70. Machine Head - Deep Purple(Purple Records 1972, Deep Purple)
One of the holy trinity of albums that would go on to define and create Heavy Metal as we know it today. Back then, it was just hard rock, and no one rocked harder or faster than Deep Purple. Listening back to "Highway Star" it's almost impossible to believe that a track that vibrant and that fresh could possible have been made in the nineteen seventies. That, after all, was Deep Purple's greatest asset; they sounded years ahead of the curve. Machine Head is unfortunately seen as the lesser release; Black Sabbath and Paranoid will always be more revolutionary and mystical and Led Zeppelin's IV will always be better, but let us not forget Deep Purple had the grooves. So forget it's betters, Machine Head was a game changer, just throw on "Maybe I'm Leo" and get lost in the thick crunching grooves.
69. Deja Vu - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young(Atlantic 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
"Now Witness, The Quickness, With Which We Get Along" were the lines from the strangely fitting album opener "Carry On". After all, in 1969 Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young dropped one of the most memorable and impressive debuts their era, and the world was clamouring for a second taste. While Deja Vu may have fallen short of start to finish brilliance it was assured follow up that made the world sit up and take notice. These were no one hit wonders, this was serious business. Their brand of folk rock still remains remarkable. The guitar licks punctuate the soft and subtle arrangements while the multiple layer vocals slide together into a beautiful dreamy harmony. Part of me wants to write "classic Cosby, Stills, Nash & Young" but that's of course that's stating the obvious, but its true. By the end of the seventies the great vocal harmony groups would be more or less gone, and now it's a refreshing to relive this gorgeous and soothing sound. Deja Vu was and is an absolute pleasure to listen to.
68. Transformer - Lou Reed(RCA 1972, David Bowie & Mick Ronson)
That David Bowie is a really helpful chap; when his former idol Lou Reed was struggling to find his feet the prince of pop decided to lend him a hand. Along with Mick Ronson, Bowie gave Lou Reed a glam make over and a more polished and accessible sound than ever before. Lou Reed for his part was no slouch bringing a mix of gloriously witty groovers ("Take A Walk On The Wild Side", "Vicious") and richly expressive pleas for help ("Perfect Day"). Yet for the most part it was the sexy and droll rumbling anthems like "Make Up" and "Hangin' Round" that made Transformer so incredibly infectious. It's no surprise that all these years later that Transformer remains Reed's most successful album and the one his legion of disciples and imitators line up to pay tribute to.
67. Starsailor - Tim Buckley(Straight 1970, Tim Buckley)
As reinventions go, the transformation of Tim Buckley is among the most astounding in music history. Starting out as the beloved "great voice" of America he slowly morphed into an experimental outcast and hero of the avante guard. While Buckley's early work was certainly more popular and undoubtedly more accessible it was rarely this thrilling. "Come Here Woman" must have scared the life out of listeners in 1970, it's so unsettling and uncomfortable and Buckley's vocals are positively terrifying. As he gets more deranged and more menical with each passing line. Things would only get more unsettling from there on in as Buckley would croon over shimmering chimes, devilishly plucked guitars, thudding symbols and even the pitter patter of horse's hoofs. Yet those who persevered would be treated to the ludicrous thrills of "Moulin Rouge" and eventually to his most loved masterpiece "Song To The Siren". It's a beautiful piece that just stops you in your tracks, the perfect combination of a haunting arrangement and a captivating vocal performance. It was the perfect centrepiece to cap one of the best and most daring albums of its age.
66. Surf's Up - The Beach Boys(Reprise 1971, The Beach Boys)
During the 1970s The Beach Boys and Beach Boy's records fell out of main stream favour. During this period of considerable anonymity The Beach Boys did anything but fall of the wagon creatively. They created some of their best, most creative, and most challenging works. Surf's Up was the pick of the bunch and went on to become a fan favourite and a relatively big seller. Listening to it now it's no surprise. The intricacy of the contradictory juxtaposed harmonies and the trippy layered arrangements feel right at home with today's avante guard virtuoso Animal Collective. Some of the tracks almost catch you off guard with creative twists and engaging arrangements. "Don't Go Near The Water" is one of the great album openers, "Student Demonstration Time" is quite fittingly a riot, and the winding melodies of "Looking At Tomorrow (Welfare Song)" is a treacherous unnerving delight. Yet its the staggering semi-finale note of "'Til I Die" that ties this emotive masterpiece together. There is certainly a post-Beatles feel to the vocals it doesn't diminish the unexpected creativity and quirky epicness of a real lost classic. Surf's Up greatest strength is that you can't go more than two or three tracks without being taken aback by a moment of absolute brilliance. In the 21st Century Surf's Up has become even more relevant; it feels like a gloriously expansive battle cry for green envoirmental activists world wide. But more that all this, Surf's Up is the best The Beach Boys record not named Pet Sounds.
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