Hello and welcome to the Rock n Coasters podcast, I am one of your hosts, Michele Forto. To kick off the new year we are starting something new every week. We will talk about the top metal albums of the year and share some cool facts from back in time. Sit back, kids, this is going to be a wild ride.
1973 was a wild year. A man tried to rob a bank in Kenora, Ontario, with dynamite strapped to his chest. A police sniper shot him, detonating the explosives and blowing him up. He has never been identified. The White House forbade female staffers and employees from wearing pants instead of skirts until the Energy Crisis of 1973 when building temperatures were lowered, and pants were finally allowed. Burger Chef (opened in 1958 by Donald & Frank Thomas, who used McDonald’s as their inspiration) was the fast-food chain that pioneered the kids’ meal concept. First sold in 1973, their “Fun Meal” bundled burgers with a dessert and toy.
We also saw the first cell phone, NASA sent two spiders known as Arabella and Anita into space to see if they could spin a web without gravity. It took the spiders a couple of days to figure out, but they eventually ended up making finer and more complex webs than their earth counterparts in addition to being blind, Stevie Wonder temporarily lost his sense of smell and taste after a car crash in 1973. He was also in a coma for ten days, waking when a friend sang his song, Higher Ground, to him.
Quotes:
“Have it your way”
– Burger King
“People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.”
– President Richard Nixon
Let’s talk about the top metal album.
1973: Black Sabbath, ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’
After making their debut just three years earlier, it’s hard to imagine Black Sabbath’s fifth album hitting the shelves in 1973 as the Birmingham bunch employed a scorched earth policy in their approach to blazing trails. ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ is a highly experimental album as the band dove further into their craft. Sabbath wrote freely using these two elements to juxtapose overt heaviness with more delicate moments. The title track and “Sabbra Cadabra” saw this interplay on display internally, while “A National Acrobat” paired next to the piano / acoustic instrumental “Fluff” kept each aspect for their own.
So, guys, what do you think? Do you think you will like this series? Please let us know in the comments and on our social channels, just search Rock n Coasters podcast. Also, do us a favor and hit that subscribe button. One more thing watch your podcast feed on Mondays as we will do the same format for the top rock albums too.
Oh, one last bit of trivia, when 16-year-old John Paul Getty III was kidnapped in 1973, his billionaire grandfather refused to pay $17 million ransom. After the kidnappers mailed Getty’s ear to a newspaper, his grandfather only agreed to pay $2.2 million because that was the maximum amount that was tax deductible. And on that note, we would love for you to support our show. Please head over to patreon.com/firstpawmedia and sign up today, and you will get access to behind-the-scenes content, exclusive merch, and more.
I am your host, Michele Forto, see you next time.
