ONLY TEENAGE WASTELAND? Twenty great albums of 1971……

[email protected] April 15, 2021

On hearing the extraordinary evidence in relation to the fact, few would dispute 1971 was indeed an astonishing year for popular music.

In fact given the acclaim bestowed on several releases that graced a remarkable 12 months for the medium known as ‘rock’ (to give it the most all-embracing term), many consider 1971 as the year it reached a creative zenith, with at least half a dozen albums of that vintage being hailed at some future point as the ‘greatest of all-time’ – two of which, ‘What’s Going On‘ and ‘Blue,’ were placed one and three respectively on the most recent poll of the best five hundred ever made.

But hold your ‘Wild Horses‘ (to quote a Rolling Stones song from their momentous 1971 release), right there – ‘Who’s Next‘ has often been declared ‘the finest rock record ever made‘ a claim also made on behalf of other 71 standouts, the Stones ‘Sticky Fingers‘ and ‘Led Zeppelin IV.’

As a ‘by the way’ to top the lot, in 1999 ‘What’s Going On‘ was declared the ‘Greatest Album of the 20th Century‘ so it is not stretching a point to say 1971 has plenty going for it – and all this in the year after The Beatles split and there was nothing new from Dylan.

With the Fabs reaching the end of the road in April 1970 comes a sense The Who, Zeppelin and the Stones no longer had to be viewed in the shadow of The Beatles and are competing on equal terms with each other.

Not that such a notion transmitted to N10, where in their North London enclave head Kinks-honchos Ray and Dave Davies gave the impression, nobody was as good as them anyway and with the brilliant ‘MUSWELL HILLBILLIES‘ they had a point – Ray conjuring two sides worth of captivating songs, these urban dramas shot through with the humour and poignancy that had been his trademark for the past seven years.

If this Kinks masterpiece was the finished article, then Pete Townshend was left frustrated at being unable to fully realise his ambitions for a Who project entitled ‘Lifehouse‘ – despite the embarrassment of riches that is ‘WHO’S NEXT‘.

Part science-fiction, part futuristic road story, but perhaps most pointedly a thesis on mass communication of the future, (the information ‘grid’ element of the narrative unerringly close to what we recognise today as the internet), Townshend, despite writing a script along with over twenty songs, was unable to convey his vision to Messrs Daltrey, Entwistle and Moon, which led to it being condensed onto a single album – but one containing some of the most exhilarating rock music ever recorded.

In just six years guitarist Townshend had led The Who from rebel yells through rock operas to the most audacious concept project any band had ever attempted. Although too broad in scope for the time, his grasp alone of how synthesizers could be utilised as a credible weapon in the arsenal of a major rock band lifted cuts such as ‘Baba O’Riley‘, ‘The Song Is Over‘ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again‘ to a plateau of creative achievement no other group had thus far reached.

In terms of tapping into the seemingly limitless possibilities rock, even by this relatively early stage of the game, had to offer, Townshend had David Bowie for company. Even with ‘Ziggy Stadust‘ yet to come over the horizon, his fourth album ‘HUNKY DORY‘ displayed remarkable vision. Drawing on Dylan, Lou Reed, Andy Warhol (and in fairness his newborn son) for inspiration, this inventive mix of rock, poetry and folk already had an other-worldly feel, the two most notable tracks, ‘Changes‘ and ‘Life on Mars‘ out of this world by any standards.

While the Rolling Stones remained the most celebrated rock band on the planet, in popularity stakes they, like everyone else, had ceded ground to the sonic force of nature that was Led Zeppelin.

Daring, derivative, brilliant, bombastic, no matter how the critics defined them, the world at large succumbed to their potent mix of machoism and mysticism, each found in abundance (at times in the same song) on the monumental ‘LED ZEPPELIN IV‘.

From the earth-shaking boogie of ‘Black Dog‘ and ‘Rock and Roll‘ through to the folk-fantasy of era-defining standard ‘Stairway to Heaven‘, Zeppelin were eclectic, expressive and prodigiously gifted – the combined talents of Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham creating a cataclysm of sound that at times defied belief. True, this musical form of thunder and lightning occasionally masked some thin lyrics, but on record at least, no other band have captured their true essence in the same way.

