Random Album Clash - 1975 - Progressive Rock Music Forum

I went for Rainbow's debut forgetting that it was Rising a year late that had Stargazer on it (one of the greatest rock tracks ever) . Still a decent album though with plenty of stand out tracks. Probably 1975 was the peak year for popular music (rock , pop , soul and everything else) with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody topping off everything.

There are three albums I have never heard, so I won't vote.

BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue.

Arthur for me. I have never really understood the great love for Fish out of Water... I mean, it's nice and all, but I just don't love it as so many seem to do.

Shamal - phantastic album, outstanding here followed by Fish Rising.

I compiled a list of my favourite albums from 1975 in mid-2016, after seeing several posts in my newsfeed listing people’s favourite releases from that year so far. This reminded me of a time, long ago, when I was first probing the depths of the interweb, and the lists were for the top albums of 1995 so far, or top albums from 1994. At that time, I thought it would be more interesting (for me, if no-one else) to attempt to create a list for my top albums of 1975 (being the year of my birth).

I thought it would be easy. After all, with no thought whatsoever I could immediately summon two albums which would definitely make the list: Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", and Queen's "A Night at the Opera". However, after putting a bit of thought into it, and coming up with only two other albums (Split Enz's "Mental Notes" and Black Sabbath's "Sabotage"), I stalled.

The thing is, in 1975 many of the bands and artists I like (back in 1995 and then in 2016) just weren't releasing anything that did much for me. I like the Moody Blues from 1967 to 1972, Procol Harum from 1967 to 1974, King Crimson from 1969 to 1974, Genesis from 1970 to 1974, John Lennon from 1970 to 1974, Roxy Music from 1972 to 1974, etc. Maybe Don McLean was wrong about the day the music died?

Even one of my favourite artists ever, David Bowie lets me down in 1975. Bowie released great albums before and after 1975, but in that year he released what is one my least favourite of his albums, "Young Americans".

10. Gentle Giant - "Free Hand"

So, in that (di)spirit, in at number 10 is Gentle Giant with "Free Hand". Gentle Giant were at their best between 1970 and 1974. After that, I find their music to be less interesting. The previous year's "The Power and the Glory" is their last album that is really great. After that the quality of their albums declined rapidly, in my opinion, and "Free Hand" is pretty much the end of the line for me.

9. Rush - "Caress of Steel"

On the other hand, Rush were just getting started. They released two albums in 1975, and "Caress of Steel" is the first album where they really start showing what they are capable of. "Bastille Day" is a storming opening number, and "The Fountain of Lamneth" a beautiful suite of songs that may not be as cohesive as a whole as Rush's first true epic, "2112" (which would be released the following year), but is still very impressive.

8. Alistair Riddell - "Space Waltz"

Alistair Riddell's "Space Waltz" makes up for a lack of Bowie in the list, I suppose. New Zealand's answer to Bowie, anyway. Or, at least the Bowie of a few years previous. And while the album owes a sizeable debt to Bowie, it isn't any less enjoyable for that.

7. Arti e Mestieri - "Giro di Valzer per Domani"

Much of the really great Italian prog of the 70’s that I listen to (like so much else) was done and dusted by 1975. But two Italian albums were released in that year that I particularly like, Maxophone's eponymous debut, and Arti e Mestieri's second album, "Giro di Valzer per Domani". It is the latter which makes my top 10 list, with it's prog-fusion take on RPI. As with their debut, the drumming is fantastic, courtesy of Furio Chirico.

6. Dragon - "Scented Gardens for the Blind"

I learnt of Dragon's first two albums only in recent years. So different from everything which followed, that they seem to have been brushed under the carpet. When I read that the first two Dragon albums were more prog than rock, and were released on the Vertigo label, who at that time specialised in progressive acts, my interest was piqued. Of the two Vertigo releases, I prefer this one, and though I like the radio-friendly hits the band are more well-known for, I could quite happily have heard more of this style of Dragon.

5. Van der Graaf Generator - "Godbluff"

It's nowhere near as wonderful as the three albums VdGG released in 1970-71, but it's still a pretty bloody good album. It's a lot tighter and less in your face than its predecessors, and the minimalism of the cover is reflected in the pared-down nature of the recording. Only four tracks, but all good ones.

