Hello Internet abyss, long time no post! Which is weird, because I’ve basically had this post locked and loaded for precisely one forever. I missed you. Did you miss me?
So, 1972. Goddamn. What a hot year! Despite the accolades I’ve laid on the albums from 1970 and 1971, 1972 really marks the beginning of my favorite run of years in music. The next three entries will include not just albums I love, but albums I’m actively giddy about. Here, we’ve got six 10s, including three that count among the very elite of the decade and three that are integral genre records. On top of that, I’ve also thrown in a little bonus live record as a cheat to include some extra greatness.
But what isn’t here also really highlights what kind of monster year this is. First is the caveat that I will be sparing you reference to any Steely Dan albums until I feel it is 100% necessary to yak about them. So keep that in mind as you read this: we’re in Steely Dan country now and the only reason they’re not being constantly brought up is to give everyone else a freaking chance.
Randy Newman’s Sail Away was probably the hardest cut to make here, but I should also tip my hat to some peak genre fare in jazz (Mulatu Astatke, Chick Corea, Ornette Coleman, McCoy Tyner), glam (Bowie and Mott), soul (the Staples, Bill Withers, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield) and, of course, Genesis, whose early work always yields rewards (more on them next time). You’ll also notice the absence of Neil Young’s biggest record, which soars when it sells out and sputters when it experiments.
Anyway, on to my personal picks of 1972. I hope to see you around these parts again soon.
VIKINGS & BEEKEEPERS 