The Rolling Stones, meanwhile, in avoiding the clutches of the UK Inland Revenue, were operating from the south of France. They did, however, manage to continue the formidable momentum built up on ‘Beggars Banquet‘ (1968) and ‘Let It Bleed‘ (1969) with the ebullient ‘STICKY FINGERS‘ – their first album of new material in two years.

Those majesties of rhetoric and riff, namely Mick and Keith, came up with more stellar material, ‘Brown Sugar,’ ‘Sway‘, ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking‘ and ‘Bitch‘ full of the sting and swagger they could conjure no matter the state of their finances or Richards’ physical condition – although the poignant, country-tinged ‘Wild Horses‘ depicted exile in matters of the heart rather than income tax.

Before the decade was half over Rod Stewart would follow their lead in fleeing England due to demands of the tax man, but in 1971 – while leading a solo career concurrent to being lead singer of the Faces – his third album ‘EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY‘ brought him global stardom.

Rarely had such sudden fame been so richly deserved. While his first two outings had both been admirable, if barely noticed, affairs with the latest, Stewart, always a distinctive and effecting vocalist, wrote three songs of breathtaking wit and originality (one of which, ‘Maggie May‘ became a worldwide number one). Aligned to at least three stunning covers, he produced an album unsurpassable in its warmth and charm.

Charm aplenty could also be found on the richly resonant ‘TAPESTRY‘ by Carole King. With ex-husband Gerry Goffin she had written a score of short-form pop classics covered by a huge array of artists, but now as solo performer virtually created the niche for smartly written soft-rock ruminations on life and love. Playing like a well-crafted novel, ‘Tapestry‘ was a clear case of right artist, right songs, right time – her compelling brand of introspection resulting in off the scale sales figures and shelf full of Grammy awards.

Fellow New York songstress Laura Nyro had a greater vocal range than King and wrote slightly more abstract songs – not that it stopped them being covered by the likes of Barbara Streisand and Three Dog Night – but on the utterly delightful ‘GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE‘ Nyro celebrates the music she grew up with. Vocal trio Labelle provide support on a joyous covers’ album that in blending soul, pop and gospel gives ‘Dusty In Memphis‘ a run for its money. 50 years on, if there is a great 1971 album ripe for re-discovery, this is it.

Six albums into his career, the renown of Brooklyn-born Harry Nilsson was becoming increasingly based on his status as carousing buddy of Ringo and Moonie – but with ‘NILSSON SCHMILSSON‘ regained some of the ground lost to Randy Newman as a sharp-eyed satirist.

Recorded in London under the astute guidance of producer Richard Perry, the imagery in his piano-based compositions became more focused and the arrangements less showy, although it did not stop ‘The Moonbeam Song‘ from having a lovely lilting quality, providing a nice contrast to breezy Beatle-influenced rockers ‘Jump in the Fire‘ and ‘Down.’ For someone who appreciated irony, it came in the form of ‘Without You‘ – his breakthrough hit being a cover version amidst the best songs Harry had ever written.

As for those who had actually been a Beatle, George kept himself busy by organising a charity concert at Madison Square Garden in New York for victims of flooding in Bangladesh, persuading the likes of Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Ravi Shankar to play. Rightly commended for his altruism (rather than shout slogans George actually went out and did something), Harrison also roped Ringo in, the drummer otherwise keeping himself busy in 1971 simply being Ringo and putting out the excellent single ‘It Don’t Come Easy.’

Their erstwhile band-mates John and Paul – when not sniping at each other through the music press – spent some of the year creating new albums, which for the most part were highly commendable. From Lennon ‘IMAGINE‘ was a lighter flip side to his darkly absorbing ‘Plastic Ono Band‘ set of the previous year, although recriminations on the Beatles break-up took a bitter twist with an undisguised attack on McCartney entitled ‘How Do You Sleep?’ – a diatribe as far removed from let bygones be bygones as it was possible to get.

