1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die was first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Edited by Robert Dimery, it contains a chronological list of albums chosen by a panel of music critics to be the most important, influential, and best in popular music between the 1950s and the 2000s. It was reissued in 2008 with a revised list, and again in 2011, 2013 and 2016. From first publication the list has been a topic of much debate, with some disagreement regarding albums left out or included; however, it is widely regarded as a very useful starting point for the main musical references of the late 20th century. As the 2005 book is the first and has the most impact, that is the list I've used here.
I'm working my way through the list, and also comparing it with other lists.
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| The Sixties |
Albums added so far: 70
Albums marked $ are ones I agree with (90)
Albums marked + are ones I have added to the list (86)
Albums marked XX are ones I have removed (61)
Total recommended albums: 307
Total recommended albums: 307
Albums marked RS are on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums
Albums marked MC are on Mojo's 100 Records That Changed The World
Albums marked CCC are on Robert Christgau's Core Collection (pre-1980 albums)
Albums marked C4 are on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Albums
Albums marked NM are on NARM The Definitive 200
Albums marked G50 are on The Guardian 50 Albums That Changed Music
Albums marked UC are on Uncut's 200 Greatest Albums Of All Time
Albums marked NME are on NME's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
Albums marked Q are on Q's 100 Greatest Albums Ever (2006)
Albums marked ATT are on Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1,000 albums (2000)
JZ = Jazz (jz indicates some jazz content or influence) 12 albumsFK = Folk (including folk-rock)
CW = Country
Syn = Synthpop/Electronic
SL = Soul
EB = Electric blues (British and American)
RB = Rhythm & Blues
Psy = Psychedelic
PG = Progressive rock / pg = Elements of prog rock or proto-prog rock
HR = Heavy rock
***
+ Etta James - At Last! (RS) (NM) [SL] Etta James is a gutsy and versatile singer ranging across the styles popular at the turn of the decade: blues, R&B, doo-wop, gospel, jazz, and the emerging soul. After some success in the early 60s, though her work continued to attract critical attention, she stopped being popular, and by the late 70s she was struggling with drug addiction. She re-gained public attention in the 90s, largely due to a 1996 Pepsi advert. She has a long list of singers who admire and respect her singing, including Diana Ross, Janis Joplin, Mick Jagger, Joss Stone and Adele. This is a great album. Score: 7
+ Ella Fitzgerald - Ella In Berlin [JZ] Fitzgerald, from a poor and troubled background, achieved success, despite her tough manner and dishevelled appearance, singing with big bands in the swing era during the 30s, and then as solo vocalist with bepop jazz bands in the 40s when she developed her scat style. In 1956 she began an eight year period of annually releasing an album focusing on songs and composers from the Great American Songbook. Though these albums are highly popular and highly regarded, the live In Berlin is more significant - it is an awesome recording and really shows her at her best. Her ad-libbing and scatting is creative and of a very high order, and her voice is superb, relaxed, confident, and very at ease with the songs she is doing. She is regarded as the "First Lady of Song", and the "Queen of Jazz", and this album really shows why. Score: 7
$ Muddy Waters – At Newport (RS) [EB] Muddy Waters was one of the originators of the Chicago blues, the hot, beefy, electrified blues. When he toured Britain in 1958 he caused something of a stir, somewhat similar to Dylan's 1966 tour when Dylan went electric. However, he also inspired the members of his support band who went on to form Blues Incorporated, the Rolling Stones, Cream, and Fleetwood Mac. This is a live recording of his appearance at Newport two years later, and catches him at his creative peak. Important and essential. Score 7
$ Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba Makeba was a South African singer who had a difficult early life, but her strong and attractive singing voice got her attention. She blended African and Western music to great effect. She toured with several singing groups in the 1950s, and on gaining international attention she moved to America in 1960 as a solo artist. She became a spokesperson for civil rights in America and South Africa, her home, where she was banned until the end of apartheid. For a while she was also banned from certain Western countries, such as France, and with South Africa refusing her a passport, she had to rely on the goodwill of other African nations in granting her diplomatic papers so she could travel. He main musical output was the 1960s and early 1970s, though she continued to record and perform throughout her life, including touring with Paul Simon on the controversial Graceland tour. She died on stage in 2008. This was her first Western album. Though not the immediate commercial success that RCA had hoped for, the album is widely seen as her best. Score: 6
+ Eddie Cochran - Eddie Cochran (YouTube) Issued in April 1960 under the titles Eddie Cochran and 12 of His Biggest Hits, and then reissued in May 1960 just after his death with a slightly different track list as The Eddie Cochran Memorial Album. Score: 5 1/2
$ Joan Baez – Joan Baez [FK] Baez is an important figure in the American folk revival and the development of folk rock, so some awareness of her is important. This is her debut album, and works well enough to give good idea of her singing and her style. It is also widely regarded as her most significant album. The songs are traditional and are played and sung in a traditional style, though Baez adds a high soaring sweetness. What people liked is that she was young and female, and her voice pure like spring water. She became the poster face of the revival. Of social significance. Score 5.
