Something for the weekend. Sultans of Swing (1978) by Dire Straits. A highlight of that musical desert known as the Seventies.
Sultans of Swing
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
I didn’t care for the song, myself.
Not sure why you consider the 1970s a musical desert. They ante-dated the horrible anti-music called ‘rap’, for starters. You had grisly heavy metal, but IIRC, that stuff peaked later. I’m guessing popular music was at its most elegant in the 1940s, but you have handsome material which can last and you have shlock in any age.
Not sure why you consider the 1970s a musical desert.
Kung Fu Fighting Art, Disco in all its Hellish variants, Barry Manilow in all his Hellish variants, and the list could go on at considerable length.
Kung Fu Fighting Art, Disco in all its Hellish variants, Barry Manilow, and the list could go on at considerable length.
I think Carl Douglas was on the charts for a few weeks ca 1975. Disco was a fad that came and went in less than five years, peaking in 1978. Barry Manilow is not to my taste, but he’s not so obnoxious that I cannot understand why he had a constituency.
Some time back, Time-Life was hawking CD sets of popular music ordered by year and we purchased a set. Masses of it, you listen to it once and your done. The decade succeeding the 2d World War, to take one example, was a river of insipid material. You can find some very engaging performers from that era (Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Dinah Shore). However, it was the likes of Johnny Ray who topped the charts in 1952.
And so it is with the 1970s. Chicago, Yes, Steely Dan, David Bowie, Barry White, Genesis, Traffic, Weather Report, the Doobie Brothers, Led Zeppelin, and Bob Marley were all at their peak in the 1970s.
(I quit paying any attention to popular music ca. 1990 and could hardly name a single performer who has appeared since. We only listen to long-hair, old stuff, and niche stuff in our house).
A few other notables, like them or not, from the 70’s: Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, John Denver, The Carpenters, The Eagles, Allman Bros., Eric Clapton….as with all eras I’m sure it was a mix.
I don’t think the 70s were all that terrible. Though movies were definitely hitting the cultural high note. There was some mighty good production in some musical quarters. Though I always wondered if the line ‘don’t give a damn about any trumpet playin’ band’ was in reference to any particular group at the time.
The 70’s Were a mixed bag (IMO), and the ratio of good to bad diminished as time went on, approaching zero by 1985.
… As far as music from the 1940’s goes, I’m in agreement with Grandpa Simpson:
https://youtu.be/x57Jpj8Ue-0
Matter of taste.
Sultans of Swing is fun, though; Careless Whisper is pretty:
https://youtu.be/1m6en0SQNFs
(’84)
Saturday Night is fun:
https://youtu.be/3VUYg8Lgrzo
(’73…and ’95, rather differently…)
But then, I also like this battle music from Final Fantasy 14, played by several of the designers:
https://youtu.be/63eYyhpW1Bo
“Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, John Denver, The Carpenters, The Eagles, Allman Bros., Eric Clapton….as with all eras I’m sure it was a mix.”
You forgot Jim Croce.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw01trwmul0
Mark Knopfler’s guitar work in Sultans of Swing is superb. Of course, Knopfler is a first rate guitarist. He was admired by the likes of Chet Atkins. Earning that kind of respect from Chet was no small fear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wTVLIZaxMk
I’m on the “70’s music wasn’t that bad” bench here, for all the reasons others already have noted. And my bride and I also, as Art mentioned, stopped listening to any pop music sometime in the early 90’s. We listen to classical, jazz, and “classic rock” now, as well as some fine recordings of sacred music such as those made by the Tallis Scholars and the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. None of these ever get old.
As for Dire Straits in particular, I’m surprised their big hit “Money for Nothing” hasn’t been scrubbed from all the woke platforms yet, given its lyric verse about “the little f——-t with the earring and the makeup.” Triggering! Triggering! And their song “The Man’s Too Strong”, also from the album Brothers in Arms, is one of my all time favorites.
A drummer by the name of Sina also did a cover of this song:
*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSSnPL6F6sU
and the ratio of good to bad diminished as time went on, approaching zero by 1985.
Disagree. David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Nevil, Huey Lewis, Don Henley, John Mellencamp, and Billy Joel were still producing new material.
Best Love Song Evah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J08ZwySCoJ8
David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Nevil, Huey Lewis, Don Henley, John Mellencamp, and Billy Joel were still producing new material
New, sure. But as good as their 70’s stuff?
David Bowie put out some good music into the 90’s, but nothing of the caliber of Alladin Sane. DEVO’s last good album was released in 1980. Aerosmith went mainstream pop, as did Heart. Heck, if Sid Vicious hadn’t died, The Sex Pistols would’ve probably gone into easy listening.
but nothing of the caliber of Alladin Sane.
Never heard of that person.
But as good as their 70’s stuff?
Except for Bowie, I think a census would say yes. (For starters, Nevil only performed during the 1980s).
The music wasn’t bad in the 1970’s; the tastes were bad. On the good side, I don’t know why no one remembers Seals and Crofts. And there was Bob Seger: every album was like a greatest hits collection. And Frampton Comes Alive! If you like guitar work, there’s a master for you. The album of the decade, until disco came along.
until disco came along
… and then the C.H.U.D.s came … 😀
Nevil only performed during the 1980s
A shining exception to an otherwise declining decade. The 80’s in America was an era of manufactured, cookie-cutter bands. Modeled after the innovation of Eli Whitney, their “interchangeable parts” consisted of hair spray, spandex and lame (but superfast) electric guitar leads. Winger, Whitesnake, White Lion, Warrant … (just to focus on one letter of the alphabet) were all the same band with different color headbands. If it weren’t for the new wave (Elvis Costello, et al) the entire decade would’ve been a wash. (IMHO)
… I’ll give you Peter Gabriel though, other than Sledge Hammer, he did some really good music in the 80’s. 🙂
I just checked out those videos, Don, and you sure do like women.
CAG, a lot of the best work by Peter Gabriel, Joe Jackson, and Elvis Costello goes back to the late 1970’s.
I just checked out those videos, Don, and you sure do like women.
I should hope so Pinky having been married to one forty years this December 18!
Lynyrd Skynyrd…
– what the h- does an electrical engineer from New England have in common with a Southern 70’s rock band… ?
(quite a lot actually.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMmTkKz60W8
a lot of the best work by Peter Gabriel, Joe Jackson, and Elvis Costello goes back to the late 1970’s
Agreed … It seems musicians could be more creative in the late 70’s. By the mid 80’s “the industry” just had too much control. Everything became Don Kirshnered 😀
Joe Jackson was making some interesting music well into the 90’s though …
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMXhWf0vE7c&w=560&h=315%5D
Have to agree with the 70s defenders. I think the high profile of disco may have clouded the view of truly fine music of that era. Fortunately, time has distilled it to clarity again. The same no doubt will happen to other decades. Unfortunately you get garbage overload while living through it, but the cream eventually rises. Speaking of Cream . . .
Winger, Whitesnake, White Lion, Warrant … (just to focus on one letter of the alphabet) were all the same band with different color headbands.
Never heard of any of these groups. Maybe you should have diversified your hobbies.
Never heard of any of these groups. Maybe you should have diversified your hobbies.
… Maybe, and maybe you should discuss things you’ve actually heard about?
Of the Cream threesome, only Eric Clapton is still with us. Two bands whose work is interesting are the Band and Blondie.
….and not one Benny Goodman or Tommy Dorsey? I’m shocked I tell ya, shocked.