"Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)"

Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" (1972)

The band, and this song, really jumped into the spotlight when they were featured in the inaugural Sunbury Pop Festival.



According to Wikipedia Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs were an Australian pop rock group from the mid 60s that broke up, then reformed in the 70s to become a well respected hard-rock group. The Book points out that this song is their most popular, but not exactly indicative of their later sound, where they were known for being the one of 'rock's loudest acts'. I don't really know how they competed against ACDC for even being the loudest act in Australia.

This song is a great tight song that I can't believe doesn't get any attention on classic rock stations. It's got elements of the later Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynard Skynard, and Elton John. Wonderful harmonies, a passionate lead vocal, a simple chugging along acoustic guitar part and then seemingly out of nowhere just blazing lead guitar chops. And they don't rest on that. The guitar solos are pure 70s heavy lead stuff and the first one is actually competing with an organ which makes it sound like an early precursor to prog metal. Even during the guitar solos (one of which is an outro on the single) they've got an upright piano banging out chords that give the song a fuller, more complex sound that makes it really hard to put a name on. It's like Australian roots rock and I dig it.