It’s 1974. (I have chosen to deploy the historic present to intensify the narrative.)
The 1973 oil crisis rumbles on as does the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War. Yitzhak Rabin takes over as Israeil PM from Golda Meir.
Following Watergate, Nixon resigns.
Turkey invades northern Cyprus leading to partition of the island.
There is a Carnation Revolution in Portugal.
Willy Brandt resigns as pre-unification West German chancellor, while the country win the World Cup, coming from behind to defeat Holland, as they were then known.
On the subject of countries which are no longer around, there’s the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire between Muhammad Ali and George foreman, before he sold grills. I don’t know why that’s famous, because I can’t fathom boxing’s appeal.
Meanwhile 37 Grasmere Avenue, Green Lane, Coventry CV3 6AY (Tel: 69010) sees the last year of the Forths as a nuclear family. Quite a relief when we moved to a single-parent version in February of the following year, to be honest.
In music, the trend is there is no trend. On this episode we’ve got the last knockings of, I suppose, glam rock, kind of only not really, with Sparks, Bowie and Roxy Music. Some lovely folk with Richard and Linda Thompson, Bridget St John and one of Nick Drake’s last recordings. Reggae from Keith Hudson and Augustus Pablo. The sound of young West Germany with Can, coming to the end of their golden period, and Kraftwerk just setting out on their own personal autobahn. Neil Young, John Cale and 10cc with arguably their best albums. And David Essex with a weird track that, this being 1974, was a Top 10 single.
Reassess for yourself.
Tracklist:
Autobahn, Kraftwerk
Rock on, David Essex
Darkest night version, Keith Hudson
Reinforcements, Sparks
Needle in the camel’s eyes, Brian Eno
All I want is you, Roxy Music
Barracuda, John Cale
For the turnstiles, Neil Young
Song for the waterden widow, Bridget St John
Rider on the wheel, Nick Drake
Dizzy dizzy, Can
Gun trade, Augustus Pablo
Down where the drunkards roll, Richard and Linda Thompson
Old wild men, 10cc
Rock’n’roll suicide, David Bowie