For me as a child, one of the strongest memories of the 70s is hearing the mega-awesome "Come Sail Away" by Styx. Released in 1977 off their seventh studio album The Grand Illusion, "Come Sail Away" would help bolst the album to multi-platinum sales, and become one of Styx's biggest hits. It's such a visual song, and much to ponder for those Ancient Aliens enthusiasts... "Come Sail Away" would make it all the way to #8 on the Billboard charts. This is classic rock- it's theatrical, over-the-top, and beautiful. This song simply must be played loud. And check out this video!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
DOCTOR'S ORDERS BY CAROL DOUGLAS
One of the pioneering tracks of disco, released in 1974, was "Doctor's Orders" by Carol Douglas. The song became hugely popular by the end of '74, making it all the way to #11 on Billboard's Top 100 chart and #2 on Billboard's recently launched disco chart. By 1975, global sales of "Doctor's Orders" by Carol Douglas totaled one million units. It's irresistible disco, and downright impossible not to sing along with Carol- why she didn't have more hits is beyond me. "Doctor's Orders" is a personal favorite. It's a gem!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
MOVIN' BY BRASS CONSTRUCTION
Brass Construction were a disco/funk group of the 1970's who scored a Top 20 hit in 1976 with the irresistibly funky "Movin". Although only scoring one other Top 20 hit in the US, they were much more successful on the dance charts, including "Movin", which would become a #1 dance smash. Brass Construction never quite became household names, but that doesn't necessarily mean they weren't influential. The Bucketheads would sample the tune with their 1995 smash "Got Myself Together", and had other tunes sampled by the likes of Jill Scott and N.W.A. It is impossible to sit still while listening to this song, and this is quintessential 70s disco/funk. Love it!
Monday, August 1, 2011
KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL- THE CRYING INDIAN COMMERCIAL
Every child of the 70's will forever have this commercial embedded into their brain. Who can ever forget the Crying Indian? I feel shameful just thinking about it...
CARRIE
It doesn't get much better than Brian DePalma's masterpiece of 70's horror, "Carrie". Sissy Spacek plays Carrie White, a shy high school girl ruthlessly taunted by her cruel classmates. She also has to deal with her religious fanatic of a mother, Piper Laurie.
The movie starts off shocking- Carrie has her first period in gym class, and because her mother is such a religious wacko, she has failed to mention or explain menstruation to her daughter, who thinks she's bleeding to death. Of course, her classmates find this terribly amusing, and led by Nancy Allen's super-bitch Chris Hargensen, commence to throwing tampons and sanitary napkins at Carrie while shrieking "Plug it up!". It's a vicious and harrowing scene that shows just how cruel school kids can be. Especially the girls. Sue Snell, played by Amy Irving, feels bad for participating, and asks her popular boyfriend Tommy Ross (William Katt) to take Carrie to the prom to make it up to her. He asks her, and she accepts. But evil Chris doesn't like it one bit, and unknown to everybody but us, rigs up two buckets of pig blood to be dumped on Carrie and Tommy as they are announced King and Queen of the prom (which has also been fixed). And we can only helplessly sit back and wait for the brutal climax we know is coming. Carrie comes to the realization that she has telekinesis, and after years of being abused and taunted by her classmates, uses that power to "bring down the house" for a little old-fashioned revenge at the prom. Rarely has a horror movie, (or any movie, for that matter) evoked such a range of emotions while watching- pity, tension, revulsion, and outright horror. You feel for Carrie White, thanks in large part to her unforgettable, Oscar-nominated performance. Sissy Spacek owns the role of Carrie- you just can't imagine anybody else in the role. Piper Laurie is terrifying (and utterly delicious) as Carrie's demented mother, Margaret. Let's not forget the fabulous supporting players here- Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, P.J. Soles, and John Travolta in his first starring role. In my opinion, actually better than the book it was based on (which don't get me wrong- King's novel is sensational- it was just magically brought to life on the screen by DePalma), "Carrie" is a tour-de-force of acting, directing, editing, and special effects that is still one of the greatest horror movies ever made. And it's amazing how many times "Carrie" pops up in practically anything these days, whether in reference, imitation, or homage. "Carrie" has made a huge impact on pop culture- the image of Sissy Spacek, drenched in blood, is a true iconic image of horror. This is one of the most awesome horror movies of all time.
