As a ’90s teenager in Pembroke, Ont., one of my favourite places to get T-shirts was the old hot-transfer concession in the mall. They had several big photo album-like binders with different press-on designs you could get on a T-shirt of your choice — different colours, regular T, V-neck, turtleneck or three-quarter sleeve.
But the best part was the designs. These days you can find funny, ironic and retro designs in seconds, on your phone. But in 1991, no such luck. Except at the mall T-shirt kiosk. It had been there since the ’70s, and never got rid of its old designs so you could still get Keep On Truckin’, Sit On It, Where’s The Beef? and Sock It To Me slogan shirts, or character shirts including Who Shot J.R.?, The Osmonds, Banacek and BJ & the Bear.
I always tried to get stuff that was as ridiculous as possible. I had a Lordy Lordy Look Who’s 40 and a Jesus Loves Me, which included a little teddy bear. I actually got a discount on a shiny new Precision bass because I was wearing that shirt. The owners of Underground Music in Petawawa were real God-botherers and didn’t realize it was ironic. “He does, you know,” the lovely woman said to me when I brought the instrument to the counter.
But I also had a Love Those Jugs shirt with a pair of corked jugs where boobs should be. Eventually, I started making my own shirts at the kiosk (they had those press-on velveteen letters and numbers, too!). I had a shirt made for picture day which was all black with white letters proclaiming ALL MY FAMILY IS DEAD.
And then I got one which kind of became my signature — a cobalt blue T which simply stated 1974 on the front. I wore it three times a week. By the time I finally retired it years later, it was pantyhose-thin, with a peeling 4 and a series of little holes on the front from using it to open beer bottles. The 1974 shirt was my attempt to get the “most ’70s” shirt I could find. I decided nothing was as stark as just a plain shirt which declared the one year of the ’70s which seemed to me to have no particular association.
Of all the years in the ’70s, 1974 just seemed like the most ’70s. Lost in the mids. Unremarkable. It wasn’t ’71 or ’72 when rock exploded. It wasn’t 73, the year of my birth and Dark Side Of The Moon. It wasn’t mid-decade 1975 — Physical Graffiti and the fact that 75 is a milestone number and 74 is not. For me personally, 1976 was always kind of special because it was the year my family moved into a new house. It was also the year of the Montreal Olympics. Both ’77 and ’78 were punk and disco, and 1979 was the final year of the decade. But 1974? It was the lampshade of the ’70s. The tan sedan. Matching oven mitts.
This perception probably has something to do with my slight synesthesia, but I stand by my argument nonetheless.
Anyway, it is finally 1974’s time to shine. It was 50 years ago. That means there are a bunch of classic albums turning gold this year. I thought I’d highlight 50 key ones which I actually have in my collection. And, yes… I was shocked that there are 50 great albums from 1974.
Here Come The Warm Jets | Brian Eno’s debut solo album was just what I needed when I found it in the early 1990s. In many ways, he’s my Elvis. The way I construct my own songs was inspired by Eno’s approach in those early years. Song choice: Baby’s On Fire.
Radio City | Big Star’s followup to #1 Record. I’m honestly not sure which one I like better. This one has my favourite Big Star song on it, though: Back Of A Car.
Court And Spark | Joni Mitchell’s 1974 album is one for which I have a quadraphonic copy. It’s so good. Still her most-successful album ever. Song choice: Help Me.
They Say I’m Different | Betty Davis’s sophomore album wasn’t the breakthrough record she hoped it would be — none of her albums were, but try to find someone nowadays who’d try to tell you they’re not all totally awesome. Song choice: He Was A Big Freak.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway | The last Genesis album with Peter Gabriel. A refreshingly non-Renaissance fayre-themed prog record. A double with only a handful of filler. Saved my paper route money to buy this when I was around 14. Song choice: Counting Out Time.
Crime Of The Century | Supertramp’s big breakthrough album is one you can spend a lot of time with. Song choice: Bloody Well Right.
On The Beach | Neil Young (like Joni) isn’t on Spotify, so I’ll have to add some other stuff for their tracks. This album is a real downer — probably made all the more obvious by its juxtaposition to the lead track and single, Walk On — which is such a strong, catchy song. I remember it really standing out when one of my big brothers bought Decade. So when, years later, I bought On The Beach, I was kind of shocked at what I was hearing. Song choice: For The Turnstiles.
Diamond Dogs | David Bowie’s last glam album, but his first without Mick Ronson (who is on this list in his own right). Turns out Bowie is a great guitar player, too — and he often remarked that nobody could play the Rebel Rebel riff properly.
Rock Bottom | Robert Wyatt’s first solo album since a fall left him without the use of his legs. All his friends helped him bounce back and many of them appear on this record, which was produced by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Song choice: Sea Song.
