1971

The talking dog has transported me to the year 1971 where everyone is screaming Attica, though I have no idea why. Maybe it’s because Mikey likes Life cereal; I like Cheerios myself. Everyone is psyched for the Heavyweight boxing match between Lennon and McCartney. And Archie Bunker’s the most popular guy since Elvis. Yeah, let me see you play guitar while singing Blue Suede Shoes- yeah, I don’t think so.

There’s this guy named Dirty Harry that’s asking people if they feel lucky. He doesn’t like hippies either. Maybe he should smoke marijuana in Muskogee. He doesn’t wear hot pants either. Liberace wears hot pants. Everyone thinks he’s gay but he swears he isn’t- he just kissed Rock Hudson as a joke. Shaft is the biggest m- shut your mouth!

Donny Osmond becomes the newest teen heartthrob. He’s two years old. David Cassidy is popular too but he doesn’t like to come on and get happy. He thinks he loves you though- he’s weird.

Mick Jagger marries Bianca because he has bad breath or something. Astronauts are golfing on the moon but I don’t think Arnold Palmer has anything to worry about. CBS cancels Hee Haw and the Beverly Hillbillies. Good thing I prefer Johnny Cash myself. You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but it helps if you want something blown up. What do you mean Joy To the World isn’t a Christmas Song anymore? Three dogs sing it now?

And I have listened to my favorite albums of 1971. Gertie’s getting hip this year and she’s getting groovy. By the way- groovy is the most popular word since middle aged people were doing the Twist. Anyway, here we go…

Event of the year: Charles Manson gets the Death Penalty taken away from him

Fad:  Reading the Pentagon Papers in hot pants.

Babe of the Year: Hanoi Jane

Scandal of the Year: Margaret Thatcher takes away children’s milk and is known as the Iron B****

Movie or TV show to barf to: The Partridge Family

What we could have done without: Air pollution

Pet of the year: Woodsy Owl

Other Tidbits: The Pentagon Papers is the best selling book of 1971, Richard Nixon creates a best friends’ list, Red China admitted to the NFL, Attica Prison riots when rumors of an Osmond concert circulates, The US Supreme Court allows busing at Greyhound, Frazier and Ali do a Vitalis commercial (seriously), cigarette advertising to adults on TV ends, now they advertise to minors in magazines, Jim Morrison becomes a Lizard King, A Native American cries, Attica! Attica!

This is the year we start seeing some Glam Rock. Psychedelia is all but dead with one or two exceptions (note Pink Floyd). Anyway, here we go…

1)  David Bowie- Hunky Dory

2) John Lennon- Imagine

3)  The Who- Who’s Next

4)  The Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers

5)  Yes- The Yes Album

6)  The Beach Boys- Surf’s Up

7)  Jethro Tull- Aqualung

8)  Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On

9)  Paul McCartney- Ram

10)  Alice Cooper- Killer

11)  T. Rex- Electric Warrior

12)  Led Zeppelin- Led Zeppelin IV

13)  Leonard Cohen- Songs of Love and Hate

14)  The Doors- LA Woman

15)  Joni Mitchell- Blue

16)  Sly and the Family Stone- There’s a Riot Goin’ On

17)  Yes- Fragile

18)  The Kinks- Muswell Hillbillies

19)  Traffic- The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

20)  Pink Floyd- Meddle

21)  Johnny Cash- Man in Black

22)  Stevie Wonder- Where I’m Coming From

23)  Gil Scott-Heron- Pieces of a Man

24)  Black Sabbath- Master of Reality

25)  Curtis Mayfield- Roots

For one last year, The Beatles, by way of solo efforts, score big on my chart. This time it’s Lennon and McCartney, the latter scoring with my surprise of the year. David Bowie takes the top spot though with his flamboyant Hunky Dory. This is my favorite Bowie album and he has quite a few great albums in his future. The Holy Trinity (if you include Lennon by way of the Beatles) are all in the top five as the Who and Stones score with their classics. Yes rounds out the top five with the Yes Album. I think that album is far superior to their other album that year, Fragile, despite a couple classic tracks from that album. The Beach Boys have one more great album in Surf’s Up but it seems more like Sunflower II in some ways. Aqualung is Jethro Tull’s best effort. Alice Cooper rounds out the top ten with Killer and gets an honorable mention with Love It To Death. Other standouts include T. Rex, Leonard Cohen, Traffic, Johnny Cash, and Gil Scott-Heron. Not a heavy metal fan but I have to admit, Masters of Reality is a great album and makes my list. Also, if you’re a folkie, give Michaelangelo’s One Voice Many a listen (in my HMs).

Biggest Surprise- Paul McCartney- Ram. 

Yeah, I liked the album to begin with but considering how he was being lambasted for being too cutesy pie after the Beatles’ breakup, this album pretty much rocks; only Band on the Run is better, imo. And Too Many People (which should have been the A side to Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey), is almost as scathing as Lennon’s How Do You Sleep as is his Three Legs. Great album.

Biggest Disappointment- Ten Years After- A Place in Time.

 I hate it when you get an album for one song. I’d Love To Change the World is easily one of my favorite songs of 1971, but the rest of the album, well, isn’t all that great.

Honorable Mention- John Entwistle- Smash Your Head Against the Wall, Carole King- Tapestry, Alice Cooper- Love It To Death, Moody Blues- Every Boy Deserves Good Favour, Michelangelo- One Voice Many

Stinker of the Year-  The Partridge Family- A Partridge Family Christmas Card

Hey, it’s the Partridge Family for Donny Osmond’s sake. And they’re singing Christmas Songs to boot. Well, I don’t know. I guess it beats the episode where they’re in Detroit and trying to sound like the Supremes or something. Anyway, it is the late great David Cassidy and still with us Shirley Jones singing for the other characters as usual. Danny didn’t mind; he was just a little brat anyway.

So we begin to get a little deeper into the seventies. Stay tuned for the year before Watergate. Until then, let’s take a bus ride, shall we?