Category: The 1960’s
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David Bowie ‘Space Oddity’ (1969)
Before David Bowie was a transformational rock star whose ability to effortlessly shapeshift between baroque pop, psychedelic rock, electronic rock, neo-soul, and dance music had fully taken shape he was a struggling artist whose career was very much at the crossroads. After his self-titled dance hall record David Bowie was a flop commercially, Bowie showed…
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Spiral Starecase ‘More Today Than Yesterday’ (1969)
The career of Spiral Starecase was a brief one– the band broke up a mere 18 months after their debut album was released, marred by infighting and legal disputes amongst the band members. But before they burned out they released one of the greatest oldies hits of all-time in “More Today Than Yesterday”, a soulful…
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Buffalo Springfield ‘Buffalo Springfield’ (1966)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 1970 album Deja Vu is one of my favorite albums of all-time, and its genesis can be found with Buffalo Springfield and their 1966 debut self-titled album. The band featured Neil Young and Stephen Stills who would go on to have legendary careers both as part of supergroups and solo…
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Chicago ‘Chicago Transit Authority’ (1969)
Self-described as “a rock band with horns”, the venerable Chicago is one of the best-selling rock and roll bands of all-time with over 40 million records sold. Their unique approach to consistent corporate branding, their remarkably consistent studio album output (one album released per year from 1969 to 1980), and focus on delivering a simply…
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Bob Dylan ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ (1963)
It’s taken me forever to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard in this case) on Bob Dylan for a variety of reasons— this is America’s historical orator, one of the greatest musical poets of all-time, a man of substance and supreme conviction. One of the reasons my wife and I named our son…
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The Youngbloods ‘The Youngbloods’ (1967)
Sometimes I like to dig through old 60’s folk rock bands who never really made it and check out their albums for no other reason than I enjoy the blind discovery inherent in the process but also the familiarity of what you’re going to get. So many bands in that era and genre of music…
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The Velvet Underground ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ (1967)
Sexual deviancy and drug abuse have been the hallmarks of rock and roll since its inception, and The Velvet Underground were one of the first bands to really lean into those motifs as a core tenet of what they stood for. Upon its release The Velvet Underground & Nico was controversial and critically panned, both…
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The Nice ‘The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack’ (1968)
In the summer of 1968 prog-rock’s foundation was still being laid. Using elements of psychedelic pop that came to prominence off the heels of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and combining it with Cream’s affinity for blues-rock jamming found on Disraeli Gears, The Nice wedged themselves between the two and in the…
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Free ‘Tons of Sobs’ (1969)
Born in the late 60’s British blues rock scene that would dominate the music scene in the late 60’s and early 70’s, Free was composed of Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitar), Andy Fraser (bass, piano) and Simon Kirke (drums). They are primarily known today for their mega-smash hit “All Right Now” off their 1970…
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The Kinks ‘Kinks’ (1964)
One of the most influential guitar tones in the history of rock and roll comes off 1964’s Kinks. Its lead single “You Really Got Me” inspired artists like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix in subsequent years to crank up the distortion and fuzz, effectively reshaping the sonic landscape of rock and roll for decades to…
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Creedence Clearwater Revival ‘Willy And The Poor Boys’ (1969)
As I said when writing about CCR’s album Green River, one of the hallmarks of an enduring band is their signature sound. Creedence Clearwater Revival has become synonymous with so many components of traditional Americana (especially the Vietnam war) due to their tried and true approach towards traditional blue rock and their earnest adoption of…
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Roberto Carlos ‘Un Gato En La Oscuridad’ (1963)
My dad spent a year in Brazil studying abroad during his college years (a longggg time ago– sorry pops) and has always had a love for Brazilian music as a result. Every once in awhile he’ll take the family down memory lane (like his story of Wando helping him pick up women, which is simply…
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Bobby Womack ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ (1969)
A prolific songwriter with writing credits that spanned numerous genres (including The Rolling Stones “It’s All Over Now”) Bobby Womack’s brand of high-powered gospel soul gave him a career that spanned 60 years and eventually culminated in an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Overcoming a brutally poor childhood (his…
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John Coltrane ‘Giant Steps’ (1960)
There’s a certain innate bravado that comes along with being a jazz player, and naming your album Giant Steps certainly isn’t for the faint of heart unless you’re cocksure you’re damn well gonna deliver. It’s with that sense of swagger jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane entered Atlantic Studios in New York City with during…
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The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Axis: Bold As Love’ (1967)
Jimi Hendrix’s contributions to the world of guitar players is unparalleled– as perhaps the most celebrated guitarist in the history of rock and roll, he pioneered the use of overdriven high-gain amplifiers, used guitar feedback as a tool (not an undesired element), and altered his tone with fuzz distortion, Uni-Vibe, and wah-wah pedals. These contributions…
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The Byrds ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ (1965)
The Byrds brand of electric rock paved the way for a generation of American folk musicians to enter the rock and roll genre with a soft landing in the 1960’s. Composed of folk cover songs (four of them penned by the legendary Bob Dylan) and a bevy of originals from guitarist/vocalist Gene Clark, Mr. Tambourine…
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Tiny Tim ‘God Bless Tiny Tim’ (1968)
Tiny Tim was primarily known as a novelty act during his lengthy musical career but actually possessed a significant knowledge of vintage American pop and vaudeville songs that helped define his prodigious artistic output. His most well-known album God Bless Tiny Tim featured his hit song “Tip Toe Thru’ The Tulips with Me” and earned…
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Sam & Dave ‘Hold On, I’m Comin” (1966)
Along with having an iconic horn section hook that kicks off the song, Sam & Dave’s iconic “Hold On, I’m Comin’” has a really great backstory. Written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter who ran the southern soul music powerhouse Stack Records in the 60’s , the song was born out of a enthusiastic yell…
