Just can't seem to get into 70's hard rock...

[Guest Dangerous Toy]

I've been a die hard 80's hair metal/80's hard rock fan for quite some time now. I'd even go as far as to say that I can't think of one single hair metal band I don't like and that's the truth. With that said I thought it was finally time to get into 70's hard rock for a change so I headed to Best Buy and picked up both debut albums from Kiss and Aerosmith.

 

After all, I love all of their 80's/early 90's albums, but there's a problem. I pop in Kiss' debut first and I just don't feel excited to listen to it. Same goes for the Aerosmith debut. None of the songs sound any heavier than the tracks on a Skynyrd or Bad Company album. I just don't hear the "drive" or the "energy" that I get from 80's hard rock albums. 70's hard rock just doesn't sound like hard rock to me as strange as that is to say. I just can't get into it. These are legendary classic albums that I should worship. What gives? Is there anyone here that just listens to every band's 80's/early 90's material? I really feel like shit here not enjoying these albums, you know?

[Rockposer]

Some of my favorite music is from the 70's

[66 mustang]

maybe you need to try Montrose, early Whitesnake or early Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Rainbow and don't forget the first couple REO Speedwagon albums. AC/DC, Scoprions, Samy Hagar, Journey, Foreigner.

 

go to the main site and search by year released and see what peaks your interest then ask about the cd here on the message board. I'm sure some expert can give you a good review of the album

[Dead Planet]

I grew up listening to 70s hard rock & metal and I loved most of it.......but today I rarely listen to any of that stuff, as a matter of fact I rarely listen to anything that came out before 1987......this could be because I wore out those releases years ago or because the older the music is the worse it's recording sounds or I just want to hear new stuff ..... when I do listen to the old stuff I must admit to being a bit bored so I understand where you're coming from..... there is a considerable difference between 70s & 80s rock/metal etc so it's not surprising that it isn't for everybody....

[heavyharmonies]

A lot of stuff from the mid-late 70s I can get into, as that's where AOR got its' start (Styx, Boston, Journey, Foreigner, etc.). It's early '70s and 1960s material that I just cannot listen to...

[eaglesfan3000]

SABBATH brother!!!!!! Don't know if it's really hard rock more metal I guess.

[Fat Freddy]

Essential 70s (and this is just off the top of my head):

 

Early KISS

Early Aerosmith

Ozzy era Black Sabbath

Dio era Rainbow

Bon Scott era AC/DC

The Ramones

Roth-era Van Halen

 

...what's not to like?

[Jeff]

I somewhat hear ya DT. For me I can get into a song or 2 from a early to mid 70's release but not the whole cd. Then from mid-70's on I enjoy more of the entire cd...but it's hit n miss.

 

It's just personal preference. I like Journey, they have a lot of good songs. But if someone asked if I wanted to hear Journey's Infinity cd or Hurricane's Over The Edge, I am going with Hurricane and most other 80's bands. But to mix it up now and then, throw me some Journey.

 

Same is true from the other side for me. Sometimes I need to hear some Spineshank or something newer, heavier...just for a bit.

[metaltrekman]

What about Deep Purple, Zeppelin, FOGHAT, Ted Nugent? I dont think you should judge them by their debut albums. Bands change over the years.

[heaven&hell]

I love the following 70's bands:

 

KISS

Aerosmith

Sabbath

Deep Purple(both the Gillan and Coverdale/Hughes years)

Whitesnake(most see them as an 80's band but they released two albums plus one EP in the 70's)

Bad Company

Rush

Y&T(first two albums)

Judas Priest

Zeppelin

Scorpions

Rainbow

AC/DC

Van Halen

 

I'm sure I'm leaving out many others.

[edwithmj]

I like 70s KISS more than the 80s stuff with the exception of Crazy Nights but I agree their debut along with Dressed To Kill are two very boring albums in my opinion so you're not alone but I wouldn't call myself a big fan. 80s Aerosmith is better than the 70s stuff as well but I still like the 70s stuff although in my opinion all Aerosmith albums contain a lot of filler with the exception of Pump. I prefer AC/DC from the 70s but still like the 80s stuff. Back In Black was half filler for me too. Early Van Halen is good too. Bad Company are great whatever the decade. Thin Lizzy and Foreigner are also good bands from the 70s. One thing I will say is that speaking from experience 80s stuff is a lot easier to get into than 70s stuff.

 

Having said that some 80s stuff was difficult to get into like Keel, Tesla, Motley Crue and Love/Hate; some were impossible like Twisted Sister. You don't have to like every band out there.

 

One thing I'm not keen on is the more modern stuff. The new bands that started post-2000 just don't compare to the 70s and 80s bands.

