Fifty Years On: A Musical Salute to 1973!

A better year than you may remember: Joni, Gram & Emmylou, Little Feat, Bonnie, Stevie, Jackson, Steely Dan, Al Green, Marley and more.

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books and now writer/director of award-winning films. He was also a longtime editor of the legendary Crawdaddy.

No high concept today, but since so many other 50th anniversaries are being celebrated, I’ll just take a look back to a few favorite songs from 1973. They deny the lie that while the great era of ‘60s music had passed this did not leave us in the doldrums, only to be “saved” by punk etc. Still pre-disco! So below just a slim sampling from my third year at Crawdaddy, and most not the obvious choices (no Bowie or “Rosalita” or “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” or “Band on the Run” etc.). I imagine I will return to 1973 a few more times this 50th anniversary year….Enjoy, then subscribe if you have not, it’s still free!

Joni, “Raised on Robbery”

Reggae had arrived in force and everyone was borrowing, but no one in the world could top Marley and the Wailers as they urged you to “Get Up, Stand Up.” Or almost any other time.

Young Al Green was revving before he was Rev-ing, with “Here I Am, Come and Take Me,” live on Soul Train.

Little Feat was about to peak, with “Fat Man in the Bathtub.” Taped at 9:30 a.m. in London, and Lowell looks it. Maybe the best band in USA at that time.

Gram Parsons did his only tour with Emmylou early that year (I caught one show at Max’s in NYC) and the only video remnant is a tiny bit of grainy B&W footage from Texas. He OD’ed that September. Here “Big Mouth Blues.”

Stevie’s “Higher Ground” was one of the sensations of the 2023 Grammys. His run of albums in that period could not be topped by anyone.

Jackson Browne’s “For Everyman” signaled new maturity. A “Deluge” was on the way.

Bonnie Raitt, feeling “Guilty” (by Randy Newman) before Joe Cocker.

The Dan, “My Old School,” and I believe that was Bard. Somehow not a hit single.

Just a lot of fun at first, later a classic used in maybe a dozen movies, Stealer’s Wheel when “Stuck in the Middle With You”

Cartoon of the Day