+ Various - The Best of the Girl Groups / The Best of Girl Groups (1990) (RS) (CCC) These compilations are really partners to the doo-wop albums as they cover the same period and roughly the same style of music, but with female singers, and a more feminine approach to the lyrics (albeit the lyrics were mostly written by men). While doo-wop singers were interested in sometimes quite complex four-part harmonies, the girl groups tended toward a single main vocal with grouped backing vocals, though there is a significant blurring of this distinction. Score: 5
+ Ella Fitzgerald - Let No Man Write My Epitaph [jz] [sl] Released the same year as the live Ella In Berlin, this is a studio recording of just Fitzgerald and a pianist, going through the Great American Songbook in a smoky nightclub style. It is representative of Fitzgerald's work on the American Songbook, of her soulful voice at a time when pop, blues, and jazz were forming into soul, and it's a simply gorgeous album. Score: 5
+ Ella Fitzgerald - Ella In Berlin [JZ] Fitzgerald, from a poor and troubled background, achieved success, despite her tough manner and dishevelled appearance, singing with big bands in the swing era during the 30s, and then as solo vocalist with bepop jazz bands in the 40s when she developed her scat style. In 1956 she began an eight year period of annually releasing an album focusing on songs and composers from the Great American Songbook. Though these albums are highly popular and highly regarded, the live In Berlin is more significant - it is an awesome recording and really shows her at her best. Her ad-libbing and scatting is creative and of a very high order, and her voice is superb, relaxed, confident, and very at ease with the songs she is doing. She is regarded as the "First Lady of Song", and the "Queen of Jazz", and this album really shows why. Score: 7
$ Muddy Waters – At Newport (RS) [EB] Muddy Waters was one of the originators of the Chicago blues, the hot, beefy, electrified blues. When he toured Britain in 1958 he caused something of a stir, somewhat similar to Dylan's 1966 tour when Dylan went electric. However, he also inspired the members of his support band who went on to form Blues Incorporated, the Rolling Stones, Cream, and Fleetwood Mac. This is a live recording of his appearance at Newport two years later, and catches him at his creative peak. Important and essential. Score 7
$ Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba Makeba was a South African singer who had a difficult early life, but her strong and attractive singing voice got her attention. She blended African and Western music to great effect. She toured with several singing groups in the 1950s, and on gaining international attention she moved to America in 1960 as a solo artist. She became a spokesperson for civil rights in America and South Africa, her home, where she was banned until the end of apartheid. For a while she was also banned from certain Western countries, such as France, and with South Africa refusing her a passport, she had to rely on the goodwill of other African nations in granting her diplomatic papers so she could travel. He main musical output was the 1960s and early 1970s, though she continued to record and perform throughout her life, including touring with Paul Simon on the controversial Graceland tour. She died on stage in 2008. This was her first Western album. Though not the immediate commercial success that RCA had hoped for, the album is widely seen as her best. Score: 6
+ Eddie Cochran - Eddie Cochran (YouTube) Issued in April 1960 under the titles Eddie Cochran and 12 of His Biggest Hits, and then reissued in May 1960 just after his death with a slightly different track list as The Eddie Cochran Memorial Album. Score: 5 1/2
$ Joan Baez – Joan Baez [FK] Baez is an important figure in the American folk revival and the development of folk rock, so some awareness of her is important. This is her debut album, and works well enough to give good idea of her singing and her style. It is also widely regarded as her most significant album. The songs are traditional and are played and sung in a traditional style, though Baez adds a high soaring sweetness. What people liked is that she was young and female, and her voice pure like spring water. She became the poster face of the revival. Of social significance. Score 5.
