Never a Dull Moment

1971 - the Year That Rock Exploded

By: David Hepworth

Narrated by: David Hepworth

A rollicking look at 1971 - the busiest, most innovative and resonant year of the '70s, defined by the musical arrival of such stars as David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Joni Mitchell.

On New Year's Eve, 1970, Paul McCartney told his lawyers to issue the writ at the High Court in London, effectively ending The Beatles. You might say this was the last day of the pop era.

The following day, which was a Friday, was 1971. You might say this was the first day of the rock era. And within the remaining 364 days of this monumental year, the world would hear Don McLean's "American Pie", The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar", The Who's "Baba O'Riley", Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", Rod Stewart's "Maggie May", Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", and more.

David Hepworth, an ardent music fan and a well-regarded critic, was 21 in '71, the same age as many of the legendary artists who arrived on the scene. Taking us on a tour of the major moments, the events and songs of this remarkable year, he shows how musicians came together to form the perfect storm of rock and roll greatness, starting a musical era that would last longer than anyone predicted. Those who joined bands to escape things that lasted found themselves in a new age, its colossal start being part of the genre's staying power.

Never a Dull Moment is more than a love song to the music of 1971. It's also an homage to the things that inspired art and artists alike. From Soul Train to The Godfather, hot pants to table tennis, Hepworth explores both the music and its landscapes, culminating in an epic story of rock and roll's best year.

©2016 David Hepworth (P)2016 Recorded Books

A blast from the past

Very enjoyable for someone like me who was there in 1971. I especially like all the political and cultural context filled in. The author is a bit cynical, but then I suppose some of it is justified. But very enjoyable and interesting, and well read by the author.

Very Entertaining

I never ealized how much music there was in1971 . It was so much fun remembering all of the great music groups that were making great albums when I was a child. I reaaly enjoyed the great passion of great rock and roll that the author has in this book. At times hes hard to follow but I still enjoy all of the research he shares on the greatest year of music in American history

Waiting for 1972

Perfectly read, delightfully written, I’m glad I was alive then. I’m sharing this with my daughters so they can be jealous of me.

I was born in 1971

So this is like a backstage pass to the soundtrack to my life. Thanks David.

Fun listening!

If you experienced that time or are a fan of that era's music you will enjoy this audiobook!

These Are the Good Old Days

This is a fabulous listen. It captures a defining period in the history of popular music. The book invokes numerous memories of the countless aural sensations I experienced as a 7 year old in 1971, sensations that gave me my first thrills at being alive on Earth. As the author indicates, so much was happening at the time, which we just thought was a natural part of society's creative process, that we had no idea how the songs, albums, and groups we heard were constructing a canon that still dominates in the 21st century. (I listened as I read a news story picturing 80-year-old Mick Jagger and announcing yet another Rolling Stones tour in 2024 - let's forget about that 1981 "Farewell Tour" - oops...)

David Hepworth is equally compelling as author and narrator, and the interplay of facts and storytelling ended up capturing my attention from start to finish. I was so entertained that I stopped caring about a few minor disagreements, and I enjoyed the 1971 time stoppage and the format of breaking up by months, including a favorite playlist at the end of each month (though maybe J.C. Superstar should have been included in the year's top 100?...). Bravo and looking forward to more with Anticipation!

Recalling a Great Year in My Musical Life

David Hepworth turned 21 in 1971 and recalls this as the best year in the history of rock and roll in Never a Dull Moment, a month by month reminiscence that focuses on the Rolling Stones, Carole King, Stevie Wonder, The Who, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Led Zep, the former Beatles, and many many others. He places these in the context of current and pop culture events, as well as other aspects of the music business -- record company execs, the music press, technological advances, and the like.

I turned 15 in 1971, a watershed year for me, including my own pivot that Hepworth describes -- switching from 45s and AM radio to LPs and FM (from singles to albums). I got my first album (Blind Faith), got my first real guitar and used it at my first live performance (Nantucket Sleighride), formed my first band, The Summer Snowflake (lasted three days), and saw my first live concerts -- Procol Harum at the Capitol in Passaic, Grateful Dead at the Felt Forum. Lots of other indelible moments.

Hard to give Hepworth more praise than by conjuring up these memories in one place over a half century later -- to put them all together in the context of his evaluation of this year in rock music is mildly epiphianic for me.

One can criticize this book for being a bit scattershot. Each month is devoted to at least one major artist, plus a few secondary, often related artists. But to be so all encompassing means that some get barely a mention. But who am I to complain when my all-time guitar hero, my mentor-instructor, is mentioned in such a positive way (even though Hepworth mistakes his gospel blues for fiddle tunes). And in the penultimate mention before the epilogue -- Nantucket Sleighride!

Give Hepworth credit for not only focusing on big names and major releases. He includes quite a bit about what artists who hit in later years were doing in 1971, like Springsteen, Jonathan Richman, Talking Heads, and the New York Dolls, among others. And artists like Nick Drake who recorded in 1971 but didn't gain recognition for many years.

Great stuff for classic rock fans, possibly good stuff for younger fans who may have heard their parents or grandparents listening to this music, or their own music heroes covering or sampling these songs or naming them as influences. You may not agree with everything, but at the very least, food for thought.

Kudos to Hepworth for his narration. He is not perhaps the most polished of voices, being a writer, not a voice actor, but no one else could have captured his mildly sardonic tone and totally apropos English accent.

Great recap of an amazing year of music

Enjoyed every minute of this 1971 recap. Mind blowing how much happened in music is 1971, there was truly never a dull moment.

1971 Great year in Rock History!

He presents a compelling case for 1971 being the most substantive year in the rock era. A lot of interesting information and behind the scenes intrigue of many rock ledgands. If you love classic rock and roll, I highly recommend this one!

Interesting, but Hepworth's book differs from my m

I di enjoy this book as Hepworth put 1971 in an order (his order) while my memories of 1971 are day to day rather than organized in a whole. While I appreciate seeing how things fit together, both in the moment and in the future, I would not chosen a lot of Hepworth's topics. But Hepworth reminds me that studio technology was improving and making records sound better, and that rock was starting to remember its past rather than focusing on raising its artistic content. While the rock press wrote later about Pete Townsend's missing opera Lifehouse, Hepworth (in my opinion) is definitely correct in stating that "Who's Next" is far superior to an opera. And that Glyn Johns was correct to make Townsend focus on the songs, not the content. As an album purchaser, I was distressed that "Sergeant Pepper" was dubbed 'art,' and that 'serious' musicians had to keep progressing album by album. (Conversely, I found the soloing by Cream to be boring at times, but not nearly as boring as the legions of guitarists that followed who felt obliged to take long, aka boring, solos.) I say this. in part, because Hepworth claims that the next movement in pop/rock/soul was hiphop. Not to denigrate hiphop, but the nerxt step in rock was punk as it sent musicians and their audiences back to three chords, danceable music, and the basic emotions of rock.
So while I like a lot of the stories that Hepworth writes about, I find some of his conclusions arguable as he omits the facts that don't fit his ideas. But I do love the observations of the times like smaller venues and the availability of tickets. So I guess that I am asking why can't his memories be more like mine.