The Scruffs (1977) Bedroom Stories - LOST 70s GEMS

From the underground classic, Wanna Meet The Scruffs , it's a mix of 60s pop, 70s new wave influenced power pop and the usual hard rock virtuosity of the late 70s arena sound; in short, a collection of catchy yet disposal and occasionally irritating melodies. Listen to 'I'm A Failure' for great lyrics or 'Revenge' for the bright and funky pop chords, janglyness to the max combined with powerful falsetto vocals and a sitar sounding, slide guitar playing lilting blues in an eastern texture. While Frozen Girls and Tommy Gun are strong tunes, the former a 50s tribute a perfect vehicle for the band's melodic sense drifting form melancholic soul to hard rocking prog, while the latter is another raucous rock n roller full of backing vocals and funky, jangly guitars marked by rave ups like a lot of the whole album and it's turbo fuelled retro pop rock. But Bedroom Stories is the best, the delicate folk starts with heartfelt delivery, the album's jangly guitars sound best here with a slight banjo picking, the vocals are smooth again and the exuberant melodies, the album in general seems like a showcase for the warbling belting of lead singer and rhytmm guitar of Stephen Burns. It's also important to note the arpeggios and pop jangle on this track feels like a sign of what the 90s would bring along with the offbeat harmonies.

Craig Fuller Eric Kaz (1978) Cry Like A Rainstorm - LOST 70s GEMS

Probably the best track from the Fuller and Kaz album, two survivors of the underrated mid 70s country rock outfit American Flyer, they prove themselves to be the soulful energy behind that entity here with some great style but lacking in the tunes department. But the refrain of this song works even if overall the group before and this solo album never left an indelible mark like Poco or Firefall their pristine sound worked just fine when the songs were there like on the first American Flyer album.

Badfinger (1970) Believe Me - LOST 70s GEMS

No Dice was the precursor to Straight Up, Badfinger's and the genre of Power Pop's magnus opus, while this is a harder rockin album itdoesn't have the eclectic material, heavy pop arrangements this had some solid melodies too though not as punchy or colourful as the follow up. There's is the rip roaring opener I Can't Take It, which showed they like most 70s bands tried to revive that 50s RnR style alongside their more contemporary stuff. I Don't Mind is a gentle laidback track full of harmonies far too reminiscent of the Fab Four whose label Apple they were on but the song is good while the closer We're For The Dark features a crystal clear acoustic guitar on it's own with a typical Pete Ham composition centered around romance and despair, just ignore the orchestra stabs which are unnecessary though incredibly mixed. The album contains the staples Without You (famously covered by Nillson and Mariah Carey) and the upbeat hook laden pop of No Matter What too.

    

But Believe Me is by far the best song with Tom Evans with it's soaring lead vocals and close harmony singin a gem that was of course overshadowed by the famous WIthout You but is worth another listen as a statement of intent of this band on the precipice of their artistic peak.

Souther Hillman Furay (1975) Follow Me Through - LOST 70s GEMS

A catchy yacht rocker with enough country to prove the three solo artists of this forgotten super group had some fresh ideas. From their second album the funk crossover Trouble in Paradise which was interesting and solid on songwriting if lacking the original spark that was in the sound of their prior ventures like Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds or even Longbranch Pennywhistle. They tried to mix funk into their easygoing carefree harmony country rock, their first album's lead single Border Town featured a chugging rhythm along the liens of Listen to the Music but these three couldn't gel and create a new organic outfit so they finished after what was a solid album, far more than their debut, but lacking in interesting arrangements pretty much just adding light jazzy guitar licks to the country rock they had already established in other ventures. Shame..circle can't be broken til the last line is spoken..

Linda Ronstadt (1974) You Can Close your Eyes - LOST 70s GEMS

While her proteges The Eagles had gone off and singlehandedly commercialised country in one fell swoop after a good half decade of failed near misses by other entertainers Ronstadt showed her own crossover potential. Wisely beefing up this Neil Young tune sparse folkiness and pale hints of down home singing never overdoing it she followed the Eagles success with her own brand of country soul. The ragged harmonies add to the sound of pretty 70s ballads with their organic and honest sound a million miles from the vacuous, stilted and cheesy lyrics of today's pop

Rick Springfield (1973) Weep No More - LOST 70s GEMS

With its Elton John style, this histrionic power pop tune was one of Springfields' most underrated songs; this was when he was known more as a teen idol than a serious songsmith. The 'na na nas' (also used in the I'm Your Superman track represents the loose comic book theme of the album) and the crisp rock guitar crunch mixing with the hissy vocals time stamps this as part of the early 70s singer songwriter AM Pop/ FM Soft Rock sound of Elton, David Cassidy, Neil Diamond and Andy Kim; artists who drew from Bubblegum music as much as soul in their pop rock arrangements.

 

America (1975) Daisy Jane - LOST 70s GEMS

This Gerry Beckley tune slots in perfectly next to his big AM radio hit, the serene Sister Golden Hair. The sweet romantic tone is fantastic and the lyrics hint at uncertainty also prevalent in Golden Hair. The George Martin feel is present here with the short musical snippet where the piano is upfront in the mix with the strings right in the back, sonically resembling the punchy guitar line of the Beatles' In My Life. But Beckley's sweet rendering of the song's warm chorus line of "Does she really love me?". Off their 1975 album, Hearts, this presented their soft rock identity and lush romanticism, far from the rootsy virtuoso folk rock trio of expatriates they appeared at first in their 1971 debut.

