Schmaltz and classic rock in equal measure
May 13th, 1971, had Joy to the World, by Three Dog Night as the #1 song. This is the year that gave America The Electric Company, as well as the microprocessor. The ’70s started with such promise . . .
The first song from this year is American Pie by Don McLean. There’s no easier way to say it – yes, I’m aware that it’s a sentimental, crap-tastic choice. The fact remains that this song is full of positive memories. Sitting around with friends at Duke, or later at lunch in High School singing this song. It’s not going to get anyone to the dance floor, but I’ll fix this problem later – these early songs are warm-ups. You know, get the crowd in a party mood. When you’re a teenager, it feels deep, in the way that only solitary singer-songwriters with acoustic guitars can feel deep. Do what you need to do with any entendre you find there. Anyway, the nostalgia got this on the list, but the fact that lots of us share the nostalgia ensured that it made the final cut.
Next up it’s time to shake the party back to life with a hard-rocking song. Baba O’Riley by The Who off of Who’s Next? It’s tough choosing only one track from this band. The only saving grace is that most of their best work pre-dates my birth. I was sooooo into them in high school, wearing out many, many tapes walking to school, around the neighborhood, and wherever. I’m still into them, really.
Nathan’s choices for this year were Train Ride in G by Mason Williams, which I don’t know, and The Magic Bus by The Who, which is a fantastic choice. Shorter, without the reeee-ha-eely long drop in of Baba O’Riley. [2024: The Who’s discography is notoriously difficult to accurately trace, due to their propensity for releasing singles long before compiling them into albums. The Magic Bus was originally recorded in 1968, and performed on live albums throughout the 1970’s. The version linked below is from Meaty, Beaty, Big, and Bouncy, originally released in 1971, so we’ll let Nathan have this one.]
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