A Great Year for Hard and Progressive Rock!

Funkadelic's album "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Foolow" was reviewed in Melody Maker: ".. an aggressively boring attempt to mix soul and psychedelia. A tedious melange of Hendrix, Sly Stone wah wah, fuzztone, phasing, feedback, reverb, reverse tape..."..that description of the album sounds good to me(Claes Hassel), great album by the way! Funkadelic was also banned to play at Albert Hall because the band's music was 'unsuitable!
Paul McCartney left the Beatles, the Free and Iron Butterfly broke up. Mountain was becoming popular and ELP had a big hit on the album charts with their splendid album "Tarkus", in my(Claes Hassel) opinion best album!

!971 was also the year of the female artists and singers, such as: Laura Nyro("More Than A New Discovery"), Tina Turner, Fanny, Carol King("Writer: Carol King"), Carly Simon("Tapestry")....the Rebel Rocker Mick Jagger became one in the jet set with coctail parties/society and Jim Morrison was found death in his bathtub in Paris, age 27, on 3rd of July. A doctor's report stated the cause of death was heart failure aggravated by heavy drinking.

One of the first charity concerts was held at the Madison Square Garden(New York) to help the suffering in Bangladesh. Musician Ravi Shankar and George Harrison brought together such names as Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, and Bob Dylan and made two sell-out concerts which raised $500,000 for the children in Bangladesh.
The Melody Maker's review of Alice Cooper and his album "Love It to Death" was not in the benefit for Alice. The reviewer thought their stage show was.." a load of crap, with its live snakes, electric chair and Cooper wearing a dress..." and the album was an album for the 'punk and pimply crowd'! The opposite was the Melody Maker's review of the Who's album "Who's Next".."...superb Who album!"

Lots of "Claes Hassel's Favourite Albums" was released during this year:
Mountain: Nantucket Sleighride
Cactus: One Way...Or Another
The Allman Brothers Band: At The Fillmore East
Yes: The Yes Album
Emerson Lake & Palmer: Tarkus
Budgie: Budgie
Sir Lord Baltimore: Kingdome Come and........

Also during 1971:
The Glam Rock made it's first big steps when T Rex hitted the charts with two singles: "Hot Love" and "Ride a White Swan" and released their album "Electric Warrior" and in 1972 it was "The Time of Glam Rock".

January:

Black Sabbath's Paranoid gets an American release in January and is an instant success. To promote the album they tour USA with bands like Cactus, Sir Lord Baltimore, Grand Funk and Mountain who had just released "Nantucket Sleighride".
Atomic Rooster release: "Death Walks Behind You". Two tracks, "Devils Answer" and "Tomorrrow Night" is released as singles and both becomes hits.

February:

Alice Cooper releases "Love It To Death". One of the songs "I'm Eigteen" is put out as a single and it quickly becomes a major hit in the USA.
Free release: "Highway"
Johnny Winter concert in Konserthuset, Stockholm

March:

Yes gets their major breakthrough with the release of "The Yes Album". It's considered one if the classic "prog" releases and it earns Yes their first top ten in UK-charts as well as a performance on BBC's "Top of the pops" TV show.
Cactus release: "One Way .. Or Another", by many considered their best album.
Humble Pie introduces a rockier/heavier style on their new album "Rock On".
13th of March: The Allman Brothers Band records its live album, Live at the Fillmore East!
T. Rex gets a no. 1 with the song "Hot Love" in the UK

April:

The classic "Aqualung" album is released by Jethro Tull. Many critics despised it because of it's "progressive" and "conceptual" nature but audiences around the world loved it and it became their biggest selling album ever.
Doors releases their final album "L.A. Woman".
Rolling Stones release: "Sticky Fingers", an album that causes much controversy due to it's naughty cover.
Thin Lizzy release their debut album.

