A Century of Music

[Zeeba Neighba]

Wes Montgomery - Full House (1962)
A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum (1962)
Oliver! (Broadway Cast Recording) (1962)
Francois Hardy - Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles (1962)

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Quite the mix this AM
Started with guitarist Wes Montgomery live set in Berkeley. The addition of tenor Johnny Griffin gives some wonderful energy

Next a pair of Broadway's big musicals for the year (both were nominated for Tony's - Funny Thing won). I've never seen either live, but, aside from "Comedy Tonight", most of the appeal of A Funny Thing is the lively, comic libretto. Most of the songs are just OK, but Zero Mostel's personality shines through.
Oliver! is more memorable musically. The film of course won Best Picture in 1968 at a waning age of movie musicals. Though it doesn't always come to mind as one of the greatest, I actually think Carol Reed's direction is fantastic (thinking of the "Who Will Buy" sequence. A bit long and dark (it's Dickens after all) but I really enjoy it (and the music)

Finally, French singer Francoise Hardy's debut - originally released without a title but became known/called by it's biggest hit (originally released in the U.S. as The "Yeh-Yeh" Girl from Paris. There's so much to listen to every year, some international music will inevitably get the shaft, but don't want to completely neglect such a wonderfully catchy album.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

John Coltrane - "Live" at the Village Vanguard (1962)
Charles Mingus - Oh Yeah (1962)
Hank Mobley - Workout (1962)
Herbie Hancock - Taking Off (1962)
Frank Sinatra and Count Basie - A Historic Musical First (1962)
Duke Ellington, Max Roach, & Charles Mingus - Money Jungle (1962)
Art Blakey - Mosaic (1962)

Between yesterday and today, lots of jazz to finish up 1962 (may try to fit a few more in this weekend - Sun Ra, Ike Quebec, Herbie Mann, Roy Haynes all have wonderful albums I'd like to revisit)
All of these great listens (aside from Sinatra, the other seven I believe all appeared on my original "Jazz Excursion"). Mingus' Oh Yeah is one I don't turn to often, but it has such a different feel from many of his albums of the era - first of all he doesn't play bass choosing instead piano. Secondly, even more than Blues and Roots, there is so much of a gospel influence as Mingus shouts out with a Southern preacher's energy.
Money Jungle too is so interesting - elder statesman Ellington constantly pushing the boundaries in this experimental-sounding album and opting to join up with the era's young lions (the next year, his album with Coltrane would be released).

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Short week as I'm travelling on Thursday thru the weekend
Hopefully I'll do 1963 justice - started the singles playlist over the weekend

Top Singles of 1963
1) "Surfin U.S.A." by The Beach Boys
2) "The End of the World" by Skeeter Davis
3) "Rhythm of the Rain" by The Cascades
4) "He's So Fine" by The Chiffons
5) "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton
6) "Hey Paula" by Paul & Paula
7) "Fingertips part 2" by Stevie Wonder (technically "Little Stevie Wonder")
8) "Can't Get Used to Losing You" by Andy Williams
9) "My Boyfriend's Back" by The Angels
10) "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto
11) "So Much In Love" by The Tymes
12) "Puff the Magic Dragon" by Peter, Paul and Mary
13) "Blowin' In the Wind" by Peter, Paul and Mary
14) "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris
15) "I Love You Because" by Al Martino
16) "Wild Weekend" by Rebels
17) "You're the Reason I'm Living" by Bobby Darin
18) "Walk Like A Man" by Four Seasons
19) "Mockingbird" by Inez and Charles Foxx
20) "I Will Follow Him" by Little Peggy March

Looking at the other singles of the year, WHAT A YEAR for pop music. Not only were the first Beatles albums released in the UK but the girl group and surf music era were at their peaks plus the popularity of folk music through Peter, Paul & Mary highlighting Bob Dylan's improving songwriting. Plus the Phil Spector Christmas album!

Other 1963 numbers:
"Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen
"Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You" by The Ronettes
"I Want to Hold Your Hand", "Please Please Me", "Twist and Shout", "All My Loving" by The Beatles
"Glad All Over" by The Dave Clark Five
"If You Wanna Be Happy" by Jimmy Soul
"Another Saturday Night" by Sam Cooke
"Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals
"Cry Baby" by Garnet Mimms
"Walkin' The Dog" by Rufus Thomas
"Just One Look" by Doris Troy
"It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me" by Leslie Gore
"Love Potion No. 9" by The Searchers
"Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan
"(You're The) Devil in Disguise" by Elvis Presley
"Pain in My Heart" by Otis Redding
"Harlem Shuffle" by Bob and Earl
"In Dreams" and "Blue Bayou" by Roy Orbison
"I Only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield
"Anyone Who Had A Heart" by Dionne Warwick

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Beatles - Please Please Me (1963)
The Beatles - With The Beatles (1963)
Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)
James Brown - Live at the Apollo (1963)

What a murderer's row of albums today -

Fun Wiki paragraph about Live at the Apollo:

