Hard Rock Mining #2 - 1974 Debut Albums

Hard Rock Mining #2 – 1974 Debuts

For my first blog entry, I took an expansive look at the HR/HM albums released in 1974.  For this post, I will take a closer look at several killer debut albums released that year.  The first albums by several classic bands were unleashed, including discs by Bad Company, Judas Priest, Kansas, Kiss, Rush, and for all intents and purposes, UFO. 

Bad Company

While a lot of people might question whether or not Bad Company should be considered hard rock, they were a supergroup of sorts on Zeppelin’s Swan Song label, drawing from Free (Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirk), Mott the Hoople (Mick Ralphs) and King Crimson (Boz Burrell).  All of those bands have contributed groundwork for what has become HR/HM today, with songs by them being covered by April Wine, Blackfoot, Great White, Iron Maiden, Greg Lake, Gary Moore, Ozzy, The Runaways, and Bad Co. themselves!  This album could almost be considered a greatest hits package by itself, as most of the songs have been part of the classic rock radio canon for decades.  Six of the eight tracks appear on the two-disc Bad Co. Anthology.  I once read Rob Halford name Rodgers as his favorite singer.  While every Bad Co. album has a great song or three, every rock music fan should have this album in their collection.

Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla

While Rocka Rolla is probably the least-known Priest album, it has a few very cool songs and a bit of charm for the Priest fan looking to explore deeper into their past.  It hints at things to come, but was much more of a classic rock album of its time.  Most of the songs go back to the pre-Halford era; Glenn Tipton joined the band shortly before this recording.  His songwriting took on a leading role for their sophomore release, Sad Wings of Destiny.  The title track has the most commercial potential with a memorable chorus and a bit of a boogie groove.  The other memorable tracks are “Never Satisfied,” One for the Road” and “Run of the Mill.”  Priest’s early prog tendencies are present in the Winter Suite. All of the songs contain glimpses into the classic Priest to follow, but despite production by Rodger Bain (producer for the first three Black Sabbath albums), the overall feel and sound lacks any real urgency.

Kansas

Most HR/HM fans wouldn’t think of Kansas as belonging in this genre, I submit their first half-dozen albums, which are every bit as hard rock as the same by Rush, who somehow continue to be labeled heavy metal, even though their collective works are overall, more prog than Kansas’.  America’s premier prog band has had higher chart rankings than Rush, too, which contribute to them being lumped in as AOR in America or as pomp rock in the UK (WTH?).  This was actually the third band led by guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter Kerry Livgren to go by the moniker of the Sunflower State.  But it was actually rival Topeka band White Clover plus Livgren; Kansas was deemed to be the better name; and wisely so.  All the elements of classic Kansas were present on this debut, as middle-American as they might have appeared on the album cover, with its mural art of righteous slave revolt leader John Brown and their overalls-and-Autumn-jackets-in-field-of-wheat group photo.  Side one begins deceptively, with White Clover carryover, “Can I Tell You,” JJ Cale cover, “Bringing It Back” and Walsh’s haunting ballad, “Lonely Wind.”  The hard rock mania explodes with “Belexes,” a song retained from Kansas 2.0; never before had the violin unleashed such fury in a rock band!  As essential to the signature Kansas sound as Ian Anderson’s flute in Jethro Tull, Robby Robertson’s masterful violin - and second lead vocal - were the band’s secret weapons.  The remaining songs are vintage early-70s Prog, American Style: “Journey From Mariabronn,” “The Pilgrimage,” “Apercu,” (French for “insight”), and “Death of Mother Nature Suite,” all introduce high-fallutin themes worthy of Genesis, King Crimson or Yes.  Yet they all rock with ‘Lord vs. Wakeman’ keyboard duos and a pair of lead guitar players who compliment rather than upstage each other.  Modern day Kansas still includes “Belexes” in their live set, even though most fans are likely unfamiliar with it; a testament to its magic forty years on down the road.

