Music Year 1971

This was retrospectively constructed in 2021 (June 20).

New Records

A+
  1. John Lennon: Imagine (Apple)
  2. Jimmy Rushing: The You and Me That Used to Be (RCA Victor) J
  3. The Who: Who's Next (MCA)
  4. Miles Davis: Jack Johnson (Columbia) J
A
  1. Al Green: Gets Next to You (Hi)
  2. David Bowie: Hunky Dory (RCA Victor)
  3. Sly and the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On (Epic)
  4. The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones)
  5. Joe McPhee: Nation Time (CjRecord) J
  6. Tom T. Hall: In Search of a Song (Mercury)
  7. Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV (Atlantic)
  8. John Prine: John Prine (Atlantic)
  9. Kevin Ayers: Whatevershebringswesing (Harvest)
  10. The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin: The Inner Mounting Flame (Columbia) J
  11. Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story (Mercury)
  12. Anne Briggs: The Time Has Come (CBS)
  13. Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs and Englishmen (A&M)
A-
  1. Carole King: Tapestry (Epic)
  2. Joni Mitchell: Blue (Reprise)
  3. Miles Davis: Live-Evil (Columbia) J
  4. James Brown: Hot Pants (Polydor)
  5. Gato Barbieri: Fenix (Flying Dutchman) J
  6. Delaney & Bonnie & Friends: Motel Shot (Atco)
  7. Curtis Mayfield: Roots (Curtom)
  8. Janis Joplin: Pearl (Columbia)
  9. Taj Mahal: The Real Thing (Columbia)
  10. Black Oak Arkansas: Black Oak Arkansas (MCA)
  11. Howlin' Wolf: The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (Chess)
  12. Marvin Gaye: What's Going On (Tamla)
  13. Gary Bartz NTU Troop: Harlem Bush Music: Taifa/Uhuru (Milestone) J -- originally 2 LPs, later 1 CD
  14. Champion Jack Dupree: The Legacy of the Blues Vol. 3 (Sonet) -- reissued as The Sonet Blues Story
  15. Van Morrison: Tupelo Honey (Warner Bros)
  16. The Stylistics: The Stylistics (Avco)
  17. B.B. King: Live at Cook County Jail (ABC)
  18. John Surman/John Warren: Tales of the Algonquin (Deram) J
  19. The Flamin' Groovies: Teenage Head (Buddah)
  20. Stanley Turrentine: Sugar (CTI) J
  21. Sir Douglas Quintet: The Return of Doug Saldana (Phillips)
  22. Hound Dog Taylor: Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers (Alligator)
  23. Gene Ammons & Dexter Gordon: The Chase! (Prestige) J -- CD expanded
  24. Willie Nelson: Yesterday's Wine (RCA Victor)
  25. Stan Getz: Dynasty (Verve) J
  26. Dolly Parton: Coat of Many Colors (RCA Victor)
  27. Jan De Gaetani/The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble: Arnold Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire Op. 21 (Nonesuch)
  28. Art Ensemble of Chicago: Phase One (America) J
  29. Tony Coe: With Brian Lemon Trio (77) J -- expanded as Some Other Autumn

Also Noted:

Records in hand, graded B+ or below, in alphabetical order within grade slots:

