re: 70's rock playlist

Anybody can tell you the most famous classic rock acts, so I'll tell you some of the lesser known stuff they don't regurgitate on 98.1 that I really dig.

Check out a band called Free. They were a British blues rock band that led to Bad Company (Paul Rodgers and another member formed Bad Company when Free split up)
Any of their greatest hit albums would be a good primer. They're mostly known for the song 'All Right Now', but they are so much more than that song would have you believe. Check out a song by them called 'Be My Friend', especially the Take 1 version they recorded live at the BBC.

If you're a Zeppelin fan, check out their Live At The BBC stuff too. It's fricking incredible. They tear it up like you've never heard them.

Robert Palmer's first album, 'Sneakin Sally Through The Alley' should be a must have. It features Allen Toussaint, Lowell George, and his backing band was The Meters. The track 'Get Outside' is a particular fav of mine. His later stuff is more hit or miss, but I do like his version of Toots and the Maytals' 'Pressure Drop' on his second album of the same name.

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was smoking hot back in their day. I've never really found anything of theirs I didn't like.

Check out a track by Savoy Brown called 'Hellbound Train'. If you like it you might like the rest of their work too.

Rory Gallagher is probably the most criminally unknown bad arse guitar player from the 70s. He was absolutely devastating. His 'Irish Tour, 1974' LP is a revelation.

At least the first two C.S.N.(& Y) albums should be on your list, but you'll find even their later work still captures the magic of their sound.

Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush will absolutely surprise you with how good they are. Marino shreds on guitar.

The first Zebra album is a masterpiece.

I don't know if the 13th Floor Elevators would be considered classic rock, but they are wonderfully weird from that time period.

If you can find a rip of the Buckingham/Nicks LP, grab it. It's never been released on CD but there are some very good copies out there that have been ripped from vinyl. One listen and you'll know where the real success of Fleetwood Mac was generated (Christine McVie's brilliance not to be diminished).

The James Gang with Joe Walsh is very good. If you don't at least have 'Turn To Stone' in your playlist you're missing out.

Jeff Lynne released a E.L.O. song on the American Hustle soundtrack that they'd previously only put out in Japan. The song is called 'Long Black Road' and sounds like it came straight out the mid-70s. It's a ear worm that sticks with you long after the song's over.

Listen to any of Captain Beyond's three 70s LPs. A lot of people are familiar with their first album featuring "Dancing Madly Backwords", but their second one, 'Sufficiently Breathless' is my fav.

Captain Beefheart's 'Clear Spot' album is much more accessible and more straight ahead (for them anyway) than the rest of their work. It features some really good songs that bear a listen.

Look into J.J. Cale. He wrote a bunch of great songs that others (Clapton, Skynyrd) made famous. His own work is out of sight in it's own right.

The Moody Blues LP 'A Question Of Balance' is amazing throughout.

Lot's of people know Thin Lizzy for the couple hits they play endlessly on classic rock radio, but they were so much more than that. Check out stuff like 'Cowboy Song' and others. They really kicked arse and took names. (on a side note, if you like Cowboy Song, look for a cover version of it by Anthrax. It's really faithful to the original and they knock it out the park. Actually, Anthrax has done a lot of classic rock covers and they pretty much slay every one. Everything from Boston to Cheap Trick to Kiss. They put out a whole EP of covers called Anthems a couple years ago. You should really grab it. They don't turn them into thrash metal tunes. They stay very true to the originals)

Ted Nugent is a lightening rod politically today, but he made some good music you might not have heard. The song 'Great White Buffalo' is particularly good.

Whitesnake was an awesome blues rock band in the 80s before Coverdale sold his soul and fricked it all up around 1987. 'Come And Get It', 'Saints And Sinners', and 'Slide It In' all feature some really great songs and some first rate players.

If you're not familiar with Triumph, you should be.

Check out Wishbone Ash's 'Argus' album. If you do, I can almost guarantee you'll look into the rest of their catalog too. You might be familiar with the track 'Blowin' Free' from that album, but the whole thing is stunning.

If you're a ZZ Top fan, don't overlook their First Album. It's as good as any of the rest of their work.

Surprisingly enough, there's a lot of good B.T.O. tunes that don't get played on the radio.

Why Blackfoot is not more well known is beyond me. Their catalog is definitely worth checking out.