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 are going to talk about the top rock albums of the year and share some cool facts from back in time. Sit back kids, this is going to be a wild ride.
We are talking about 1973. It was a wild year for the United States. We lost a president who claimed he was not a crook, In January: The Paris Peace Accords were signed, ending direct U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. In February: The American Indian Movement occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Rock n roller, Jim Croce died in an airplane accident.
Also, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album was on the Billboard charts for 741 consecutive weeks from 1973 to 1988, and in total has charted for 917 weeks.
Led Zeppelin bought their private jet, “The Starship,” for part of their 1973 US tour for $30,000. Drummer John Bonham once flew the band from New York to LA even though he didn’t have a pilot’s license.
KISS played their first show in 1973 in Queens, New York, for an audience of fewer than ten people and was paid $50 for that evening.
Quotes:
The uncola”
– 7 Up
“It ain’t over ’til it’s over” wasn’t a phrase until Yogi Berra coined it in 1973
Let’s jump into the top rock album of the year.
1973: Iggy and the Stooges, ‘Raw Power’
The album title is fitting. In 1973, Iggy and the Stooges were ‘Raw Power.’ Behind the scenes, Pop was trying to keep it together with guitarist James Williamson convincing Pop to welcome Ron Asheton and his brother Scott back into the fold after the band had split briefly. With David Bowie co-producing, the band knocked out the recording in under a month. “Search and Destroy” was the album’s primary track, an aggressive yet very bare-bones rocker. “I Need Somebody” and “Gimme Danger” fulfilled the label-mandated ballad requirement, while “Shake Appeal” and the title track saw Pop throwing himself into the music with reckless abandon. Though not an immediate success, ‘Raw Power’ became a cult favorite over the years and many point to the album as a forebearer of the punk movement to come a few years later.
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, search Rock n Coasters podcast. Also, please do us a favor and hit that subscribe button. One more thing watch your podcast feed on Thursdays as we will do the same format for the top metal albums too.
Oh, one last bit of trivia, the cost of a Superbowl ad in 1973: $88,000. Did you know this is the only time in NFL history we have had a perfect season? The Miami Dolphins. That record still stands today. Take that, Tom Brady! 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.