+ Various - The Best of the Girl Groups / The Best of Girl Groups (1990) (RS) (CCC) These compilations are really partners to the doo-wop albums as they cover the same period and roughly the same style of music, but with female singers, and a more feminine approach to the lyrics (albeit the lyrics were mostly written by men). While doo-wop singers were interested in sometimes quite complex four-part harmonies, the girl groups tended toward a single main vocal with grouped backing vocals, though there is a significant blurring of this distinction. Score: 5
+ Ella Fitzgerald - Let No Man Write My Epitaph [jz] [sl] Released the same year as the live Ella In Berlin, this is a studio recording of just Fitzgerald and a pianist, going through the Great American Songbook in a smoky nightclub style. It is representative of Fitzgerald's work on the American Songbook, of her soulful voice at a time when pop, blues, and jazz were forming into soul, and it's a simply gorgeous album. Score: 5
+ Various - 20 Best of Doo-Wop / Doo-Wop Classics These albums were released in 2000s, but the height of doo-wop was 1960. The Platters were a significant doo-wop group which are representative of the genre, but selecting just one band doesn't really show the depth of popularity of the genre, nor the similarity between the artists, so a compilation is important. On the whole the artists involved weren't really about albums, and part of the significance is that this was a fairly widespread genre of easy to make, easy to listen to, and easy to copy music that found its way into The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and other early 60s significant groups, including Frank Zappa. These albums are very useful in rounding up a bunch of the best known songs and bands. Pleasant stuff, but more of a social and historical interest than anything significant or essential in itself. Score: 4 1/2
+ The Cannonball Adderley Quintet In San Francisco [JZ] Adderley was a hard bop and soul jazz musician. Hard bop was a development of the bebop or bop style of jazz - technical and insular, blending it with R&B to create a more rhythmic and appealing style of music. Adderley took hard bop a step further with this album and created soul jazz. Somethin' Else (1958), which uses Miles Davis and Art Blakey as part of his band, is regarded as his best and an essential jazz recording, though In San Francisco is the funkier album and the most significant for those outside of jazz circles as it led to jazz fusion and jazz rock. Score: 4 1/2
+ Karlheinz Stockhausen - Kontakte Serious experimentation in music starts here. Challenging, yes, but rewarding to those willing to listen. Score: 4
+ Robert Johnson King of the Delta Blues Singers (RS) (MC) (G50) (ATT) Blues. The contents of this album were recorded and released between 1936 and 1937 on 78 rpm discs to a very small black audience in the deep south of America. The recordings were compiled by John Hammond, one of the few who was aware of Johnson, as part of the American folk music revival. The album had an immediate impact on a range of musicians, such as Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, and Eric Clapton, who were stunned by the energy and intensity of the performances and the earthy universality of the songs. The album was not widely popular, but its influence is profound and almost incalculable in both the folk and electric blues genres. Score: 5 1/2
+ Patsy Cline - Showcase [CW] (ATT) AllMusic says: "One of the greatest country singers of all time, emotive yet distant and cool, and an influence on countless singers after her." This is one of only three album she released in her lifetime and contains her two big breakthrough hits: "I Fall To Pieces" and "Crazy".
+ Sun Ra - The Futurist Sounds of Sun Ra [JZ] 1961 was the height of jazz, and nearly all the big names come in this period. Sun Ra is not one of the big names, but his approach to jazz is the most modern and most melodic and most inventive. Score: 4 1/2
+ Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated - R&B from the Marquee [EB] [RB] Significant in the history and development of R&B and electric blues in the UK. Blues Incorporated were the first electric R&B band in the UK, and were the catalyst for musicians such as The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, John Mayall, Jimmy Page, etc. Though the title is "from the Marquee", an important R&B club in London, the album was recorded in a studio. Exceptional album. Score: 8
$ Booker T. & the M.G.'s – Green Onions [jz] [RB] Soul and R&B with a funky groove and a soul jazz swing. There isn't a huge difference between this and what Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey and Ramsey Lewis were doing, indicating that musicians were sharing and exchanging ideas across genres, which would lead to jazz fusion and jazz rock. Score: 5
+ The Four Seasons - Sherry & 11 Other Hits Debut album of one of the most successful male vocal groups, and contains "Big Girls Don't Cry". Mainly social interest. Score: 4
+ Gene Pitney - The Many Sides of Gene Pitney Debut album of a successful early Sixties pop singer with a soulful voice. A split trousers incident impacted on his reputation. Over half the songs on the album were written by Pitney. Score: 4
$ Ray Price – Night Life [CW] I was going to reject this at first because it's just another country singer, but then I read about his achievements, and listened a little closer to his music. Hmmmm. Pondering..... Willie Nelson plays bass and backing vocals on this album, and provides two songs. Yes - this does seem to be a significant album, though only in the country music field, so not that important. Score: 3 1/2
$ Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music (RS) (CCC) (ATT) I'm struggling with this - it's really quite boring middle of the road pop, yes, it incorporates country and soul, but in such a slushy manner that it all becomes meaningless mush. OK, I'm getting it now. It's on the list, but by it's fingertips.... Score 3 1/2
$ James Brown – Live at the Apollo (RS) (CCC) (G50) (ATT) [SL] Exceptional album. Score: 9
$ Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (RS) (MC) (CCC) (NME) (ATT) [FK] Exceptional album. Score: 9
$ Stan Getz & João Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto (RS) [JZ] Cool jazz and bossa nova. Beautiful and so very cool and stylish. One of those great albums that both define the music styles they use, and completely transcend them. This is a classic. And it contains the album version of "The Girl From Ipanema". Score: 8 1/2
+ The Miracles - The Fabulous Miracles [SL] The debut, and contains "You Really Got A Hold On Me". Smokey Robinson is probably the most significant figure in Motown, though his own shy, self-effacing nature means that his contributions and influence are overlooked. Score: 8
+ The Cannonball Adderley Quintet In San Francisco [JZ] Adderley was a hard bop and soul jazz musician. Hard bop was a development of the bebop or bop style of jazz - technical and insular, blending it with R&B to create a more rhythmic and appealing style of music. Adderley took hard bop a step further with this album and created soul jazz. Somethin' Else (1958), which uses Miles Davis and Art Blakey as part of his band, is regarded as his best and an essential jazz recording, though In San Francisco is the funkier album and the most significant for those outside of jazz circles as it led to jazz fusion and jazz rock. Score: 4 1/2
+ Karlheinz Stockhausen - Kontakte Serious experimentation in music starts here. Challenging, yes, but rewarding to those willing to listen. Score: 4
***
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| 1961 |
+ Various - West Side Story (ATT) Modern classical music tends to be either experimental or simply orchestral, often used to accompany stage musicals or films of all genres. The most sublime example of modern classical / orchestral music is Leonard Bernstein's score for the musical West Side Story, which embraces jazz and pop to produce an energetic and moving style of music with a broad and enduring appeal. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics are immediate, popular, witty, and sharply observant. The complete effect is more like a rock opera than a Broadway musical, particularly on the 1961 film soundtrack. There have been variations version made, including the 1957 Original Broadway Cast, a 1962 Oscar Peterson Trio version, and a 1998 version by Bernstein with top opera singers. The 1961 film soundtrack version is the definitive version. Exceptional album. Score: 9
+ Ike & Tina Turner - The Soul of Ike and Tina Turner [SL] [RB] Tina at her most powerful and soulful at the same time as Ike is still creating tight and soulful rhythms. Ike & Tina would reproduce many of these songs on other albums throughout their carer, including on the messy River Deep - Mountain High (1966) album, but while they could improve the production and recording, they could never again catch the raw primeval energy of Tina on this album. If you think you've heard Tina Turner, and you've never heard this album, then you've never really heard her. Put on the headphones, turn it up loud, and be prepared to be awed. Significant and powerful album, somehow overlooked. Score: 8
+ Bobby Bland - Two Steps From The Blues [RB] [SL] [EB] Yes, you need to hear this. Masterly and important blend of gospel, blues and R&B. This is early soul, yet sounds very modern. This straddles electric blues, early and modern R&B as well as soul. Breath-taking and beautiful. Score: 7
+ Erik Darling - True Religion [FK] Haunting, beautiful, breath-taking versions of various folk songs. The banjo playing is stunning - he makes that instrument sound so profound. I doubt if the banjo has ever been played so well. Score: 5 1/2
+ Ike & Tina Turner - The Soul of Ike and Tina Turner [SL] [RB] Tina at her most powerful and soulful at the same time as Ike is still creating tight and soulful rhythms. Ike & Tina would reproduce many of these songs on other albums throughout their carer, including on the messy River Deep - Mountain High (1966) album, but while they could improve the production and recording, they could never again catch the raw primeval energy of Tina on this album. If you think you've heard Tina Turner, and you've never heard this album, then you've never really heard her. Put on the headphones, turn it up loud, and be prepared to be awed. Significant and powerful album, somehow overlooked. Score: 8
+ Bobby Bland - Two Steps From The Blues [RB] [SL] [EB] Yes, you need to hear this. Masterly and important blend of gospel, blues and R&B. This is early soul, yet sounds very modern. This straddles electric blues, early and modern R&B as well as soul. Breath-taking and beautiful. Score: 7
+ Erik Darling - True Religion [FK] Haunting, beautiful, breath-taking versions of various folk songs. The banjo playing is stunning - he makes that instrument sound so profound. I doubt if the banjo has ever been played so well. Score: 5 1/2
+ Patsy Cline - Showcase [CW] (ATT) AllMusic says: "One of the greatest country singers of all time, emotive yet distant and cool, and an influence on countless singers after her." This is one of only three album she released in her lifetime and contains her two big breakthrough hits: "I Fall To Pieces" and "Crazy".
