QUOTE : Yahoo Entertainment - January 2021

"It's become a cliche, even for post-Baby Boomers, to look back wistfully on the early 70s as some kind of golden age for popular music. But when you survey all the best albums it's hard not to trust that instinct".

1971: The very best year in rock music ? 

Who says ? Well David Hepworth in his book "1971 - Never A Dull Moment: Rock's Golden Year" reveals his belief that this was the case - in 336 pages! [see review] 

On reflection (and obviously being there has helped) his point is certainly valid. The list of great LPs released in that year is extensive, so join me in a 50 year old trip to the back of your memory and the corners of your record collection.

We have already travelled back to 1971 on the FMS (Hobbits Garden etc). There's plenty more nostalgia where that came from. Examining my record collection reveals a lot of LPs purchased from that one year. However looking at all the top releases indicates many more I didn't buy, so the list grows longer. 

I could easily fill up the rest of this year with 1971 Star Tracks, however I will revisit the subject periodically over the coming months before, Boys and Girls, Santa comes around to ask for your Christmas list.  

If I told you the best selling UK single from 1971 was "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep' by Middle of the Road, you will know that David Hepworth and myself are not concerning ourselves with the single charts but very much the albums released during that year. 

By this time in September 1971, we had already seen the release of some classic albums and listened to :- Tapestry - Carol King / The Yes Album - Yes / Aqualung - Jethro Tull / 4 Way Street - CSNY / LA Woman - The Doors / Sticky Fingers - Rolling Stones / What's Going On - Marvin Gaye / Every Picture Tells a Story - Rod Stewart / Blue - Joni Mitchell / Live at the Fillmore - the Allman Bros. and Imagine - John Lennon. And there were more to follow...

I personally had just purchased the 'Who's Next' LP and it was hardly off the turntable at this time. An album book-ended by the incredible 'Baba O'Riley' & 'Won't Get Fooled Again' yet sandwiched in between are some classics, less often played. 
Developed from the aborted Lifehouse project, a multi-media rock opera, many of the songs from that story ended up on 'Who's Next'. "The Song is Over" is a ballad which was supposedly the final song on Lifehouse. Aside from lead vocals by Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, it also features piano work by English musician Nicky Hopkins and some dynamic drumming by Keith Moon. 

The song is over 

 Excepting one note, pure and easy

'Pure and Easy' was the central axis of the Lifehouse project that never happened (now a snippet of "Pure and Easy" became the coda to "The Song is Over".)

Here's that song that didn't make it on to 'Who's Next' - fyi