But it was not all bile and spite. ‘Jealous Guy‘ showed John at his most tender, the hymn-like title track was a plea for world peace and reconciliation, while ‘Oh Yoko‘ (as much as John would have hated such a comparison at the time) was not too far removed from the cosy domesticity Paul was purveying on ‘RAM‘.

If that was the way McCartney liked things nobody had much right to complain – particularly when he could come up with excellent Paul-styled Beatlesque material such as ‘Backseat of My Car,’ ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey‘ and ‘Smile Away.’

After reaching unprecedented levels of accomplishment on ‘Astral Weeks‘ and ‘Moondance‘ Van the man made a slight stumble with ‘His Band and the Street Choir‘ (1970), but ‘TUPELO HONEY‘ found Morrison once again approaching top form. On his last album of shorter songs before long form pieces began to dominate, the Caledonia Soulster had never sounded so assured as he did when ripping it up on the upbeat ‘Wild Night.’

If Van and Rod made albums that touched your heart while on theirs the Stones and The Who espoused rancour and revolution, it was hard to say exactly what Yes did. The music, while impeccably performed, had little appertaining to emotion, but criticising it for such flew in the face of a growing belief that technical excellence was evidence of how popular music was progressing.

Those who felt rock was best served when at its most fundamental, say ‘I Can’t Explain‘ or ‘Satisfaction,’ were given cause to think again by bands such as Yes – whose ‘THE YES ALBUM‘ went a long way in establishing ‘prog rock’ as a recognised proposition. Naturally the production was pristine, essential when showcasing musicians of such proficiency, the biting solos of recently recruited guitarist Steve Howe and Crosby, Stills & Nash styled harmonies giving some lengthy songs impetus – even when to the unconverted it all began to sound indulgent rather than inspired.

The lyrics were genius or gibberish depending on your viewpoint, but to a generation of erudite university students Yes were God’s gift and along with Zeppelin no two bands were more representative of the era – or more vilified in the advent of punk five years later.

In the field of soul music, Al Green with his second album ‘AL GREEN GETS NEXT TO YOU‘ declared himself the coming man, manna from heaven so to speak for those awaiting an authentic heir to Sam Cooke and Otis Redding from whom Green took accordant amounts of subtlety and spirit to create a valid persona of his own – and to think his finest work was still to come.

But for the moment, although perhaps for all time, he was eclipsed by Marvin Gaye and ‘WHAT’S GOING ON‘. Arguably the key text in any field of 70s expressionism, Gaye moved Motown from sophisticated pop to a head-spinning blend of urban jazz and blues, depicting ghetto life in contemporary America from a black perspective. His observations on faith, drugs, the Vietnam war, pollution and prejudice are gripping and intense, but never give up on the hope that righteousness and virtue will prevail.

From the uplifting grooves of the opening title-track through to the disconcerting images of ‘Inner City Blues‘ this is not only a journey of evaluation but an exploration into the whole concept of nationhood.

If ‘What’s Going On‘ was the game changer in expressing the aspirations and fears of black America, then Sly And The Family Stone carried the ball further down the field with ‘THERE’S A RIOT GOING ON‘.

Released six months later it is tempting to think Sly is answering Gaye in the title, producing an album that has a darker, more cynical edge. There is disillusionment in the statements he makes on himself and society, but few albums have such abundant power in their message, the slow burning blues-funk of ‘Poet‘ and ‘Brave and Strong‘ show remarkable rhythmic innovation and pave the way for Funkadelic among others – although in giving ‘Family Affair‘ enough hooks to become a hit single, Sly shows equally impressive commercial savvy.

In contrast, but no less outstanding, Joni Mitchell became the doyen of confessional singer-songwriters with ‘BLUE‘ – a record that stands as the most eloquent collection of songs ever recorded. Expressing hope, despair, intimacy, wit and bitter-sweet regret, over sparse, but highly effective instrumentation, Joni conjures a song cycle of romantic woe and wisdom – the cinematic imagery in closing cut ‘The Last Time I Saw Richard‘ a landmark in narrative scope and detail.