[Doggy]

Two bands that everyone forgets is Starz and Angel.

[Geoff]

I've been a die hard 80's hair metal/80's hard rock fan for quite some time now. I'd even go as far as to say that I can't think of one single hair metal band I don't like and that's the truth. With that said I thought it was finally time to get into 70's hard rock for a change so I headed to Best Buy and picked up both debut albums from Kiss and Aerosmith.

 

After all, I love all of their 80's/early 90's albums, but there's a problem. I pop in Kiss' debut first and I just don't feel excited to listen to it. Same goes for the Aerosmith debut. None of the songs sound any heavier than the tracks on a Skynyrd or Bad Company album. I just don't hear the "drive" or the "energy" that I get from 80's hard rock albums. 70's hard rock just doesn't sound like hard rock to me as strange as that is to say. I just can't get into it. These are legendary classic albums that I should worship. What gives? Is there anyone here that just listens to every band's 80's/early 90's material? I really feel like shit here not enjoying these albums, you know?

HAHA! Nice. A partner in crime.

 

Honestly mate, I've copped quite a bit of shit here for very the same reason. Bar literally one or two songs, I pretty much have no time for any music created before 1983/1984. I also tried, but it is just a different type of sound/style that I could never picture myself enjoying.

 

I can understand that the guys who grew up with it would have a soft spot for it, and it's also a poser's musical haven... but for people like myself (and assuming you too) who are a little younger and are already well versed in the best music ever created (80's stuff) there's no reason to take a step back into the vastly inferior stuff from the 70's, imo.

[zacharyamelie]

I've been a die hard 80's hair metal/80's hard rock fan for quite some time now. I'd even go as far as to say that I can't think of one single hair metal band I don't like and that's the truth. With that said I thought it was finally time to get into 70's hard rock for a change so I headed to Best Buy and picked up both debut albums from Kiss and Aerosmith.

 

After all, I love all of their 80's/early 90's albums, but there's a problem. I pop in Kiss' debut first and I just don't feel excited to listen to it. Same goes for the Aerosmith debut. None of the songs sound any heavier than the tracks on a Skynyrd or Bad Company album. I just don't hear the "drive" or the "energy" that I get from 80's hard rock albums. 70's hard rock just doesn't sound like hard rock to me as strange as that is to say. I just can't get into it. These are legendary classic albums that I should worship. What gives? Is there anyone here that just listens to every band's 80's/early 90's material? I really feel like shit here not enjoying these albums, you know?

HAHA! Nice. A partner in crime.

 

Honestly mate, I've copped quite a bit of shit here for very the same reason. Bar literally one or two songs, I pretty much have no time for any music created before 1983/1984. I also tried, but it is just a different type of sound/style that I could never picture myself enjoying.

 

I can understand that the guys who grew up with it would have a soft spot for it, and it's also a poser's musical haven... but for people like myself (and assuming you too) who are a little younger and are already well versed in the best music ever created (80's stuff) there's no reason to take a step back into the vastly inferior stuff from the 70's, imo.

 

I was 5 when the 70's ended and my parents enjoyed Anne Murray and crap compilations from K-Tel, therefore I never knew much about the 70's stuff until I got much older. Even bands who had releases in the 70's (Journey, Styx, Survivor, REO Speedwagon, Triumph, Scorpions, 38 Special) put out their best stuff in the 80's. Van Halen's debut and II are essential and as good as any other release from their DLR era. The only band I like that were much better in the 70's than the 80's was Queen, the real Queen 'Bit the Dust' when they hit the 80's. Another that many might create arguments and debats is the difference in 70's/80's KISS, I really don't care much for either era.

[Guest Dangerous Toy]

Thanks for all of the input folks. I was expecting to get bashed all to hell for admitting to not being into the 70's stuff as much as the 80's so I really appreciate you guys taking it easy on me. It sounds like I'm not on this boat alone. Like someone else mentioned, I can really get into a song or three from most 70's hard rock albums, but the rest just kind of run together IMO.

 

I've heard some people online call 70's rock "old guy rock" and while I don't agree with the term I do understand that 70's hard rock is a completely different animal than 80's hard rock/hair metal. Like I mentioned before, I'm as big of a hair metal fan that you will ever find, but I still feel like crap for not enjoying the truly classic 70's stuff from top to bottom, you know?

 

I get the fact that those albums are amazing and that they opened the door for the hard rock scene of the 80's, but I think I would appreciate them more had I grown up during that era. Anyway, should I keep beating myself up about this or should I just buy quality greatest hits packages of each bands 70's material and be done with it? Again, all of your input really means a lot to me.

 

- Brian

[Fat Freddy]

should I just buy quality greatest hits packages of each bands 70's

 

Do yourself a favor and just pick up RAMONES MANIA by the Ramones. You'll thank me later. Trust me.

