| # | Artist | Song (click to play) | Album | Year | CD label |
| 1 | Amboy Dukes featuring Ted Nugent | Marriage | Marriage on the Rocks- Rock Bottom | 1970 | LINE Records |
| A long time ago, when the major rock station in St Louis still played good music, I heard this song during the middle of the day. When the DJ said that it was "Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes", I was dumbfounded! Their first album came out in 1967 and continued up to 1974 right before Ted's first solo album. Their early albums are great psychedelic and progressive rock. For me, _Marriage on the Rocks_ is one of the best American progressive albums. It is a shame that this album and _Survival of the Fittest_ have not been properly issued on CD. Both of them were released by the German bootleg label LINE, but, are extremely rare. I still have not acquired Survival. | |||||
| 2 | Streetwalkers | Hole in Your Pocket | Red Card | 1976 | Phonogram / Vertigo |
| After the band Family broke up, Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney formed The Streetwalkers and released 5 albums. I picked this album up on a whim and was blown away by this song with the intricate overlays of what sounds like a dozen different guitars. Chapman's voice sounds great here, too. | |||||
| 3 | James Gang | The Bomber | Rides Again | 1970 | MCA Records |
| If case you did not know, this is the first band of guitarist Joe Walsh. I have always enjoyed Joe's expressive playing. In between the heavy riffs that the song opens and closes with, the band drifts into a dreamy slide guitar rendition of Vince Guaraldi's Cast Your Fate to the Wind. The first 2 James Gang albums are absolute classics of American rock music. | |||||
| 4 | Wishbone Ash | The Pilgrim | Pilgrimage | 1971 | MCA Records |
| People who think that Wishbone Ash is not progressive must not have heard the Pilgrimage album. On the whole, they are not a progressive band, but then again, neither is Genesis or Yes ;-) Their first 5 albums, at least, over up some excellent music that is often radio friendly with amazing virtuosic dual lead guitars. | |||||
| 5 | Golden Earring | Big Tree, Blue Sea | Moontan | 1973 | MCA Records |
| Everyone has heard "Radar Love", but, have you heard the rest of the songs on the Moontan album? This is a wonderful dark album that seems to get overlooked. Earlier albums like the _Golden Earring_ (1970), _Seven Tears_ (1971), and _Together_ (1972) also have some great material, but not on par with Moontan. After that, they because more pop oriented. | |||||