Flash -- "Small Beginnings" (1972)

Yes' "Roundabout" is the prototypical early prog-rock song when one wants to write about an all-time classic of the genre. But I'm starting with this song by Flash because in my mind, it's been an overlooked classic.

Frankly, I was excited that I found a fantastic sounding audio link to the full song below and wanted to use it right away.

In the early 70's, Flash had all the prog rock trademarks for that era: long hair, some glasses, classical music noodling, singer with high voice, elaborate key and tempo changes, epic song lengths, sudden musical shifts, and awesome technical music prowess.

Flash had the extra bonus of two former members of prog rock legends Yes: the original guitarist Peter Banks (from the first two albums, pre-Fragile) and keyboardists Tony Kaye (pre-Rick Wakeman). There was no point reinventing what was already there, so they cut a debut album that sounded amazingly like Yes.

Flash cut three albums but nothing broke out except their first single, "Small Beginnings." It wasn't exactly a chart topper, but back in those days, prog rock was loved so much that it actually made it to the Top 40.

In the morning when you start your day
do you feel yourself quite lost
in a world of countless millions
on the tide of your life you're tossed
don't think you're getting nowhere
you know we all must start
from very small beginnings off to a better part



In the rush and hustle of your day
when all your world seems mad
do you look at ev'rything you see
and know that it's not so fine
just take your time and work it out
you know what's in your mind
from very small beginnings off to a better time


While this song absolutely stands on its own, it does owe something to the numerous parts of "Roundabout" and most prominently, the final section of both songs, which features hard-strummed guitars with multiple vocal layers. I don't care. A great song is a great song. So click play below and listen to one of the best songs of the early 70's prog rock era.

Klaatu -- "Sub Rosa Subway" (1976)

You really have to be a music fan to remember the weird frenzy Klaatu caused when this album appeared in 1976. Certainly in Buffalo, where I was going to college at the time, this was the talk of the radio jocks and music mags.

The buzz was that this album was secretly made by the Beatles. And since the Beatles were the subject of one of the greatest musical hoaxes of all time ("Paul is dead"), it was not much of a stretch to think this was another prank being pulled by some if not all of the Fab Four.

All the hallmarks for this rumor were firmly in place: no photos of any band members, no band members names, the song credits were credited to "Klaatu," and the intricate album artwork with all kinds of hidden characters (and its ever present brown mouse) fed the fuel of the raging rumor mills. For movie buffs, Klaatu was the robot played by actor Michael Rennie in the film "The Day The Earth Stood Still."

Most importantly, the music sounded remarkably like Sargent Pepper/White Album era Beatles, especially when the single "Sub Rosa Subway" came out and it was prototypical Paul McCartney. The story of Alfred Beach, who invented the first underground subway, featured swirling harpsichords, Liverpudlian lead vocals and background harmonies, "laughing horns" (reminiscent of "All You Need is Love"), and smacked tubular bells at the chorus' echoing repetition. During the last 30 to 40 seconds of musical cacophony, you can hear Morse code being tapped out, and that was the Beatles cherry on the cake.

"Sub Rosa Subway" sounded like a really good Paul McCartney song left off Magical Mystery Tour. Of course, the whole album sounded like a 60's psychedelic Beatles record, done absolutely beautifully, with the classic compressed drums in some parts, wide dynamics, masterful studio trickery, and all kinds of Beatles touches that were made for headphone listening.

Back in 1870 just beneath the Great White Way
Alfred Beach worked secretly
Risking all to ride a dream
His wind-machine
His wind-machine

New York City and the morning sun
Were awoken by the strangest sound
Reportedly as far as Washington
The tremors shook the earth as Alfie
Blew underground
Blew underground
He blew underground, yeah.

Klaatu kept their mystery for a few albums until it was discovered that they were a small group of fanatical Canadian studio musicians. Ironically, I don't recall any of their names.

Below are some cool and bizarre video treats. First you have a well done homemade video about subway inventor Alfred Beach done to "Sub Rosa Subway." Then there is this super cheesy way-out homemade video done to the debut album's magnificent opening epic "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" (note: the song does start very quietly with the sounds of the outdoors and somebody moving through the brush), followed by The Carpenters (Yes! Karen and Richard) doing their truly kitsch cover from 1977 where you get to see Karen Carpenter floating in space and some alien dudes make a cameo. Oh baby, put on your tie-dyed shirts and space helmets and let's go for a ride!
"SUB ROSA SUBWAY" by Klaatu

"CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT" by Klaatu

"CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT" by The Carpenters (1977)

Ted Nugent -- "Cat Scratch Fever" (1977)

Ted Nugent -- aka "The Nuge" aka "The Motor City Madman" -- always provided the most entertaining funniest interviews in 70's rock magazines, hands down. There were plenty of loud hard rock acts touring incessantly to every arena dump in the land, and plenty of them could come up with dumb double-entendre song titles that could rival any hair metal band.

Nugent, however, had nothing extraordinary about him except his over-the-top personality, worship of hunting, calling everybody else a wussy, and misogynist treatment of women.

Let's just go through some of Nugent's song title catalog to get an idea of what he was contributing to American culture in his first heyday: "Turn It Up," "Hard As Nails," "Violent Love," "Spit It Out," "Snake Charmer," "Bite Down Hard," and the mightily subtle "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" (these are just titles, the lyrics truly open up these concepts!).

So he's touring and making records, and with some luck actually comes up with a few minor FM tunes produced by unsung rock producer Tom Werman ("Dog Eat Dog," "Free For All," "Strangehold").

Along the way, he's the definition of Mr. Quotable in every rock magazine at the time, like this gem from an August 1977 issue of Rolling Stone when Japanese journalists walk into his Philadelphia hotel room: "Tell them Nips that I've never read anything about me from Japan that wasn't disgusting bullshit." Later, he screams at them: "Animals were put here for human beings to use! Anyone who says that man is not a predator is a sap."

One can easily devote an entire web site to Ted Nugent quotes. But I digress from the music....

The stars align for Nugent on the title song of his 1977 Epic album Cat Scratch Fever -- a completely original guitar riff of an A chord climbing up to the C chord keeping the A bass. It's a wicked package of trademark 70's hard rock with a highly distorted solo, the shaker moving in on the solo (an old Rolling Stones trick), and a theatrical double-fake ending. This was his one big breakthrough top 40 hit, deservedly so for the best thing he ever wrote. Oh, and let's sample those lyrics...

Well I don't know where they come from
But they sure do come
I hope they comin' for me
And I don't know how they do it
But they sure do it good
I hope they doin' it for free

They give me cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever

The first time that I got it
I was just ten years old
I got it from some kitty next foor
I went and see the doctor and
He gave me the cure
I think I got it some more

They give me cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever

You wanna see a taste of The Nuge in his 70's white-spandex pants, no shirt, spiked amulets, mile long hair, real animal tail hanging off his butt, Gibson-totin' prime? Feast your eyes on the classic 1978 clip when he hosted the "Midnight Special" TV show. Check out the acts performing on the show that night (AC/DC, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Golden Earring, REO Speedwagon, Thin Lizzy!), all announced by the late great Wolfman Jack!