HELLO, IT'S ME BY TODD RUNDGREN
"Hello It's Me" was a Top 5 smash for Todd Rundgren in 1972, and it's a perfect example of the laid back and mellow vibes of the 70's. It would be Todd's only major pop hit, but the song has become a bona fide pop classic. Popular enough in fact to be used on tv's "That 70's Show" in the ending of that show's series finale.
DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by PINK FLOYD
Although originally released in 1973, Pink Floyd's epic "Dark Side Of The Moon" is currently still the most successful album of all time. Unbelievably it remained on Billboard's Hot 200 album chart for an amazing 15 years straight, having sold over 40 million copies worldwide. It is said that one in every 20 people under the age of 50 owns a copy of this album. It has truly transcended genres, and remains a timeless piece of work. Long considered an experience much more than a mere album, "Dark Side Of The Moon" is the ultimate symbol of the spaced-out 70's. Just about every person who bought this album at one point or another lit some candles, turned off the lights, smoked a doob, and with some good headphones truly went to a far off place somewhere in their mind. Listening to this album is like an acid trip, and continues to this day to delight and astound newcomers to the band. Like Stanley Kubrick's tripped-out masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Dark Side Of The Moon" became one of the ultimate celestial vehicles for self-awareness and discovery in the 70's, as if all the mysteries of our existence are hidden among the lyrics and music.
Many words come to mind when"Dark Side Of The Moon" is mentioned- spaced-out, trippy, deep, ethereal, obscure. The album is simply as far as you can get from traditional rock or pop. Pink Floyd, very much like The Grateful Dead, made up their own rules as they went along. "Dark Side Of The Moon" is odd in that the songs on it don't seem to work by themselves near as well as they do together- the album works much better as one piece of music. If you can leave behind the Top40 mentality and decide to take a journey through space and time and open your mind as never before- this is one of the best albums to do it with. There really isn't much to say about "Dark Side Of The Moon" that hasn't already been said. The music and the cult speak for themselves. Rare is the album that has the uncanny power to completely transcend time and remain as modern and fresh over 30 years after its release. This is art, this is epic- you don't just hear Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" for the first time, you experience it. The album has permeated pop culture as an icon of classic 70's concept albums, and will never stop selling. This is highly recommended for those music lovers who realize that music is not relevant to styles or genres. This album is a rite of passage, and it's impossible to think of the 1970's and not think of Pink Floyd or this strange but brilliantly innovative album. If we were ever to jettison into space a time capsule to represent art and culture from planet Earth, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" most certainly belongs inside it.
Sometime in the 90's, it became popular to watch "The Wizard Of Oz" but with the Pink Floyd album playing instead of the film soundtrack. Amazingly, although the band has said that this was total coincidence, many times throughout the album and the movie mesh extremely well together. It's as if Pink Floyd purposely designed the album to flow with the "The Wizard Of Oz". It has become almost an urban legend at this point, only adding to the album's overall mystique. Overall, this is a must for music lovers of any genre. It is a masterpiece of experimentation and creativity. One of the most classic and beloved concept albums of all time, "Dark Side Of The Moon" remains consistently cool. This album still has the power to reduce me to chills at times. It truly is a total head trip, and is so associated with the psychedelic culture that even today I instantly smell pot and incense whenever Pink Floyd is mentioned.
THE STEPFORD WIVES
EYES OF LAURA MARS
Laura Mars is a New York fashion photographer who specializes in violent and overtly sexual images. Her "art" causes controversy, and she's the toast of the town. Everything is just fabulous until somebody starts brutally murdering her friends and acquaintances in the chic fashion world of New York City in the 70's. To make matters worse, some of Laura's photos, unknown to her, are exact matches of shots of real-life crime scenes in the NYPD crime book. To top all of this off, Laura begins to see the murders happening through her own eyes... brief visions of the murders, which can seize her vision at any given time... Throw in a title tune sung by none other than Barbra Streisand, and you've got the "Eyes Of Laura Mars"...
