Happy Furry Puppy Story Time with Norbizness

Friday Semi-Random Video 10: Strictly Seventies

Break out your bell bottoms for some video footage from the decade before video. Hopefully I'll hit every generational cohort before having to do a "Thoroughly Thirties;" previous entries in the experiment can be found here for the 80s and here for the 90s. Remember to click on a corner of the tiny video box in order to get a full-sized, YouTube presentation:

1. Muswell Hillbilly by The Kinks (1971): After a few country-fried introductions, Ray finally gets into the song. Some fantastic sportcoats in effect, as well as some rare facial hair from his brother.

2. Outta Space by Billy Preston (1972): Unfortunately, I think this is a truncated clip, but at least it starts off with Billy and company in full jam, employing both the organ and clavinet (you can see a dance party, lip-synched clip here). Plus: second-best 'fro in the business, narrowly losing out to his own left-handed guitarist!

3. Who Are You by The Who (1978): This appears to be a studio take, rather than the finished take, but it shows Keith Moon in fine, manic form in his last studio album. Hopefully this otherwise decent song hasn't been ruined by its inclusion on one of the 284 CSI shows.

4. Hey Hey Helen by ABBA (1976): I think they're some sort of live-action Swedish version of the Superfriends or something. Plus, it sounds like they got Billy Preston on the omnipresent clavinet. USELESS INFO: Interestingly, this song was covered by Lush, of all bands.

5. Practice Makes Perfect by Wire (1979): Does anyone else notice that there are several hundred bands out now that sound a lot like late-70s Wire? By the way, I've seen a good portion of the DVD from which this clip is taken, and it's awesome. The audience has nooooo idea.

6. Oh! You Pretty Things by David Bowie (1972): Maybe he was singing about the band. Unsure why it took the BBC ten years to air the performance; perhaps you can slog through the several hundred comments to figure it out.

7. Drift Away by Dobie Gray (1973): One of the early pioneers of smooth rock; of course, he's a hell of a lot more of a soulful singer (from Texas, baby!) than Kenny Loggins or Christopher Cross. If you have time (and I know my average reader does), check out his web site... still goin' strong!

8. New Pleasure by Richard Hell and the Voidoids (1977): I'll admit that I've never seen the film, Blank Generation (1980), from which this comes, but it's got to be odd (Carole Bouquet, a Bunuel and Bond girl, plays a camerawoman).

9. The Shape I'm In by The Band (1970): Of course, the film footage is from the indispensable documentary The Last Waltz (1976), directed by Martin Scorsese. No guest stars on this particular cut, but great performances all around.

10. Germ-Free Adolescents by X-Ray Spex (1978): I think this is the line-up after original saxophonist Lora Logic got cut (she formed the great band Essential Logic); there's a real weird Kraftwerk vibe with the song that makes it unlike anything else produced by early British punk rock.

The best of the bunch has to be Billy. Now, if you want a Friday Music Question to chew on, let's try this: have you recently grown sick of a long-time treasured musical group or artist, and were you surprised at your sudden revulsion? For me, I'd have to say that I'm almost thoroughly sick of Pink Floyd, and, as much as it pains me to say it, Bad Brains. Forgive me, Dr. Know! How about yourself? If that doesn't pique your interest, drop some videos or playlists of your own from the Golden Age of Plaid.

Posted by Norbizness at August 10, 2007 12:11 AM