B+(***)
  • Art Ensemble of Chicago: Message to Our Folks (BYG)
  • Jorge Ben: Negro É Lindo (Philips)
  • Anne Briggs: Anne Briggs (Topic)
  • James Brown: Super Bad (King)
  • Can: Tago Mago (United Artists)
  • Johnny Cash: Man in Black (Columbia)
  • Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band: No Roses (Pegasus)
  • Chick Corea: The Song of Singing (Blue Note) J
  • Smoke Dawson: Fiddle (Oliver's Fiddle Works)
  • The Doors: L.A. Woman (Elektra)
  • Snooks Eaglin: The Legacy of the Blues Vol. 2 (Sonet) -- reissued as The Sonet Blues Story
  • Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Melody Nelson (Philips)
  • Merle Haggard and the Strangers: Hag (Capitol)
  • Freddie Hubbard: Straight Life (CTI) J
  • Nils Lofgren/Grin: 1+1 (Spindizzy)
  • Curtis Mayfield: Curtis/Live! (Curtom)
  • MC5: High Time (Atlantic)
  • Lee Moses: Time and Place (Maple)
  • Nucleus: We'll Talk About It Later (Vertigo) J
  • Bonnie Raitt: Bonnie Raitt (Warner Bros)
  • Helen Reddy: Helen Reddy (Capitol)
  • Gene Russell: New Direction (Black Jazz)
  • George Russell: Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved By Nature (Flying Dutchman) J
  • Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces of a Man (Flying Dutchman)
  • Woody Shaw: Blackstone Legacy (Contemporary) J
  • Ike & Tina Turner: What You Hear Is What You Get: Live at Carnegie Hall (United Artists)
  • Michal Urbaniak's Group: Live Recording (Polskie Nagrania Muza) J
  • Bill Withers: Just as I Am (Columbia)
  • Stevie Wonder: Where I'm Coming From (Tamla)
B+(**)
  • Walter Bishop Jr.: Coral Keys (Black Jazz) J
  • Peter Brötzmann/Fred Van Hove/Han Bennink/Albert Mangelsdorff: The End (FMP) J -- expanded as Live in Berlin '71
  • Ian Carr With Nucleus: Solar Plexus (Vertigo) J
  • Cluster: Cluster (Philips) -- reissued as Cluster '71
  • Ornette Coleman: Love Call (Blue Note)
  • Chick Corea: Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 (ECM) J
  • Karen Dalton: In My Own Time (Paramount)
  • Grin: Grin (Spindizzy)
  • Merle Haggard and the Strangers: Someday We'll Look Back (Capitol)
  • Z.Z. Hill: The Brand New Z.Z. Hill (Mankind)
  • Dave Holland/Barre Phillips: Music From Two Basses (ECM) J
  • Stan Hope: Stan Hope (Mainstream)
  • Bobby Hutcherson: Head On (Blue Note) J -- CD expanded
  • Illinois Jacquet: Genius at Work! (Black Lion) -- reissued as The Comeback
  • Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata (Atlantic) J
  • Steve Lacy: Lapis (Saravah) J
  • The Last Poets: This Is Madness (Douglas) -- CD twofer with The Last Poets (1970) as When the Revolution Comes
  • Charles Lloyd: The Flowering (Atlantic) J
  • Taj Mahal: Happy Just to Be Like I Am (Columbia)
  • Mieczyslaw Mazur: Rag Swing Time (Polskie Nagrania Muza) J
  • Charles McPherson: Charles McPherson (Mainstream) J
  • Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson (RCA Victor)
  • Pharoah Sanders: Black Unity (Impulse!) J
  • Wayne Shorter: Odyssey of Iskra (Blue Note) J
  • Hal Singer: Blues and News (Futura) J
  • Lonnie Smith: Mama Wailer (Kudu) J
  • T. Rex: Electric Warrior (Fly)
  • Buddy Terry: Awareness (Mainstream) J
  • Stanley Turrentine: Salt Song (CTI) J
B+(*)

