The turn of the 1970’s brought an interesting variety of music styles which would all find a home on early free-form FM radio – a format for which I was born a tad too late to be able to enjoy in its heyday (although it’s been resurrected with the advent of internet radio). This two part month-end wrap up for December 1970 is evidence of that variety, and includes some artists who were on the cusp of big things.
12/4/70: Wishbone Ash – Wishbone Ash
Blues/prog group Wishbone Ash released their first album on the 4th after being recommended to MCA by Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore. They’re still around, with founder Andy Powell as the singular original member.
12/7/70: Creedence Clearwater Revival – Pendulum
CCR released their second album of 1970 on the 7th. It was their only album with all original material. It was also the final release Tom Fogerty would appear on. It produced the single Have You Ever Seen the Rain b/w Hey Tonight. A good album, but the tank was just about empty.
12/10/70: Ginger Baker’s Air Force – Ginger Baker’s Air Force 2
Unlike its predecessor, this jazz fusion album was recorded in a studio as opposed to live and featured two different track lists. Some of the same musicians appeared here as on 1, including Denny Laine, Graham Bond, and Ric Grech.
12/11/70: King Crimson – Lizard
Robert Fripp’s prog/jazz fusion band King Crimson – with its revolving door of band members – released their third album on the 11th to mixed reviews. Some early critics didn’t really know what to make of this music at the time. This band has certainly grown on me over the years.
12/18/70: T. Rex – T. Rex
With this album, Marc Bolan simplified his band’s name from Tyrannosaurus Rex to T. Rex and shifted its sound from the previous folky albums to the more mainstream rock sound that made him famous.
December 1970: The Wailers – Soul Rebels
Soul Rebels was Marley and Co.’s second album, and their first to be released outside Jamaica. It was produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry.
December 1970: Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Lick My Decals off, Baby
Don Van Vliet’s highly experimental band released its fifth album – and follow up to Trout Mask Replica – in December 1970. It was highly regarded, even by Robert Cristgau, and was the band’s highest performing album in the U.K. charts.
December 1970: Vashti Bunyan – Just Another Diamond Day
At this stage, I find the story behind this album and artist more interesting than the album itself, which has garnered universal praise as a lost classic from the folk/psych folk arena. Vashti Bunyan had recorded a handful of songs in 1965 before disappearing. She literally wandered across the Scottish countryside by horse and wagon, penning new songs which eventually made up this album. Displeased with the recording process, it would be her last album for 35 years when Just Another Diamond Day was rediscovered and lavished with praise. I think Bunyan has a beautiful voice, but like her contemporary Jacqui McShee from Pentangle I find it a little too much on the dainty/shrill side for my taste.
-Stephen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishbone_Ash_(album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendulum_(Creedence_Clearwater_Revival_album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_Baker%27s_Air_Force_2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizard_(album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.Rex(album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Rebels
50th Music Anniversaries and Other Musings 
I like Vashti’s comeback album from 2005ish a lot – kind of cuts back on the twee and shrill stuff.
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Thanks for telling me that. I’ll give it a listen. “Twee” – very good word to describe it.
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