Have your tastes in music changed since the 70s?

February 10, 2008

Check this out. The stereo we had at my house in the early seventies was made up of the inner workings of a jukebox that my grandfather absconded from a work site restoration of a closed-down restaurant (they’d found dead dogs buried in the back of the property). Dad made some beautiful wooden cabinets for the speakers, and sprung for a brand new Garrard turntable. It sounded great, I guess, and we listened to it for years.

I’ve always been a listener, and my life is filled with music. My first real nice albums (yes, albums!) I inherited from my older brother Will, after he left for the Air Force in 1974. His collection of 1970s music included albums from Osibissa, Gypsy, King Crimson, Isley Brothers, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and a whole slew of other artists, like Malo and Santana, Yes, and Caldera. Before that, I had a few 45’s, and I even listened to my dad’s music, like The Sandpipers, Herb Alpert and Tijuana Brass, etc.

Nevertheless, I had friends with really nice components. I remember Junior ‘Lagarto’ system with like 75 watts and AR 2ax speakers. Awesome sound! There I listened to Tower of Power, Al Di Meola, Four Seasons and others. Great 70s music!  His dad was retired military and we would buy packs of Marlboros from him, at a discount, thru his bedroom window. Weird….
Anyway, it wasn’t until the mid to late 1970s, when I was turned on to Chick Corea and Return to Forever, that I discovered my favorite music style: Fusion. I would listen to music at my friends’ Peter Fernandez and Bobby Olson. I spent many an afternoon and evening listening to their great collection of albums of John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tania Maria, Passport, Return to Forever, Jeff Beck and Weather Report with Jaco Pastorius (probably the best bass player in the world). I listened to some of the best Reggae, Brazil and New Wave music with those two guys too.

Early 70s music

I loved the rock ‘classics’: Procol Harum’s Conquistador, Cream’s White Room, Uriah Heep, Steely Dan, and can remember where and with whom I was when I first heard these songs.

One of my favorites was (and is) Three Dog Night’s Eli’s Coming. I remember, arount 1971, going to Teddy Mayo’s house and listening to that song on a 45 RPM record, and many others like Rare Earth’s ‘Get Ready’, Guess Who’s ‘No Time’ or Uriah Heep’s ‘The Magician’s Birthday’.

Late 70s music

I love such diverse music artists as Bread, Alan Parsons, Crusaders, Van Halen, Larry Carlton, Blood Sweat & Tears, Elton John, Gino Vanelli, Barry White… Yeah, I’m all over the place, but I can’t help it. These are all great artists, and music is such a beautiful thing. Head on to the Top Songs of the 70s page and see if some of those are your favorites.

My 70s were about the music, and I want you to share what your music was like.

Posted in 1970s Music