MY FAVORITE SONGS OF 1972

Back in 1972, I was nine years old for most of the year until I turned ten in November. This was also the time when I became quite serious about music. I would look forward to watching first "American Bandstand" and then tune in to "Soul Train" on Saturdays to see the latest songs performed by the artists. I would learn the name of the singers and then get my mother to take me to our local record store to buy these records. I would then spend hours listening to these songs over and over. Here are some of my favorite songs of 1972 in no particular order with an emphasis on those tunes that you just don't hear that often anymore:

NEW SOUNDS

PAUL MCCARTNEY

"Egypt Station" is Paul McCartney's eighteenth solo studio album and his first featuring new music since his 2005 record, "Chaos and the Creation in the Backyard". The seventy-six year old music legend has created a solid collection of songs that takes us on a journey through different musical moods. With production assistance from current pop hit makers. Greg Kurstin and Ryan Tedder, McCartney delivers a gentle piano ballad, a Bossa Nova inspired tune, some hard rocking garage band jams and songs that offer an interesting mix of eclectic sounds. Here is the video for the first single, "Fuh You":



PAUL SIMON

That other iconic singer/songwriter named "Paul", Paul Simon also has a new album out. With "In The Blue Light", Simon is reexamining his past work and giving some of his lesser known songs a make-over. Starting with "One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor" from his 1973 album, "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" and ending with "Questions For the Angels" from "So Beautiful or So What" from 2011, the seventy-six year old has given these songs new arrangements and even some reworked lyrics. Many of the songs have been stripped down to focus on the words and melody, creating a reflective and melancholy mood. Listen to one of my favorite tracks from the album, "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor":

And we have Barbra Streisand who has been pretty vocal about her feelings regarding this current Presidential administration. After her last few albums featured classic show tunes and famous duet partners, this legendary vocalist has been inspired to make the rare move to write songs for her upcoming album. "Walls", Streisand's thirty-sixth album, is due in November and will feature mostly original songs with three she was involved with co-writing. The record is designed to explore her social concerns and offer optimism during these troubling times. The first single, "Don't Lie To Me" is one her original compositions that directly takes aim at the President and his controversial policies. Ms Streisand directed the music video for the song and it is not subtle on exactly what she's trying to say with the song: