A Century of Music

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1968)
Jeff Beck Group - Truth (1968)
Blood, Sweat & Tears - Child Is Father to the Man (1968)
Blood Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968)
Spirit - Spirit (1968)
Spirit - The Family That Plays Together (1968)




As I noted last week, my new listening opportunities slowed me down a bit so continuing 1968 albums for part of this week - here's listens from this weekend and now today

Blood, Sweat & Tears second album (their self-titled album) was released in my birth year so huge (seven weeks as #1; 1970 Album of the Year Grammy) that I still remember it's hits on AM radio as a young child - I still place the album mentally at 1970-71 because of hearing "Spinning Wheel" on the radio.I didn't actually hear the whole album until about 10 years ago (aside from the hits it's just OK)

BS&T's debut OTOH I picked up as copy of vinyl in college and just loved it - nice sound, love the horn section. Didn't realized until years later that songs like "Without Her" and "Just One Smile" weren't originals (written by Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman respectively (the latter nicely covered by Dusty Springfield)

Excited to revisit Spirit, a group I really enjoy but used to listen to a lot more. Hey, get to listen to "Taurus" again, in the news this year for the Led Zep lawsuit. The Family That Plays Together is a really good album from that era.

 

[axolotl]

The Family That Plays Together is a really good album from that era.

I'm hip to that.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Laura Nyro - Eli and the Thirteenth Confessional (1968)
The Small Faces - Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (1968)
The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow (1968)



Some more 1968 albums to close out my day including two of rock's early concept albums

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Some more 1968:
Hair (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
1776 (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes




Starting the day with two very different musical from 1968 - both nominated for Best Musical the next year (1776 won). Hair is almost incoherent in plot with several strange counterculture throwaways but has so many highpoints, it has always drawn me back since getting the soundtrack in college. Been watching Seinfeld's in order from start-to-finish and coincidentally Hair came up in an ep yesterday with Jerry asking "They still do that musical?!" Yes, Jerry, in fact I finally first saw the revival on the 2010-2012 national tour (with nudity and everything!)

The very different 1776 seemed an odd choice for a musical in the late-60s, but really struck a chord with a 3 year run and a film adaptation with most of original cast. It's not Hair but revolutionary colonists indeed had a counterculture resistance message for the era as well. It was revived in 1997 but not since (although appears in regional and school productions often) - it's a shame, it's a wonderful musical with a lot of humor to it.

Edit: only after listens today did I discover 1776 actually is from early 1969 (made it in just under the wire for '69 Tonys) but that's OK, technically Hair debuted off-Broadway in 1967. So I'm a bit late on one, a bit early on another

Finally, a little Brazilian tropicalia to end my morning. A trippy album - I have no idea of what they're saying as I don't understand Portuguese. Doesn't matter though - a great listen

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

^
A little trivia:
From Wiki: "Scene three of 1776 holds the record for the longest time in a musical without a single note of music played or sung - over 30 minutes"

Also Diane Keaton was in the original Broadway cast of Hair

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Some more 1968 albums - still a number on the shelf, but may be my last day for the year. If so, gotta make it count

Otis Redding - The Dock of the Bay (1968)
Dr. John, The Night Tripper - Gris Gris (1968)
Traffic - Traffic (1968)
Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
The Grateful Dead - Anthem of the Sun (1968)
Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum (1968)




Typically my last day in a year lets me go in some different directions or to revisit albums or groups I don't often spin. Been a little bit since I checked out Dr. John's gumbo of Louisiana music and psychedelia. Dr. John was born and died in New Orleans, but interestingly the album was recorded in California. Didn't give him a proper send off when he passed away last year. I was happy to see one of his last appearances at Jazz Fest a couple years back even though his set was stopped early due to lightning and torrential rains.

Traffic is a group I've really never gotten into despite owning several albums that I break out periodically to make sure I still don't gel with them. I do enjoy John Barleycorn... Their self-titled album (actually their sophomore effort after Mr. Fantasy) is pretty good as it benefits from a healthy dose of Dave Mason. Not really a Dead fan either, and despite being their most psychedelic records and being an intriguing mix of studio and live recordings within each song, it's just a'ight for me.

OTOH, despite being a fan and decent Pink Floyd listener (not Unsom level), I really never break out THEIR sophomore effort Saucerful of Secrets, David Gilmour's first with the band. Probably should break it out more often - after all it is Nick Mason's favorite Floyd album. Quite enjoyed revisiting it today

Great trippy album covers today though befitting of the era

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Wanted to end the year 1968 with probably my two favorite jazz albums of the year

Miles Davis - Nefertiti (1968)
Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear (1968)



Nefertiti was Miles' last all acoustic jazz album. I never realized before some research today that Miles did not write any of the numbers, using instead songs from his Second Great Quintet Members (Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock mainly; one by drummer Tony Williams)

Have a list of probably 10 more albums I could have spun (and maybe I'll get one more in today) but overall I think 38 albums is a nice survey of 1968

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Feels odd on a Thursday to move on to the next year - but hey, it's a crazy time

So starting 1969 the usual way with a playlist of popular singles and killer album tracks 137 songs (!) in length including some of these goodies:

"Come Together", "Here Comes the Sun", "Something" by The Beatles
"Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin
"Proud Mary", "Green River", "Bad Moon Rising"by CCR
"I Can't Get Next to You" by The Temptations
"I Want You Back", "The Love You Save", "ABC" by The Jackson 5
"Pinball Wizard" by The Who
"Honky Tonk Woman" by The Rolling Stones
"Feelin' Alright" by Joe Cocker
"Badge" by Cream
"Wooden Ships", "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" by Crosby Stills & Nash
"I Want to Take You Higher", "Stand" by Sly & The Family Stone
"Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley
"Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond
"Evil Ways" by Santana
"It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers
"My Way" by Frank Sinatra
"The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel
"Cinnamon Girl" by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
"The Windmills of Your Mind" by Dusty Springfield
"The Thrill Is Gone" by B.B. King
"Oh Well" by Fleetwood Mac
"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" by The Band
"Venus" by Shocking Blue
"December 1963, Oh What A Night" by The Four Seasons
"No Time" by The Guess Who
"Twenty Five Miles" by Edwin Starr
"A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash
"Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" by The 5th Dimension
"Soul Deep" by The Box Tops
"My Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder
"Mother Popcorn" by James Brown
"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" by The Delfonics
"Come and Get It" by Badfinger
"Many Rivers to Cross" by Jimmy Cliff
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack
"Victoria" by The Kinks
"Beginnings" by Chicago
"Walk on By" by Isaac Hayes
"White Bird" by It's A Beautiful Day
"Give Peace A Chance" by John Lennon
"Living In the Past" by Jethro Tull
"Lay Lady Lay" by Bob Dylan
"Can't Find My Way Back Home", "Sea of Joy" by Blind Faith
"I'd Wait A Million Years" by The Grass Roots
"Baby It's You" by Smith
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies
"Who Knows Where the Time Goes" by Fairport Convention
"Time is Tight" by Booker T & The M.G.'s
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam
"Cissy Strut" by The Meters
"Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell
"Bird On A Wire" by Leonard Cohen
"Space Oddity" by David Bowie

 

[Ojai Sam]

^
The only one on this list that really surprised me was “Walk On By” by Isaac Hayes. I don’t recall ever hearing it.

 

[axolotl]

^
The only one on this list that really surprised me was “Walk On By” by Isaac Hayes. I don’t recall ever hearing it.

Now that you mention it,. me neither.

Need to go remedy that, I do.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Not really a Dead fan either, and despite being their most psychedelic records and being an intriguing mix of studio and live recordings within each song, it's just a'ight for me.

FWIW AOTS doesn’t move the needle much for me either. The Dead’s live work almost always surpassed their studio efforts which usually seemed very self-indulgent.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

^
The only one on this list that really surprised me was “Walk On By” by Isaac Hayes. I don’t recall ever hearing it.

For those not used to Hayes and his long, low key, mellow songs mixed in with chill narratives, I would definitely recommend the 4:34 single version
But Hot Buttered Soul has Hayes in all his glory chilling through 12 minutes of "Walk On By" - not for everyone but I enjoy it (that album will get play this week). Now, I do have to admit his 19 minute version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" on the same album is a bit too long and meandering.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

OK - starting my journey through 1969 albums
Although I often elevated 1967 as the greatest year in music given the groundbreaking albums of the year (Sgt. Pepper's, VU and Nico, Are You Experienced, etc) as far as pure number of fantastic albums released in a year, 1969 and 1970 IMO has it beat. Should be a nice couple of weeks listening.

To begin:
The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)
The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)
Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis (1969)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (1969)




Starting with my three favorite albums from the year and three of my favorite album covers (Abbey Road and Let It Bleed are clearly iconic but I love Dusty's pose on her album)
Since college, I have steadfastly maintained Revolver at the top of my Beatles albums ranking, but, man, I don't know if Abbey Road can be topped for just pure listening enjoyment. It's a hodgepodge for sure but unlike the White Album, the mashup of songs make for such a better whole.

Dusty Springfield remains my favorite female vocalist of all time - the feelings she conveys in her voice....just so good

Then onto some Zeppelin!

 

[axolotl]

I do have to admit his 19 minute version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" on the same album is a bit too long and meandering.

It's not just you. It's a long slog of a drive for just about everyone.

 

[Ojai Sam]

It's not just you. It's a long slog of a drive for just about everyone.

And not much to do when you get there except sweat.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Who - Tommy (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country, Green River, Willie and the Poor Boys (1969)



Finished yesterday with Tommy
Now starting my day with a mess o' CCR who released THREE albums in 1969. Unbelievable - no wonder there was some song writing burnout and group tension within just a few years. Still great stuff. I must say if I were an 18 year old record buyer in 1969 and saw a song called "Keep on Chooglin" on Bayou Country, I would have put the record right back on the shelf - what a stupid title, but what a great blues-rock jam (and apparently "chooglin'" refers to sex...all righty then").
Although the comp Chronicle was my introduction to CCR and is so good at 20 classic tracks, it's still where I often turn to when listening to the group, it's important to revisit the albums from time to time - both Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys are tremendous albums.

And never forget, the bathroom's on the right.

 

[axolotl]

And never forget, the bathroom's on the right.

These days it's harder to forget. How'd they know?

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Whenever I think of CCR, I think of this pic of them in 1968.



I am certain the food was a lot better back then.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Whenever I think of CCR, I think of this pic of them in 1968.

View attachment 3745

I am certain the food was a lot better back then.

Classic food, classic architecture.

Photos: The amusingly sad second lives of former Taco Bells

Seven layers of bummer

timeline.com

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969)
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! (1969)