  • George Benson: Beyond the Blue Horizon (CTI) J
  • Kenny Burrell: God Bless the Child (CTI) J
  • Aretha Franklin: Aretha Live at Fillmore West (Atlantic)
  • Mary Hopkin: Earth Song/Ocean Song (Apple)
  • Freddie Hubbard: First Light (CTI) J
  • Freddie Hubbard/Ilhan Mimaroglu: Sing Me a Song of Songmy (Atlantic) J
  • Ahmad Jamal: Freeflight (Impulse!) J
  • Vesa-Matti Loiri: 4+20 (Finnlevy) J
  • Sergio Mendes: Stillness (A&M)
  • Lee Perry: Africa's Blood (Trojan)
  • Howard Roberts: Antelope Freeway (Impulse!) J
  • Pharoah Sanders: Thembi (Impulse!)
  • Santana: Santana III (Columbia) -- 2-CD Legacy Edition
  • Heikki Sarmanto Quintet: Counterbalance (Odeon) J
  • Archie Shepp: Things Have Got to Change (Impulse!) J
  • Ike & Tina [Turner]: 'Nuff Said (United Artists)
  • Grover Washington Jr.: Inner City Blues (Kudu) J
B+
  • Dennis Alcapone: Forever Version (Studio One)
  • Art Ensemble of Chicago: Art Ensemble of Chicago With Fontella Bass (America) J
  • Beaver & Krause: Gandharva (Warner Bros) -- CD twofer with In a Wild Sanctuary (1970)
  • Paul Bley: Improvisie (America) J
  • Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: Mirror Man (Buddah)
  • Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen: Lost in the Ozone (MCA)
  • Crazy Horse: Crazy Horse (Reprise)
  • George Crumb: Ancient Voices of Children (Nonesuch)
  • The Esoteric Circle: George Russell Presents the Esoteric Circle (Flying Dutchman) J -- reissued as George Russell Presents Jan Garbarek With Terje Rypdal: Esoteric Circle
  • Fleetwood Mac: Future Games (Reprise)
  • Funkadelic: Maggot Brain (Westbound)
  • Grateful Dead: Grateful Dead (Warner Bros)
  • The Holy Modal Rounders: Good Taste Is Timeless (Metromedia)
  • Michael Hurley: Armchair Boogie (Warner Bros)
  • The Isley Brothers: Givin' It Back (Epic)
  • George Jones: Sings the Great Songs of Leon Payne (Hollywood)
  • Joy of Cooking: Closer to the Ground (Capitol)
  • The Kinks: Muswell Hillbillies (RCA Victor)
  • Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Africa '70 With Ginger Baker: Live! (EMI) -- expanded reissue with material from 1978
  • Albert Mangelsdorff Quartet: Live in Tokyo (Enja) J
  • John McLaughlin/Dave Holland/John Surman/Stu Martin/Karl Berger: Where Fortune Smiles (Deram) J
  • Mott the Hoople: Brain Capers (Atlantic)
  • The Move: Message From the Country (Harvest)
  • Pink Floyd: Meddle (Harvest)
  • Leon Russell: Leon Russell and the Shelter People (Shelter)
  • Soft Machine: Fourth (CBS)
  • Cat Stevens: Tea for the Tillerman (A&M)
  • Traffic: The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (Island)
B
  • Albert Ayler: The Last Album (Impulse!) J -- CD twofer with Love Cry
  • The Beach Boys: Surf's Up (Caribou)
  • Chuck Berry: San Francisco Dues (Chess)
  • Carla Bley: Escalator Over the Hill (JCOA) J
  • Marion Brown: Afternoon of a Georgia Faun (ECM) J
  • John Cale/Terry Riley: Church of Anthrax (Columbia)
  • Caravan: In the Land of Grey and Pink (London)
  • Alice Coltrane: Universal Consciousness (Impulse!) J
  • Alice Cooper: Killer (Warner Bros)
  • Miles Davis: Miles Davis at Fillmore (CBS) J -- CD expanded
  • Dave Edmunds: Rockpile (MAM)
  • Stan Getz/Francy Boland/The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band: Change of Scenes (Verve) J
  • Herbie Hancock: Mwandishi (Warner Bros) -- in CD compilation
  • John Lee Hooker: Endless Boogie (MCA)
  • Billy Joel: Cold Spring Harbor (Columbia)
  • Quincy Jones: Smackwater Jack (A&M) J
  • My Solid Ground: My Solid Ground (BNacillus)
  • Randy Newman: Live (Reprise)
  • Todd Rundgren: Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren (Bearsville)
  • Swamp Dogg: Rat On! (Elektra)
  • Ten Years After: A Space in Time (Chrysalis)
  • Chester Thompson: Powerhouse (Black Jazz) J
  • Three Dog Night: Harmony (Dunhill)
  • Loudon Wainwright III: Album II (Atlantic)
  • Weather Report: Weather Report (Columbia)
  • Yes: Fragile (Atlantic)
B-
  • Roy Ayers: Ubiquity (Verve) J
  • Badfinger: Straight Up (Capitol)
  • Colin Blunstone: One Year (Epic)
  • The Crusaders: Pass the Plate (Chisa) J
  • Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Atlantic)
  • Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Tarkus (Atlantic)
  • Jefferson Airplane: Bark (RCA Victor)
  • Elton John: Madman Across the Water (Uni)
  • Paul & Linda McCartney: Ram (Apple)
  • Yes: The Yes Album (Atlantic)
C+
  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Pictures at an Exhibition (Island)
  • Don McLean: American Pie (United Artists)
  • Willie Nelson: Willie Nelson & Family (RCA)
  • Sun Ra & His Arkestra: Universe in Blue (El Saturn) J
C
  • Carpenters: Carpenters (A&M)
C-
  • The Bee Gees: Trafalgar (Atco)
  • John Tavener: Celtic Requiem (Apple) -- CD twofer with The Whale (1970)

Unheard records of some note: There are, of course, thousands more, but these have either garnered some attention or otherwise piqued my interest (but probably not both).

