Best Album on My Favourite Albums of......1976

Yeah, this one is impossible.

tough one to choose from for me though i suspect stevie wonder might walk it

I mean, how does one choose between "Sad Wings of Destiny" and the Ramones debut album?

actually no, its not. Africa Brasil gets my vote

or clones

argh

Easy: Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygène, except it's not on the list. Otherwise a year of decline imho.

AC/DC v Cluster v The Upsetters v Stevie Wonder v La Dusseldorf

Modern Lovers will win.

Possibly underappreciated Zep and Magma albums.

Station to Station stands out as being head, shoulders and feet over the rest of the list, so I went for that.

la dusseldorf for me

other great reggae albums from 1976

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Rastaman Vibration
King Tubby & Yabby You - King Tubby's Prophesy of Dub
Burning Spear - Garvey's Ghost
Max Romeo & The Upsetters - War ina Babylon
Peter Tosh - Legalize It
Prince Fari ‎– Psalms For I

no doubt loads of others too!

With five or so exceptions this list is packed with albums I like but don't love. I would go Station to Station, or Zombie, or African Brasil, or Modern Lovers or Ramones or Royal Scam. Probably Ramones. Hmm, maybe Stevie Wonder? Shake Some Action? Jeez, actually, there are a lot of records I love on here. Would have considered Max Romeo & The Upsetters - War ina Babylon.

I'm probably going to opt for Pangea, but yeah, I don't flat out love any of these either.

some missing ones:

Artful Dodger - Honor Among Thieves
Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown
Doctors of Madness - Figments of Emancipation
Eddie & The Hot Rods - Teenage Depression
Runaways - The Runaways

there's a load of good stuff on this as usual but probably has to be the Ramones

Not sure how to choose between Royal Scam and the Ramones, two of my favorite albums.

Station To Station vs. Ramones. Thinking Ramones.

Definitely a step down on the preceding years, I mean, "World Record" by Van der Graaf Generator? I think not.

Van de Graaf Denegrator

Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown

was that 76? shit. Should have been in there

You said it.

might ask a mod to delete this poll and start another

Still Life is incredibly good though, arguably their best

that said I think I gotta go for La-D here. that album just feels eternal to me.

sod it, will just keep this one going. you can write in for augustus pablo

if you want to vote for
Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown

just do it in bold like that

Is it an album though?

This feels like more of a drop off than any of the other years to me. If this was a room, it'd be musty and the seats would be torn, reeking of booze and old ashtrays.

Sowiesoso for me, no question.

lol no 2112

Sowieso Sowiesoso

Agneta Nilsson vs. Songs In the Key of Life vs. Hejira

Would add:

Tom Ze - Estudando o Samba
Alice Coltrane - Eternity
Popol Vuh - Letzte Tage, Letzte Nachte
Marvin Gaye - I Want You

Modern Music is an album, like Made in Germany in the previous poll, that I love and played the hell out of, yet wouldn't try to convince anyone it's the best (or even in the running for best) of '76.

Station to Station, Modern Lovers, or Ramones, although The Wild Tchoupitoulas was a gateway into a world of New Orleans music for me. Maybe I should toss that one a vote.

Always thought that Augustus Pablo album was '77 (RYM has it as that year, that's probably why).

Some classics here and a lot of things I like but I'd say there's definitely a drop in overall quality compared to the previous few years. Can't spot any major omissions in terms of my personal favourites either (B. Dylan's Desire maybe?)

Voted for Station to Station (my favourite Bowie album these days).

I'm a little stunned by how few of these albums I know/know well. Gotta be Key of Life though, with Station to Station a near second.

xp Discogs says 1976 but that's probably just as likely to be wrong as RYM

I concur with Dan re: Be Bop Deluxe's albums from this year. Glad they were included in the first place! But for me it's Cluster every day and twice on Sunday.

I thought Zombie was 77 for sure

I voted Super Ape

Presence over Hejira

here, here is finally where i vote for joni

Never heard the Heldon album listed here but I do really like their third record (from '75), will have to give it a listen.

it's solid, less out-there and rock-like than Stand By or Interface, but I like it - it was the first one I heard

this is where I chime in saying that the Modern Lovers were a pile of absolute shit

thank you

xp pffft at least they're better than The Cardiacs

np

if there's a more bafflingly-beloved, turgid, complacent, tuneless band out there I'm yet to hear them

the rest of this list seems good though

Hear, hear.

