Although I seem to spend a lot of time talking about 1973 on the radio (as I am about to do once again), the truth is that 1973 was a difficult, transitional year for me, from a musical perspective.

I was in 9th grade back then, and my tastes were still going through a multitude of changes. I started off the year carrying the baggage of my adolescence, with a history of loving the Beatles, the Bee Gees and the Monkees in more or less equal measure, until I discovered heavier stuff, like the Doors and Stephen Stills, which somehow eventually morphed into a passion for Alice Cooper, and then David Bowie. I was learning to play the drums then, and my biggest ambition was to form a band that would play glitter tunes, so I started actively seeking out fellow ‘musicians’.

In my own homeroom, I found a guitarist who would soon become a musical partner of mine for the next 40 years or so, but the initial attempts at playing together were rough, because we had such different ambitions. While I was all about high heels and hair color, my friend was learning to play guitar by listening intently to Allman Brothers records. It was a short-lived battle, because drummers almost always end up conceding to the guitar player’s abilities, so I found myself trading in my two-tone crushed velvet high-heeled shoes (honestly, I did have a pair…) and shopping for Frye boots. We never played a single Bowie tune, but before I knew it, we had the first Marshall Tucker album memorized to the point where we could adequately duplicate much of it. That was a weird change.

From today’s perspective, I really wish I won that battle of the musical styles (although I would definitely concede on the high heels), so today’s show covers that battle royal that tore me in two directions simultaneously.

Featured songs include:

1) All the Way From Memphis – Mott the Hoople (‘Mott’)

2) I Wish I Was Your Mother – Mott the Hoople (‘Mott’)

3) Rubber Bullets - 10cc (‘10cc’)

4) Sand in My Face - 10cc (‘10cc’)

5) Ships Don’t Disappear in the Night - 10cc (‘10cc’)

6) Can’t You See – Marshall Tucker Band

7) See You Later, I’m Gone – Marshall Tucker Band

8) Jesus Just Left Chicago – ZZ Top (‘Tres Hombres’)

9) La Grange – ZZ Top (‘Tres Hombres’)

10) Razor Boy - Steely Dan (‘Countdown to Ecstasy’)

11) Pearl of the Quarter - Steely Dan (‘Countdown to Ecstasy’)