[cdjunky41]

Two bands that everyone forgets is Starz and Angel.

 

Amen!!

 

Lets not forget:

 

RAM JAM

THE GODZ

APRIL WINE

TEAZE

B.T.O.

AXE

THE BOYZZ

MAX WEBSTER

THE GOOD RATS

REX

MARCUS

 

I could be here all night long...

[Dave]

For fuck sake !!!!!!!!!

 

The "neutered dog" saying comes to mind when this subject comes up....

 

Geoff got one bit correct in saying if you did not grow up with it, more than likely you won't like it.

 

Just ask your kids {For those of you that do have them that are of a late teenage age} and ask them what they think of the poodle rock of the 80's and the reply will be pretty much the same as what plenty have said here about 70's Rock !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You want a great example of how good 70's music was, just check out Aerosmith's Toys In The Attic and Alice Cooper's Billion $ Babies or Rainbow' s Rising !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I could go into a studio now with with a severe case of gastroenteritus {or how ever you spell it} and they could record that and make it sound good and that was pretty much the case with alot of bands from the 80's........

With the 70's, what you heard is what you got and that is why it will always be good

[Glen]

I've been a die hard 80's hair metal/80's hard rock fan for quite some time now. I'd even go as far as to say that I can't think of one single hair metal band I don't like and that's the truth. With that said I thought it was finally time to get into 70's hard rock for a change so I headed to Best Buy and picked up both debut albums from Kiss and Aerosmith.

 

After all, I love all of their 80's/early 90's albums, but there's a problem. I pop in Kiss' debut first and I just don't feel excited to listen to it. Same goes for the Aerosmith debut. None of the songs sound any heavier than the tracks on a Skynyrd or Bad Company album. I just don't hear the "drive" or the "energy" that I get from 80's hard rock albums. 70's hard rock just doesn't sound like hard rock to me as strange as that is to say. I just can't get into it. These are legendary classic albums that I should worship. What gives? Is there anyone here that just listens to every band's 80's/early 90's material? I really feel like shit here not enjoying these albums, you know?

HAHA! Nice. A partner in crime.

 

Honestly mate, I've copped quite a bit of shit here for very the same reason. Bar literally one or two songs, I pretty much have no time for any music created before 1983/1984. I also tried, but it is just a different type of sound/style that I could never picture myself enjoying.

 

I can understand that the guys who grew up with it would have a soft spot for it, and it's also a poser's musical haven... but for people like myself (and assuming you too) who are a little younger and are already well versed in the best music ever created (80's stuff) there's no reason to take a step back into the vastly inferior stuff from the 70's, imo.

 

 

To a certain degree I agree with you on 70's music - except for a few gems like Journey's Evolution and Infinity.

 

I think people disagree more with your slagging of 82/81 and more so 80 - in which there were some classic rock albums released - maybe not your style - but classic none the less.

 

Cheers

[Captain Howdy]

My feeling on 70s rock is this.

I grew up in the 70s, and had a brother and sister who were 10 and 13 years older than me.

What I was mostly exposed to though, was 60s music like Elvis, Beatles and Tom Jones.

There were some 70s bits I was exposed to, such as Bay City Rollers, but mostly it was older stuff (hell, even a lot of old 50s rock n roll).

What I never heard, was rock and metal from the 70s (with the exception of one Judas Priest single my brother owned, then gave me years later, and of course Status Quo & Queen).

 

When I first started buying my own stuff, it was mostly 80s chart stuff, but even then I was somewhat behind the curve, listening to stuff by the likes of Huey Lewis and Springsteen, more than Duran Duran and Wham etc (although I did get into them over time as well).

 

I finally got into rock and metal properly in 1989, when songs like Every rose has its thorn, Paradise city, Poison and Love in an elevator started getting decent positions in the UK charts (I already owned albums and singles by Def Lepp, Jovi, Kiss and Europe, but didnt really think of them as being of that musical genre until I delved into it more).

 

Once I went out and bought Appetite and Open up and say ahh.., I was hooked and started seeking out bands of the genre like Cinderella, Ratt, Crue and LA Guns etc.

 

Of course, with the likes of Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and Kiss having chart successes, I started delving into their 70s back catalogues, and also started looking at other bands like Sabbath, Skynyrd and Zepp etc, as a lot of the 80s bands were citing them as influences.

 

For the most part, I was suitably unimpressed.

 

I found with most of these artists, that a best of package contained all the gems I really needed.

Even a band like AC/DC, I preferred in the 80s, probably because I prefer Brian over Bon, more than likely because I heard Brian first.

 

I will always take the 80s music over 70s, but there are some 70s era stuff that I prefer to later stuff.