  • The Allman Brothers Band: Live at Fillmore East (Polydor)
  • Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt: You Talk That Talk! (Prestige) J
  • Hoyt Axton: Joy to the World (Capitol)
  • Derek Bailey/Han Bennink: Derek Bailey/Han Bennink (ICP) J
  • The Band: Cahoots (Capitol)
  • Black Sabbath: Master of Reality (Warner Bros)
  • Bley-Peacock Synthesizer Show: Revenge: The Bigger the Love the Greater the Hate (Polydor) J
  • Blood, Sweat & Tears: Blood, Sweat & Tears 4 (Columbia)
  • Ruby Braff: Hear Me Talkin' (Black Lion) J
  • James Brown: Sho Is Funky Down Here (King)
  • Gary Burton/Keith Jarrett: Gary Burton and Keith Jarrett (Atlantic) J
  • The Byrds: Byrdmaniax (Columbia)
  • The Byrds: Farther Along (Columbia)
  • Doug Carn: Infant Eyes (Black Jazz)
  • Cher: Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves (MCA)
  • Leonard Cohen: Live Songs (Columbia)
  • Alice Coltrane: Journey in Satchidananda (Impulse!) J
  • Comus: First Utterance ()
  • Alice Cooper: Love It to Death (Warner Bros)
  • Chick Corea/David Holland/Barry Altschul: ARC (ECM) J
  • Larry Coryell: At the Village Gate (Vanguard) J
  • Larry Coryell: Barefoot Boy (Flying Dutchman) J
  • Lol Coxhill: Ear of Beholder (Ampex) J
  • Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: 4 Way Street (Atlantic)
  • Jack DeJohnette: Have You Heard? (Epic) J
  • Jan Dukes de Grey: Mice and Rats in the Loft ()
  • Earth, Wind & Fire: Earth, Wind & Fire (Warner Bros)
  • Earth, Wind & Fire: The Need of Love (Warner Bros)
  • Duke Ellington: Second Sacred Concert (Fantasy) J
  • Faces: Long Player (Warner Bros)
  • Faces: A Nod's as Good as a Wink . . . to a Blind Horse (Warner Bros)
  • The Flying Burrito Bros: The Flying Burrito Bros (A&M)
  • Flower Travellin' Band: Satori ()
  • Focus: Moving Waves (Red Bullet)
  • Genesis: Nursery Cryme (Charisma)
  • Gentle Giant: Acquiring the Taste (Polydor)
  • Gong: Camembert Electrique (JVC)
  • Dusko Goykovich/Tete Montoliu/Rob Langereis/Joe Nay: After Hours (Enja) J
  • Grand Funk Railroad: E Pluribus Funk (Capitol)
  • Eddie Harris & Les McCann: Second Movement (Atlantic)
  • George Harrison & Friends: The Concert for Bangladesh (Apple)
  • John Hartford: Aereo-Plain (Warner Bros)
  • Hampton Hawes: Spanish Steps (Black Lion)
  • Hawkwind: In Search of Space (United Artists)
  • Isaac Hayes: Shaft (Stax)
  • Isaac Hayes: Black Moses (Enterprise)
  • Joe Henderson: In Pursuit of Blackness (Milestone) J
  • Woody Herman: Brand New (Fantasy) J
  • Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks: Where's the Money? (Blue Thumb)
  • Earl Hines: Hines Does Hoagy (Audiophile) J
  • Abbie Hoffman: Wake Up, America! (Big Toe)
  • Bobby Hutcherson: San Francisco (Blue Note) J
  • James Gang: Thirds (ABC)
  • Jade Warrior: Jade Warrior (Vertigo)
  • Etta James: Losers Weepers (Cadet)
  • Keith Jarrett: The Mourning of a Star (Atlantic) J
  • Jethro Tull: Aqualung (Chrysalis)
  • Calvin Keys: Shawn-Neeq (Black Jazz) J
  • Carole King: Music (Ode)
  • Eero Koivistoinen: Muusa Ja Ruusa (WSOY) J
  • Kris Kristofferson: The Silver Tongued Devil and I (Monument)
  • Steve Kuhn: Childhood Is Forever (BYG)
  • Harold Land: A New Shade of Blue (Mainstream) J
  • The Last Poets: This Is Madness (Douglas)
  • Jerry Lee Lewis: There Must Be More to Love Than This (Mercury)
  • Jerry Lee Lewis: Touching Home (Mercury)
  • Little Feat: Little Feat (Warner Bros)
  • Charles Lloyd: Warm Waters (MCA) J
  • Loretta Lynn: You're Looking at Country (Decca)
  • Loretta Lynn: I Wanna Be Free (Decca)
  • Bob Marley & the Wailers: Soul Revolution (Upsetter)
  • Mahavishnu John McLaughlin: My Goal's Beyond (Douglas) J
  • Moby Grape: 20 Granite Creek (Reprise)
  • Mother Earth: Bring Me Home (Reprise)
  • The Mothers of Invention: Uncle Meat (Reprise)
  • Mott the Hoople: Wildlife (Atlantic)
  • Yoko Ono: Fly (Apple)
  • Jim Pepper: Pepper's Pow Wow (Embryo) J
  • The Persuasions: We Came to Play (Capitol)
  • Esther Phillips: From a Whisper to a Scream (Kudu)
  • Poco: Deliverin' (Epic)
  • Houston Person: Houston Express (Prestige) J
  • Elvis Presley: Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) (RCA Victor)
  • Howard Riley: Flight (Turtle) J
  • Terje Rypdal: Terje Rypdal (ECM) J
  • Boz Scaggs: Moments (Columbia)
  • Archie Shepp: Live at the Panafrican Festival (BYG) J
  • Archie Shepp and the Full Moon Ensemble: Live in Antibes (Vol. 1) (BYG) J
  • Carly Simon: Carly Simon (Elektra)
  • Carly Simon: Anticipation (Elektra)
  • Steppenwolf: For Ladies Only (Dunhill)
  • Candi Staton: Stand By Your Man (Fame)
  • Cat Stevens: Teaser and the Firecat (A&M)
  • Sonny Stitt: Turn It On! (Prestige) J
  • Booker T. and the MG's: Melting Pot (Stax)
  • James Taylor: Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (Warner Bros)
  • Livingston Taylor: Liv (Capricorn)
  • The Temptations: Sky's the Limit (Gordy)
  • Leon Thomas: Gold Sunrise on Magic Mountain (Flying Dutchman) J
  • Leon Thomas With Oliver Nelson: In Berlin (Flying Dutchman) J
  • Three Dog Night: Harmony (Dunhill)
  • The Keith Tippett Group: Dedicated to You, but You Weren't Listening (Vertigo)
  • Charles Tolliver: Charles Tolliver and His All Stars (Black Lion) J
  • The Trio: Conflagration (Dawn) J
  • Van Der Graaf Generator: Pawn Hearts (Blue Plate)
  • Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson: You Can't Make Love Alone (Philips)
  • Mal Waldron: Black Glory (Enja) J
  • Mal Waldron: The Call (Japo) J
  • War: All Day Music (United Artists)
  • War: War (United Artists)
  • Mary Lou Williams: From the Heart (Chiaroscuro) J
  • The Tony Williams Lifetime: Ego (Polydor) J
  • Charles Wright & the 103rd St. Rhythm Band: You're So Beautiful (Warner Bros)
  • Robert Wyatt: The End of an Ear (Columbia)
  • Joe Zawinul: Zawinul (Atlantic) J
  • Frank Zappa: 200 Motels (United Artists)
  • ZZ Top: ZZ Top's First Album (London)

