While it may not ring the cultural-epoch bells of 1955
(beginning of Rock & Roll era), 1964 (British Invasion), 1977 (punk
invasion), or 1991 (cue opening riff of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”), 1973 was
actually a watershed year for pop music. Iconic releases included The Dark Side of the Moon, Quadrophenia, The Harder They Come, Court
and Spark, Raw Power, New York Dolls, Band on the Run, Goodbye
Yellow Brick Road, and Innervisions.
In fact, in his new book, 1973: Rock at
the Crossroads, Andrew Grant Jackson deems the year “the zenith of classic
rock,” referencing a FiveThirtyEight.com
analysis concluding that classic rock radio plays more songs from that year
than any other. He further argues that it was also the jumping-off point for such
near-future genres as punk, disco, and hip-hop.
That’s all well and good, but frankly, I can read a book of
Jackson covering a year as musically uneventful as 1974. He is the author of
one of my favorites from 2015: 1965: The
Most Revolutionary Year in Music. His book on 1973 follows an identical
format, approaching the year in question season-by-season with each chapter
focusing on a clutch of like-minded pop events: the makings of significant albums, the maturing and metamorphosing of significant artists, the hedonism of the culture, etc. Jackson’s storytelling is so well
supported and energetically told that he had my attention even when discussing
artists that would normally send me rushing to my radio’s off switch.
He also draws major non-musical events into the discussion,
usually using significant musical moments to fuel these discussions, so the
release of Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” leads into a pocket history of Roe v.
Wade or Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” segues into details about gay
rights. By doing so, Jackson makes these 46-year-old events seem eerily relevant
without ever belaboring the connection. This is even true when he reminds us
that the pestilence currently infesting the White House was absolutely awful way
back in ’73, the year he and his dad went to war with the
Department of Justice over legitimate charges that they were blocking African
Americans from renting in one of their properties.
1973 is satisfying
in itself, but it still left me hungry—specifically for a book in this format
for each year between ’65 and ’73 and beyond. But, I guess that’s asking a lot
from a guy who has already given us one of the best books of 2019.