+ Sun Ra - The Futurist Sounds of Sun Ra [JZ] 1961 was the height of jazz, and nearly all the big names come in this period. Sun Ra is not one of the big names, but his approach to jazz is the most modern and most melodic and most inventive. Score: 4 1/2
***
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| 1962 |
+ Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated - R&B from the Marquee [EB] [RB] Significant in the history and development of R&B and electric blues in the UK. Blues Incorporated were the first electric R&B band in the UK, and were the catalyst for musicians such as The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, John Mayall, Jimmy Page, etc. Though the title is "from the Marquee", an important R&B club in London, the album was recorded in a studio. Exceptional album. Score: 8
$ Booker T. & the M.G.'s – Green Onions [jz] [RB] Soul and R&B with a funky groove and a soul jazz swing. There isn't a huge difference between this and what Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey and Ramsey Lewis were doing, indicating that musicians were sharing and exchanging ideas across genres, which would lead to jazz fusion and jazz rock. Score: 5
+ The Four Seasons - Sherry & 11 Other Hits Debut album of one of the most successful male vocal groups, and contains "Big Girls Don't Cry". Mainly social interest. Score: 4
+ Gene Pitney - The Many Sides of Gene Pitney Debut album of a successful early Sixties pop singer with a soulful voice. A split trousers incident impacted on his reputation. Over half the songs on the album were written by Pitney. Score: 4
$ Ray Price – Night Life [CW] I was going to reject this at first because it's just another country singer, but then I read about his achievements, and listened a little closer to his music. Hmmmm. Pondering..... Willie Nelson plays bass and backing vocals on this album, and provides two songs. Yes - this does seem to be a significant album, though only in the country music field, so not that important. Score: 3 1/2
$ Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music (RS) (CCC) (ATT) I'm struggling with this - it's really quite boring middle of the road pop, yes, it incorporates country and soul, but in such a slushy manner that it all becomes meaningless mush. OK, I'm getting it now. It's on the list, but by it's fingertips.... Score 3 1/2
***
 |
| 1963 |
$ Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (RS) (MC) (CCC) (NME) (ATT) [FK] Exceptional album. Score: 9
$ Stan Getz & João Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto (RS) [JZ] Cool jazz and bossa nova. Beautiful and so very cool and stylish. One of those great albums that both define the music styles they use, and completely transcend them. This is a classic. And it contains the album version of "The Girl From Ipanema". Score: 8 1/2
+ The Miracles - The Fabulous Miracles [SL] The debut, and contains "You Really Got A Hold On Me". Smokey Robinson is probably the most significant figure in Motown, though his own shy, self-effacing nature means that his contributions and influence are overlooked. Score: 8
+ Prince Buster - I Feel The Spirit Debut album of the hugely influential Jamaican record producer and singer-songwriter. This was the first ska album to be released outside of Jamaica. Score: 6
+ The Beatles - Please Please Me (RS) (NME) (ATT) The debut album of The Beatles, but it's rushed, contains a lot of filler, and doesn't have all the early singles. Score: 4 1/2
+ Barbra Streisand - The Barbra Streisand Album The debut album by one of the best selling and most honoured female singers in history. Pleasant enough stuff. Score: 4 1/2
+ Sandy Bull - Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo [jz] Instrumental work - just Bull on guitar or banjo and Billy Higgins on drums. They play around with folk, jazz, classical Indian, and Arabian music styles in an improvisational manner that would later be termed psychedelic when used by the Beatles and others. Interesting as an example of early world music and early psychedelic music., indicating the direction musicians would be taking. Score: 4
+ The Beatles - Please Please Me (RS) (NME) (ATT) The debut album of The Beatles, but it's rushed, contains a lot of filler, and doesn't have all the early singles. Score: 4 1/2
+ Barbra Streisand - The Barbra Streisand Album The debut album by one of the best selling and most honoured female singers in history. Pleasant enough stuff. Score: 4 1/2
+ Sandy Bull - Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo [jz] Instrumental work - just Bull on guitar or banjo and Billy Higgins on drums. They play around with folk, jazz, classical Indian, and Arabian music styles in an improvisational manner that would later be termed psychedelic when used by the Beatles and others. Interesting as an example of early world music and early psychedelic music., indicating the direction musicians would be taking. Score: 4
***
 |
| 1964 |
+ The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds [EB] That opening lick to the first song on this live album, "Too Much Monkey Business", introduces Eric Clapton to the world. His blistering electric guitar through the song is stunning, and demonstrates clearly why he was called God. But this isn't just about Clapton and his inspiring guitar work, it's about the attitude and style of this early example of British R&B. This is 1964, and the world would not be the same again. Exceptional album Score: 7 1/2
