The Souther Hillman Furay Band-The Souther Hillman Furay Band (1974)

After leaving Poco, guitarist Richie Furay considered launching his own solo career immediately, but instead, he answered the call of Asylum Records executive David Geffen and joined the project Geffen was founding with vocalist and bassist Chris Hillman and guitarist and vocalist J.D. Souther. Hillman came from iconic bands like The Byrds, Manassas (with Stephen Stills), and The Flying Burrito Brothers, while Souther was a folk singer-songwriter who would go on to become one of the genre's great composers, working with The Eagles, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Seger, and Christopher Cross, among others. But that wasn't all; Geffen also recruited other legendary musicians from the folk and country scene, such as drummer Jim Gordon (formerly of Derek and the Dominos), the renowned keyboardist Paul Harris, percussionist Joe Lala (formerly of Manassas), and guitarist Al Perkins, a true legend of American country and folk. Despite their enormous egos, their debut album is one of the landmark works of American country and folk rock, creating a dreamlike repertoire in a single release, beginning with "Fallin' Love" and "Border Town", songs that evoke the catchy country melodies and irresistible choruses of their contemporaries Poco and The Eagles. In that same vein are the addictive tracks "Trouble in Paradise", "Believe Me", "Prisoner in Disguise", and "Heavenly Fire". As expected, such a wealth of exquisite songs propelled the album to number eleven on the Billboard charts and considerable sales in the North American market.

Legs Diamond-Legs Diamond (1977)

We are looking at one of those great debuts from a band that, for various reasons, didn't achieve mainstream success beyond a few thousand fans. Legs Diamond belongs to that wave of American hard rock bands that emerged in the mid-seventies. Bands like Oz Knozz, Ted Nugent, Blues Oyster Cult, Triumph, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Boston, among many others, dominated the American rock scene during those years. Legs Diamond formed in 1975 in Los Angeles with Michael Gargano (bass), Jeff Poole (drums), Roger Romeo (guitar), Rick Sanford (vocals), and Michael (keyboards and second guitar). Some time later, they managed to get Mercury Records to finance their first album, "Legs Diamond", a phenomenal work full of powerful riffs and the vocals of the quintessential American hard rock frontman. Songs with a lot of adrenaline such as "It's Not The Music", "Stage Fright", "Satin Peacock", "Rock and Roll Man" or the epic with progressive touches "Can't Find Love", deserve the attention that they lacked at the time.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse-Re·ac·tor (1981)

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that can be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference”. With this Latin prayer, Neil Young’s eleventh album begins, flanked by his inseparable band Crazy Horse. If its title weren’t already taken by Bob Dylan, instead of “Re·ac·tor”, “Blood On The Tracks” would have been more fitting, because it’s hard to find an album as combative and courageous as this one. With allusions to topics rarely addressed in the eighties, such as the Vietnam War, “Re·ac·tor” was released in late 1981 on the Reprise label, his last with that record company before signing a new contract with Geffen Records, with whom he would spend much of the eighties, thus beginning his darkest and most mediocre period. “Opera Star”, a clear rock manifesto perfectly in continuity with “Rust Never Sleeps”, is the track that opens this album with an overwhelming force, while in “Surfer Joe And Moe The Sleaze”, Young’s highly distinctive guitar plays over a background of vocals to tell us stories of drunkenness, waste, and obscene excesses in a calmer, more melodic tone. “T-Bone” and “Get Back On It” are obsessive, rhythmic homages to the black roots of rock, the former in a hysterical tone and the latter closer to boogie blues, with which they bring the first side of the album to a close. The B-side is the rock 'n' roll mayhem of Neil Young and his band, starting with the killer “Rapid Transit”, followed by the pounding “Southern Pacific”, the southern-tinged “Motor City”, and that visceral nightmare titled “Shots”. Pure and simple rock, that's the best way to define this album, the last great work of the Canadian until his musical resurgence at the end of the eighties with the superb "Freedom", after his strange musical meanderings that occupied his entire journey under the aforementioned and controversial record label headed by David Geffen.

Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin-Love Devotion Surrender (1973)

In the early 1970s, Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin showed great interest in the Eastern philosophy of Guru Sri Chinmoy, and both musicians incorporated this philosophy into their albums: Santana's "Caravanserai" and "Abraxas", and McLaughlin's Mashavishnu Orchestra's "Inner Mountain Flame" and "Birds of Fire". In 1973, the two guitarists joined forces to pay tribute to John Coltrane through the hypnotic sounds of free jazz and jazz fusion. Each contributed musicians from their respective bands to the recording, including Armando Peraza, Michael Shrieve, and Doug Rauch from Santana's band, and Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, and Larry Young from the Mashavishnu Orchestra. An album brimming with exquisite passages, such as the opening track "A Love Supreme", which, with its distinct Latin jazz style, showcases McLaughlin's virtuosic guitar work adorned by a prominent organ. In the following track, "The Life Divine", Carlos Santana lends his divine guitar to a fusion piece with psychedelic undertones. Both, despite their undeniable quality, pale in comparison to the legendary "Let Us Go Into The House Of the Lord", an epic display of virtuosity from the guitarists and the rest of the musicians. The album concludes with the meditative and measured "Mediation", which brings to a close one of the masterpieces of jazz fusion.

Deep Purple-Who Do We Thing We Are (1973)

Deep Purple's seventh album, "Who Do We Think We Are", has always been overshadowed by its three superb predecessors, "In Rock", "Fireball", and "Machine Head". Despite containing some of the most memorable moments in Deep Purple's musical essence, the lack of truly iconic tracks relegated it to the status of a secondary work by a large portion of their extensive fanbase and by music critics. Furthermore, this would be the last album to feature singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover, who left the band amidst strained relations with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who accused them of apathy and a lack of interest in the band's affairs. Neither of them would reunite until eleven years later when Deep Purple brought together their classic lineup for the recording of the 1984 album "Perfect Stranger", Recorded in various studios located between Rome and Frankfurt during the middle months of 1972, it was released in January 1973 under the Purple Records label and distributed worldwide by EMI Odeon.

Although we initially stated that it's an album lacking in classic tracks, that's not entirely true. It features the legendary "Woman From Tokyo", which for many alone justifies the album's greatness. 

But the rest is not far behind and does not even approach mediocrity, with a sound more oriented towards the roots of classic rock and roll, as demonstrated in "Smooth Dancer" and "Mary Long", it also consists of superb cuts such as the rhythm and blues "Place In Line", or the psychedelic and avant-garde "Super Trouper", while the heavy rock "Rat Bat Blue" recovers the usual essence of the most classic Purple.

George Benson & Earl Klugh-Collaboration (1987)

In 1987, two of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, George Benson and Earl Klugh, joined forces to record "Collaboration", an exquisite work of smooth jazz where both showcase their distinctive and distinct styles. The album moves seamlessly from mellow jazz to ambient music, featuring subtle synthesizer arrangements and electronic drum programming. Earl Klugh's solid and warm acoustic guitar playing contrasts with George Benson's fluid, blues-based technique. Both demonstrate their astonishing six-string skills, brilliantly and effectively fusing acoustic and electric sounds. For this project, the duo collaborated with various musicians from the jazz fusion scene, including guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, drummers Harvey Mason and Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Marcus Miller, percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, and programmers and keyboardists James Newton Howard, Jason Miles, and Larry Williams. Attractive tracks such as "Mt. Airy Road", "Mimosa", "Brazilian Stomp", "Jamaica" or "Since You're Gone", would propel the album to the top spot on the Billboard charts in the category of best contemporary jazz album.