Tag: The 1960’s
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Dusty Springfield ‘Dusty in Memphis’ (1969)
Dusty in Memphis is Dusty Springfield’s magnum opus, an amalgamation of Memphis soul and British orchestral pop that over time has grown in stature to be regarded as one of the all-time great albums. The album was actually a pretty significant commercial flop upon its release 1969 (even with top 10 single “Son of A…
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Buddy Guy ‘A Man And The Blues’ (1968)
Buddy Guy has influenced some of the most legendary guitar players of all-time– classic icons like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix to contemporary players like Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer have all taken inspiration from Buddy Guy over the years, borrowing from his vast catalog of frenetic and iconic runs over the fretboard. If…
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Engelbert Humperdinck ‘A Man Without Love’ (1968)
It’s rare that I use bullet points in album reviews, but if there’s one man that deserves the honor it is the one and only Engelbert Humperdinck. A true blue crooner, Humperdinck’s wonderfully rich baritone has been dazzling audiences for over 60 years and counting. During that time he’s sold over 140 million records, became…
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Simon & Garfunkel ‘Sounds of Silence’ (1966)
Simon & Garfunkel hadn’t yet fully reached the height of their powers when Sounds of Silence was released. In fact, the duo had toiled in relative obscurity for nearly a decade prior. The childhood friends met and wrote their first song together in sixth grade, were signed to their first record contract at the age…
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Four Tops ‘Four Tops’ (1965)
Last week we talked about the universal appeal of Motown, and we’re back on that glorious kick again here this week with Four Tops self-titled 1965 debut album. The Four Tops were a part of the Motown Sound that took the world by storm in the 60’s alongside other iconic groups like The Temptations, The…
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The Supremes ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ (1964)
I have a running theory that no matter who you are and what music you’re into, by the time you hit your 30’s you either implicitly enjoy the sounds of Motown or you’re probably a sociopath. To be clear this isn’t even to say you actively seek out listening to Motown– it’s just to say…
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Smokey Robinson and the Miracles ‘Going to a Go-Go’ (1965)
Going to a Go-Go is The Miracles and Smokey Robinson’s masterpiece, a perfect encapsulation of the Motown sound and the only record from The Miracles that cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard charts. Their history is complicated, but here’s the headline– the band is one of the most influential R&B and soul groups of…
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Steppenwolf ‘Steppenwolf’ (1968)
Steppenwolf is one of those bands you rarely hear discussed as a major player in rock history, but man does it feel like they’re everywhere in modern roock. The psychedelic rock, fuzzy distorted guitars, and rollicking percussion section in their self-titled debut just screams 2000’s garage rock revival and probably played a larger role in…
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The Beach Boys ‘Pet Sounds’ (1966)
Initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial reception after it’s 1966 release, Pet Sounds had a resurgence in the mid-90’s and is now regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed and respected albums of all-time. There isn’t a serious list of all-time albums where Pet Sounds doesn’t occupy the top spot or somewhere…
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Traffic ‘Traffic’ (1968)
The 1960’s were a wild time in music history. Take Traffic for example– in three short years from 1967 to 1970 founding member Dave Mason recorded the band’s first album Mr. Fantasy, subsequently left the group, decided to re-join in the middle of the recording this album, and then abruptly left the band for good…
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Love ‘Forever Changes’ (1967)
Love’s 1967 album Forever Changes is a cult favorite for good reason. Disillusioned with the ignorance of the 60’s Flower Power era, Love penned a poignant criticism of the excess it saw eroding the counterculture movement at the time. This album (correctly) predicted the unrest that would soon follow in the late 60’s/early 70’s, and…
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Creedence Clearwater Revival ‘Green River’ (1969)
One of the hallmarks of a great and enduring band is their signature sound. It’s that sound you immediately recognize and know who it is when the first note hits and the entire band hops in. It’s the punchy distortion of AC/DC’s guitars, the G-Funk synthesizers of Dr. Dre, and the dual guitar harmonies of…
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The Association ‘Insight Out’ (1967)
You can hear The Beatles influence everywhere in The Association’s 1967 album Insight Out, straight away from the barroom sing-along medley of “Wasn’t It Bit Like Now”. Frankly it’s a damn good song, and about as much of a banger you were liable to get in the 60’s. Being completely unfamiliar with the band ahead…
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Jorge Ben Jor ‘Samba Esquema Novo’ (1963)
If I had to describe Jorge Ben Jor’s debut album Samba Esquema Novo in one phrase it would be “relaxed energy”. This 28 minute samba rock album puts you at ease while compelling you to get up and move, all at the same time. It is a calm call to action. Compared to American jazz,…
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Blind Faith ‘Blind Faith’ (1969)
Blind Faith managed to get rock icons Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Ginger Baker together to write a full length album, play their first show in front of 100K people, tour the globe, and eventually break up over creative differences, all in the span of less than a year. If that’s not the most 60’s…
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