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.
And my favorite album of 1972 is… Randy Newman’s Sail Away. This probably comes as no surprise to frequent readers of this blog, as I’ve featured almost all of its songs at one point or another.
I came across an interesting tidbit on the Wikipedia page for this album: Brian Wilson turned to it during the depths of his depression to lift his spirits and renew his creative spirit. I totally get that. Both the music and the underlying sensibility of Sail away are grounded and spiritually refreshing.
Meet Me In Montauk 