Max Picks …songs from 1972

1972

Everyone…I messed up last week. While making these, I go to Wiki’s Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles to go over some of the singles and then… I look at album cuts. Well, I didn’t check to see when American Pie was released…it was released in late 1971…but I would never have left that one off…ever. So forgive me…I won’t do this again…but I am leading off with it. It did its damage on the charts in 1972…so this one time I’m breaking my rule. It’s too important of a song.

American Pie… by Don Mclean. Where do I begin with this one? The song has so many references that it acts as a pop culture index itself. We do know the song was inspired by Buddy Holly’s death… What does it all mean? While being interviewed in 1991, McLean was asked for probably the 1000th time “What does the song ‘American Pie’ mean to you?,” to which he answered, “It means never having to work again for the rest of my life.” Now that is a great and honest answer by Mclean.

The holy trinity of power pop for me is…Badfinger, Big Star, and The Raspberries…those were the 70s  pioneers. Badfinger was the most successful out of the three…hit wise anyway. You can hear later bands like Cheap Trick, The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Matthew Sweet,  and even KISS get something from each three.

This is my personal number 1 Power Pop song of all time. Baby Blue was written by Pete Ham.

He was playing in a Rock and Roll revival show in 1971 at Madison Square Gardens with other artists such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Bobby Rydell. Ricky Nelson was releasing new music and he did not look the way he did in the 50s. He had long hair and dressed modern. He started off with some of his old songs the fans responded enthusiastically but then he played “Country Honk” a country version of the Rolling Stones “Honky Tonk Women.” That is when it went south.

Arlo Guthrie seems like the most laid-back guy in the world. His father was the great singer-songwriter, Woody Guthrie. Arlo wrote some very good songs but he didn’t write this one. The City of New Orleans was written by Steve Goodman. Steve did a great job writing this song. Its structure and imagery are fantastic.

After seeing the screenplay, Mayfield jumped into this movie project and was given complete creative freedom. He wrote the songs to suit the scenes, but he made sure they could stand on their own, telling the stories even without the visuals. “Superfly” works very well outside of the film. It was written by Curtis Mayfield. I saw this on the big screen a few years ago.

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

50 thoughts on “Max Picks …songs from 1972”

    1. That is one of my favorite songs from him…you would have thought this would have opened a door for him but sadly it didn’t…I love his music though from this time…some great stuff but it wasn’t heard.

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  2. A good list from one of the best years in music to me. I would’ve had a hard time picking just 5, but ‘City of New Orleans’ would be one, and ‘Garden Party’ likely as well. ‘American Pie’ I think of as a 1972 song, even if technically it was released before, and while it’s not in my personal top 5 favorites it’s hard to keep it off because it was such a massive hit & influential. If anyone had bet me though, I woulda lost- I was sure Raspberries ‘Go all the way’ would make your list!

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    1. I know…I wanted to but… I didn’t want to fill it with powerpop…which I could have…so I picked my favorite power pop song of all time.
      Believe me…it will be on the couple of left off lists I make when it’s over…along with Layla and Stand By Me.

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      1. yah, I thought of ‘Layla’ too, might be in my top 5. And for me, ‘Saturday in the Park’, ‘Taxi’… man, so many good singles that year – ‘Brandy’, ‘Long Cool Woman’, ‘Rocketman’ plus, if you wanted to really kick in a fiery debate , ‘Nights in White Satin’… yes, released in the ’60s, but in the States, basically not heard and definitely not on charts til ’72!

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      2. Yes I did think about that as well…in fact it was on here but I wanted to include Curtis Mayfield.

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  5. Of the two post-prime touring artists an advertising friend got husband and me free tickets for locally (both entities long time musical heroes of ours), both disappointed! One was McLean who seemed to be vying for Snarkiest Artist award that evening, and the other was a patchworked Beach Boys. Almost not meh. (Being no country music fan, I’d later opted out of just-then current Garth Brooks tickets, so husband took older daughter –and I soon wished I’d gone! Ah, well.. who could’ve guessed??) I’ll always love McLean’s (and the Beach Boys’!) unique music, though. Magical.

