Gary Wright (1976) Dreamweaver - LOST 70s GEMS

This moody synth epic was one of the most timeless soft rock productions of the 70s mainly due to it's portentous Sci-Fi operatic sound. It starts with a flurry of spooky instrumentation; from from haunted keyboard sound, twinkling cocktail piano trills to the occasional digital gurgle from an analogue synth it plants an image in my mind of a supernatural forest like a Midsummer's Nights Dream. The twilight atmosphere continues with a hallowed lead vocal beaming down from the heavens above.
The tender crack in his voice as he sings the word 'behind' keeps the song rooted in intimate emotion whilst surrounded by galactic textures. The soaring chorus I first heard in a quick snippet in Toy Story 3 is of course iconic but never gets old; it has a 'whooshing' quality transporting you as the cooing vocal harmony goes up an step and a funky piano beats along and a glassy synth slides underneath. The surging quality of the track is what struck me but the murky atmospherics of the opening to the clear as daylight chorus and that beautiful bridge about the 'the dawn may be coming soon' It's like transcendental meditation encapsulated in a simple melody but deep spiritual philosophy. Meanwhile the pioneering synth work was a fitting concept in itself.

Dreams (1972) Calico Baby - LOST 70s GEMS

Jazz rockers Dreams, made up of the Brecker Brother, drummer Billy Cobham and future Late Show bassist Will Lee, return for their sophomore album, Imagine my Surprise is chock full of horns and blue eyed soul vocals, streamlined guitar lines and huge wah wah guitar flecks.


Calico Baby with its effortless soulful delivery and pop smarts and pre-Disco wah wah and horn groove, the excellent mellow country pop of Why I Can't Find a Home, while the very 70s sounding harmony drenched sunshine pop of Just Be Ourselves carries an important lyrical message about reserved people suffering anxiety. Don't Cry My Lady is another laidback ballad with deep horns and vocals reminiscent of Stax. The closing track is a upbeat jazzy ditty with quirky offbeat soul arrangements of shuffle drum pattern, inane rhyming patter, twanging trumpets and horns and wah wah meows.

Elton John (1972) Honky Cat - LOST 70s GEMS

Elton's Honky Château (1972) is famous for Rocket Man, but looking past that song's epic construction are some solid gems like the banjo and piano bounce of opener Honky Cat, the dark vaudeville jazz of I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself and the droning multi-tracked gospel croon of Salvation. The album is filled out by suitable piano heavy jives like Mellow, Slave, Susie (Dramas), Amy; all Honky Tonk country rockers in keeping with the album title and solid tunes if forgettable.

Montrose (1975) All I Need - LOST 70s GEMS

Fast falling behind other rock giants like Kiss, Queen and Rush who debuted after them, the Warner Bros Presents album of 75 asserts a more simple riff based sound with greater use of keyboards and effects.Bob James replaced the departing Sammy Hagar, later of Van Halen fame, after some acrimony between the singer and the band's name sake guitarist. The thrilling Matriach is full of Deep Purple playing and a chugging organ part that is like a telegraph line, All I Need is a very melodic pop cut off the record and the raucous, circular riffs and rough shouting vocals on the Twenty Flight Rock cover is another personal highlight as they broaden their approach. The waves of phaser sound effects like crashing ocean waters lapping over the 60s sounding track Whaler is another neat production technique, while Bob James shines with a grittier and more youthful vocal on Dancin Feet and Lucky Man. But One and a Half is a blatant rip off of the Eastern fingerpickin instrumental, Black Mountainside from Led Zeppelin 1 which in itself was a direct cover of a folk instrumental by Davy Graham so ..I guess all is good then. The best thing about this album is, although less enjoyable than their previous two efforts, the B movie poster album cover where he gets the girl whilst a dinosaur with wings seems to terrorise a town of people at the foot of a castle is pure fun.