Hunky Dory - DAVID BOWIE*****

Changes/Oh You Pretty Things/Eight Line Poem/Life On Mars/Kooks/Quicksand/Fill Your Heart/Andy Warhol/ Song For Bob Dylan/Queen Bitch/The Bewlay Brothers

Hunky Dory was the third in a series of brilliant albums from David Bowie, but he was still struggling to achieve a lasting commercial breakthrough. Fortunately his next LP release would change all that and retrospectively propel his earlier albums into the charts, and place the single Life On Mars in the UK top three. (US:93 UK:3)

“Hunky Dory is one of Bowie's finest albums. The music is exciting and the lyrics are groundbreaking, yet sometimes confusing. This was Bowie at his most brilliant.”

“Hunky Dory is a colourful pop rock record with glam-rock, folk and art rock influences with a rich piano sound. High quality songs like the out of this world Life On Mars, the cheerful Changes or the melancholic Quicksand made this a real breakthrough for one of the greatest performer in pop business.”

“The birth of Bowie's glam era sees all the different strands of his past efforts coming together to create an album which would mould and shape fashions to come. It's the most confident and self-assured of Bowie's pre-Ziggy album releases.”

“The songs are beautifully developed with thought provoking lyrics and gorgeous melodies. Every time I come to this album, especially after not hearing it for a good while, I'm just thrown back on how excellent and how well it works.”

“A catchy pop album that is by turns exhilarating, folky and meditative. Almost every melody is memorable, without any need to skip. The first two tracks get the album off to a banging start before settling into a more mellow flow. The array of sounds that Bowie uses makes the album feel like taking a journey. This might be the quintessential album to showcase his songwriting and versatility.”

“Hunky Dory is much more acoustic based with lots of piano thrown in but most of all is an album of unbelievable songwriting, songs don't come much better than these. The album is really well structured as well, each side has happy and upbeat songs for the most part but it finishes off with a darker, emotive and more powerful song.”

“Bowie effortlessly moves from one musical genre to another. Only he could give us an album with something as though provoking as Changes or as silly as Kooks and make it all work. It rocks, it swings and it even makes you think.”

Electric Light Orchestra - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA*****

10538 Overture/Look At Me Now/Nellie Takes Her Bow/Battle Of Marston Moor/Ist Movement/Mr Radio/ Manhattan Rumble/Queen Of The Hours/Whisper In The Night

Self titled debut album from The Electric Light Orchestra created out of the ashes of The Move. Songwriting duties on this highly innovative release are shared by Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, but the former would shortly leave to form Wizzard. Includes the UK top ten hit 10538 Overture. Released as No Answer in the States. (US:196 UK:32)

“The album consists of three different types of tracks. The first are songs in which the entire band pitches in and the classical and rock elements mingle together, to yield the seeds of what would become the band's classic-era approach. This is apparent on songs like the 10538 Overture, Mr Radio and a few others. The second are songs which are given over to classical instrumentation almost entirely, such as The Battle Of Marston Moor. The third are songs which imitate Beatles songs.”

“ELO having a go at progressive rock with some art rock and slight 60s influences as well. One thing is for certain, on this album you never know what to expect next.”

“Their debut album has pop/rock harmonies but the use of cellos and violins give the album a much darker tone than their later works. At times the cello gives the songs a beefy, powerful sound and you start to wonder if Bach came back from the dead to produce this album.”

“The ELO's debut album can best be described as heavy progressive chamber music. Certainly a sidestep from the sound of The Move, augmenting guitar, bass, and drums with cello, piano, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, recorders, French horn, hunting horn, and violin - mostly provided by Wood. A long, long way from the group’s later pop singles, throw this out in front of today's radio crowd and your station is likely to be removed from the presets.”

“The best ELO album, especially if you prefer Roy Wood to Jeff Lynne. Very different to what ELO would evolve into after Wood left and the band became famous. Something so special that it's no big surprise the magic couldn't last.”

“A shame Roy left after this, as it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if he stayed. Anyway, it's still a great chamber/baroque rock album.”

Music - CAROLE KING***

Brother Brother/Its Going To Take Some Time/Sweet Seasons/Some Kind Of Wonderful/Surely/Carry You Load/ Music/Song Of Long Ago/Brighter/Growing Away From Me/Too Much Rain/Back To California

Music was the quick follow up album from singer songwriter Carole King. Unfortunately the creative spark behind the top selling Tapestry was largely absent in the new LP. (US:1 UK:18)

“The first five tracks are as spellbinding and captivating as anything from the classic Tapestry. It definitely lags after that, with inferior filler songs making up much of the album’s lacklustre second side, including ill-advised stabs at country-rock.”

“Carole King released Music less than a year after Tapestry. Since its release, for better or worse, it has always been associated with her greatest work. When put in that context, it comes up a little short. When taken on its own merits, it was a brilliant album in its own right.”

