[mp3player width=460 height=120 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=aot20-the-birth-of-heavy.xml]

Something you’ll often hear people say about music is, “There’s so much out there,” or “Oh, there’s so many bands now, I can’t keep up.” I’m not knocking it. It’s true, there’s a tremendous amount of music being made right now and it’s difficult to keep a handle on even a fraction. The implication, though, is that there was a time when that wasn’t the case.

And if there’s one fact I’ve learned since starting this site, it’s that that’s not true. There may be easier access to recording facilities thanks to software like ProTools and Cubase, but as long as there’s been recorded popular music, there’s been a lot of it. The difference is what’s happening now hasn’t had the filter of time yet to discern what’s “lasting.”

I’ve threatened a heavy ’70s podcast for a while, and here it is. In the true spirit of ’70s indulgence, it’s got a four-hour runtime and contains 47 songs from bands, some of whom have stood the test of time and some of whom have fallen into obscurity, only to be rediscovered by people dedicated to the sound — labels like Rockadrome, Akarma, Repertoire, Gear Fab, Progressive Line and Ripple — and put out again, waiting to be found much as they were the first time.

The hardest part about putting this together was choosing what goes in and what doesn’t. I can’t claim to be an expert on the heavy, psychedelic and progressive rock of 1968-1974, and I know no movement is ever born the same day it comes of age, but 47 songs, four hours solid, and this is just the beginning. Of the proverbial iceberg, it’s not even the whole tip. I tried to keep it centered around 1971 as much as possible.

You’ll probably recognize a lot of these names: Budgie, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Judas Priest, but most cases, I tried to steer away from the hits and go for deeper cuts (Sabbath aside; it had to be “Into the Void”). With those as anchors, I also included bands like Icecross, Speed, Glue & Shinki, Horse, Weed, Salem Mass and Dragonfly, who maybe if you’ve heard of, you haven’t heard, or have wanted to check out, or whatever. One thing about a four-hour podcast, there’s plenty of time for balance.

As always, I hope you enjoy it. We could probably go on forever debating who’s in here, who got left out (no Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Pink Floyd or Fuzzy Duck) and who should be in, but this isn’t meant to be comprehensive. It’s meant to be listened to and grooved on.

Download audiObelisk Transmission 020 directly by clicking the image above, by clicking here, or play it on the player at the top of this post. Full tracklist (and it is full) is after the jump.

[PLEASE NOTE: Since everything here, even if it’s a first CD issue, is a reissue, I didn’t bother with the label information and stuck to year of original release, noting where necessary the divide between recording and release dates.]

0:04-3:45 Captain Beyond, “Mesmerization Eclipse” from Captain Beyond (1972)

3:45-8:42 Humble Pie, “The Fixer” from Smokin’ (1972)

8:42-13:13 Sir Lord Baltimore, “Master Heartache” from Kingdom Come (1970)

13:13-15:53 Blind Ravage, “Susie-Q” from Blind Ravage (1971)

15:53-19:24 Ellison, “Unchanged World” from Ellison (1971)

19:24-22:20 Leaf Hound, “Drowned My Life in Fear” from Growers of Mushroom (1971)

22:20-29:07 Jimi Hendrix, “Power to Love” from Band of Gypsys (1970)

29:07-30:23 Monty Python, “Word Association” from Matching Tie and Handkerchief (1973)

30:23-34:24 Deep Purple, “Strange Kind of Woman” from Fireball (1971)

34:24-40:45 Glass Harp, “Can You See Me” from Glass Harp (1970)

40:45-53:03 Toad, “Change in Time” from Tomorrow Blue (1972)

53:03-58:11 Pinnacle, “Assassin” from Assassin (1974)

58:11-1:02:40 Pappo’s Blues, “Gris y Amarillo” from Vol. 1 (1971)

1:02:40-1:09:43 Bloodrock, “Melvin Laid an Egg” from Bloodrock (1970)

1:09:43-1:13:31 Lucifer’s Friend, “Prince of Darkness” from Where Groupies Killed the Blues (1972)

1:13:31-1:18:55 Dust, “Love Me Hard” from Dust (1971)

1:18:55-1:25:07 Black Sabbath, “Into the Void” from Master of Reality (1971)

1:25:07-1:32:18 Weed, “Weed” from Weed (1971)

1:32:18-1:35:08 Judas Priest, “Cheater” from Rocka Rolla (1974)

1:35:08-1:39:31 Silberbart, “Chub Chub Cherry” from 4 Times Sound Razing (1971)

1:39:31-1:44:45 High Tide, “Futilist’s Lament” from Sea Shanties (1969)

1:44:45-1:48:23 Elonkorjuu, “Hey Hunter” from Harvest Time (1971)

1:48:23-1:53:15 Icecross, “1999” from Icecross (1973)

1:53:15-1:56:16 Privilege, “Easter” from Privilege (1973)

1:56:16-2:02:49 The Human Instinct, “Black Sally” from Stoned Guitar (1970)

2:02:49-2:08:51 Poobah, “Bowleen” from Let Me In (1972)

2:08:51-2:13:58 Cactus, “Bro. Bill” from Cactus (1970)

2:13:58-2:18:25 Blue Cheer, “The Hunter” OutsideInside (1968)

2:18:25-2:23:38 The Human Beast, “Brush with the Midnight Butterfly” from Volume One (1970)

2:23:38-2:27:52 Iron Claw, “Mist Eye” from Iron Claw (2009, recorded 1970)

2:27:52-2:33:12 Speed, Glue and Shinki, “Mr. Walking Drugstore Man” from Eve (1971)

2:33:12-2:42:13 Buffalo, “Freedom” from Volcanic Rock (1973)

2:42:13-2:50:54 Hawkwind, “Orgone Accumulator” from Space Ritual Sundown V.2 (1985, recorded 1972)

2:50:54-2:57:07 Warhorse, “Burning” from Warhorse (1970)

2:57:07-3:01:34 Megaton, “Niagara” from Megaton (1971)

3:01:34-3:10:03 Budgie, “Nude Disintegrating/Parachutist Woman” from Budgie (1971)

3:10:03-3:13:19 Horse, “Freedom Rider” from Horse (1971)

3:13:19-3:17:05 Mountain, “Never in My Life” from Climbing! (1970)

3:17:05-3:20:00 Pentagram, “When the Screams Come” from First Daze Here: The Vintage Collection (2001, recorded 1973)

3:20:00-3:30:20 Salem Mass, “Witch Burning” from Witch Burning (1971)

3:30:20-3:33:39 Black Widow, “Wait Until Tomorrow” from Black Widow (1970)

3:33:39-3:36:55 Dragonfly, “Dragonfly” from Dragonfly (1970)

3:36:55-3:42:39 Atomic Rooster, “Decline and Fall” from Atomic Roooster (1970)

3:42:39-3:47:29 Jerusalem, “Hidden Eagle” from Jerusalem (1972)

3:47:29-3:51:27 Uriah Heep, “Time to Live” from Salisbury (1971)

3:51:27-3:54:35 Elf, “Do the Same Thing” from Carolina County Ball (1974)

3:54:35-4:01:24 Jethro Tull, “My God” from Aqualung (1973)

Download audiObelisk Transmission 020

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 16th, 2011 at 11:41 am and is filed under Podcasts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.