Eagles (1974) Already Gone - LOST 70s GEMS

With each album the Eagles chose a different genre, the 72 self titled debut was breezy California country rock, Desperado was a more ballad and folk based, One of These Nights was their ultimate soft rock collection, Hotel California was built around more piano and keyboard songs and The Long Run was a soulful arena rock album; third album, On The Border was their stab at hard rock. This the opening track and lead single signalled their intentions of beefing up their California sound with less acoustic guitars and more chugging rock n roll lines and while it's a buried mix the track still powers along with Glenn Frey's clear vocals. It starts with a killer guitar line by new member Don Felder who also engages Frey in an exuberant duel in the middle of the song playing with ecstatic flair alternating between a prolonged string bend and a more country blues trickle of notes.

 Carrying more bite than before as Frey shrugs off a girlfriend who is already about to dump him, the key to the song is in the soothing bridge as Frey turns around from the heavy bravado of the verses/choruses with a heartfelt sentiment that he wasn't completely without blame achingly prescribing to his ex that 'Heaven knows' it wasn't her who let him down.
 What starts out as a brash adolescent breakup song ends in a more mature statement that 'Often times it happens, that we live our lives in chains and we never even knew we held the key' before one round of the rousing countrified chorus of' 'I'm Already Gone, and I'm feelin strong! I will sing my Victory song!'. The song was mixed very well by producer Bill Symzcyks, he correctly emphasises the country pop vocal harmonies in the bridge and chorus while letting the heavy rock drive the verses. It's an astounding mix of pop and rock and rootsy country vibes to create a heavy country rock sound the band was after though the success f their Greatest Hits collection suggests the semi acoustic country rock of their first two records and One of These Nights was the more popular combination. Though this proves to be their most underrated single only reaching no 32 unlike their many chart topping hits

The Doobie Brothers (1974) Song To See You Through - LOST 70s GEMS

Starting with two memorable moments, a funky slide guitar swinging while The legendary Memphis Horns blurt in some bawdy, Jazz chords. Tom Johnston's strong RnB delivery is centre of the mix, with that limited range rasp full of natural rootsy soul; a perfect voice for the rootsy and soulful brand of rock the Doobies payed at this time in their careers. The back and forth rhythms are pure and smooth while the lyrics of almost giving up and exhaustion are great fro the gospel rousing chorus with the Doobies providing sparse harmonies that slot in between the pounding horns to effectively maximise the big sound of this song. The excellent bridge has a hard driving funk guitar equal parts rock and funk that summarises the best of the Doobies; whether Southern Rock or Blue-eyed Soul they were 100% Raw!

Joe Walsh (1974) Help Me Through the Night - LOST 70s GEMS

Practically an Eagles audition tape, this glistening folk rock ballad was the exact type of harmony and acoustic guitar drenched melody done so well by the California hitmakers, it's no surprise they guested on the backing vocals; you could recognise those characteristic 'oohs' anywhere. The spiritual vibe is great and reminds me of what a good songwriter Joe Walsh is as well as a player, just check out Pretty Maids in a Row on the Hotel California album. But best is Walsh's superbly dour delivery capturing the frustration of the lyrics "Making up for the time is just the price you pay, then they take the prize away and it just ain't fair".

The layered production is what makes it really shine, a top class ballad outlier on a top class rocker album, So What(1974).

KISS (1974) Love Theme from KISS - LOST 70s GEMS

This 2 minute instrumental from Kiss's 1974 debut album features harmonised guitars dancing along in their beautifully duelling wails; ascending in a meticulous series of note pulls while the drums are pounded away in a restrained fashion. The title is a parody of a how 70s movie score were named, its ironic as this album doesn't have many love songs and it is the smoothest track in a heavy set. The bouncy bass note shuffle is great but the slashing power chords with their faux reverb is what I like best while the whole groove is a guilty pleasure. Though there's not much romance, as always there is a strong sensual vibe as the track walks along into a slightly darker passage; ominous Black Sabbath chords and twangy harmonics, it's by far a gem from Kiss's overlooked debut.

Ian Matthews (1974) A Wailing Goodbye - LOST 70s GEMS

Ian Matthews 1974 slick country rock album with it's weird title (Some Days You Eat the Bear), in it he uses his vocals to add a original feel to covers of Tom Waits' Ol 55 and Gene Clark's Tried So Hard. But this original is the standout, highly melodic for a song with a bleak premises; describing a lover's funeral.

With Dylanesque harmonica and driving pace it reminds me of Like a Rolling Stone plus some summery guitars and electric piano embellishments for a robust wall of sound production. Matthews trademark ethereal ballad vocals work extremely well for a detached almost sedated delivery fitting the almost morbid but painfully realistic detail. Matthews captures the poignant and bizarre mix of emotions of a funeral with the upbeat arrangement as he describes the scene; faces that 'nobody knew', people around 'crying their eyes out for you'. The best is the line of this wailing goodbye is 'most everyone agreed: what a beautiful day' solidifying the odd concept of a funeral; almost like a party missing the guest of honour; permanently.

 A sombre but profound little track that will stay with you long after hearing it's apt descriptions of a wake, combined with Ian Matthews' omnipresent vocals, that sound multi tracked and have a heavily delayed echo at a specific point, while that harmonica wails on defiantly in it's song.

Blue Magic (1974) Stringing Me Along - LOST 70s GEMS

From the punchy horn lines of Looking For a Friend to the Wah Wah-ed Minimoog stabs from You Won't Have to Tell Me Goodbye to the sprightly plucked strings of this track, The Magic of the Blue is a more magical set of highly produced and diverse array of pillowy soft ballads and funky upbeat jazz pop.
 The group was best with breathy vocals and 'labour of love' styled yearning against flavourful arrangements of horns strings and vibes usually distinguished by Bobby Eli's creative uses of electric sitars, moogs and wah wah/fuzz tone pedals. Though both this album and their debut could end songs in little funky two steps like this song and Love Has Found Its Way To Me which could easily have featured on the 1974 debut alongside Look Me Up and Welcome to the Club.

 Here we start with a heavy guitar reverberation to mimic the sound of heart strings before a dazzlingly daisy field of plucked strings pop up all over the track. The heavy orchestration by Norman Harris creates a huge Disco sound and sets the commanding tone of the chorus. In stark contrast is reedy falsetto of Ted 'The Wizard' Mills', he hits an exceptionally high note in the 'You're Just' of "You're Just, stringing me along how can I go wrong?" The song ends in another Blue Magic patented Latin funk breakdown; the wah wah chicken scratch, the group vocals and the rolling strings sweeping us into a strangely grande lounge room workout. 

PS 'Lounge room workout' is referring to a jazz lounge in case that didn't sound right.

Incredible Bongo Band (1974) Kiburi - LOST 70s GEMS

From their follow up album The Return of the Incredible Bongo Band, a tight funky percussive unit storm out the gate with this track, apocryphally it could have featured Ringo Starr. Kiburi starts off with an incredible wah wah ed orgasm with funky fuzz tone duck sounds all building up to a strong early Disco vibe similar to Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra combo; their are African ladies singing in graceful ways with a behind the beat guitar groove and full on percussion. The double hit guitar part at the end of every other phrase is very much a early disco trope but the floor is for the various acoustic drums, from xylophone to maracas. Kiburi loosely translates to pride in Swahili and this was a band whose recorded performances stand proud.