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight | Richard & Linda Thompson. I have Richard Thompson’s previous album Henry The Human Fly, and this one is so much better — especially the title track, which is my pick. This was the first album co-credited to his wife Linda.
Pretzel Logic | Steely Dan’s third album got the band back in the hit parade after a sophomore dryspell. The album’s opening track, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, was the band’s biggest hit. Yeah, bigger than Reelin’ In The Years. But my song pick is Any Major Dude Will Tell You, which has one of the best opening lines of any song. “I never seen you looking so bad, my funky one.” I also have a quad copy of this.
KISS | KISS’s debut record only has two stinkers on it: Love Theme From KISS and Kissing Time. I still like ’em both, though. Song choice: Let Me Know.
Get Your Wings | Aerosmith’s second album isn’t as good as their first, but it’s still great. Dumb and great. Song choice: Same Old Song And Dance.
Inspiration Information | Shuggie Otis is actually kind of a playlist artist for me. Some of his stuff just doesn’t stir me at all for some reason, and that’s weird because he’s got some tracks I consider incredible. Song choice: the title track.
Rejuvenation | The Meters have so many great albums. Their first two from 1969 are probably my favourites, but this one from five years later is a goddamned classic. The opening track, People Say, is my pick.
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) | Eno’s followup to his debut from earlier in the year is equally as good. I’m singling out Third Uncle for its amazing bum-note bass part.
Walls And Bridges | John Lennon’s best record in awhile, and the last great one he’d ever make. I didn’t love Double Fantasy. I have a quad copy of this — on 8-track! The production is very Phil Spector-esque despite the fact that it was produced by Lennon after Spector fled with session tapes a year earlier following a drunken pot-a-deux. Song choice: Old Dirt Road.
Autobahn | Kraftwerk’s big breakthrough album came with a major advance in their streamlined, synth-heavy sound. Mostly, I find this record boring, but I’ll include it here because I know it’s seminal. I almost never listen to it. Song choice: The title track, but I’m not including it because it’s too damn long.
Jolene | Dolly Parton’s all-time best song, and a really fine record. This is Dolly the singer-songwriter, not Dolly the caricature. Song choice: Jolene, obviously.
Jim Stafford | The only album of his you need. I found Jim via those K-Tel compilations of the 1970s. He had three songs on them — Spiders And Snakes, My Girl Bill and the awesome Swamp Witch. He was an under-appreciated talent who was funny (he was one of the writers on The Smothers Brothers), could act (was a guest star on The Love Boat!) and a really great guitar player. The strength of this album led to Stafford getting his own variety show on ABC. Song choice: Swamp Witch, because it used to scare the shit out of me.
Red | King Crimson’s best record. Absolutely perfect. Fierce, smart and loveable. Song choice: One More Red Nightmare.
Starless And Bible Black | King Crimson had two albums in 1974 — this one came first. Nearly as good as Red. Song choice: The Great Deceiver (with apologies for the homophobic slur).
Sheer Heart Attack | Queen also had two albums in 1974. This one came after Queen II and it’s so much better. In fact, it’s hard to pick a song. I’ll go with Stone Cold Crazy.
Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley | Robert Palmer was as inconsistent as he was under-appreciated. This album is awesome, not just for its great title track, but also for this deep cut: From A Whisper To A Scream.
Desitively Bonnaroo | Dr. John at his Dr. Johninest. This album has a fuck-off amazing cover. ’70s ridiculoso. I love it. Song choice: (Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away.
Secret Treaties | Blue Öyster Cult’s secret masterpiece. I have this in quad, too. The mix of the guitars was already great in stereo. You need to hear it in quadraphonic. Song choice: Dominance And Submission.
Small Talk | Sly & The Family Stone’s gift to Beastie Boys. The last album before Sly went solo. Here we find him a new father, newly married and coked-out like a panther. Still a sick, thick muther of a record. Song choice: Loose Booty (not to be confused with the Funkadelic track of the same name from 1972).
Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On | Funkadelic are on the list in their own right. I love this record. I actually blew a speaker with Red Hot Mama. I don’t want you to do the same, so my song pick is Sexy Ways, which I was reminded of during Justin Trudeau’s first campaign as Liberal leader, every time the phrase “sunny ways” was used.
The Heart of Saturday Night | Tom Waits’ sophomore album isn’t my favourite of his from those early years — I prefer Closing Time and Night Hawks at the Diner, which sandwich this very sentimental album. But it’s still Waits — witih all his incredible imagery, romanticism and characters. Song choice: New Coat Of Paint.
Burn | Deep Purple came out guns blazing with their first post-Ian Gillan album. Who the hell is this David Coverdale kid? Who cares? What a record. Ian Paice rules. Song choice: Burn.