Live at the Apollo was recorded on the night of October 24, 1962 at Brown's own expense.... Brown's record label, King Records, originally opposed releasing the album, believing that a live album featuring no new songs would not be profitable. The label finally relented under pressure from Brown and his manager Bud Hobgood.
To King's surprise, Live at the Apollo was an amazingly rapid seller. It spent 66 weeks on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, peaking at #2. Many record stores, especially in the southeast US, found themselves unable to keep up with the demand for the product, eventually ordering several cases at a time. R&B disc jockeys often would play side 1 in its entirety, pausing (usually to insert commercials) only to return to play side 2 in full as well.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Charles Mingus - Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1963)
Various Artists - A Christmas Gift to You from Philles Records (1963)
Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Paris (1963)
Jimmy Smith - Back at the Chicken Shack (1963)
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1963)

Yep, worked out today in February to the Spector Christmas album - hey it's a great pop album

Otherwise quite the jazzy day today from 1963 (Mingus was listed on Best Ever Albums as '63 though Wiki has it recorded in '63, released '64). All around her know my love of Mingus x 5 and Gordon's Our Man in Paris. All of these are great.

Coltrane's album is interesting because his teaming with Ellington (as well as his album with vocalist Johnny Hartman (also from 1963)), was recorded in 1962 in the middle of his experimental time (months after his time with Eric Dolphy and his daring Village Vanguard album). Despite his new directions, he did keep working within the structures of traditional jazz (see his 1963 Ballads album) - still despite his collaboration with the old guard with Ellington, Coltrane's playing is still bold and takes some great directions.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Oscar Peterson - Night Train (1963)
Sam Cooke - Night Beat (1963)
Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue (1963)

Finishing my night with these three

 

[Ojai Sam]

Oscar Peterson - Night Train (1963)
Sam Cooke - Night Beat (1963)
Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue (1963)

Finishing my night with these three

Nighty night.

 

[Ojai Sam]

What a murderer's row of albums today -

Yes indeed! In retrospect 1963 was a real transitional year, with these 6 guys leading the way from three very different perspectives.

Things have changed a lot since this one was a #1 album in March 1963:

 

[axolotl]

Yes indeed! In retrospect 1963 was a real transitional year, with these 6 guys leading the way from three very different perspectives.

Things have changed a lot since this one was a #1 album in March 1963:

Just like his mama told him, his face got stuck that way.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Just like his mama told him, his face got stuck that way.

Someone with his looks would probably never get work in Hollywood today.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Travelling over the weekend so not much music I'm afraid.
Still got a number of albums in today to round out 1963

Paul Desmond - Take Ten (1963)
Joe Henderson - Page One (1963)
Lonnie Mack - The Wham of that Memphis Man (1963)
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream (1963)
Charles Mingus - Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)

Again primarily a jazzy day. Some thoughts
Love Desmond's cool sound (and his work with guitarist Jim Hall is great).
Joe Henderson might just miss my top 5 saxophonists but he might be sixth on my personal list - and certainly my favorite of those that did great work beyond the late 1960s. Page One is a fantastic debut. I've said it before - I've never heard a bad Joe Henderson album.
Gotta remember to break out guitarist Lonnie Mack's album more often - energetic and fun
Though often regarded as Mingus' best, I don't break out Black Saint... that often and enjoy at least 5 Mingus albums more. His overdubbing techniques in creating this composition (partially written as a ballet) were controversial with jazz purists at the time. It's an ambitious work, just doesn't always grab me the way his other albums do.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Finished up 1963 last week with Barbra Streisand's debut and Johnny Cash's Blood, Sweat and Tears

Yesterday, I did indeed begin my 1964 playlist - as that's a lengthier post, perhaps post on that later but tackled 111 songs from the year

Today, I start the many great albums of the year with some classics:

The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night (1964)
The Beatles - Beatles for Sale (1964)
The Rolling Stones (1964)
The Rolling Stones - 12 x 5 (1964)

Beatlemania hits the states and The Stones debut. Choosing to listen to the British Beatles albums but cull together some combo of UK and US albums with the Stones to get the most complete takes. Many of the non-album singles covered in my weekly playlist anyway

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Couple more albums today
Dusty Springfield - Stay Awhile/I Only Want to Be With You (1964)
Sam Cooke - Ain't That Good News (1964)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds (1964)
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto (1964)
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964)
Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club, Hamburg (1964)
Rocks the House (1964)
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder (1964)
Frank Sinatra & Count Basie - It Might As Well Be Swing (1964)

Moving on to two wonderful live albums - with the glut of live albums that would eventually be released over then ensuing two decades, there are relatively few that are worth breaking out - here are two of them. Jerry Lee Lewis' energetic album's critical rep is well known, but Etta's live set has always held a special place (and what's it doing so low on Best Ever Album's list at #134 (!). Etta is a terror live - great stuff

The Sidewinder is a stone cold classic of jazz - Lee Morgan and Joe Henderson work perfectly together.

