Hidden Gems

Since beginning my journey back into physical media, I’ve been regularly excited to discover music from the 60s-80s that blows me away. It really is astonishing how much amazing music was created from 1967-1973, and either side as well. And it can’t be a coincidence that the quality of music has gone through the floor in the past 20 years (with a few exceptions of course), as the distraction of the internet takes potential musicians away from perfecting their craft, and towards disposable media.

Anyway, with that old man Whitehouse rant out of the way, I thought I’d share a few of the amazing albums I’ve discovered. In some cases, they’re artists I was aware of but didn’t realise how incredible their back catalogue was. In others, I knew their name but didn’t know their music at all. And some I hadn’t even heard of - but I’m glad I do now!

In no particular order:

Steely Dan - Can’t Buy a Thrill

Of all the new groups I’ve encountered, Steely Dan is the one I’ve listened to the most. They created seven albums from 1972-1980, all of which are incredible. They had a maniacal focus on production quality, regularly bringing in the best session musicians they could lay their hands on and then firing them when they couldn’t produce exactly what was needed. Kind of like a musical version of Stanley Kubrick. Zero compromise.

But with seven albums to pick from, where should you start? You could begin with their most famous and successful album, Aja, or maybe even the follow up Gaucho - this was where they had really refined their craft to perfection. But for sheer enjoyment, I prefer their wonderful debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill. Every song is catchy AF, and it’s easily the one I’ve played the most. Their third album, Pretzel Logic, is also a great on-ramp, but I’m going to be disciplined and only pick one from each artist….

Free - Fire and Water

Everyone knows ‘All Right Now’, but I would wager not many folks could name another song by Free - which is what made this album one of the strongest hidden gems I’ve come across. My interest was first piqued when shazaming a lovely song from the TV show Devs. Found a youtube clip here, feast your eyes and ears on this.

Oh man, when the guitar kicks in at 2:32 it makes my hair stand on end…just lovely stuff…and it turns out the whole album is just as exquisite. Like a lot of great bands, Free initially made their name as one of the British blues explosion before carving their own path, but heaven knows why they’ve fallen off the radar since then. Their later albums are also really good.

Note to self: must watch Devs for a third time…

Boston - Boston

I followed a few ‘classic rock’ discussion groups on Quora before the AI-bots took over, and I noticed that Boston’s debut album was frequently mentioned as one of the best. OK, I thought, let’s give it a go. I only really knew them for ‘More than a Feeling’, which to be fair is a certified banger, but I was surprised to find there were even better tracks on the album. Fantastic harmonies, catchy hooks and fun lyrics - what’s not to like? Personal favourite from this album would be ‘Peace of Mind’, which you can check out on Youtube here.

And if you dig that, you’ll find their second album ‘Don’t Look Back’ is almost as good, especially the title track.

Townes Van Zandt - For the Sake of the song

When I first heard this album, I had to stop everything and just listen. There’s a beautiful Southern twang to the man and his music, but I can hear an alternative strain running through it as well. From the opening title track to the closing number, it’s a beautiful collection - sometimes haunting, sometimes upbeat, always captivating.

Hard to say where to start with this one, but maybe give “I’ll be there in the morning” a spin. I was very happy to find that - like many artists from this era - he has an extensive back catalogue that I’m happily working through now.

Jim Croce - You Don’t Mess Around with Jim

Staying in the South, I’m staggered that Jim Croce isn’t better known. He created two good albums and then three great ones, before tragically dying in a plane crash at the age of 30 - just as he was reaching his peak. His songs are dripping with charm and (often) great humour, laid over the top of some the most catchy and memorable guitar riffs you’ll ever hear. A man I would’ve liked to have had a beer with.

Picking the best of his albums is a fool’s errand as his final three, You Don’t Mess Around with Jim, Life and Times and I Got a Name are all outstanding. Picking a favourite song is equally futile. So I’ll just go with one of the first results on youtube - “Bad Bad, Leroy Brown”. What a guy, and what a moustache!

Rush - Rush

Rush is admittedly an acquired taste. On the one hand you’ve got Alex Lifeson’s delicious riffs backed up by arguably the best drummer of all time. On the other hand I can see why Geddy Lee’s crazy high vocals and wizardy lyrics can put people off. Still, you can put me firmly in the fandom column, and albums like Moving Pictures and 2112 get heavy rotation in my house.

But little did I realise that their first album would become one of my all time favourites! Coming as it did before Neil Peart even joined the group, I was thrilled to discover that their eponymous debut is filled with wall to wall bangers. Perhaps the most fun you can have on a rock album, period. As with Steely Dan, perhaps it’s fair to say that their earlier stuff is slightly less technically accomplished than their later work, but they make up for this with catchy tunes.