There are so many things to say about "Eyes Of Laura Mars" that I'm not sure where to begin. This movie is awesomely campy, there's no doubt about that. Perfectly capturing New York City circa 1978, the film is an absolute gem of 70's style and fashions. Chock full of delicious disco tunes, "Laura Mars" is a strange but definitely original suspense film. Faye Dunaway leads an all-star cast here- Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, and Raul Julia, just to name a few. With a story by John Carpenter, slick, inventive cinematography and solid, stylish direction by Irvin Kirshner, the film is a tense and gorgeous little mystery/suspense shocker . It has all the makings of a great movie, and almost succeeds. There are quite a few things wrong with the film but I think overall the good outweigh the bad. There are many things the film has going for it.
When Babs begins singing "Prisoner" (Love Theme From "Eyes Of Laura Mars"), you know you're in for a treat. Streisand, you ask? This is a Jon Peters production, you see. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just try to muddle through, okay?) Faye Dunaway is nothing short of stunning here. One of our greatest actresses, she is thoroughly believable in her role- and Rene Auberjonois is fantastically flamboyant as her best friend and assistant. Brad Dourif is somewhat creepy as Laura's driver, who drives her around in some sort of weird station wagon... Still not sure why a high-end fashion photographer wouldn't be driven around in a limo or at least a cadillac, but whatever. It's a hoot. Rounding out the crazy cast of characters is Tommy Lee Jones, who sports one of the worst uni-brows in celluloid history as he plays a cop determined to find out who's picking off members of the fashion world.
"Eyes Of Laura Mars" is quite ridiculous, actually. But Faye and friends do give the botched film all they've got, and it is extremely entertaining. And... somewhat frustrating. Frustrating because it could have been sensational, but unfortunately does fall flat in a few areas. "Laura Mars" has many over-the-top scenes to enjoy, and besides being a time-capsule delight of the 70's, we're still treated to some somewhat suspenseful murder sequences and fabulous fashion sequences. So all-in-all it's practically impossible not to have fun with "Laura Mars". If you're looking for a serious scare, you might not dig it. But if you're looking for a deliciously campy murder mystery 70's style, then this is your film.
THE CARS DEBUT ALBUM
The Cars are hands down one of my all-time favorite bands. To me, they personify the essence of summer, of parties on Saturday nights and cruising down the strip. I grew up in the late 70's and 80's, and music like this was the soundtrack to my life. I instantly loved The Cars the first time I heard them as a kid- they were the epitome of coolness. And still are. They have their own unique sound and it's timeless.
The Cars released their classic debut album "The Cars" in 1978, which would spawn the excellent singles "Just What I Needed", "My Best Friend's Girl", "You're All I've Got Tonight", "Moving In Stereo", and "Good Times Roll". The Cars became hugely popular as one of the front runners of the new sound in rock. Music was changing from the easy vibes of the early 70's to a more cutting edge, futuristic sound. Led Zeppelin and KISS were cooling, and bands such as Blondie, The Pretenders, and The Cars looming on the horizon. Merging hard driving 70's rock with futuristic 80's synth, they created a sound and genre all their own.
Generally hailed as a rock masterpiece, "The Cars" debut album has deservedly earned being named one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. "Moving In Stereo" is hands down one of the hottest rock songs of all time, partly because of the 80's teen classic "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", which used The Cars sizzling "Moving In Stereo" in such a memorable scene that it's impossible to hear the song and not think of Phoebe Cates slowly un-doing her bikini top in slow motion. And that scene perfectly sums up the music of The Cars. There isn't a bad song on the album, and it doesn't seem dated one bit today.
The Cars released their classic debut album "The Cars" in 1978, which would spawn the excellent singles "Just What I Needed", "My Best Friend's Girl", "You're All I've Got Tonight", "Moving In Stereo", and "Good Times Roll". The Cars became hugely popular as one of the front runners of the new sound in rock. Music was changing from the easy vibes of the early 70's to a more cutting edge, futuristic sound. Led Zeppelin and KISS were cooling, and bands such as Blondie, The Pretenders, and The Cars looming on the horizon. Merging hard driving 70's rock with futuristic 80's synth, they created a sound and genre all their own.
Generally hailed as a rock masterpiece, "The Cars" debut album has deservedly earned being named one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. "Moving In Stereo" is hands down one of the hottest rock songs of all time, partly because of the 80's teen classic "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", which used The Cars sizzling "Moving In Stereo" in such a memorable scene that it's impossible to hear the song and not think of Phoebe Cates slowly un-doing her bikini top in slow motion. And that scene perfectly sums up the music of The Cars. There isn't a bad song on the album, and it doesn't seem dated one bit today.
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