ATLANTIC SAMPLER
VA - The New Age of Atlantic [1972]
The New Age of Atlantic, is a landmark UK sampler by Atlantic Records, offering a budget-priced gateway into an eclectic mix of rock, blues, and folk. Following The Age of Atlantic, this third entry carried the torch for label-curated compilations that shaped musical discovery.
Two standout tracks lend it instant collector appeal: Led Zeppelin’s “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do” a U.S.-only B-side and Yes’s expansive cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “America”, previously unreleased in the UK. These tracks provided rare access for British audiences and affirmed Atlantic’s role as a tastemaker.
Across the album’s sides, listeners encounter a rich blend: Loudon Wainwright III’s “Motel Blues” and John Prine’s “Sam Stone” bring poignant folk narratives, Dr. John’s “Where Ya At Mule” adds New Orleans mystique, Rockier cuts like Cactus’s “Long Tall Sally” and The J. Geils Band’s “I Don’t Need You No More” infuse raw energy.
The inclusion of Buffalo Springfield’s “Bluebird” nods to Atlantic’s American roots, while the diverse production credits, Jimmy Page, Arif Mardin, Stephen Stills, highlight the depth behind each selection.
Packaged with a foldout dragster catalogue and charting at No. 25 in the UK, the compilation served not just as a promotional tool but as a cultural bridge. A snapshot of how samplers democratized music access and captured the spirit of a transformative era. (B)
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Track list
01 Led Zeppelin - Hey, Hey, What Can I Do 3:58
02 Loudon Wainwright III - Motel Blues 2:47
03 Gordon Haskell - Sitting By the Fire 3:44
04 Dr. John - Where Ya at Mule 4:56
05 Buffalo Springfield - Bluebird 4:28
06 Delaney & Bonnie - Only You Know and I Know 3:27
07 Cactus - Long Tall Sally 3:02
08 Jonathan Edwards - Everybody Knows Her 1:53
09 J. Geils Band - I Don't Need You No More 2:36
10 John Prine - Sam Stone 4:15
11 Yes - America 10:36
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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Never saw this. In 1972 I was busy as a newly wed!!! Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteHi lemonflag.
DeleteGlad it found its way to you now. These samplers have a way of reconnecting us to eras we lived through, even if we missed them the first time around.
Cheers.
Like lemonflag, I wasn't familiar with this compilation either, even though everyone in the late 60s and early 70s was on the hunt for such good, and above all affordable, rock samplers. And: I'm slowly starting to believe that esteemed correspondent lemonflag (who is only a few months older than me) must be some kind of soulmate, a teenage shadow existence in the British Isles (thousand miles away from my West German backwoods): so many astonishing similarities, so many generational parallels ... Thanks, too, BB, for bringing us together. Best: TC
ReplyDeleteTranslated with DeepL.com (free version)
Hi TC.
DeleteThank you. It’s amazing how these compilations, even decades later, can spark connections across borders and time. The idea of a “teenage shadow existence” between you and lemonflag is poetic and strangely moving. That shared hunt for affordable samplers, the thrill of discovery, and the generational echoes… it’s exactly the kind of magic these releases were meant to inspire.
Here’s to more rediscoveries and unexpected friendships.
Cheers.