Most of the bands that put out acclaimed albums in 1972 are on my radar to at least some small degree. I might not own any of their music, but I’ve at least heard of them.
But the German rock band Can is completely new to me. I never knew they existed until their song ‘Vitamin C’ played over the opening credits of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice. And yes, that’s the second Inherent Vice reference of the week — the film features a lot of music from 1972, despite being set in 1970.
The best Brit-pop band to actually hail from Cleveland, Ohio, The Raspberries, put out their two best-known albums in 1972.
In April came their self-titled debut, which featured today’s SOTD (their biggest hit), followed by Fresh in April, on which you’ll find the modest hit ‘I Wanna Be With You.’
The band split three years later.
Stevie Wonder released not one but two classic albums in 1972 — Music of My Mind in March and Talking Book in October.
He followed those records with Innervisions, Fulfillingness’ First Finale and Songs in the Key of Life over the next four years.
You could say it was a productive period for Stevie.
Big Star’s debut album, #1 Record, didn’t make much of a splash when it was released in 1972 — in fact, it sold fewer than 10,000 copies — but it eventually found favor with a generation of indie rock acts. Band leader Alex Chilton, who died five years ago at only 59, has been cited as an influence by many of my favorite artists.
I bought this album, along with the band’s sophomore effort, Radio City, in a 2-for-1 package a year or so back, but I haven’t listed to it enough to give it a spot on my list of the best albums of 1972.
This week and possibly next, I’ll look at some of the albums considered the best of 1972 — records I either haven’t heard or haven’t spent enough time with to render my own judgment.
First up is Neil Young’s Harvest, the best-selling album of 1972 and Young’s all-time best seller. The album is considered a classic, though it wasn’t universally acclaimed upon its release and still has its share of detractors.
Meet Me In Montauk 