Issued posthumously after she died from heroin overdose at the age of just 27 in October 1970, ‘PEARL‘ by Janis Joplin was full of the sad ironies rock music had started to amass. Blessed with a voice of incredible power, in leading the San Francisco blues-rock aggregation Big Brother And The Holding Company, Joplin had a tendency to overdo the histrionics (much as she seemed to overdo most things), but on her second solo album (‘Pearl‘ was a name bestowed by friends), Joplin produced the finest singing of her career.

Vibrant one minute, vulnerable the next, the record while unfinished (one backing track was yet to be given a vocal) had considerable potency and for an artist who was never truly embraced by the mainstream, yielded a US number one hit single with the Kris Kristofferson song ‘Me and Bobby McGee.’

‘Pearl‘ had been produced by Paul A. Rothchild, whose name was synonymous with seminal LA rockers The Doors, the group dispensing with his services, however, before they began recording ‘LA WOMAN.’

Returning to the stripped back sound of their earlier albums, on this the seventh, the hypnotic keyboard patterns of Ray Manzarek return to the fore, giving a dense, forceful texture to the often bleak but striking imagery of charismatic front man Jim Morrison.

In a resounding triumph for cross-pollination, the words are a mesh of lyrics and poetry, the music a fusion of rock and blues, Morrison a cross between Mick Jagger and a young Marlon Brando. On ‘The Changeling‘ and two superb extended workouts (the title-track and ‘Riders on the Storm‘), even at its most ominous, ‘LA Woman‘ sounds and feels the album they were always destined to make.

If ‘Maggie May,’ ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again,’ ‘Brown Sugar‘ indeed, ‘Riders of the Storm‘ are great rock songs for all time, seeking out an instrumental passage of pure transcendence was to look no further than the slide guitar solo by Duane Allman that opens ‘Statesboro Blues‘ on The Allman Brothers live album ‘AT FILLMORE EAST.’

At least three cuts included on the double-set are epic in length, but even then there is no pointless, showy meandering and on one of the very few live albums where everything comes together, slide-maestro Duane, keyboardist brother Gregg and their cohorts (including a rhythm section that chugs like a well-oiled steam train) reach for the stars, but go way beyond – delivering a reminder that in 12 months of incredible ambition and articulation, rock music still had a duty to make hearts beat faster, even when some were challenging and expanding every possible perception.

Which would have been an appropriate place to leave 1971 – had it not been for the unfortunate trait rock music had developed for preying on its young. After former Rolling Stone Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Joplin had succumbed to lifestyle temptations in the previous eighteen months, Morrison, having quit The Doors on completion of ‘LA Woman‘ died of an alcohol-induced heart attack in July – while on October 29 a motorcycle accident claimed the life of Duane Allman.

In a year when there were profound statements aplenty, Pete Townshend may have been referring to young lives that blazed like a comet and were gone when he put the line ‘It’s only teenage wasteland‘ into ‘Baba O’Riley‘ or simply describing where the likes of him, Jagger and Lennon had emerged from.

As the 70s unfolded, however, it seemed more and more a pronouncement on what they were leaving behind.

Twenty Great Albums of 1971:

1. WHAT’S GOING ON – Marvin Gaye;
2. BLUE – Joni Mitchell;
3. WHO’S NEXT – The Who;
4. THERE’S A RIOT GOING ON – Sly and The Family Stone;
5. STICKY FINGERS – Rolling Stones;
6. EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY – Rod Stewart;
7. TAPESTRY – Carole King;
8. MUSWELL HILLBILLIES – The Kinks;
9. LED ZEPPELIN IV – Led Zeppelin;
10. HUNKY DORY – David Bowie;
11. LA WOMAN – The Doors;
12. AT FILLMORE EAST – The Allman Brothers Band;
13. IMAGINE – John Lennon;
14. TUPELO HONEY – Van Morrison;
15. GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE – Laura Nyro;
16. RAM – Paul McCartney;
17. AL GREEN GETS NEXT TO YOU – Al Green;
18. NILSSON SCHMILSSON – Harry Nilsson;
19. PEARL – Janis Joplin;
20. THE YES ALBUM – Yes;

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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book.