I love Joni but it felt like revisionist (personal) history for me to vote for anything besides Bowie.

if there's a more bafflingly-beloved, turgid, complacent, tuneless band out there I'm yet to hear them

― PPL+AI=NS (imago), Wednesday, 13 March 2019 16:56 (thirty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the cardiacs? defo agree

as usual, the Imago TMOQ.

What a roll Thin Lizzy were on with BOTH those amazing albums coming out in the same year. I've been playing them a lot lately.

I'll have to go with "The Royal Scam" though, the best and most hard-headed Steely dan album

War ina Babylon - thats an amazing album, def one of my fave reggae lp's

Definitely a step down on the preceding years, I mean, "World Record" by Van der Graaf Generator? I think not.

― The Vangelis of Dating (Tom D.)

oh yeah as if "still life" isn't the single best record they ever made

and i still didn't vote for it

Another worthy candidate is 15-60-75 - Jimmy Bell's Back In Town EP. This is still just a shit-hot rock-blues-jazz melange.

Single of the year has got to be The Saints "I'm Stranded" (which came out in Sep 76 in Australia and apparently on 12/31/76 in the UK) or The Sex Pistols "Anarchy In The UK" (which came out in November).

^ i’d pick the saints but should check the charts

I know I'm about to be told it's really not all that, but Water Babies is the Miles I listen to the most besides KoB and IaSW. ͡¯\_(°_o)_/¯

How can anybody deny "roadrunner"??? Don't answer that

More great reggae from this year:

Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man
The Mighty Diamonds - Right Time
The Abyssinians - Satta Massagana
Pablo Moses - Revolutionary Dream

Also Lucio Battisti's La Batteria, Il Contrabbasso, Eccetera, which I love.

Got about six I'm trying to choose between and Modern Lovers is in the mix.

yeah Modern Lovers are great wtf

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/717ErVUJIrL._UL1500_.jpg

The 1976 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll

Albums

1. Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (Tamla) 292 (25)
2. Graham Parker & the Rumour: Heat Treatment (Mercury) 234 (22)
3. Jackson Browne: The Pretender (Asylum) 232 (22)
4. Graham Parker & the Rumour: Howlin' Wind (Mercury) 215 (19)
5. Kate & Anna McGarrigle: Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Warner Bros.) 208 (16)
6. Steely Dan: The Royal Scam (ABC) 182 (14)
7. Joni Mitchell: Hejira (Asylum) 169 (16)
8. Ramones: Ramones (Sire) 153 (15)
9. Rod Stewart: A Night on the Town (Warner Bros.) 150 (15)
10. Blue Oyster Cult: Agents of Fortune (Columbia) 148 (13)
11. Eno: Another Green World (Island) 143 (12)
12. The Wild Tchoupitoulas: The Wild Tchoupitoulas (Island) 136 (14)
13. David Bowie: Station to Station (RCA Victor) 136 (13)
14. The Modern Lovers: The Modern Lovers (Home of the Hits) 111 (12)
15. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band: Night Moves (Capitol) 109 (12)
16. Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band: Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (RCA Victor) 99 (7)
17. Bob Marley and the Wailers: Live! (Island) 86 (10)
18. Ry Cooder: Chicken Skin Music (Reprise) 84 (8)
19. Warren Zevon: Warren Zevon (Asylum) 81 (8)
20. The Dwight Twilley Band: Sincerely (Capitol) 80 (7)
21. Boz Scaggs: Silk Degrees (Columbia) 79 (10)
22. Boston: Boston (Epic) 78 (5)
23. Richard & Linda Thompson: Pour Down Like Silver (Island) 74 (9)
24. Arlo Guthrie: Amigo (Reprise) 68 (8)
25. Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak (Mercury) 66 (6)
26. Bob Dylan: Desire (Columbia) 59 (5)
27. Jeff Beck: Wired (Epic) 58 (5)
28. Andy Pratt: Resolution (Nemporer) 57 (6)
29. Linda Ronstadt: Hasten Down the Wind (Asylum) 55 (4)
30. Patti Smith Group: Radio Ethiopia (Arista)

Good call, Gerald, that Numbers Band record just rips. Chrissie Hynde’s brother Terry on sax:

https://youtu.be/TtQHtkjVQ24

AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
David Bowie - Station to Station
Peter Tosh - Legalize It
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life ,
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers

one of these five I guess.

man, I wish I had time to check out all the ones I haven't heard listed in this thread

there are plenty of good ones imo

I wonder if Rocks could be a dark horse winner

I might have voted for Silk Degrees if it had made the list

That Ry Cooder is good, some tight grooves

Xpost P&J list. I wanted to like the McGarrigle disc. Never stuck.