Reissues/Compilations/Vault Music:

A+
  1. The Who: Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy (1965-68, MCA)
A
  1. The Rolling Stones: Hot Rocks 1964-1971 (London)
A-
  1. Stevie Wonder: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1968-71, Motown)
  2. Jan & Dean: Anthology Album (1963-66, United Artists)
  3. Ornette Coleman: Twins (1959-61, Atlantic)
  4. Jimi Hendrix: Rainbow Bridge [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (Reprise)
  5. Paul Bley: The Fabulous Paul Bley Quintet (1956, America) -- later on Inner City, Musidisc
  6. Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. II (1962-71, Columbia)
  7. The Cecil Taylor Quartet/Archie Shepp: Air (1961, CBS) J
  8. Lil Green: Romance in the Dark (1940-46, RCA)
  9. George Russell: The Essence of George Russell (1966-67, Sonet)
  10. Pink Floyd: Relics: A Bizarre Collection of Antiques & Curios (1967-69, Harvest)

Also Noted:

B+(***)
  • Jimi Hendrix: The Cry of Love (Reprise)
B+(*)
  • John Coltrane: Live in Seattle (1965, Impulse!) -- CD expanded
B+
  • The Jackson Five: Greatest Hits (1969-71, Motown)
  • Frank Sinatra: Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits (1964-67, Reprise) J
  • Steve Winwood: Winwood (1966-70, United Artists)
C+
  • John Coltrane: Sun Ship (1965, Impulse!) J

Unheard records of some note:

  • Louis Armstrong: The Genius of Louis Armstrong Volume 1: 1923-1933 (Columbia) J
  • Dave Brubeck: Summit Sessions (CBS)
  • Aretha Franklin: Aretha's Greatest Hits (1967-71, Atlantic)
  • Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (1965, Columbia) J
  • Tammy Wynette: Tammy's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (Epic)