The XRT 4D Flashback weekend, The 1970′s, has begun. At 10pm Saturday night, FM Radio Legend Norm Winer (and in the interest of full kiss-ass disclosure, my boss) will host Free Form Norm, an old fashioned free form radio program in which he will indulge himself in ways that he might not recommend to his favorite prime time DJ’s.
What would I play on a 1970′s Free Form Lin? Glad you asked.
Television-Marquee Moon. The only punk opus. Title track from Television’s debut with a glorious meandering guitar solo.
Gentle Giant-Working All Day. When I replaced my Gentle Giant vinyl with CD’s, I decide to share this song with my family. My wife was driving. She pulled the car over to the side of the road and said, “This car will not move forward as long as Gentle Giant is in the CD player.” So, not for everybody.
Stanley Clarke-School Days. In the 1970′s, it was no big deal to hear an instrumental fusion track that featured fiery virtuosos. Stanley was peerless, but check out the guitar pyrotechnics of one Ray Gomez.
XTC-Real by Real. The most inventive band to emerge from the new wave 70′s. The second best song about surveillance. The quirk works. If you behave, I will employ Jedi mind tricks to have this played after Lin’s Bin this evening at 6:15pm.
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention-Montana. The best guitar solo of the 70′s.
Ellen McIlwaine-Can’t Find My Way Home. In 1973 a friend ran across my college campus, came to my door and said ‘you have to hear something right now.” This is what he wanted me to hear. The definitive version.
Mink De Ville-Spanish Stroll. From Cabretta a masterful piece of work that owed more to the roots of rock and doo wop than to the new wave pigeonhole he found himself.
Pere Ubu-Dub Housing. This music disturbed people. Wonder why.
Tom Waits-Big Joe and Phantom 309. My favorite live double album of the 70′s was not Frampton Comes Alive. It might have been this one. This is a cover of a Red Sovine song, but Tom does it so well. He does everything so well.
Gram Parsons-In My Hour of Darkness. You’ll remember to play this at my funeral, right?
Now you know why Free Form is best left to the experts.
Lin Brehmer’s Obscurity File Part 1: The 1970-s [Playlist]
