40 MIKE OLDFIELD — TUBULAR BELLS
A poll of my favourite Mike Oldfield albums would not have this debut on the podium, but it certainly made an impression as the very first release by Virgin Records. Made an impression when used in a film, too. As a multi-instrumentalist’s calling card Tubular Bells really does take some beating. Indeed, it was so effective Oldfield has been re-working the idea ever since. [Released May 1973]
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39 SANTANA — WELCOME
This often overlooked follow up to the fabulous Caravanserai turns up the jazz-rock intensity to eleven. Given the appearance of John McLaughlin this is not surprising. (His collaboration with Carlos, Love Devotion Surrender, placed at #56 on this list.) Though there are no sing-along hits, the playing is brilliant and the blending of Latin, jazz, and rock elements inspiring. [Released November 1973
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38 IAN CARR’S NUCLEUS — LABYRINTH
A (mostly) instrumental concept album with lots of musical twists and turns, Labyrinth has respected British trumpeter/composer/band leader Ian Carr going full myth. Supporting players include Kenny Wheeler, Roy Babbington (Soft Machine) and Tony Levin (everywhere). It’s big band jazz-rock with free jazz touches and added funk swirls. Great stuff. My copy is, sadly, split across two CDs in the otherwise excellent Nucleus boxed set Torrid Zone: The Vertigo Recordings 1970-1975.
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37 LED ZEPPELIN — HOUSES OF THE HOLY
Here’s my problem with Houses Of The Holy: it is a U-shaped album. Things start brightly—brilliantly even—with “The Song Remains the Same”, followed by the brooding “Rain Song”. “Over the Hills…” is strong too, as are the final two songs on the album, the powerful “No Quarter” and oceanic “Ocean”. It’s the middle that sags lower than a sumo wrestler’s belly. The cringe-inducing funk of “The Crunge” leads into a Zeppelin-by-numbers throw-away, the miserable trifecta complete by a simply awful slice of cod-reggae. After making one of the greatest rock albums of all time they might have done better.
I will now adjourn to a nuclear shelter until it’s safe to come out. [Released March 1973]
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36 AGITATION FREE — 2ND
The three Agitation Free albums released in the early-to-mid-70s were all very different. Although Malesch, the debut, is my favourite, this sophomore effort is creative, varied, and hugely entertaining. German progressive rock at its best.
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35 THE WHO — QUADROPHENIA
Four years after Tommy, Pete Townshend orchestrated another two-record concept album, this time based around the gritty social theme of mod culture and the band’s own past. It is well planned and executed, with several classic songs including “5:15”, “Bellboy”, and the magnificent finale, “Love, Reign O’er Me”. [Released October 1973]
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34 GENTLE GIANT — IN A GLASS HOUSE
It’s Gentle Giant’s fifth studio album in three years, but the invention shows no sign of flagging. Lots of tricksy time signatures, vocal lines owing more to medieval madrigals than Muddy Waters, and extremely tight ensemble playing. Demanding listening? Probably. Rewarding of attention? Definitely. [Released September 1973]
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33 GREENSLADE — GREENSLADE
Dave Greenslade formed the band that bears his name not long after UK jazz-rock warriors Colosseum folded. This debut is a progressive rock record to delight keyboard fans, with Daves Greenslade and Lawson both shining . Tony Reeves’ bass playing is superb too. And for those who enjoy Lawson’s somewhat creepy vocals (and twisted lyrics), the record is a lot more than synth and organ grandstanding. Try “Sundance” and “Feathered Friends”. Oh, and of course another shoutout to the amazing Roger Dean for the cover. [Released February 1973]
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32 EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER — BRAIN SALAD SURGERY
Carl Palmer’s drumming is prodigious, Greg Lake’s singing is at its peak and as for Keith Emerson’s battery of keyboards, they had never been deployed with such power and intensity. Add in an extended concept that, thanks to lyricist Pete Sinfield, actually works and you have ELP’s most consistent album since their debut. [Released December 1973]
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31 BLACK SABBATH — SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH
The Sabs fifth album was notable for including some keyboards and even strings. Heresy! cried some. But not your correspondent. It is a consistently strong record with the title track and “Abbra Cadabra” standing out. [Released November 1973]
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Any of these on your ’73 favourites list?
vinylconnection.com.au 
Definitely “Quad,” “Houses of the Holy” and “Brain Salad” would have been on my list at the time (and still today). I also like the Greenslade album, which I only discovered in the last year or two.
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Super, Rick. Yep, those first three are certainly heavy hitters. And I’m stoked to find a fellow Greenslade fan!
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Quadrophenia would be high on my list…I love that album.
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Yeah. Possibly The Who’s most consistent album.
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It’s number 2 with me right behind Who’s Next.
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Them’s the 2!
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Any of these on your ’73 favourites list? Predictably, Quadrophenia
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Cool, Jeff. It’s a good ‘un.
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Another intriguing set. Zep’s “Houses of the Holy” and The Who’s “Quadrophenia” are on my list of 40 albums from 1973 I previously identified as my favorites after a painful process.
I didn’t rank them, though out of that group, I picked my six favorites: Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd), Countdown to Ecstasy (Steely Dan), Innervisions (Stevie Wonder), (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John) and Band On the Run (Paul McCartney and Wings).
I’m planning to do the same exercise for 1974 during my year-end holiday break and reveal my picks in early January.
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Wonderful. Only one of your ’73s is not on my list.
January for 1974? My, you are the early bird! 😅
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Regarding 1974, well, that’s the plan. Given I have some time off from work, hopefully, I have the time to agonize over it! 🙂
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That’s the way. Should Young Americans at 22 or 23? These are the things that keep us awake at night.
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Ha ha. If I would try to truly rank the albums, I’d go insane!
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Zep, Sabs, ELP and The ‘Oo would all be on my list. All top tier efforts from those bands. “Someone get me a ladder” always bugs the hell out of me though.
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What else rhymes with sadder and madder? Someone empty my bladder, perhaps. 😆
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LOL “sandwich-platter” “Margaret Thatcher” the options are endless.
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😂 There’s a future re-writing dodgy lyrics, right there.
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Boy, I’ll say Oldfield’s music made an impression when used in a film! I’m in alignment with other commenters re: Zep, the Who and ELP. Apropos the Houses of the Holy cover: have you seen the documentary about Hipgnosis, “Squaring The Circle”? I’d wager it’s right up your alley!
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Thanks JDB. I will catch up with the Hipgnosis doco on a streaming service soon. But having interviewed Mark Blake on his new Hipgnoisis book earlier in the year, I feel fairly up to speed on the story. That won’t stop me being really annoying as I watch the doco, of course!
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Ack, that Geiger artist (is that right?) from the ELP cover and those Omni magazines and so on from the 70s, always hated that artist’s odd porno alien vibe. Funny your disdain for Houses! And your comment about the nuclear shelter. I think that’s fair about Crunge and D’yer mk’er; never thought of it as U-shaped. It was the first record of theirs I ever heard end to end, and did so the first time I smoked pot, so it’s kind of special that way. I love the way you photograph the records, in case I’ve never called it out before. Truly a thing of beauty.
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To repeat myself, I’m enjoying my listening of your journey here. Four of this batch I wore out. Will be concentrating on the ones that are lesser known to me or ones that didnt get as much play. When I say “I wore out” I’m not kidding. I even sported the Emerson mullet for years.
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😂 Send me a photo! Stat!
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I agree Houses of the Holy sags in the middle, but the good tracks are so good that it’s my favorite Zep.
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Ah, that’s an interesting variant. The best ones do enough heavy lifting to get it up a stairway to… oh, you know.
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