Alice Cooper - Love It To Death

I’ve never been much of a metalhead, and up until recently I had dismissed Alice Cooper as a bit of a gimmick. Songs like ‘School’s Out’ and ‘Poison’ just don’t do it for me. Which is why I was surprised as anyone when someone embedded “I’m Eighteen” in a Quora post and I loved it immediately.

And waddayaknow, the whole album is great too. If you’ve dismissed Alice Cooper too - and shame on me for doing it in the first place - then you might be surprised too.

Blind Faith - Blind Faith

Yes, there’s a naughtier version of this album cover, you can seek it out if you wish. But your time is far better spent listening to the album - it’s a masterpiece, plain and simple, and the only one produced by this supergroup. Eric Clapton produces a series of brilliant hooks underpinned by some of the best drumming you’ll ever hear from Ginger Baker. Not generally a fan of drum solos, but the skills evident on ‘Do What You Want’ makes time stand still for me. Steve Winwood and Ric Grech don’t pull any punches either.

Bonus link: Steve Winwood shared this great acoustic version of Can’t Find My Way Home.

Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac had two albums called Fleetwood Mac so they had to rename the first one, but you can kind of forgive them because the two albums were effectively made by two different groups. John McVie and Mick Fleetwood were the two mainstays, but before Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Christine McVie came along they were a fucking great blues band. Maybe one of the best. And Peter Green was the genius at the helm.

Buckingham Nicks - Buckingham Nicks

Sadly, Peter Green - like many geniuses - went off the rails, and left the remaining band members in transition until they were introduced to this album by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, who happened to be hanging around the same studio (Sound City). Talk about a hidden gem. To my mind it’s right up there with Fleetwood Mac’s best work, with catchy Summer vibes, beautiful vocals and Buckingham’s trademark twelve-string fretwork. Very nice, thumbs up.

Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns

Honestly, working through Joni Mitchell’s back catalogue has been a revelation. Not only are there some better known beautiful albums (Clouds, Court & Spark, Blue) there are also some daring and ingenious albums that wouldn’t feel out of place if they were released today. And The Hissing of Summer Lawns is the stand-out album for me, weaving it’s way between radio-friendly and avant garde and back again, effortlessly. One of the very best singer-songwriters of all time, at the very top of her game.

Billy Joel - The Stranger

Whaaaat? How can anything from Billy Joel be considered a hidden gem?? Look, we’ve all got blind spots, and Billy Joel’s work was one of mine. Apart from a few singles in ‘83 (Uptown Girl, Tell Her About It), he just hadn’t registered on my radar. Put it down to being raised in an Essex backwater instead of downtown Manhattan, and being born slightly too late for me to have any kind of discerning musical taste when his earlier stuff was produced. Anyway, I know I’ve been bad and I’m trying to be a better man.

So I was thrilled to find that his back catalogue more than justifies his iconic status. To my mind, his best work was produced over four albums spanning 1976-1980; Turnstiles, The Stranger, 52nd Street and Glass Houses are firm family favourites at Casablanca Towers, and The Stranger just about pips the post thanks to ‘Songs From An Italian Restaurant’ (which also happens to be Billy’s favourite song of his).

Incidentally, Billy Joel’s earliest top ten hits in the UK were in 1983 (all lifted from An Innocent Man), so maybe I shouldn’t feel so bad.

Elton John - Madman Across The Water

Whaaaat? How can anything from Elton John be considered a hidden gem?? OK, bear with me…most people know the Elton John hits, but I hadn’t delved into the earlier albums and it turns out they’re awesome. In fact he did (imho) no less than eight consecutive great albums, from his eponymous sophomore album in 1970 through to Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy in 1975. Hard to pick favourites amongst so much quality, especially with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in the mix. But I’m going to plump for Madman Across The Water as it was really the first album where he went a bit progressive, started taking more risks, and they really paid off. Tiny Dancer was on here, but the title track is possibly my favourite Elton John tune. You can check it out on youtube here.

Honorable mentions

• Well worth checking out ‘Crazy on You’ by Heart - had no idea that Nancy Wilson was such a talented guitarist. She’s bloody epic. Proof can be seen on this live clip - just make sure you hang in through the slow bit, then through the acoustic intro, and finally into one of the best guitar riffs of all time.
• I went through a Chicago phase last year, their debut album (Chicago Transit Authority) is really special, no fillers. But their stand out song for me is 25 or 6 to 4, from their second album (‘Chicago’). Jimi Hendrix said Chicago’s guitarist Terry Kath was the “best guitarist in the universe”, and his skills are very much on display in this epic live clip, just before the 3 minute mark. So, so good.

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Hope you enjoy listening to some of these - if you do, let me know!