1977 was the year Punk exploded on the music scene.
And while I didn’t come to appreciate it until some years later, I’m going to have to celebrate that fact by acting like a brat and give this list of songs the finger.
I agree with the above statements to the point where I had to check the user name to make sure I didn’t write it. I haven’t decided yet, but may vote for “New Kid In Town” even though I would chuck every other Eagles song (except that and maybe “Last Resort”) into the nearest trash bin.
Oh, and for you: “Don Henley Must Die”
I voted for “Dreams.” Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors” was ahead of its time. I don’t think “Dreams” was the best song on the album - that would be “The Chain,” which is just a masterpeice - but it’s still the best on this list, IMHO.
I was very close to picking “How Deep Is Your Love,” though. People rip on disco, and a lot of it was very bad, but the Bee Gees did disco better than anyone; they had a run of several absolutely fantastic, note-perfect dance songs. They’ll get their chance in 1978.
For those who were too young in 1977 or born afterward, one thing to remember is the impact punk rock had on music was not reflected on either the top singles and albums charts. Punk releases sold marginally at best and were largely ignored even by the supposedly “cutting edge” album-oriented-rock FM stations whose music formats were already ossifiying into what would within a decade be called “classic rock”. To be fair, some stations did try to slip some Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, Ramones, or Talking Head songs onto their playlists but they were mostly met with loud resistance by their target Baby Boomer audience. That’s why the whole “college rock/alternative” sub-class developed around the same time.
Getting back to the poll, I voted for “I Wish” just barely ahead of “Sir Duke”.
Cecil’s Terrestrial Musical Organization would like to have a word with you nitpickers. 
(Scroll down to the exchange with one of the Teeming Millions.)
Man, I’ve been trying to track down a copy of “Live in Hungary Right After Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Played There” for years.
DChord - I am no Stevie Geek - love him, deep respect, but I don’t have the liner notes memorized, if you will. But I read this and did some superficial checking - Wiki states that a few guys played horns on the song:
Any chance Stevie sampled them for some early sampling synth? (nah, too early). If you can point to a better source that speaks to the synth use, I would appreciate the education.
As for Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, I have guitar-geek trivia to share: the “haunting feel” is really helped by Lindsay Buckingham’s guitar fills being Stevie’s voice - he uses his Volume knob on this guitar, rolled quiet and then rolling volume up to swell into the lick he is playing. More common in jazz; used to wonderful effect here.
Blinded by the light, ahead of Hotel California. Another year with a few duds but a lot of decent songs as well.
I’m already aware of this exchange, and have considered it for years as evidence that The Great One is not infallible.
I agree completely with Nick D.'s comment, and find Cecil’s defense of his blatant error to be very weak tea indeed.
Saying a differently-named later configuration of a band is “known for” a song that was a commercial hit by an entirely different configuration years before — simply because that later configuration happens to perform that song in concert — is hogwash.
The song itself is “known” because the original configuration made it a hit on the charts and on the radio, and the artist credit on the record label gets to wear the “known for” designation…not the later group.
Cecil’s original statement — “The Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (‘Quinn the Eskimo’) did a cover version of the tune in 1976” — would be like saying “Paul McCartney and Wings (‘Yesterday’) did a cover version…” etc.
My position (and Nick D.'s) rest on factual statements. Cecil’s does not. End of story.
Well, I’m afraid I can’t, but can only point to what my ears tell me — that these are the second-most “unhorniest” horns I’ve ever heard on record…they really sound like synths to me.
But it’s entirely possible that, rather than being right for the second time, I’ve been fooled for a second time.
The lead track on The Byrds’ fifth album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers, is “Artificial Energy.” For years I was sure the “trumpets” on this track were synthesized — especially since Roger McGuinn had acquired one of the first Moog Synthesizers just before recording of the album began, and there are synth sounds all over the LP.
In fact, the final track, “Space Odyssey,” is nothing but synthesizer, and Roger also recorded an (unreleased-at-the-time) track called “Moog Raga.”
It was only years later that I read an interview with McGuinn in which he talked in detail about the trumpet players who performed those horn parts. He went on to say that he processed their playing heavily after the fact to make them sound…well…more “artificial.” And he certainly succeeded.
So maybe Stevie did the same thing. Boy, they sure still sound like synths to me, and Stevie certainly was one of the pioneers in using this technology extensively.
I have a confession to make. I’ve been aware of this song title, and of Mojo Nixon, for decades. But somehow, I had never actually got around to listening to the song until just now.
What a wonderful surprise to learn that, not only can I fully support its sentiments (as I always have), but it’s a great song too! Thank you!
I hate to sound typically High Fidelity-snotty, 'cause that’s not me…but I don’t know any other way to say it: if you listen to this and “Hotel California” back-to-back and prefer the latter, then…well, I better stop right there!
Seconded. Lots of good and fun songs on the list, but when she hits that chorus, I get a chill down my spine every time.
This contest was tighter than a cow’s anus during fly season. “Dancing Queen” just barely rates higher than “Got to Give It Up” in the world-famous Ponch8 Music Rating System. “Don’t Leave Me This Way” and “Hotel California” were also very good.
Tied for dead-ass last:
“Don’t Give Up on Us”
“Best of My Love”
“You Light Up My Life”
Blinded by the Light. Was my vote.
Although by 1977, I was much more into punk and emerging electronic music than what was happening on Top of the Pops or the general popular music scene.
Well, as WordMan said, the wiki entry credits a three piece horn section, but no synths. Live versions are done with horns. You can hear the fsssst from the saxes at the start of the notes during the opening*. Plus, those slurs around 2:34 don’t sound anything like an algorithm to me, and the ones in closer are even further from what a synth of the era could do. Synths of the time sounded pretty stiff when you did pitch shifts, anything polyphonic pretty much sounded like you were speeding up or slowing down a tape. Those horns flow.
Plus, why would he fake the horns in a song that’s basically a tribute to great horn bands?
But if it all turns out that I’m wrong dong dilddly dong wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time that an instrument recorded in the studio sounded like something completely different. My first reaction on reading your post was “Wow, so a synth can fake a horn section convincingly, but not strings? Who knew?” I didn’t have to listen to it too critically until I found out there was a controversy.
No matter who is right, this rift can only be healed by us getting three-piece Nudie western suits hand crafted from the collective hides of the Eagles.
*JTFC, this record is recorded great. Get your big, klunky headphones out folks. I praised the horns originally, but that’s probably the best bass part in a #1 single, ever. I’m not saying you’re a bad person if you voted for another song, but you probably voted wrong.
Do I get half a point for voting for “I Wish”?
Turn in your Anal Corrections badge. Mike Hugg was not only a constant member of the '60s Manfred Mann, he was partnered with Mann in both the band’s precursor (the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers) and its successor (Manfred Mann Chapter Three).
And in the grand tradition of know-it-alls, I’m wrong. That’s a FOUR piece horn section. I was wondering how saxophones were doing those slurs.
No, absolutely not. You get a full point, with extra funky.
Want a western suit that has, err…a history?
I just realized that Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop is very much like the Rolling Stones’ Midnight Rambler. Same rollicking dotted rhythm, playing the same riff over the same chords (for long stretches, anyway).
You’re quite right. I was trying to convey that Manfred was the only constant in all bands bearing his name*, but somehow it came out this way, which is wrong. Thanks.
*Unless you count The Manfreds, a band that’s been going for the past couple of decades that comprises several ex-members of Manfred Mann…but not Manfred Mann!