$ Solomon Burke – Rock ‘n’ Soul [RB] [SL] The Wikipedia article suggests that Burke was a significant transitional figure in the development of soul music, and I was initially dubious, given that the established transitional figures are Sam Cook, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, etc, whose output was stronger and more consistent than what's on offer here which is a bit inconsistent with little focus, and nothing particularly outstanding to overcome the mediocre nature of much of the content. Some songs work, but some miss out. He only wrote one song on the album "Someone to Love Me" , and co-wrote one "Beautiful Brown Eyes". The producer and main songwriter was Bert Berns (who produced Them and Van Morrison, and who influenced Led Zeppelin to write and record "Homage To Bert Berns / Come On Home" in 1968), and he's an interesting character. His debut 1962 album Solomon Burke, a collection of his 50s and early 60s recordings, is more clearly rooted in R&B, though also holds the attention. On the whole Burke's sound is that of the transitional period between R&B and soul, and he has an attractive voice, though I am uncertain of his importance, or the enduring quality of these recordings. What strikes me most here is the presence of Bert Berns. This is a borderline inclusion. Score: 5
+ Davey Graham - Folk, Blues and Beyond [FK] Significant British folk guitarist and singer. Proto folk-rock. Influential finger-picking style. Difficult to find this album online. Score: 5
+ The Temptations - Meet The Temptations [SL] The debut album of possibly the most significant Motown vocal group. Collects together three years worth of singles written and produced by a variety of Motown's major figures including Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and Norman Whitfield, with whom the group would later do their most significant work. The quality is variable, but that is part of the interest, and is both reflective of what was happening during the early years of Motown as they developed doo-wop into soul, and of the vocal strengths of The Temptations even at this early stage of their career. Score: 5
+ Leo Ferre - Verlaine et Rimbaud French poet and composer. In this album (one of the first double albums in popular music) he sets poems by Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine to music. Interesting and attractive, and reflective not only of the French music of the time, but also of a wider interest in a baroque approach to popular music. Score: 5
+ Phil Ochs - All The News That's Fit to Sing [FK] Protest singer in the style of Bob Dylan. Score: 5
+ Davey Graham - Folk, Blues and Beyond [FK] Significant British folk guitarist and singer. Proto folk-rock. Influential finger-picking style. Difficult to find this album online. Score: 5
+ The Temptations - Meet The Temptations [SL] The debut album of possibly the most significant Motown vocal group. Collects together three years worth of singles written and produced by a variety of Motown's major figures including Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and Norman Whitfield, with whom the group would later do their most significant work. The quality is variable, but that is part of the interest, and is both reflective of what was happening during the early years of Motown as they developed doo-wop into soul, and of the vocal strengths of The Temptations even at this early stage of their career. Score: 5
+ Leo Ferre - Verlaine et Rimbaud French poet and composer. In this album (one of the first double albums in popular music) he sets poems by Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine to music. Interesting and attractive, and reflective not only of the French music of the time, but also of a wider interest in a baroque approach to popular music. Score: 5
+ Phil Ochs - All The News That's Fit to Sing [FK] Protest singer in the style of Bob Dylan. Score: 5
+ Millie Small - My Boy Lollipop The single "My Boy Lollipop", produced and released by Chris Blackwell on his fledging Island Records label, became an international hit, introducing the world to ska music which would evolve into reggae, and giving Blackwell a financial platform on which to build his label which became the international label for reggae and Bob Marley. This is the spin off album, and is full of similar breezy sounding songs. It was re-released later with a different track listing as a Best Of album - and that, unfortunately, is the only album available on CD. Score: 5
$ Jacques Brel – Olympia 64 Brel is a significant songwriter and singer in his own right, and has also been an influence on a number of UK artists including Bowie and Scott Walker such that an album by him should be included. There is, however, no consensus on which are his best albums, and no satisfactory compilation has been issued - most are too inclusive, failing to give an adequate summary. This is the one chosen for Dimery's book - a live performance in 1964 - and while not perfect it'll do as an indicator of what he was about. There are some good songs here, including "Amsterdam", though there are too many songs which simply sound dated and middle of the road. There is little variety in the approach, and even this conventional length album can become tedious. I will continue to look for a better album/ compilation. Score: 4
The first truly great year for music. What was in the water in 1965?
