.'

5/ The weirdness of the guitars in 'Friends,' both the alternate tuning and the scales used. Does anyone else almost hear 'Kashmir' here?

6/ Knowing that 'Friends' was written when Page and Plant were becoming friends.

7/ The 'owoowowowowowow' transition and key change to 'Celebration Day.'

8/ "My My My I'm so happy" as someone else noted in 'Celebration' and the double-tracked guitar solo.

9/ The first 5 notes of 'Since.'

10/ The squeak of the bass drum pedal in the beginning bars of 'Since.'

11/ The solo on 'Since.'

12/ The time signatures on 'Out on the Tiles.'

13/ The banjo on 'Gallows' and how it comes in at the same time as the snare.

14/ The false start in 'Tangerine.'

15/ The wah-wah in 'Tangerine.'

16/ The coda of 'That's the Way:' shimmering. And then the tambourine.

17/ 'Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp': a song about a dog.

18/ 'Hats Off:' Thanks for the introduction to Roy Harper!!!

― 57 7th (calstars), Tuesday, May 3, 2005 2:55 PM (4 years ago)

"since i've been loving you" is the fucking nuts

though once you hear the squeaky bass pedal you can never unhear it :(((

Also, the ultimate Fela comp: Top Fela Choons

can anyone point me to a link for the 80s poll? searching doesn't seem to turn it up - was it called something 'quirky' and 80s-ish?

Now this is how it started: THE ILX 1980s ALBUM POLL RESULTS!!

I seriously considered making III my #1 - if it was a little more consistent, it'd be my favourite Zep album

I don't remember what my beef is w/consistency now - all of ^these^ tracks are amazing.

yeah i was a bit surprised that my 2 favorite zep albums (and my 2 favorite 70s steely dan albums) were eligible this time around

So all we have left is the top 25. Anyone want to place bets on what makes it and what gets left out?

I bet my #1 doesn't make it.

I voted for "Zombie" on the strength of the title track alone (considering it takes up about half the album, that doesn't seem too unreasonable).

The one I really hope makes it is Tapestry

looking at my ballot, the only 100% lock left that i see is Aja, and maybe Electric Warrior, not sure if ilx likes that one better than Slider

still holding out for my #1-3 which could all be in the 11-25 range i think but unlikely top 10s

oh wait Tusk is 100% lock too and likely top 5

and i had Rock Bottom at #8 and it's gotten some other mentions on here so i think it's still coming

To be honest I have no idea. I'm still quite certain Curtis will make it, but I doubt it'll be in the top 10. If Talking Heads are gonna win this poll too, that would be a shame. When Clube de Esquina made it, I was hoping that would mean more Brazilian music would follow, but to be honest I can't think of any Brazilian album with strong enough following to make it to the top 25. The number 1 will probably be some hoary old rock or post-punk album, can't think of any funk/soul/jazz record that would be popular enough among ILXors to top the list.

I'd like to think an AC/DC album made it, and maybe Meddle. I figure another one of the Dan's too. I'd guess my ballot's probably got one or two left.

I'm going to shocked -- SHOCKED -- if Tusk isn't #1, but I was also shocked that Double Nickels On the Dime wasn't top-5 in the 80s poll, so what do I know.

I think the weird thing about the 70s is that there were a ton of musicians/bands who had a long run of good albums in the decade, which in polls like these leads to a lot of vote splitting. The most likely surprise candidates are the artists with only one or two highly-regarded albums since then there's actually a forced consensus among the people who want to vote for them.

Another artist I'm still crossing my fingers for is Alice Coltrane. Her early-to-mid-70s run of albums is incredibly classic, it would be a shame if none of them made it. I put Journey to Satchidananda high in my ballot, and I know it has many other fans here too.

I really, really, really want to see Ogum Xangô in there too.

...and I still don't know what "Tusk" is.

(x-post)

Fear Of Music
Curtis
Electric Warrior
I'm Still In Love With You
The Modern Dance
Lust For Life
Blank Generation
From Here To Eternity
Clear Spot
Rock Bottom
The Raincoats
Real Life
Tusk
Sex Machine
Evening Star
Germ-Free Adolescents
Something/Anything
Joao Gilberto
Tales Of Captain Black
Faust IV
Reproduction
Live At The Witch Trials
Rocket To Russia
Catch A Fire or Natty Dread

I'd like to say Super Ape, but I sadly doubt it.

It's my anti-ballot!

xpost to ismael

i think ogum xango has a decent shot, it seemed like the gil e jorge thread was pretty actively getting converts (and it was in my top 10 fwiw)

(Tie) 24. T.Rex - Electric Warrior (1971) [151 points, 17 votes]

http://i49.tinypic.com/j9x2xl.jpg

The Slider and Electric Warrior are both great albums. The Slider is a bit more classic rock and roll songs and Electric Warrior has more of a stoner soul songs.

"Monolith" in retrospect sounds like a prototype for triphop/downbeat, with the lazy funky drums, the strings and soul stirrer backup vocals.

― earlnash, Friday, October 17, 2003 11:03 AM (6 years ago)

Does most T. Rex sound like "Get It On"?

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, April 27, 2005 1:59 PM (4 years ago)

Sundar, ignore Electric Warrior at your peril. For years I didn't get it because all I knew was "Get It On." Big mistake.

― Keith C (kcraw916), Wednesday, April 27, 2005 2:25 PM (4 years ago)

xxp - Not my ballot just my guess at winners. I have no problem with most of those making it, except I don't get the Tusk love. I'll have to hear it again. I'm guessing about 75% of my guesses will be right, heh.

9 of 40 and rising...

I think only Rock Bottom and Faust IV are gonna complete albums I voted for to place. Would have voted Live At The Witch Trials, probably, if I'd heard it, but my Fall listening hasn't quite gotten back that far yet.

If either of the Magazine albums show I will whoop and holler. Ditto Drums And Wires. I still hold out a naive hope that Yes will feature, somehow.

It would be nice if the top album doesn't end up just being a less canonical album by a canonical artist.

The grammar in my first sentence there is...original.

o.nate it's gonna be a Tusk-Aja 1-2 and I will yawn copiously

have we had any prog yet other than Red? i know there's other people here who like it and voted for it.

Tuomas, Tusk is a 1979 album by Fleetwood Mac. It amazes me that you seem to be able to be impervious to casual free-floating information, the random factoids that other folks seem to soak in, but they just bounce off of you unless you have your factoid-receptors pointed the right way.

50 great things about Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk"

"Tusk": Fleetwood Mac vs. Camper Van

Tusk Vs The White Album

Don't Say That You Love Me: The TUSK Poll.

This will tar me as unnecessarily snarky, but dang, man.

Then Tusk'll be a worthy winner. I don't know what Aja is.

I've got to take some blame for "Aja" if it shows, since I did vote for it (though not in the top half of my ballot). "Tusk" has moments, but it's not something I could picture wanting to listen to all the way through.