So, I’m moving slowly today. The pain level is higher than the normal baseline despite trying out some new homeopathic “meds.” And, I had such high hopes for this substance. Oh well, it’s only money.
The other reason that I am down is that the world’s greatest basketball player, LeBron James, hit a last-second three-pointer to sink my young Pacers’ hopes of an upset. This Pacers team has overachieved this year. Last summer, Paul George wanted out of Indy. He was the Pacers’ star, but he felt he was too Hollywood for Naptown. And, so, the Pacers traded him for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. I felt it was a good trade, but I thought the payoff would not come for another couple of years. Little did I realize that these young men simply needed playing time. Long story short, the NBA future is shining bright in Indianapolis.
Now, on to my other favorite pastime: music. Specifically, let’s look at the year 1973. The early part of 1973, I was finishing fourth grade and was beginning fifth grade at the end of the year. Once again, 1973 is more of a rock history lesson to me more than being totally immersed in the year’s music, as I would become in two more years. But, I was pleasantly surprised how good of a year for music 1973 was. Now, is it one of the classic years for music that 1972 is? Not yet. But, I think 1973 is gaining respect with many critics.
Some immortal albums were released during the twelve months that comprise 1973. Check out some of the biggies from 1973: the album that has logged the most weeks on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums Chart, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon; Alice Cooper’s classic Billion Dollar Babies; Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John and the debut albums by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bruce Springsteen and Queen. In other words, there is some stiff competition for the spots on this year-end chart.
But, I will let you, my loyal reader, evaluate my Top 40 Albums List for 1973 to determine if the year is one of those immortals years, such as 1967, 1972 and a handful of other years, as I hope you will discover in the coming days. So, enough of the playing around, let’s start the countdown!
- Daryl Hall & John Oates – Abandoned Luncheonette
- Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
- The Who – Quadrophenia
- Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies
- Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
- Iggy & the Stooges – Raw Power
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – (pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd)
- Paul Simon – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon
- Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On
- David Bowie – Aladdin Sane
- Gram Parsons – GP
- Todd Rundgren – A Wizard, a True Star
- Raspberries – Side 3
- Paul McCartney & Wings – Band on the Run
- The Isley Brothers – 3+3
- New York Dolls – New York Dolls
- The O’Jays – Ship Ahoy
- Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
- The Doobie Brothers – The Captain and Me
- Queen – Queen
- Billy Joel – Piano Man
- John Lennon – Mind Games
- Grand Funk – We’re an American Band
- The J. Geils Band – Bloodshot
- Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
- Steely Dan – Countdown to Ecstasy
- Roxy Music – Stranded
- Neil Young – Time Faces Away
- Lou Reed – Berlin
- Bruce Springsteen – Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
- The Rolling Stones – Goats Head Soup
- Little Feat – Dixie Chicken
- Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure
- The Spinners – The Spinners
- Aerosmith – Aerosmith
- The Temptations – Masterpiece
- Sly & the Family Stone – Fresh
- The Allman Brothers – Brothers and Sisters
- Al Green – Call Me
See what I mean? This list doesn’t immediately jump out at you that you are reading about an immortal year for the release of albums, as yesterday’s list did. Yet, if you ponder the list a bit longer, I think you will realize that you are reading a list that contains many great albums. But, is the list immortal? If it’s not, it’s awfully close!
If My Records Could Talk 