Rock and Roll Gallery is still buzzing about how sonically fruitful the year 1973 was for rock and roll classic albums. We did a blog in June covering the first half of 1973 and how the permanent landscape of rock music was being created in real time. It’s hard to fathom just how many landmark releases came out in one year…. looking back it seems surreal but it happened!
The second half of 1973 unfolds by continuing what the first half started with what became legendary album releases at a relentless pace. The New York Dolls eponymous debut displaying raw grit to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut album that contains the soon to be southern anthem, “Freebird". ZZ Top was in on the party with "Tres Hombres”, that really set the tone for the rest of the decade for their Texas blues sound and movement!
The last quarter of 1973 didn’t let up, Jethro Tull released "A Passion Play" then Genesis changes the prog rock scene with “Selling England By The Pound” which saw them up their game and blow the doors open with a more sophisticated sound. The Who comes out with “Quadrophenia” their second rock opera and that paves the way for Queen’s debut to follow in October. This year is unstoppable and seems not to have brakes….in November, The Rolling Stones release "Goats Head Soup" and Black Sabbath put out "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”. Yes had the last word for 1973 with "Tales from Topographic Oceans” for all of you keeping score at home. These releases marked a staggering amount of evergreen rock and roll that continues to stand the test of time, 50 years later.
History will look back at 1973 musically as the “Golden Era” and know that it didn’t really have an equal, maybe 1971 but that’s for another day! I’m sitting here writing this located right off The Sunset Strip in L.A. just wishing for a Time Machine to take me back to this time. I guess we will have to rely on the musical genius and space that afforded these artist and bands to create this timeless music that just keeps moving!
Below is a link to all of Rock and Roll Gallery’s images and prints available for sale from 1973:
1973: One of Rock’s Best Years Ever For Classic Album Releases (Part 2)