$ Bob Dylan – Bringing it All Back Home (RS) (CCC) (G50) (NM) (ATT) [FK] Possibly Dylan's best album. Possibly one of the greatest albums of all time by anyone anywhere at any time. Simply awesome. Exceptional album Score: 10
$ The Beatles – Rubber Soul (RS) (CCC) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) Exceptional album. This is the first truly awesome Beatles album, and may be not just one of the greatest Beatles albums, but one of the greatest albums of all time. Awesome. Play it loud! Score: 10
$ Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited (RS) (CCC) (NM) (Q) (ATT) [FK] Exceptional album. Contains "Like A Rolling Stone" and "Ballad Of A Thin Man". Score: 9 1/2
+ The Miracles - Going to a Go-Go (RS) [SL] The opening track is the sublime and perfect "The Tracks Of My Tears". And then it just goes on..... What an awesome and beautiful and varied album. Score: 9
+ The Impressions (Curtis Mayfield) - People Get Ready [SL] Beautiful album. Score: 8
$ Bert Jansch – Bert Jansch (ATT) [FK] Debut, and most highly regarded album, of significantly influential early British folk artist whose guitar work, drawing on the finger picking style of Davy Graham, has inspired a number of artists over the years, and continues to impress. Score: 7 1/2
$ Otis Redding – Otis Blue… Sings Soul (RS) (G50) (ATT) [SL] Exceptional album. Score: 7 1/2
$ The Beach Boys – Today! (RS) The Beach Boys are a highly respected and important pop group: sunny optimism with a punchy Chuck Berry beat married to soaring and happy doo wop vocal harmonies and then a Phil Spector inspired production which led to classics like "Good Vibrations". Today! is generally regarded as the first of the band's decent albums, and a preparation for their most acclaimed album, Pet Sounds. The lyrics are more introspective and thoughtful in contrast to the superficial good time songs that Brian Wilson had previously written, which, coupled with a Phil Spector type production, do give this album a lift. I like some of the songs here, such as the Phil Spectorish "Help Me, Rhonda", but because the band are always following and copying rather than pioneering, they are a little way behind what Phil Spector himself was doing at the time, such as "You've Lost That Loving' Feeling" (1964), "Unchained Melody" (1965), "Be My Baby" (1963), and "Walking In The Rain" (1964). It's also worth noting People Get Ready by The Impressions, which includes the sublime title song "People Get Ready", was released at the same time, and put side by side with Today!, is clearly the more sophisticated, meaningful, authentic, musical, immediate, considered, and important, but gets overlooked in favour of this. However, The Beatles inspired track "When I Grow Up", complete with Harrison riffs, is quite lovely, and as usual is a good homage. The ballads on side two seem to be generally considered the best aspects of this album. So, not quite a great album, but certainly very decent. Score: 6 1/2
+ Them - The Angry Young Them [RB] [EB] Van Morrison's debut album is full of R&B energy combined with a deep soul voice. Score: 6
+ The Yardbirds - For Your Love [EB] Score: 6
+ Wilson Picket - In The Midnight Hour [SL] Debut album. Score: 6
$ John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (RS) (C4) (NM) (ATT) [JZ] One of the, if not the, most acclaimed jazz albums. Jazz as a popular and cool music format was pretty much over by 1965. From the mid Sixties onwards those who played jazz found themselves an audience that was diminishing in size but increasing in loyalty. That loyalty depended on the musicians concentrating more on the mathematics of the music, and less on the swing, melody and soul. Jazz that retained any reasonable popularity was blended with other styles in jazz fusion and jazz rock. This album sort of marks that moment of transition from being cool and popular to being intense and cliquey. Score: 5
+ The Beatles - Help! (RS) (ATT) Decent album. Score: 5
+ Martha and the Vandellas - Dance Party [SL] Score: 5
$ The Who – My Generation (RS) (G50) It's the debut album of The Who, and it contains "My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright", but the rest of the album is not of that standard, and does not stand out from other 1965 debuts such as The Zombies Begin Here, which contains "She's Not There", The Easybeat's Easy, which contains "She's So Fine", The Lovin' Spoonful's Do You Believe In Magic, which contains the title song, and Golden Earring's Just Ear-rings. For a decent overview of The Who in the Sixties see Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy (1971). Score: 5