“It is an intimate album that exudes warmth. Her vocals are passionate and soulful. The music is simple and the lyrics have intelligence about them. It’s not really a cohesive album as the material covers a number of musical styles and directions, but most of the songs, when taken individually, have a simple elegance.”

“Music is overshadowed and underappreciated but it remains a minor classic. If you have only been exposed to Carole King through Tapestry or one of her compilation albums, then this is a good place to begin to know her a little better.”

“Carole King's Music remains one of the most underrated seventies singer/songwriter albums. Tapestry was an almost impossible act to follow, but this is an outstanding collection of more great songs and winning performances. While it may not hit the peaks that Tapestry did, it is solid and consistent, with, to my ears, no filler. Sweet Seasons was a hit, and there are other highlights. The whole album projects the combination of warmth and intelligence that is the hallmark of Carole's best music.”

“With Music, King experiments with some new sounds and styles, such as the R & B track Brother Brother which opens the album. The title track is a truly uplifting jazz waltz with an incredible sax improvisation as the centrepiece. Throughout, she utilizes effectively a pair of strong female backup vocalists who strengthen King's own delivery and bring a richness and soulfulness to several tunes.”

Black Moses - ISAAC HAYES**

Never Can Say Goodbye/Close To You/Nothing Takes The Place Of You/Man's Temptation/Never Gonna Give You Up/Ike's Rap II-Help Me Love/Need To Belong To Someone/Good Love 6-9969/Ike's Rap III-Your Love Is So Doggonne Good /For The Good Times/I'll Never Fall In Love Again/Part Time Love/Ike's Rap IV-A Brand New Me/Going In Circles

The Black Moses double album won a second Grammy award for soul artist Isaac Hayes, this time in the pop instrumental category. It again includes his idiosyncratic take on some pop standards. (US:10 UK:38)

“It's cool that he did another double album after Shaft that's not mainly instrumental, still some of the songs go on a little longer than I like. I don't particularly care for Isaac singing love songs really, which is what most of this album is. More so as when I listen to Isaac it's for the instrumentation.”

“I really enjoyed the ballads on here. Everything is really smooth and calming. I find it a bit long and there aren't any classic Isaac songs, just a bunch of decent easylistening ballads. It's pleasant but there isn't much more to this than that.”

“The vast majority of these two discs is given to slow, epic love songs, with the only really uptempo cut being the album highlight Good Love, a light-hearted funky track that is both catchy and groovy. Unfortunately, the endless slow grooves and strings start to drag sometimes, especially on the first disc.”

“On Black Moses, Isaac Hayes is at the height of his musical powers. He takes some classic song material and makes it his own, exploding the compositions, laying them out with confident care, and delivering to you the sort of soul that takes its time to good effect.”

“As with all his best work from the early 70s, he completely transforms the songs, turning them into extended super jams that go way past the original versions.”

“Black Moses would have been a near perfect record if it had been skimmed down to a single LP. Nevertheless, seeing as to how many gems there are, and considering that even the less spectacularly executed tunes still sound awfully sweet, its iconic status is much deserved.”

“This is yet another double album that would be much better condensed into a single disc. Without the lesser efforts this would be another undisputed classic. As it is, Black Moses is a flawed, indulgent release which is necessary for Hayes devotees, but would not be a great introduction to his work.”

Greatest Hits Vol. II - BOB DYLAN*****

Watching The River Flow/Don't Think Twice Its Alright/Lay Lady Lay/Stuck Inside Of A Mobile With The Memphis Blues/I'll Be Your Baby Tonight/All I Really Want To Do/My Back Pages/Maggie's Farm/Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You/She Belongs To Me/All Along The Watchtower/The Mighty Quinn/Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues/A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall/If Not For You/Its All Over Now Baby Blue/Tomorrow Is A Long Time/When I Paint My Masterpiece/I Shall Be Released/You Ain't Goin' Nowhere/Down In The Flood

The double album Greatest Hits Vol.2 was a highly significant release, since when combined with the first volume, it allowed the casual fan to obtain an extensive collection of Bob Dylan’s best songs from his most creative period. (US:14 UK:12)

“Every song on Volume 2 is a testament to Bob Dylan's brilliance. The songs range from folk-rock to pop-rock and country-rock. Dylan has raw emotion in his untrained voice. For me, he redefined the definition of singing.”

“Greatest Hits Volume 2 is not comparable to Volume 1 in terms of quality of material, though it is far more interesting for existing fans, or new fans who want to hear a little more of Dylan before delving into his back catalogue from this period.”

“There are many of the slower ballad type songs on this compilation and I daresay the picks are near perfect. All of the songs are classics, as much as I hate to use the term. I usually don't rate compilations, but this one stands on its own ground.”