Kiss

Who could have imagined when this album debuted to christen the new Casablanca Records label that the Psycho Circus would eventually influence the next generation of rock musicians in much the same way Cream, the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin had at the turn of the decade?  Who could have imagined Gene Simmons as a reality show celebrity, Paul Stanley as the Phantom of the Opera, and the continuing saga of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss?  Not me, for one; I didn’t , even hear of them until two more studio albums led to the Hail Mary pass of KISS Alive!, one of the most celebrated live albums of all time.  While the production quality of this album lacks the energy and punch of Eddie Kramer’s that helped secure their recording contract, several of Kiss’ all-time classic songs laid the foundation for future stardom here: “Black Diamond,” “Cold Gin,” “Deuce,” “Firehouse,” “Strutter,” and “100,000 Years” were joined by the lesser-known-but-still-classic, “Let Me Know” and “Nothin’ to Lose.”  The latter was actually released as the first single from this album, probably for its Stonesy swing and singalong chorus.  It can be argued that much of Kiss’ success hinged on the make-up, fire breathing and flashpots, I became a fan upon first hearing the live version of “Rock and Roll All Nite” on AM radio.  Although, I must admit that upon looking for their albums in the record department in the local department store, I was mesmerized!  I went straight home and drew a pencil sketch of this album’s Beatles-meet-Alice Cooper cover photo!  I don’t believe I’d ever done that with my earlier favorites, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Alice Cooper, Jackson 5, Jethro Tull, Elton John, The Monkees or Stevie Wonder.  The blueprint really developed into something resembling four Alice-type characters with Beatle-esque personalities and talents: four very unique lead singers; two strong primary songwriter/leaders; a concise, recognizable, spacey lead guitarist; an uneducated, yet creative drummer with an unprofessional yet distinct vocal style; and a cohesive yet individual look.  Kiss couldn’t have been created more brilliantly by a media mogul; however, Simmons and Stanley seem to think they did it mostly on their own.  I don’t think it ever woud’ve happened without the original line-up in place.

Rush

Based on their current status and presentation, it’s hard to believe that Kiss and Rush toured together for much of ’74 and ’75.  But in 1974, they were a perfect match.  While Kiss were just developing their classic stage show, Rush was still in their Cream meets Zeppelin hard rock infancy.  Since “Professor-on-the-drumkit,” Neil Peart had yet to join the band as chief lyricist and percussionist-extraordinaire, only three of the essential elements of Rush’s magical alchemy were in the mix.  Why three?  Alex Lifeson’s Beck-meets-Page blistering lead guitar was solid in place (although yet to discover Alan Holdsworth as an influence); Geddy Lee was a double-wammy: a bass player with the musicality of John Paul Jones; the flash of Jack Bruce; and the bite and creativity of Chris Squire; combined with an other-worldly banshee wail of a voice that one either loved or hated.  Classics like “Finding My Way,” “What You’re Doing,” “Working Man” and longtime show closer, “In the Mood,” are complimented with other fine hard rock fare, “Before and After,” “Here Again,” “Need Some Love” and “Take a Friend.”  Lyrically, pretty typical and not far afield from Kiss’ rock and party themes, but a world apart from what flights of fancy Peart would soon bring to the game.  For many Rush fans, the story began with 2112, “Closer to the Heart,” “The Spirit of Radio” or even Moving Pictures, but no die-hard Rush fan’s collection would be complete without this brilliant HR/HM classic.

UFO – Phenomenon

This one is a bit of a stretch as a “debut,” since UFO already had released two bluesy space-rock albums and a live album prior to this, their first with teen wunderkind, Michael Schenker.  German jazzy psych-rockers, Scorpions, were opening for UFO when the English band’s guitar player, Bernie Marsden, went AWOL.  Enter show-saver, the 16-year-old Michael Schenker, deputized and wowing the Brits with his flash and fluidity; and steal him away from the Scorps and onto Chrysalis Records.  The first two songs hold little promise as to the classics that follow.  In fact, they are less impressive than much of their first two, Japan-only releases.  But then comes “Doctor Doctor,” a bona fide hard rock classic; and “Rock Bottom,” a very ’eavy live showcase for Schenker and every UFO guitarist to follow.  The highpoint of side two is a strong, funky cover of Willie Dixon’s “Built for Comfort.”  Seven of the ten songs are co-written by Schenker, one by bassist Pete Way and vocalist Phil Mogg; “Oh My” is a forward-looking full-band effort with drummer Andy Parker; “Lipstick Traces” is a classically-tinged Schenker instrumental.  Also of note is the first of a string of iconic Hipgnosis album covers.  The color tinting and the band-naked-from-the-waist-up photo are reminiscent of the previous year’s Montrose debut.

So, there are the newbies for 1974; forty years ago.  Can’t say I’ve heard a single debut album this current year that I can recall making much of an impression on me.  Watch for my favorites of 2014 blog early next year…

Next: 1975!  Has it really been 40 years already?