Nightlife | Thin Lizzy’s first album as a four-piece. So damn good. There are quite a few chiller numbers on this album — wonderful showpieces for Phil Lynott’s incredible way with words. For my song choice, though, we’ll go with a banger: It’s Only Money.
Eldorado | Electric Light Orchestra’s fourth record is one of my favourite albums, period. I love their third, one too. But I actually bit the bullet and purhcased the MOFI pressing of this gorgeous record. Song choice: Can’t Get It Out Of My Head.
Fear | John Cale has more character in his left eyebrow than most people manage in a lifetime. This followup to the wonderful Paris 1919 is filled with unsettling songs by the man who was busy working to produce Patti Smith’s Horses album. Song pick: Fear Is A Man’s Best Friend.
Slaughter On 10th Avenue | Mick Ronson stepped away from Bowie and made a brilliant album before hooking up with Ian Hunter and Mott The Hoople. Song choice: Only After Dark. Reminds me of Ace Frehley so much.
Feats Don’t Fail Me Now | Little Feat let Lowell George take control for two records: Dixie Chicken and this one. There are so many songs I could highlight, but I have to go with my favourite (pay attention to the greatest drummer ever, Ritchie Hayward): The Fan.
Kimono My House | Probably the first album most people buy by Sparks. For good reason. It’s accessible and brilliant. Song choice: Amateur Hour.
Rags To Rufus | Rufus’s breakthrough second album with Chaka Khan features their big Stevie Wonder-penned hit Tell Me Something Good. This is often mentioned as “essential” in quadraphonic chat groups, so I got a copy. Yeah, it is. It’s the first of two albums they put out in 1974 — the other was Rufusized, which is also great. Song choice: Tell Me Something Good.
Free Beer & Chicken | John Lee Hooker’s weirdest record. It’s a funky affair, recorded in California with a slew of high-profile guests and session players. Not everybody digs it, but I do. Song choice: Homework.
Miles Of Aisles | Joni Mitchell and The L.A. Express seems like a strange pairing, but it worked. Joni toured her aforementioned hit record, Court And Spark, with this band and this album encapsulates said tour. Song choice: Carey.
Seven | Bob Seger’s first album with the Silver Bullet Band. He’d previously been billed as the Bob Seger System. They toured this album as the opening act for KISS.
It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll | The Rolling Stones’ last record with Mick Taylor and the first one featuring production by The Glimmer Twins (Mick Jagger & Keith Richards). The tour for this record was captured for the double album Love You Live. Song choice: Fingerprint File.
Desolation Boulevard | Sweet’s third album had two different versions — one for the U.K. and one for North America. Here we’re talking about the U.K. version, because the U.S. one didn’t come out until 1975 and included their 1973 hit Ballroom Blitz. Song choice: The Six Teens.
From The Mars Hotel | Grateful Dead’s last studio album before they took a break from touring. I only acquired this album recently and, if I’m honest, was surprised at how much I like it. Song choice: Scarlet Begonias.
Hard Labor | Three Dog Night. This album was in my childhood home and got adopted by five-year-old me and played to death on my Mickey Mouse record player. It’s not an album I’d defend as a classic, but it is to me. Song choice: Sure As I’m Sitting Here.
Heroes Are Hard To Find | Fleetwood Mac made a bunch of overlooked albums between 1970 and 1975. This was the last of them, and contains one of my favourite Christine McVie tracks. Song choice: Prove Your Love.
Hotter Than Hell | KISS’s second album, and their second of 1974. Fantastic record, hilariously bad cover. Song choice: Watchin’ You.
Propaganda | Sparks also put out two excellent albums in 1974. This one came six months after the first. Song choice: Reinforcements.
Positive Vibrations | Ten Years After’s last album, issued just before they split and Alvin Lee came back with Ten Years Later. It gets awful reviews, and I don’t understand why. It isn’t their best record, but it’s not terrible. Song choice: Nowhere To Run.
Silk Torpedo | The Pretty Things’ second-last album has the distinction of being the first on Led Zeppelin’s new Swan Song label. It was produced by Norman Smith, who engineered The Beatles’ records through Rubber Soul and produced the first three Pink Floyd albums. Song choice: Maybe You Tried.
Unk In Funk | Muddy Waters’ last album for Chess before he connected with Johnny Winter and reinvigorated his career. Song choice: Just To Be With You.
Shinin’ On | Grand Funk Railroad put out two albums in 1974, this one and All The Girls In The World Beware!! Not their finest outings, but not without big hits like their covers of The Loco-Motion and Some Kind Of Wonderful. The latter is my pick.
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Area Resident is an Ottawa-based journalist, recording artist, music collector and re-seller. Hear (and buy) his music on Bandcamp, email him HERE, follow him on Instagram and check him out on Discogs.