While I dont have a whole lot of Skynyrd albums. I'll take a Skynyrd compilation over any of their later stuff.

Sabbath for me, was THE 70s band, and never ever equaled the 70s albums (and please dont tell me the Dio stuff is better, cause it isnt. It isnt even Sabbath in my eyes).

 

Overall I find 70s rock to be somewhat pretentious (mostly the Brit bands), and the sound seems lacking (mostly due to the lack of technology back then, so production values were shit).

 

I also think that someone who heard this in the 70s would think of it as exciting and fresh, and that these guitarists or drummers were doing things nobody had heard before, but those of us who started in the 80s, were spoiled by all these guitar wizards etc, so to us, the 70s guys seem somewhat like cavemen technically.

 

I mean, people can call the likes of Hendrix (yeah 60s, I know), Page and Blackmore inovators etc, but to someone who only heard them after the fact, they dont sound so special.

[Metal_Warrior]

i agree with the original poster.

70s rock means very little to me, although i've given it more than one tries.

I like very selective releases and these are the classics albums from Scorpions, Rush, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy etc that set the foundations for 80s music

[Guest Dangerous Toy]

My feeling on 70s rock is this.

I grew up in the 70s, and had a brother and sister who were 10 and 13 years older than me.

What I was mostly exposed to though, was 60s music like Elvis, Beatles and Tom Jones.

There were some 70s bits I was exposed to, such as Bay City Rollers, but mostly it was older stuff (hell, even a lot of old 50s rock n roll).

What I never heard, was rock and metal from the 70s (with the exception of one Judas Priest single my brother owned, then gave me years later, and of course Status Quo & Queen).

 

When I first started buying my own stuff, it was mostly 80s chart stuff, but even then I was somewhat behind the curve, listening to stuff by the likes of Huey Lewis and Springsteen, more than Duran Duran and Wham etc (although I did get into them over time as well).

 

I finally got into rock and metal properly in 1989, when songs like Every rose has its thorn, Paradise city, Poison and Love in an elevator started getting decent positions in the UK charts (I already owned albums and singles by Def Lepp, Jovi, Kiss and Europe, but didnt really think of them as being of that musical genre until I delved into it more).

 

Once I went out and bought Appetite and Open up and say ahh.., I was hooked and started seeking out bands of the genre like Cinderella, Ratt, Crue and LA Guns etc.

 

Of course, with the likes of Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and Kiss having chart successes, I started delving into their 70s back catalogues, and also started looking at other bands like Sabbath, Skynyrd and Zepp etc, as a lot of the 80s bands were citing them as influences.

 

For the most part, I was suitably unimpressed.

 

I found with most of these artists, that a best of package contained all the gems I really needed.

Even a band like AC/DC, I preferred in the 80s, probably because I prefer Brian over Bon, more than likely because I heard Brian first.

 

I will always take the 80s music over 70s, but there are some 70s era stuff that I prefer to later stuff.

While I dont have a whole lot of Skynyrd albums. I'll take a Skynyrd compilation over any of their later stuff.

Sabbath for me, was THE 70s band, and never ever equaled the 70s albums (and please dont tell me the Dio stuff is better, cause it isnt. It isnt even Sabbath in my eyes).

 

Overall I find 70s rock to be somewhat pretentious (mostly the Brit bands), and the sound seems lacking (mostly due to the lack of technology back then, so production values were shit).

 

I also think that someone who heard this in the 70s would think of it as exciting and fresh, and that these guitarists or drummers were doing things nobody had heard before, but those of us who started in the 80s, were spoiled by all these guitar wizards etc, so to us, the 70s guys seem somewhat like cavemen technically.

 

I mean, people can call the likes of Hendrix (yeah 60s, I know), Page and Blackmore inovators etc, but to someone who only heard them after the fact, they dont sound so special.

 

I couldn't have said it any better Captain Howdy. I'd just like to point out that I do agree with the general notion that 70's hard rock is/was amazing and groundbreaking, but as Howdy pointed out I guess I've just gotten use to the production, hooks, guitar wizardry of 80's hard rock/metal.

 

So with all this said and done, should I feel like less of a hard rock fan for not enjoying each band’s 70's classics as much as their heavier polished 80's material?

[phaffas]

Dont forget mid 70's to late 70s Queen. Cant go wrong there.

[heaven&hell]

Sabbath for me, was THE 70s band, and never ever equaled the 70s albums (and please dont tell me the Dio stuff is better, cause it isnt. It isnt even Sabbath in my eyes).

 

THE DIO STUFF IS BETTER!!!!

[bangerdave]

Two bands that everyone forgets is Starz and Angel.

I'm right with you on that brother. Great bands.