Playin’ Up a Storm – The Gregg Allman Band

-Album of the Day-

Released: May ?, 1977

Placed squarely in the category of albums that are too often overlooked, Playin’ Up a Storm is an excellent mixture of old and new Blues, Southern-Rock, and, surprisingly, Soul from Gregg Allman. While this album has Allman stepping outside of his roots a bit in some of the performances he doesn’t seem to be outside of his comfort zone, perhaps showing the amount of versatility in his instrumental abilities and more particularly his voice.  Allman runs the show on Playin’ Up a Storm, and he and his band do just what the title says by mixing some new material with some personal favorites and making it all sound good.

Cat Scratch Fever – Ted Nugent

-Album of the Day-

Released: May 13th, 1977

Regardless how people feel about Ted Nugent’s more recent endeavors, it would be foolish to ignore the contributions he made to Hard-Rock in the 70’s and 80’s. Cat Scratch Fever, Nugent’s third studio album, is one of those more well-known contributions. In particular the title track on Cat Scratch Fever is one of the most recognizable Rock songs to be released in the past 50-60 years, and that says a lot about Nugent’s ability to write catchy guitar hooks and fun lyrics, which this album is filled with. For those few that thought the album Cat Scratch Fever began and ended with the title track, they are missing an excellent collection of some of the hardest hitting Rock songs of the 70’s.

Book of Dreams – The Steve Miller Band

-Album of the Day-

Book of Dreams – The Steve Miller Band

Released: May ?, 1977

                Pop Rock group The Steve Miller Band probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves for creating two of the best Rock albums of the 70’s in back to back years: 1976’s Fly Like an Eagle, and 1977’s Book of Dreams. Whatever reason, Book of Dreams is an album any listener should take a chance on. While it is far from perfect, this album provides a great, spacey, rock sound, some of the best singles of the 70’s, and Steve Miller’s smooth vocals, a combination that is almost guaranteed to please.