“This is the only Dylan compilation put together by Bob himself, and it shows: it has a number of more obscure but essential selections, is beautifully sequenced, and manages to contain an entire side of otherwise unavailable songs.”

“Lots of unreleased nuggets to please the Dylan elitist, while still containing enough recognizable songs for rookies. This is one of the better Dylan collections out there.”

“Dylan's first Greatest Hits collection gathered most of his most well known songs from the 1960s, while this volume scoops up the rest. A number of these were big hits for other artists,. Selected from Dylan's incredible run of top notch 60s albums, this collection features both acoustic and electric tracks. There are sentimental romantic ballads and verbose tongue twisters. There are angry political rants and spiritually uplifting songs. Bob shows both his folkie side and his rock & roll side, and he's never been in better voice. This is the definitive collection from Dylan's classic period and is essential for any rock fan who does not own the original albums.”

Wild Life - WINGS***

Mumbo/Bip Bop/Love Is Strange/Wild Life/Some People Never Know/I Am Your Singer/Tomorrow/Dear Friend

Wild Life was the first release from Paul McCartney after he created his new backing group Wings. It is a very disappointing album, as most of the tracks appear slight and unfinished. (US:10 UK:11)

“While there were no big hits here, this album is nowhere near as dreadful as some would believe. No, it’s not his most consistent work either, but there is much one will find of interest on McCartney’s third post Beatles effort.”

“All the complaints about this one are true. Most of the tracks are more like work tapes than finished songs; pleasant miniatures, underdeveloped melodically and lyrically, stretched out for amusement's sake without anyone getting around to the editing room afterwards.”

“An unbelievably uneven album. Consists of absolutely unessential mumbo-jumbo at the beginning, mediocre stuff in the middle, and the last two songs, Tomorrow and Dear Friend, are actually really beautiful and sound like lost Beatles songs.”

“Coming off the splendid Ram, this is a massive disappointment. The first two tracks are among the most annoying songs Paul has ever written. Perhaps the weakest Wings album. A lot of this music just sounds off the cuff.”

“The first Wings album, Wild Life, is a breezy, even refreshing set of performances that comes closer to resembling demos than finished product. While this approach worked on Paul McCartney's first post-Beatles solo album, it falls flat here.”

“The album starts with two cuts of overlong, incoherent silliness, which doesn’t endear it to a lot of listeners, but it picks up later on in the record with some underrated tracks. McCartney’s voice is on top form here as well.”

“This rough, quirky album was made in about two weeks in order to get a band together. It is a series of simple songs made memorable by the fun and enthusiasm of the venture.”

“Not always pretty, its charm is in its very rawness, each song an uncut diamond, to all intents a live performance by a new band rather than something polished and refined by a rock aristocrat over months in the studio.”

E Pluribus Funk - GRAND FUNK***

Footstompin' Music/People Let's Stop The War/Upsetter/I Come Tumblin'/Save The Land/No Lies/Loneliness

E Pluribus Funk was another loud and proud heavy rock album from Grand Funk, the favourite band of early seventies US teenage white youth. Curiously, they hardly ever dented the UK charts. (US:5)

“An outstanding foot stomping and toe tapping hard rock LP that is in your face testosterone laden music.”

“Still quite typical of their sound, if not a little more commercially so, but also much more consistent this time around. Band is still hanging in there with a very listenable product.”

“This is without a doubt, unapologetic, in your face, get out of my way great rock. I mean blood, sweat, and tears, boogie down, good time, heart breaking rock.”

“On this album Grand Funk really rock, but the lyrics are completely ridiculous. If you can ignore the thoughtless socially minded early 70s cliches that dominate the lyrics and hear only the rocking energy, riffs and lean production, this album is pretty good. It's probably Grand Funk Railroad's best album, but that isn't saying a whole lot.”

“The tunes themselves aren't bad in a generic way, and there are times that the bass playing is pretty good. That is, however, the only real positives I can say about the band. The lyrics seem as if they were stolen from the poetry journal of a thirteen year old with a learning disorder. The singing is simply awful, the guitar playing is as amateurish as I've heard and the drumming is inept.”

“The Funk had just begun to stretch out their sound a bit, with side one in particular taking on a more hard funk sound. But this is still pretty heavy and loud, and Mel's bass is just as fat as ever. Side two returns to the classic hard rock sound for a couple of numbers before the orchestra starts up.”

“This album is a perfect example of when rock meant artistic instead of marketable. It started a new trend in rock music, the idea of using guitar chords that sound dissonant. This is my favourite Grand Funk album, it is very creatively produced, and has an enormous sound.”

“The album was loud and very political. This aside though, it rocks like no other GFR studio album. Only on Loneliness do they let up a bit adding in an orchestra that works well with the drums and bass.”