1970: A Year In Rock: The Year Rock became Mainstream

by John Van Der Kiste

Overview

1970 was a year of change in pop and rock music, with divisions between both becoming ever more blurred. More ambitiously-constructed epics, heavy rock numbers and contemporary folk songs competed with mainstream and easy listening fare on Top of the Pops and in the Top 30 singles, while progressive and jazz-rock took their bow in the album charts. Some acts disbanded, notably The Beatles, all of whom relished their freedom and launched solo careers, and Simon & Garfunkel, or else parted company and partially regrouped under new names. Festivals came into their own, particularly in Britain where the first Glastonbury event was launched, as did live albums, notably from The Rolling Stones and The Who, partly to combat the market in bootleg recordings; several singer-songwriters found major acceptance; the death of Jimi Hendrix was widely mourned; and the likes of Marc Bolan, Elton John, Rod Stewart (as a soloist, and as front man of The Faces), Lindisfarne and Hot Chocolate achieved their initial successes. By the end of the year, many a critic and music fan could look back on a 12-month period in which their landscape had altered almost beyond recognition. This is the story of that year and the key albums that helped define it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789521474
Publisher:	Continental Sales, Inc.
Publication date:	01/30/2022
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	1,103,170
Product dimensions:	5.88(w) x 8.28(h) x 0.51(d)

About the Author

John Van der Kiste has published over seventy books, mostly historical biography and music, including titles on The Beatles, Jeff Lynne/ELO, Led Zeppelin, Lindisfarne and Steve Winwood. He has also reviewed books and records for the local and national press and fanzines, and co-founded and edited the 70s fanzine Keep on Rockin’. He has performed with groups, run mobile discos, and written booklet notes for CD reissues from EMI and other labels. An occasional musician and songwriter, he also co-wrote one track on Riff Regan's Milestones (2015) and played harmonica on London's The Hell for Leather Mob (2020). He lives in Devon, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Overview 11

25 significant albums of 1970 39

Moondance - Van Morrison 40

Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel 44

Sweet Baby James - James Taylor 48

Déjà Vu - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young 52

Benefit - Jethro Tull 56

Ladies of the Canyon - Joni Mitchell 60

Let It Be - The Beatles 64

Live at Leeds - The Who 68

Cricklewood Green - Ten Years After 71

In Rock - Deep Purple 74

Full House - Fairport Convention 77

Mungo Jerry - Mungo Jerry 81

Signed, Sealed and Delivered - Stevie Wonder 85

Cosmo's Factory - Creedence Clearwater Revival 89

Get Yer Ya-Yas Out! - The Rolling Stones 93

Abraxas - Santana 97

Atom Heart Mother - Pink Floyd 101

Led Zeppelin III - Led Zeppelin 105

Tumbleweed Connection - Elton John 109

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and the Dominos 113

Tea For The Tillerman - Cat Stevens 117

Lola Versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One - The Kinks 121

All Things Must Pass - George Harrison 125

Nicely Out of Tune - Lindisfarne 131

Looking On - The Move 135

Resources 139