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    1. Yea I’ve seen some interviews with McLean where you could tell he could be that way. As for the Beach Boys…I saw them in the 80s and I just wanted Mike Love to shut up… not a fan of his! But yes I like their music and McLean’s of course.
      When you hear stuff like that…you just hope it was a bad night… but probably not.

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  8. Some great choices there. 🙂
    ‘American Pie’ just never ‘ages’ does it? I geta ll goose-bumps every time I hear it. It just takes me right back to being 13 again!

    And ‘Superfly.’ I bought a Curtis Mayfield compilation just to get that track some years back – and THAT then opened up some more new music to me.

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    1. American Pie…I was singing along when I was 6 or so and now in my 50s….
      I got to see Superfly the movie at a theater a few years ago…man it was great and the music sounded so good.

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  9. Man that answer McLean gave for American Pie is the best and the truth about never having to work again. lol. I can hear Sloan in that Badfinger track as well. Crazy …and the song is a good one as well

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  10. ❤ ❤ ❤ love all of these songs. You know I used "Baby Blue" in one of my posts recently so you know how much I love it. When I hear "City of New Orleans" I am transported into its world. "American Pie" is one I sing like a mantra, the long version of course.

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  13. Max, you shall write 100 times on the black board, “I won’t do this again!” 🙂

    These are all great picks. I wouldn’t have thought of Ricky Nelson. Coz the reality is while I know his name, I really don’t know his music!

    From your picks, I think “Baby Blue” would be my favorite – such a perfect song, really. I also really dig “Superfly”. And, of course, “American Pie” and “City of New Orleans” are classics as well!

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    1. LOL…I will! I hate when I mess up like that though Christian…I was talking on the phone with our friend Ron when I did it.
      I didn’t have as much trouble with this one.

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  14. This year has a much shorter list for me than the ones before – and I realize there are more from ’71 that I didn’t think of. “Garden Party” is a great lament about people not wanting you to grow or change. I would have to put “Superstition” (Stevie Wonder) on the list. That is a song I find myself quoting. While he may not have meant it as a critique of religion, or belief in general, that’s what I hear: “When you believe in things you don’t understand, then you suffer”. “City of New Orleans” is a novella in 4 minutes. I love Don McLean’s explanation of his song.

    Jerry Garcia’s first solo album was in ’72 and contains masterpieces. While we’d heard hints of reggae in the US before, ’72 was the release of the film and soundtrack album of “The Harder They Come” by Jimmy Cliff, which brought reggae to the masses. Then there is the album that made electronic music something I could listen to – “Zeit” by Tangerine Dream, a record that took me under the sea and to outer space.

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    1. I didn’t think of Superstition…and I don’t know how.
      Speaking of Jerry Garcia….I almost put Sugaree…I adore that song. Jimmy Cliff…like Superstition…I just missed it.
      I’ve heard of Tangerine Dream but never listened to them.
      When this is over in 1994….I will go back and make a couple of posts of ones I should not have forgotten….Layla is another from 71

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    1. Oh yes…the greatest song ever…oh man isn’t that a shame? You write Johnny B. Goode, Sweet Little Sixteen etc…and then My Ding a Ling is your lone number one…life is not fair.

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  18. The other single from “Superfly,” “Freddie’s Dead,” would fit well here, too.

    I think I told you that “American Pie” was the song that inspired the EBS Special. Good song, just played and analyzed to death. Bob Dearborn from WCFL in Chicago was one of the main culprits…

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    1. Yes I like Freddie’s Dead also…it was a coin flip.
      No I didn’t know it had anything to do with that…I dont’ think.
      I still do like the song I have to say.

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      2. It shows it depends on where you are at,,,I heard more Superfly where I live. It’s really regional I guess.

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