5 JOHN MARTYN — SOLID AIR
In the fist draft of the 73 From ’73 list, Solid Air was somewhere in the 30s. That was based on memory; I hadn’t spun it for a few years. Listening again, I was entranced. Such variety of mood and texture, held together by Martyn’s gravely voice and exceptional guitar playing. The battle between Martyn’s angels and demons never found a more creatively satisfying expression. I found myself playing the album repeatedly, and with each spin it clambered further up the ladder to this elevated and well deserved position. [Released February 1973]
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4 KING CRIMSON — LARKS’ TONGUES IN ASPIC
A quite different band from the one that released Islands in 1971, this new version of KC is powered by virtuoso drumming from Bill Bruford and fronted by the strong, confident vocals of John Wetton. Wetton’s bass and Bruford’s drums provided an epic (yet versatile) foundation for these tightly structured songs. Lyrics are by newly appointed wordsmith Richard Palmer-James and cover a refreshing range of subjects, though room is always left for Robert Fripp’s sometimes gentle, sometimes ravenous guitar. A consistent and hugely accomplished King Crimson album. [Released March 1973]
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3 MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA — BIRDS OF FIRE
Spiritually questing yet packing an electrifying power, the second Mahavishnu Orchestra LP explodes like a match thrown into a box of fireworks. The band had been touring heavily and were tight and road-tested. Solos are shared throughout, including bass player Rick Laird and drummer Billy Cobham. Meanwhile, some of the interplay between leader John McLaughlin and violinist Jerry Goodman is incendiary. The addition of a Moog to Jan Hammer’s keyboard arsenal adds even more tonal variety. Thrilling, elevating, boundary-testing stuff, the LP achieved Gold status (500k US sales), as did two related releases (with their 73 From ’73 rank in brackets): Billy Cobham Spectrum (#16), Santana / McLaughlin Love Devotion Surrender (#56). Also going gold was Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters (#10). 1973 was without doubt the breakthrough year for jazz-rock. [Released March 1973]
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2 YES — TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS
Progressive rock is not a “one listen and get it” proposition. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than on the Yes double album released in December 1973. Extended compositions carefully and thoughtfully structured so that themes reappear, harmonies enrich and solos complement the overall mood (rather than simply exhibiting “look at moi” posturing. Majestic and at times daunting, the ambition displayed across these four varied and wildly creative sides has sometimes been derided by listeners unaccustomed to giving complex music the space it requires, yet for those, like your correspondent, who have spent years with this magnum opus, it is enriching and comforting beyond words. If rock has an equivalent of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, this is it.
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And the #1 album of 1973 is…?
vinylconnection.com.au 
Bruce, you’re keeping us all in suspense. Yes to Yes. I‘m also currently making another attempt to like King Crimson!😀
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That’s the spirit, Christian. This is a good one to try – such interesting songs.
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I’ve also listened to some music by Adrian Belew and was surprised how accessible some of it is. “Young Lions” and “Inner Revolution” are pretty pop-oriented. The latter has a nice ‘60s vibe. I’m actually planning to cover a King Crimson song in a few weeks.
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Oh dear that Yes album again, yes to everything else though and what is #1, I may have had John Martin there.
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Such a brilliant album by Martyn. Talk about polishing your flaws into something special!
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Neil, when I wrote a piece called “10 Albums To Say Yes To” in 2015, TFTO came in at #7. It will pain you to hear that I’d have it at #4 or even #3 now.
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I am going to listen to it as part of my new years listening. I think I am prejudiced by Rick Wakemans animosity to the piece. It is a wonderful sleeve though.
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Understand that. I mean, he was there after all. But he’s also rather a jerk. Tough call. But another of my 1973 favourites, “Time Fades Away” was dissed by Neil Young for most of the past 50 years! So I guess it’s down to the ears of the beholder. 🙂
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Right enough. I am giving it new ears tonight. And Neil Young has the worst judgement of his own work.