HOW IS THIS GETTING HARDER WITH EACH PASSING YEAR?

went with ramones, `cuz fugit.👍🏻

http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/year/1976a.htm

HOW IS THIS GETTING HARDER WITH EACH PASSING YEAR?

― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin)

is your question about this poll, or about life?

I wound up going with Priest because, dammit, someone has to.
It's really a phenomenal record.

MIA: Blondie's debut album.
Ramones vs. Stevie for me then.

I thought the same re Blondie but it's a bit inconclusive when it came out - some places say December 1976 but others say January 1977 and that Dec 1976 was when test pressings were made

Station to Station

Discovered about ten years ago it's become one of my favourites from this year: Serge Gainsbourg - L' Homme à Tête de Chou

I haven't heard that one

that is my fave album by gainsbourg. it's a concept album about a love story of the teller with a hairdresser who cheats on him with very explicit lyrics. i never really understood the fuss about "melody nelson", this is the real deal.

Only problem is I cant speak French.

That's no problem.

voted for rocks without even fucking thinking about it

and i'd do it again

Tough choice between Songs in the Key of Life & Boston but Stevie wins

stevie will win this poll

The thing about the Boston album, with some people loving it and some who wanted to love it being a little meh: Chuck Eddy told me a long time ago that a guy finally told him that there were two pressings or masterings of it (because Tom Scholz changed his mind again, duh) and that the one with the orange label (think it was orange) was better, so he (CE) checked and sure enough his was the orange (or whatever). I dunno, but that's what he said.
Jimmy Bell's, hell yeah, no idea that was Chrissie Hynde's brother (barely mentioned in her memoir, according to a review). Rocks has always been my favorite Aerosmith, and was always struck by the fact that Jack Douglas supervised, as he did the most straight-ahead tracks on the sprawling, challenging, variously rewarding (play the title sprawl on reasonably big floor speakers, the kind that tune the house) Radio Ethiopia----well he supervised the whole thing maybe, but re "straight-ahead", thinking of "Ask The Angels" and "Punping (My Heart)" especially.

voted Station To Station but Hejira and Zombie ran it very close

dow is this different to the hot stamp pressings that people go on about?

um yeah it's just a different pressing... check out discogs

La Düsseldorf la.

I mean fuck it. Going with that. It's not really an emphatic best though sorry Klaus.

I for one miss the 70s fusion - Weather Report, Al DiMeola, and Stanley Clarke. The Peter Tosh and Stevie Wonder albums were excellent as well.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

but does the public miss it?

Voted for Super Ape, a true dub classic.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

dang

Is Rainbow's Rising any good? I see it's ranked third on RYM's 1976 list (Station to Station also happens to be their #1).

'good' is subjective but it's the origin point of nearly all Power Metal.

The only Rainbow album from the Dio phase that was recorded by a stable band (or didn't have huge chunks overdubbed by Blackmore to erase people he'd fallen out with or didn't think were good enough) it straddles the boogie elements (Starstruck) with the driving proto-thrash (Light In The Black), giving them all equal favour.

But the reputation and love definitely, more than anything else, comes from Stargazer (voted best metal track of all time on this very board iirc).

It's a sandals 'n' sorcery prog epic with far more key changes than necessary, a lifetime great soaring vocal and grinding, repetitive final coda that feels like it could go on forever (and possibly did, given it's faded out on the record).

And that's why it got my vote, despite arguably stronger candidates this year.

Rising is an excellent record, an absolute 100% classic. Those keyboards at the beginning of 'Tarot Woman'!

I'll have to check it out then, if only for historical reasons.

Best Album on My Favourite Albums of......1977!