May:

Soul artist Marvin Gaye releases "Whats Going On"
Caravan release: "In The Land Of Grey And Pink"

June:

Welsh rockers Budgie releases their superheavy self titled debut album.
Colosseum release: "Live"
Emerson, Lake & Palmer's second album "Tarkus" is put out and it becomes their first and only No. 1 record in the UK.
Jade Warrior release: "Jade Warrior"
Free gets a no. 1 with the song "My Brother Jake" in the UK

July:

One of the alltime best live albums "Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East" is released.
Black Sabbath release: "Masters Of Reality", by some consider the ultimate Sabbath album. It did not sell as much as the preceeding "Paranoid".
Peter Hammill of Van Der Graaf Generator fame releases his first solo album "Fool's Mate".
T. Rex gets a no. 1 with the song "Get It On" in the UK
Jim Morrison dies, at the age of 27 in the bathtub in his appartment in Paris by a heart attack.

August:

Atomic Rooster release yet another album "In Hearing Of", but shortly after this both guitarist John Ducann and drummer Paul Hammond leaves the band.
Gentle Giant releases their second album "Acquiring The Taste" on which they really begin to show their full potential.
Frank Zappa & The Mothers release: "Fillmore East - June 1971"
George Harrison's concert for Bangladesh takes place at Madison Square Garden in NYC.
John Lennon releases the "Imagine" album.
The Who releases the classic "Whos Next" album.

September:

After much strain and musical differences Deep Purple finally releases "Fireball". Not as heavy as it's predecessor "In Rock" but more experimental and psychedelic.
Santana release: "III". It becomes a No.1 record for five weeks.
Free release: "Live"
T Rex release : "Electric Warrior" on september 17.
Wishbone Ash release: "Pilgrimage"

October:

Uriah Heep release : "Look At Yourself"
David Bowie release: "Hunky Dory"
Focus release: "Moving Waves"
Leaf Hound release: "Growers Of Mushroom"
Duane Allman Killed in Motorcycle accident Oct. 29 at age 24, in Macon, Georgia.
Van Der Graaf Generator release: "Pawn Hearts" an album considered to be their finest hour.

November:

Led Zeppelin release their famous "Four Symbols Album" that to date has sold over 30 million copys. Incredible enough "IV" didn't become a number 1 in US charts.
Alice Cooper release: "Killer" and embarks on his first Eurpean tour.
Genesis release: "Nursery Cryme", the first album with the classic lineup consisting of Gabriel, Hackett, Collins, Rutherford and Banks.
Cactus release: "Restrictions"
Humble Pie release: "Performance Rockin the Filmore"
Pink Floyd release: "Meddle"
Hawkwind release: "In Search Of Space"
Emerson, Lake & Palmer release: "Pictures At An Exhibition", their first live album.

December:

December 4, the Montreux Casino(Switzerland) burns down during a Frank Zappa concert, inspired by the smoke reflecting off the Lake Geneva Ian Gillan(Deep Purple) write "Smoke On The Water", Deep Purple is in Montreux to record the album 'Machine Head'.
King Crimson release: "Islands"
George Harrison release: "Concert For Bangla Desh", the mother of all charity albums.
Mahavishnu Orchestra release: "The Inner Mounting Flame"

Also happening in 1971:

Sir Lord Baltimore release the classic and for its time superheavy album "Kingdome Come".
Bloodrock releases their third album and sets out on a 52 date tours of the USA with Grand Funk.
Chicken Shack release: "Imagination Lady", considered to be their best and certainly heaviest album.
Rory Gallager splits Taste in and starts a solo career. No less than 2 live albums "Taste- Live", "Taste- Live At Isle Of Wight" and 2 solo albums "Rory Gallagher" and "Duece" is released this year.
Guitarist extraordinare Robin Trower leaves Procol Harum but before his departure he participates on the "Broken Barricades" album.
Johnny Winter achieves a gold record for "Live Johnny Winter and".
Junipher Green releases Norways first and most famous prog-album "Friendship"
Stevie Ray Vaughan's musical career begins
Roxy Music's musical career begins
Stevie Ray Vaughan's musical career begins

...Meanwhile in Germany :

CAN releases the seminal album "Tago Mago".
Fellow "kraut" rockers Faust releases their first album.
One of Birth Control's best albums to date "Operation" is released.

..and in Sweden:

Kebnekajse(Stockholm) is formed by Kenny Hkansson when Mecki Mark Men fell apart
Råg I Ryggen(Stockholm) is formed, they released an album in 1975.