Chris Hillman (1976) Down in the Churchyard - LOST 70s GEMS

While lacking the big Motown sound of the original Gram Parsons Flying Burrito Brothers cut, this is still a great song reinterpreted for the late 70s California disco influenced soft rock scene for the now maturing country rockers of the early 70s.

Take it on the Run is a Glenn Frey sounding rocker, makes sense as he is one of the few country rock artists to truly appreciate the Eagles openly, while he experiments with new sounds like the light jazzy piano soft rock of Slippin Away which reminds me of Richie Furay's second solo album Dance a Little Light; which sorta proves my point that this album could've been a MOR solo venture by any country rock veteran with little of Hillman's specific talents rising above the mix. A more individualistic contribution would've been welcome but its not really meant to be as ambitious or strong in voice as the work of his former colleagues like Gene Clark, David Crosby, Gram Parsons etc.

Batdorf and Rodney (1975) Caught in the Rain - LOST 70s GEMS

From their third and final album this duo produced a neat little song, starting with a thoughtful, touching vocal complete with delicate folk pickin. On a quest for meaning in this melancholic, existential track full of beautiful melodic-isms and beautiful lyricism it's worth the listen best is when the thudding basslines, electric piano and Wah-Wah guitar as well as tasteful thunderstorm sound effects that all enter in the song's middle passage.

Milkwood (1972) Makeshift Pawn - LOST 70s GEMS

From their debut album How's The Weather off Paramount Records, this Boston folk trio would soon evolve into New Wave pop artists The Cars; this is a very countrified downhome, straitlaced folk rock album full of acoustic skills and no intention of the quirky electric new wave power pop they would succeed in by the end of the decade. While album opener With you with me is good it's Makeshift Pawn and Winter Song, the more country rock tunes with their expressive singing that are better, some of the power pop and cross harmonies of their later success as The Cars are present here but not even a tenth of the creativity they would alter display. The good vibes of the warm harmonies and flexible electric guitars give Makeshift Pawn an edge with it's middle of the road early 70s laidback acoustics.

The Osmonds (1973) Mirror Mirror - LOST 70s GEMS

 From their most adventurous album, the eclectic concept album The Plan, built around subtle messages from the Mormon religion the album with rock and their brand of bubblegum pop balladry. Dominated by a piercing harmonica throughout the dance number along with a jewish harp sounding bassline makes this a cool piece of funkied-countrified experimentation with the brother's clean harmonies.

This funky number in it's odd 5/8 time signature (according to a youtube comment) is pretty Bee Gees level funk rock that shows their skills, while Let Me In is a great song this track with dojo funkiness and inward looking lyrics are exciting.

Fandango (1977) City of Angels - LOST 70s GEMS

Like Journeys tribute to San Francisco, Lights, Fandango pay homage to the town they got their start and fan base. Like that group they had a strong power ballad sound built around a soaring lead singer and powerful keyboards and lead guitar crunch. This from their second album had a nice harmony part but lacked the songwriting prowess of their 77 debut which had a Foreigner feel with songs like Jesse and Will, Devil Rain and the gorgeous Helpless Heart.

Batdorf & Rodney (1971) Oh My Surprise - LOST 70s GEMS

Off the Shelf, the first of three albums by this funky folk rock duo, weren't huge sellers, but I took interest as Batdorf would go onto form Silver, a one off country rock band with an interesting sound and a song in the latest Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack; so here I am. While the album is jam packed with Latin and rock based diversions and mild melodies, this opening track with it's sprightly rhythm is the best; it seems back in the 70s any album you pick the opening song is always the most striking, no surprise. The soulful vocals with it's longing for the innocence and simplicity of childhood is understandable along with some more flamenco licks, particularly ramping up the blueseyness towards the end.

Eagles (1979) Teenage Jail - LOST 70s GEMS

From their last album of the 70s, the dark tinged, hard rock and ballad heavy The Long Run, Teenage Jail is a flawed song from a flawed album but it still stands as highly underrated within the band' catalogue. What I love about it is that despite it's lack of taste, complexity or the very on the nose and on the beat directness it's still a guilty pleasure I can't stop listening to.

The ballsy guitars come in a Black Sabbath-esque droning figure, sliding in achingly wearied way while Glenn Frey's nasally and intoning vocals sing over it alone with a remarkable quality to sound like a chorus. Frey is the chieftain of this track, a rare contribution from him during the second half of the 70s where he took a backseat, for some this is an explanation why. That nasally tone of his voice fits the up and down melodies and the undulating vibe of this odd tune; part satanic hard rock, odd Moog solo and bluesy coda.
 Don Henley's vocals on the sparse verse is uncharacteristically animated and draped in a ghostly echo, sharing some of the slapstick delivery of another Eagles oddity on this album, The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks, he noticeably takes a sharp intake of breath at one point. Once Henley is done, Frey returns with a equally buzzed Mini-moog solo, increasing and decreasing in pitch with some long held notes that audibly waver as they are pressed down; quirky. Then the song picks up with Don Felder launching into a truly scorched earth solo, simple but full of drama and intensity sought how I would describe this song. Warning: Don't expect any hidden layers to this tune.

Richard Wright (1978) Funky Deux - LOST 70s GEMS

If the debut album from Pink Floyd Keyboardist Rick Wright was a little less inventive and underwhelming than a member of Pink Floyd should be it certainly is a terrific mood piece. The least pretentious of the bunch with late night lounge vibe to it, the funky guitars, mixed with a ever present electric piano and unrepentant sax works. The synth moments also shine, as for the Wet Dreams album, not so much a wet dream as a pleasant one nothing special. The serene music matching the serene art work that I must admit I love.