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Post by Erik Rupp on Nov 24, 2010 0:32:09 GMT -5
Back in the 70's a lot of stuff was considered to be Heavy Metal that, today, would just be considered Hard Rock or Classic Rock - but back then? It was dangrous, it was loud, it was HEAVY!
And it was fresh and new. As cliched and occasionally cheesy as some of it would come across if it were written and recorded today, back then it was fresh and exciting. It was the cutting edge of Rock. Those bands were pushing the boundaries.
Here are some examples of both well known and much lesser known Hard Rock and Heavy Metal bands from the 70's...
Moxy
UFO
KISS
More to come...
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Post by Erik Rupp on Nov 24, 2010 9:41:22 GMT -5
Moxy really sounds a lot like Montrose, with the occasional bit of Rush, KISS, and Led Zeppelin thrown in. Their first three albums (Moxy, Moxy II, and Riding High) are really, really good. Sadly, their singer Buzz Shearman developed vocal cord problems and had to leave the band after their third album. He was replaced by a young Mike Rynoski. Rynoski's tenure in the band was short lived, however, and he went on to change his last name to Reno and then co-founded Loverboy.
Another nearly forgotten Canadian band is Teaze. They weren't as consistent as Moxy, and probably not as good overall, but they did have some really good songs...
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Post by Erik Rupp on Nov 25, 2010 11:07:50 GMT -5
Here's an interesting pair of related bands: Starz and Rex.
Starz was a really good band that was heavily influenced by Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, and KISS, but in addition to that there was an undercurrent of 70's Power Pop in their music as well. They were fronted by a singer named Michael Lee Smith who was pretty darned good.
Smith's brother, Rex Smith, fronted a band simply called REX. Rex's bass player Orville Davis joined Starz after Rex broke up in 1977. Not surprisingly, Rex sounded a lot like Starz.
Here are some tracks from both bands...
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Post by Erik Rupp on Nov 25, 2010 11:25:48 GMT -5
Here's a little taste of the next band...
Legs Diamond
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Post by Erik Rupp on Nov 27, 2010 11:46:07 GMT -5
Legs Diamond actually survived through the 80's (just barely, and with different line-ups) and continued (on and off) well into the new century, but their best work was done in the mid to late 70's on their self-titled debut album and the follow up, A Diamond is a Hard Rock.
Originating in Los Angeles in the mid 70's, they were influenced both by the American Hard Rock of the time (Nugent, Aerosmith, KISS), but also showed some heavy Deep Purple influences which gave them a slightly different sound than most North American bands.
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Post by Erik Rupp on Nov 27, 2010 12:15:50 GMT -5
How can we have a discussion of 70's Hard Rock and Heavy Metal and not include the quintessential Heavy Metal band - Judas Priest? Their debut album came out in 1974, and while it sounded significantly different from the style they were known for in the 80's there were some hints at what was to come... [youtube] www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbHhq01-GM4&feature=related[/youtube]It was the subsequent albums that saw Priest move into the territory that they are identified with...
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Post by Erik Rupp on Dec 1, 2010 0:35:24 GMT -5
Of course, you can't have a discussion about 70's Hard Rock and Heavy Metal without bringing up the boys from Ireland (OK, two of the guys were from Ireland after 1974) - THIN LIZZY!
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Post by Erik Rupp on Dec 11, 2010 2:54:30 GMT -5
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Post by Erik Rupp on Dec 11, 2010 17:22:36 GMT -5
Here was something of an odd, enigmatic band - Ram Jam.
They had a pretty big hit in, "Black Betty," and then faded into obscurity after their next album. The driving force behind the first album, guitarist/singer Bill Bartlett was essentially forced out of the band that was built around him in the first place once they got to that second album.
Singer Myke Scavone had taken all of the vocal duties by that point and new guitarist Jimmy Santoro took over all the lead guitar on that second album, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram.
And where the first album was something of a hard edged Southern Rock album with bits of Pop and even Progressive influences showing here and there, the second album was a straightforward Hard Rock album. The credits for the second album (who actually produced it, who the songwriters really were, etc) have always been a bit sketchy, seemingly on purpose.
Whatever. They had some good stuff - like this...
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Post by Erik Rupp on Dec 12, 2010 1:26:11 GMT -5
Of course, no discussion of 1970's Hard Rock/Metal would be complete without including this band...
Aerosmith.
They had what was perhaps one of the all time greatest 1-2 punch in Hard Rock history with Toys in the Attic and Rocks. Two great albums in a row, and they had some other albums that weren't too shabby, either.
Here's are some of their best songs (not the usual suspects, however)...
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Post by roadrat15 on Dec 29, 2010 13:11:27 GMT -5
Lets not forget Styx, Free, Bad Company, Nazareth, Queen (in the seventies), the Sweet (Motley Crue would be nowhere without them), Foghat. & Grand Funk Railroad.
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Post by Erik Rupp on Jan 15, 2011 17:58:26 GMT -5
Of course there's always the legendary ANGEL....
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Post by roadrat15 on Jan 20, 2011 2:21:37 GMT -5
In Australia, we had groups like : Rose Tattoo, Skyhooks, AC/DC, Hush, Supernaut, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, & The Angels (or as they were called in the U.S., Angel City). Try to find some of 'em . . . they're great!
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Post by wrongo on Feb 5, 2011 12:51:45 GMT -5
In Australia, we had groups like : Rose Tattoo, Skyhooks, AC/DC, Hush, Supernaut, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, & The Angels (or as they were called in the U.S., Angel City). Try to find some of 'em . . . they're great! Was fortunate to see "Angel City" in London when they were on tour with Cheap Trick.... The Angels absolutely blew Cheap Trick of the stage. A truly amazing set, and Ive been a fan ever since. I love the live version of "Am I ever gonna see your face again" with the crowd screaming back.
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