Sinatra's second collab with Basie is perhaps my favorite of his Reprise albums (not his best but a go to). Uber-cool withj "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Good Life", "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "More"

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Horace Silver - Songs for My Father (1964)
Otis Redding - Pain in My Heart (1964)
Fiddler on the Roof (Original Cast Recording)
The Ronettes - Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (1964)
Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 AM
Peter, Paul and Mary In Concert

Quite the mix today starting with Horace Silver's wonderful jazz album (again tenor Joe Henderson's contributions are wonderful). Otis' and Simon & Garfunkel debuts, the later a conventional acoustic folk album that I should break out more. As goofy as the banter is on this album I just love Peter, Paul and Mary's sound. Then the incomparable Zero Mostel in Fiddler; he brings such lively humor to what really is a bleak musical.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Supreme - A Bit of Liverpool (1964)
Solomon Burke - Rock 'n' Soul (1964)
Donald Byrd - A New Perspective (1964)
Jacques Brel - Olympia '64 (1964)
Sonny Stitt - Stitt Plays Byrd (1964)
Wayne Shorter - Juju (1964)

Friday's listening so far as I finish up 1964 - will definitely throw a few more albums in there before moving onward

Have heard a number of Supremes albums though typically stick to wonderful compilations. So I was surprised as I surveyed 1964 albums to find A Bit of Liverpool. The Supremes certainly have a more well known album of the year (Where Did Our Love Go) but how could I pass up and how have I not heard of the group hopping onto the British Invasion popularity of the year and doing an album of covers. Well, there's a reason - it's not very good (though certainly better than the Chipmunks Beatles covers album of the same year). The Supremes fare better with upbeat Beatles covers like "Hard Days Night" and "You Can't Do That" but sound board with downtempo numbers like Dave Clark Five's "Because" and Peter & Gordon's "A World Without Love" (granted written by Paul & John). The less said about "The House of the Rising Son" the better. And it's a bit of a cheat to include Motown numbers like "You Really Got a Hold of Me" and "Do You Love Me" (though both covered by the Beatles and The Dave Clark Five respectively.

So was delighted then to move on to a truly great soul album - one that might not get enough attention. Solomon Burke's Rock n Soul

Some great jazz too - Stitt's alto dedication to his inspiration Charlie Parker and Wayne Shorter's cool Juju (love that cover). Donald Byrd's interesting "perspective" mixing jazz with vocal harmonies sounds a bit dated (very-Burt Bacharach sounding) but it's unique and I still enjoy it.

Finally Belgian chanson singer Jacques Brel who I don't understand AT ALL and yet his delivery has moved me since hearing his powerful take on "Amsterdam" live years ago(alright I do understand that one having looked up the lyrics and knowing Scott Walker's version). Wonderful live album

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Three more on the night to wrap up 1964:
Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch (1964)
Goldfinger (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1964)
Oscar Peterson Trio + One (1964)

Can't end the year without the seminal avant garde jazz album Out to Lunch - not something I break out often, but impressive stuff

Several more acclaimed jazz albums left out this week (Coltrane's Crescent, Hancock's Emperyan Isles) but I'm very nostalgic about the Peterson trio's album with Clark Terry and his wonderful trumpet (or if your prefer "happy horn"). It was the first album I selected in my Jazz Excursion

And something a little different - a film soundtrack but to a movie I've seen so many times since childhood, I can picture the scene of every track in my head as it plays. All this plus Bassey's incomparable theme song.

Altogether 29 albums from 1964 (not to mention my opening '64 singles playlist) - good stuff!

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Whaaaat?! 1965 already
Starting as always with my playlist of singles/great songs from that year...and what a year! Get a load of several of the songs of the year

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Get Off Of My Cloud" by The Rolling Stones
"Like a Rolling Stone", "Positively Fourth Street" by Bob Dylan
"California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas
"My Generation" by The Who
"Yesterday", "Ticket to Ride" Help!", "In My Life" by The Beatles
"The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel
"Mr. Tambourine Man, "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better", "Turn Turn Turn" by The Byrds
"Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown
"Stop! In the Name of Love" by The Supremes
"I've Been Loving You Too Long" by Otis Redding
"In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" by The Four Tops
"The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
"California Girls", "Help Me Rhonda", "Barbara Ann" by The Beach Boys
"It's My Life", "We Gotta Get Out of this Place" by The Animals
"King of the Road" by Roger Miller
"People Get Ready" by The Impressions
"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
"A Well Respected Man", "Till The End of the Day" by The Kinks
"A Taste of Honey" by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
"It Was a Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra
"It Ain't Me Babe" by The Turtles
"Hurts So Bad" by Little Anthony & The Imperials
"Lies" by The Knickerbockers
"Rescue Me" by Fontella Bass
"Baby I'm Yours" by Barbara Lewis
"Over and Over" by The Dave Clark Five
...And Many Many More! (103 song playlist in fact)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Starting the albums of 1965 - yikes! Too many to choose from
Lets get some low hanging fruit out of the way

The Beatles - Help! (1965)
The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1965)
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
The Byrds - Turn!, Turn!, Turn! (1965)
Otis Redding - Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)
The Kinks - The Kink Kontroversy (1965)

First five are ones I've visited often (though haven't listened to The Byrds as much recently)
Delighted to revisit The Kink Kontroversy as it's not a Kinks album I spin too often. Although their next 5-6 albums would be outstanding, Kontroversy is arguably the turning point of maturity of song writing and consistency over an entire album