Last week I reviewed Singers & Songwriters: 1973-1975 (you can read my review here). Singers & Songwriters: 1976-1977 (2010) is another volume in this TIME-LIFE series. And, once again, it’s a mixed bag.
I’ve always liked Chicago’s “If You Leave Me Now” and Hall & Oates’ “Sara Smile.” Who can resist Elton John and Kiki Dee’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” “Get Closer” is my favorite Seals & Crofts song. Our local Oldies radio station. plays “Year of the Cat” by Al Stewart regularly.
Of the two Linda Ronstadt songs in this set, I prefer “Tracks of My Tears”–the Smokey Robinson classic. I’m fond of Dave Mason’s “We Just Disagree” and Jennifer Warnes’ “Right Time of the Night.”
Do you remember these Seventies songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+
TRACKLIST:
| 1-1 | Orleans– | Still The One | 3:56 |
| 1-2 | Eric Clapton– | Hello Old Friend | 3:05 |
| 1-3 | Glen Campbell– | Southern Nights | 3:00 |
| 1-4 | Chicago (2)– | If You Leave Me Now | 3:57 |
| 1-5 | Daryl Hall & John Oates– | Sara Smile | |
| 1-6 | Linda Ronstadt– | Blue Bayou | 3:54 |
| 1-7 | Firefall– | You Are The Woman | 2:45 |
| 1-8 | John Sebastian– | Welcome Back | 2:52 |
| 1-9 | England Dan & John Ford Coley– | I’d Really Love To See You Tonight | 2:38 |
| 1-10 | Elton John & Kiki Dee– | Don’t Go Breaking My Heart | 4:25 |
| 1-11 | Seals & Crofts– | Get Closer | 3:56 |
| 1-12 | Gary Wright– | Dream Weaver | 4:18 |
| 2-1 | Fleetwood Mac– | Say You Love Me | 4:12 |
| 2-2 | Al Stewart– | Year Of The Cat | 6:38 |
| 2-3 | Stephen Bishop– | On And On | 3:01 |
| 2-4 | Rita Coolidge– | (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher | 4:02 |
| 2-5 | Andrew Gold– | Lonely Boy | 4:02 |
| 2-6 | Dave Mason– | We Just Disagree | 3:02 |
| 2-7 | Elvin Bishop– | Fooled Around And Fell In Love | 4:37 |
| 2-8 | Linda Ronstadt– | Tracks Of My Tears | 3:15 |
| 2-9 | Jennifer Warnes– | Right Time Of The Night | 2:54 |
| 2-10 | Peter Frampton– | I’m In You | 4:11 |
| 2-11 | Eric Carmen– | All By Myself | 7:11 |
| 2-12 | Bread– | Lost Without Your Love | 2:56 |
A half-century later, most remain overfamiliar, but not all. A good decade for Fleetwood Mac, and that would be one I don’t mind hearing again, and John Sebastian’s theme song was by far the best thing about WELCOME BACK, KOTTER the ABC joys of being a doofus sitcom. I’m fond of Campbell’s work, but that isn’t one of his better songs as I recall it; “I’d Really Like to See You Tonight” always struck me as pleasantly slick.
Todd, your “pleasantly slick” description of “I’d Really Like to See You Tonight” is spot on!
A decent crop (although the Clapton is one of his more obscure songs), leaning to the easy listening side. No real standouts, but also nothing that would have been running to turn off the radio.
Deb, like you I found SINGERS AND SONGWRITERS: 1976-1977 to be listenable. I enjoyed the music of those years and we were on the cusp of Disco.
“When the loving starts and the lights go down,
There’s not another living soul around.
You woo me until the sun comes up,
And say you love me.”
RIP Christine McVie
A lot of decent stuff this time. The Ronstadt songs, Still the One, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,
Jeff, I miss Christine McVie who I loved as much as I did Stevie Nicks back in the Seventies.
I’m glad we got to see her live on her last return to Fleetwood Mac. Stevie we saw with her ex, Don Henley, as well as with Fleetwood Mac.
Jeff, Diane and I saw Fleetwood Mac in concert in Buffalo in 2015. No opening act, just 2 hours of wonderful music! Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks were great!
Not bad. Overall, as Deb notes, a ’70s easy listening, close to MOR vibe. ’76-’77 was a short quiet era, with Vietnam, Nixon, and the first OPEC oil embargo behind us. I suppose the music reflects that. The quiet lasted about as long as Jimmy Carter’s first two years in the White House. Little did we know what would come–the second embargo, the hostage crisis, Reagan, the two Bushes, 9/11, Trump, the disintegration of the Democratic Party and loss of true competition in the political arena, and all the rest. I saw Fleetwood Mac with my older daughter in 1990 I think, the Burnette-Vito interregnum, and Stevie Nicks with her around the same time.
Fred, I saw Fleetwood Mac at the Dane County Coliseum in July 17, 1976. They played all the songs from their 1975 Fleetwood Mac (aka, The White Album) and some songs that would be on Rumors. Wonderful concert!
There are some good ones here, and I’d give honors to Say You Love Me, by Fleetwood Mac, and Still the One, by Orleans! I actually saw Fleetwood Mac in concert in 1976 at the Oakland Coliseum, and England Dan and John Ford Coley at Lake Tahoe!
Bob, I’m always impressed at the number of groups and singers you’ve seen! I wish I’d attended more concerts back then…
I really haven’t seen that many! Jeff Meyerson sees more in a year than I’ve seen in my entire life!
Bob, the Meyerson’s hold the record for concerts among DAPA-EM members!
Despite my being a fan of Fleetwood Mac from their blues days on, I never saw them live. Saw Stevie once but even then only because a friend couldn’t use his tickets.
Jeff, the two times I saw Fleetwood Mac–1976 and 2015–both concerts were excellent!