4. Split Enz- "Mental Notes"

Their first, and their best, album. I'm sure many people would disagree with that, but I love the unhinged and deranged nature of Split Enz's debut. It has two epic tracks in "Under the Wheel"and (the even better) "Stranger than Fiction". And the way that "Stranger than Fiction" segues into "Time for a Change" is brilliant. It's no wonder that when the two songs were orchestrated for the NZSO, they were released as one track on the ENZSO album.

3. Black Sabbath - "Sabotage"

Sabbath's last great album for me, and easily my favourite. It's possibly the angriest and heaviest of the early Sabbath releases, though I'm not sure that is why I like it more than the others. I think it is because it seems more heartfelt and genuine. Most obviously, "The Writ" is a reflection of what was happening at the time.

2. Queen - "A Night at the Opera"

The only song I don't like quite so much as the rest on this album is "Sweet Lady", which is perhaps the most conventional rock track offered. The rest of the album flits from one style to another, so that the most well-known track is almost a distillation of the album as a whole. It's not my favourite Queen album (that's "Queen II"), but it's perhaps the most quintessential Queen album.

1. Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here"

This album tops my list by a long way. It is not just my favourite album from 1975; not just my favourite Pink Floyd album, but one of my all-time favourite albums. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is amazing, "Wish You Were Here" is sublime, and even the my least favourite song on the album ("Welcome to the Machine") is a bloody good tune.

What I find most interesting about this list, is that the top four albums of my list remained the same top four from 25 odd years ago. Admittedly, they were the only four albums I could think of back then, but I would have thought that over time, as I found new (old) music, that if they were still in my top 10, they might not hold the top four spots. It's not as if my top 10 albums are my only 10 albums either, as I could easily add another 10 albums (honourable mentions to (in alphabetical order only): Area, Brian Eno, Camel, Steve Hackett, Peter Hammill, Phil Manzanera, Maxophone, Lou Reed, Quiet Sun, Neil Young.

Edited by nick_h_nz - January 22 2021 at 14:48

Reviewer for The Progressive Aspect

Nothing on that list ranks as a great personal favourite. Though there are a couple I haven't heard. I like most of them to some extent, and several of them are past favourites, or have a few tracks I really like, but nothing there really blows me away.

I must admit to a lifelong disinterest in 'Night at the Opera', though. Although I remember it coming out, I've probably never heard the whole thing.

I had to think for a minute to find that there are in fact plenty of albums from 1975 that I rate very highly, so I guess I'm not just jaded.

Edited by Braka1 - January 22 2021 at 23:58

Believe me Pope Paul, my toes are clean

I looked for the greatest album of all time and I found it and I voted for it.

Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :)

It's coin-flipping time. Heads, Zappa; tails, Hatfield; standing on edge, Queen.

Zappa it is.

Queen just, a teenage favourite over Rick, the marvellous Rotters Club and the best of the yes solo albums. Blackmore first album is an album I also played a lot in my mid teens but has lost its lustre over the years.

1975 was when the Spanish scene began to flourish, and Triana is one of the best

Poll Question: Pick your favorite album out of the 15 released back in 1975
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Rick Wakeman - 'The Myths and Legends of King Arthur...'	3	[4.00%]
Triana - 'El Patio'	3	[4.00%]
Frank Zappa - 'One Size Fits All'	9	[12.00%]
Deep Purple - 'Come Taste the Band'	1	[1.33%]
Fripp & Eno - 'Evening Star'	2	[2.67%]
Kansas - 'Song for America'	5	[6.67%]
Gong - 'Shamal'	3	[4.00%]
Kaipa - S/T	0	[0.00%]
Steve Hillage - 'Fish Rising'	3	[4.00%]
Hatfield and the North - 'The Rotters' Club'	7	[9.33%]
Chris Squire - 'Fish Out of Water'	15	[20.00%]
Queen - 'A Night at the Opera'	17	[22.67%]
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - S/T	2	[2.67%]
Soft Machine - 'Bundles'	5	[6.67%]
Bijelo Dugmo - 'Sta bi dao da si na mom mjestu'	0	[0.00%]
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