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He feels the same way about Union. I mean I see his point and given that I still don’t feel it’s all that bad. Could it have been better? For sure. However I do agree with him on this: that Union tour was glorious!!
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Sometimes I think the story is more important than the facts for wakeman
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He calls union onion
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Despite having been a Yes fan since 90125 I still have not yet owned or even heard all 4 sides of Tales. One day I’ll take the plunge. Maybe. Perhaps.
By the way how many copies of Larks do you own? 🙂
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Larks’ Tongues? The two vinyl copies and a ‘Definitive’ CD. Modest, really. 😉
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You’re a big teaser! The superb KC and the underrated Yes take me to 16! Given my taste for folk I should really have given John Martyn a go by now.
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Bwah—as 1537 might evilly guffaw—Ha Ha!
Definitely get yourself a copy of ‘Solid Air’, my friend. Money back guarantee if you don’t like it.
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And I’ve got a feeling your No.1 isn’t an album I know…
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My lips are seals.
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Ok, I’ll start with Solid Air then, will report back.
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Please do! 🙂
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What an incredible year of music it was. Two contenders for #1, not sure if you’ve featured previously – Sly’s ‘Fresh’ or Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’…
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Bells got a guernsey, but Sly didn’t, as I don’t actually have ‘Fresh’, sad to report.
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Yes to the Yes, as Christian put it. And to the Mahavishnu; love “Hope”…those ascending passages really do sound hopeful to me.
I’ve got a hunch I know what’s coming at #1…
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And now you can discover whether you were correct, JDB! (I think you probably were 🙂)
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I was indeed! 🙂
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👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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So fun zooming in on that KC photo to check the spines. I have a handful of those too, also from my step-dad, so they’re well worn and super warm and crackly. You keep tempting me to go back to that odd year I was but 3 ha ha. But for now I’ve rediscovered that collection of Fripp soundscapes I bought on CD last year, Music for quiet moments. It’s sublime in early morning between the dark and (less dark) gray-blue. And with the tree frogs croaking, why Robert would be pleased. And the purr of the heater, that too…be well Bruce! Happy Sunday.
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Cheers Bill. Is this the Fripp you are referring to? It is quite (and quietly) wonderful, isn’t it? And here, doubling as a belated Christmas card to you and the wimminfolk. Be full of cheer.
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That’s the one! And I listened to that Yes album not once, but 1.25x today. Fell in love with it immediately, but then again I’m a fan of theirs already. Naive to think I knew what they were all about and hadn’t even heard that one, all 2 hrs and 3 minutes or what have you. Was nice with my Bose QC headphones outside fooling with Christmas lights in the rain.
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So glad you enjoyed TFTO, Bill. (You may have picked up a stream that included ‘bonus’ demo tracks; the album is a shade over 80 mins!)
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Yeah, the 2003 remaster. I understand from Loren the original production is kind of “thin?” But sounded divine on headphones.
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I have that version on CD and agree. It sounds excellent. The Steven Wilson remix from a couple of years back is very nice too. Very deep sound stage on that one. I hope that you might come to find the album as nourishing and comforting as I do.
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Frankly I conducted a test to see if I could sit still and just listen to the whole thing with my headphones and it worked, I did. Wasn’t easy to stay put and calm my monkey mind but wow, nice payoff.
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Oh and I guess the last two tracks are reworkings of others earlier in the album. I thought they were just being all Yes-like with their bookending.
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[…] Albums #5 — #2 […]
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‘Birds, ‘Larks’ and ‘Oceans’ are tops with me in any year. Just seeing those covers makes me want to spin them. I picked up Martyn late. Listened to one of his other albums a few days ago.
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Classics, all, eh? And you are right – all three would be in a 70s Top 100.
Mr Martyn had two in this list. A fine effort.
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Those lineups in those bands are so mind blowing. Bruford was everywhere I turned back then. More Martyn in my listening future.
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