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The Temptations ‘The Temptations Sing Smokey’ (1965)
The Temptations were one of the defining acts of Motown in the mid-60’s, bringing their impeccable harmonies that sounded like smooth silk alongside a soulful big band flair to deliver some of soul music’s most iconic hits over the decade and defining the entire genre in the process. Their 1965 album The Temptations Sing Smokey…
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The Delfonics ‘La La Means I Love You’ (1968)
I just watched Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown for the first time a few days ago (yes, I’m aware I’m a little late to the party) and as anyone who has seen the movie before is aware, The Delfonics played a massive role in the movie. They effectively serve as the soundtrack throughout the film for…
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Vince Guaraldi Trio ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ (1965)
A Charlie Brown Christmas was an absolute staple this time of year during my childhood, dutifully airing on PBS and ABC each season during the holidays like Linus’ warm safety blanket. For kids like me who didn’t have cable growing up (my parents didn’t get cable until I was 18 which is sort of insane…
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Van Morrison ‘Astral Weeks’ (1968)
Every morning I try and find some time in the day to take a walk by myself. With a family of five including our dog and full-time employment this isn’t always easy or achievable, but it is something I aspire to accomplish. There’s a real calmness in the brisk morning air and the relative quiet…
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The Doors ‘The Doors’ (1967)
Long considered one of the best debut albums of all-time, The Doors self-titled 1967 debut had a nearly immediate impact on the formation of psychedelic music that was beginning to dominate in the late 60’s. The Doors had it all in the grab bag of eclectic rock– drummer John Densmore’s feverish jazz-influenced syncopated rhythms that…
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The Rolling Stones ‘Let It Bleed’ (1969)
Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band once famously said that The Rolling Stones output from 1968-1972 comprised the “greatest run of studio albums in music history”. Let It Bleed was the Stones’ second album in that quartet of releases, and featured a distinct return to the dirty blues rock that has defined the…
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The Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ (1969)
When you think of iconic album covers, Abbey Road is the one that certainly tops the list. The only others I can think of that even come close are The Clash’s London Calling and The Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground & Nico. In London thousands of fans re-create this album every single day outside of…
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Patsy Cline ‘Showcase’ (1961)
Patsy Cline was one of country music’s most influential stars during the formative years of the genre in the early 1960’s, and left a legacy that reverberates to this day. It’s hard to fully articulate just how much Cline means to the country community– her rich and powerful voice, effortlessly punctuated with a steadily controlled…
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Bobby Pickett & The Crypt Kickers ‘The Original Monster Mash’ (1962)
“Monster Mash” is probably the most iconic American Halloween song of all-time and therefore it only made sense for us to spin the album that made it famous on All Hallow’s Eve. This song and album actually came together by happenstance– lead singer Bobby Pickett was an aspiring actor in Los Angeles who moonlit as…
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Albert King ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’ (1967)
We love a good album opening song as much as anybody, and goddamn does Born Under A Bad Sign ever have one with its title track “Born Under A Bad Sign”. If you’re looking for a perfect example of the sheer power of the blues, a song that rips and grooves and swings with a…
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Nina Simone ‘Wild Is The Wind’ (1966)
When I first heard Wild Is The Wind it caught me completely off-guard. It was a beautiful summer morning in sunny Northern California, I was driving the kids to daycare, and they were in an exceptionally good mood giggling in the backseat. I was feeling inspired after a night out where I met about 30…
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James Brown ‘Live At the Apollo’ (1963)
For decades James Brown was America’s preeminent showman and The Apollo Theater in Harlem was America’s preeminent live music venue. It’s only natural that these would come together in the fall of 1962 for Brown’s first live album and the first live album ever recorded at the Apollo. It’s soul dynamite packed into a tidy…
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Merle Haggard & The Strangers ‘Mama Tried’ (1968)
“Mama Tried” is the song country legend Merle Haggard is best known for and it’s actually a semi-autobiographical one. At the age of nine years old Haggard’s father died of a brain hemorrhage, a moment that had a materical impact on the young Haggard. With the absence of a father figure in his life Haggard…
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Cream ‘Disraeli Gears’ (1967)
Cream’s Disraeli Gears has stood the test of time as a key album in the late 60’s psychedelic era. The legendary three piece featured Eric Clapton (vocals/guitar), Jack Bruce (vocals/bass), and the iconic Ginger Baker (percussion/vocals). It’s almost hard to imagine a three-piece could create a sound so heavy and big as Cream, but the…
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Johnny Cash ‘At Folsom Prison’ (1968)
I’ll be in attendance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville tonight for the first time in my life and cannot wait. This is the birthplace of American country music, the Mecca where it all started, and has long been on my bucket list of places to see a live show. It’s going to be…
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The Mamas & The Papas ‘If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears’ (1966)
Few bands can bring you back to a moment in time like The Mamas & The Papas can. Much like Credence Clearwater Revival has become synonymous with the Vietnam era, If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears sounds exactly like the late 60’s and the sunny periphery of the hippie movement– laid back carefree…
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Carlos Paredes ‘Guitarra Portuguesa’ (1967)
Carlos Paredes was a brilliant Portugese player and composer, known as much for his studio albums as his soundtrack work for various films throughout the years. Regarded as one of the best players of the Portuguese guitar of all-time, his debut album Guitarra Portuguesa displays his mastery of the instrument in nearly every single note.…
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The Statler Brothers ‘Flowers on the Wall’ (1966)
The Statler Brothers were a gospel country quartet that rose to the prominence in the late 60’s and early 70’s, enjoying an extensive career that lasted until their final goodbye tour in 2002. Infusing their gospel music roots with traditional country instrumentation and barbershop quartet inspired vocal arrangements, the group was known for being one…
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