Various Artists [Essential Seventies] As it says on the back inlay, 'exclusively produced for Boots', at one time Boots the Chemist used to have a line of their own compact discs, even a small Classical music range, most of the discs were poor, but this one i picked up as it really did have some very nice tracks on it, i grew up in the Seventies, and it's a nostalgic time for me, it's a great mix of tracks and styles, there's Glam Rock, Two-Tone / Ska, Disco, and good old plain Rock amongst others, but somehow it all gels together.
The booklet shows a great shot of a black girl with a huge afro hairstyle, very seventies, and a nice pose too, i guess in hot pants with her legs crossed, the lettering is a bit naff on the front cover, but the back inlay is really nice, with a mini front cover picture, and the track numbers in alternative black and white is a nice touch, very easy to read.
The tracks that i really enjoyed were 2-6, 9-10, 13-14 & 16-19, with tracks 10 & 14 which were especially memorable, of course there's lots of memories here, the remembrance Glam Rock with one of my favourite bands Wizzard, and Tiger Feet by Mud getting to number 1, those crazy days of the late Seventies with Gerry Rafferty being kept off the top spot in both the UK and the US, and i just remember the Marshall Hain hit Dancing In The City getting close to the top in the late Seventies too.
But it's track 14 Don't Take Away The Music by Tavares which hit me the most, during the Seventies i wasn't so much into Disco at the time, but now it means so much more to me, this is a tremendous hit, it got to number 4 in the UK in 1976, .
Here's Tavares singing 'Don't Take Away The Music' on YouTube.
