A few weeks back I decided to count down the best albums of my birth year, 1972.
When I dove into my collection to start the process, I was surprised to discover that I own only seven albums from that year, which certainly reduces the drama of the proposed countdown.
I guess it makes sense that I wouldn’t own a large number of records from one specific year more than 40 years back. But a little research revealed a couple of dozen albums that struck a nerve back when I was a mewling babe.
So this week I will count down the five 1972 albums I do know and enjoy, but for a couple of weeks after that I’ll highlight tracks from those other albums, the ones I would have been buying and listening to if I’d been in my teens and not in diapers.
My fifth favorite album of 1972 is David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
I haven’t spent a ton of time listening to this album but I’ve always found it impressive. Forget the high concept of a glam rocker who communicates with aliens, or the deeper themes of sexual identity, gender roles and drug addiction — all of which went over my head when I first discovered this record.
I just responded to a batch of great songs, including ‘Ziggy Stardust,’ ‘Lady Stardust,’ ‘Moonage Daydream,’ ‘Suffragette City,’ ‘It Ain’t Easy,’ ‘Soul Love’ and especially ‘Starman,’ today’s SOTD.
I leaned back on my radio
Some cat was layin’ down some rock ‘n’ roll ‘lotta soul,
he said
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
That weren’t no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive
[CHORUS]
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
I had to phone someone so I picked on you
Hey, that’s far out so you heard him too!
Switch on the TV
we may pick him up on channel two
Look out your window I can see his light
If we can sparkle he may land tonight
Don’t tell your poppa or he’ll get us locked up in fright
[CHORUS (x2)]
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Meet Me In Montauk 
I know the hits from this record, including of course today’s song, but not the album as a whole. Probably should remedy that.
Anyway, looking forward to the expiration of the music from your birth year. While I’m sure there were a number of fine records released in 1972, I think your sister and I share arguably the greatest birth year for music, 1967–the sumner of love.
This will an interesting week of music! Can’t say I spent too much time listening to music as I was caring for a new infant 🙂