Big Albums from June 1974: Cockney Rebel, John Denver, Beach Boys, America and More

A look at some notable LPs issued this month 40 years ago. 

Click the links to order them from Amazon.

The Cockney Rebel - The Psychomodo

The influential second album from Steve Harley and crew is glam hinting at New Wave. The title track, meanwhile, blends Mott and Bowie with music hall. Definitely of, and a little bit ahead of, its time

John Denver - Back Home Again

Like him or not, there's no denying John Denver's ability to create a memorable tune. From the traditional county-sounding title tune to the country/pop crossover sounds of "Annie's Song" to the catchy, hoedownish charm of "Grandma's Feather Bed," Denver could make you thank God you were a country boy, even if you weren't. That tune also is here, by the way.

Marvin Gaye Live! 

Maybe its superfluous if you've already got What's Goin' On and Let's Get it On, but it's impressive hearing Marvin tackle tunes from those albums backed by strings and horns. He sounds great, and dips back into his Sixties catalog with a "Fossil" medley of "Long Gone," "How Sweet it Is" and more.

Bob Dylan - Before the Flood

The Bard meets the the Band for a lively and sometimes even funky run-through of classic tunes, complete with Bob's erratic/eccentric rephrasing of his classic lyrics. Robby, Levon, Rick and the rest get a chance to do a few of their own, too, including "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Shape I'm In," and, of course, "The Weight."

Beach Boys - Endless Summer

The double-LP that simultaneously solidified Brian Wilson's Sixties tunes into our national consciousness and, sadly, locked the Beach Boys permanently into the nostalgia circuit. Nothing to do about it now, except, if you're new to the music, come for the hits and use them as starting points to check out the rest of the band's catalog for further treasures. 

America - Holiday

"Soft Rock," yeah, but it sounds pretty good. Produced by George Martin, this is a great LP, full of nice string and horn arrangements and nice tunes, including "Tin Man," "Lonely People" and "Glad to See You." 

James Brown - Hell

Fun now mainly for the bonkers factor. Three songs start of with the sound of gong, for some reason. There's also an awesome/insane Latin version of "Please, Please, Please," in which the Godfather tries out his not-very-good Spanish.