+ Martin Carthy - Martin Carthy [FK] Revivalist of traditional British folk songs. Met Dylan in 1962, and introduced him to English folk which influenced the direction that Dylan would then take. Score: 5
$ Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde (RS) (CCC) (NME) (Q) (ATT) [FK] Exceptional album. Score: 10
$ The Kinks – Face to Face (ATT) Awesome. The Kinks best album, and sadly overlooked. While critics acclaimed Sgt Peppers, Ray Davies' masterpiece has been overlooked. Exceptional album. Score: 10
$ Fred Neil – Fred Neil [FK] Score: 9
+ Cream - Fresh Cream (RS) [EB] [jz] World changer. Debut album of one of the most important bands in rock music. Includes jazz approaches to electric blues that were influential on jazz rock. Exceptional album Score: 9
$ Love – Forever Changes (RS) (CCC) (C4) (Q) (ATT) [Psy] Score: 8
$ The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (RS) (MC) (C4) (NM) (G50) (NME) (Q) (ATT) [Psy] The most hyped album in the history of music - so yes, you have to listen to it to have an opinion. Its status as the greatest album ever made has diminished over the years, so these days it is not even regarded as the best album the Beatles made, let alone the best album ever. The opening is dramatic with the orchestra warming up, and a sense of anticipation from audience noises, then a McCartney tongue-in-cheek rock number segues in with music hall pieces giving us an idea that something is about to happen, and Lennon's sardonic voice prepares us further for something special, and it builds in excitement and anticipation to deliver us, with incredible bathos, Ringo singing the lumpen "With A Little Help From My Friends" - clearly some sort of in-joke that critics have tolerated over the years, but clearly has now worn thin. The song that should appear after the opening, "Lucy In The Sky", now appears, and pulls us back to the possibility that this will be a great album. And so it goes on - some good tracks, and some weak tracks. For me there are too many weak tracks, and even the good tracks I don't find that worthwhile. "Lucy" is a tight, closed track, with a lumpen rhythm, and predictable progression - as a piece of psychedelia it is rather timid. "Getting Better" sounds like something from Revolver, so it's not a progression, but it is a solid Beatles' song. Score: 7 1/2
$ The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (RS) (MC) (C4) (NM) (G50) (UC) (NME) (Q) (ATT) Hugely acclaimed album. The only Beach Boys album to get huge acclaim. Often cited as the best album ever released. Well, it's a listenable album, and - along with the 1975 In Concert album, it contains their best work. But does it live up to the hype? No. Why has it got the hype? Well, that was thanks to a clever marketing ploy by their publicist Derek Taylor to acclaim Brian Wilson as a genius. The notion stuck, and the combination of decent album, and decades of accumulated praise have secured the album's reputation. Score: 7
$ Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (RS) [FK] Score: 7
$ The Beatles – Revolver (RS) (MC) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) Score: 6 1/2
$ John Mayall & the Blues Breakers – With Eric Clapton (RS) (ATT) [EB] On this album Clapton paired a Gibson Les Paul with a Marshal amp and found the perfect rock sound. What Clapton said he was trying to do was "shift that style [the blues] into a Chuck Berry rock format." It was a seismic shift in blues and rock music, and young guitarists could not believe what they were hearing. Through careful experimentation he found he could hold his guitar a certain distance from the amp and get a harmonic sustain - taken to excess it results in feedback, but held just right and it creates beauty. The album was a mix of blues covers and some dreary songs written by John Mayall; while the guitar playing is awesome and ground-breaking and inspirational, the songs are a little weak. The album is here mainly for the historic/cultural significance. Score: 6
+ Various - What's Shakin' [EB] Elektra compilation sampler which has the only recordings of Eric Clapton's Powerhouse, plus the earliest recordings of The Lovin' Spoonful, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Al Kooper, plus a track by Tom Rush. Aside from the importance and rarity of the recordings, this is a fascinating glimpse into the early development of electric folk and blues on both sides of the Atlantic. Score: 5 1/2
$ Cream – Disraeli Gears (RS) (ATT) [jz] [EB] Introduces some jazz rhythm approaches and ideas to British electric blues, hinting at jazz rock. But not the band's best album. Score: 5
$ Jacques Brel – Olympia 64 Brel is a significant songwriter and singer in his own right, and has also been an influence on a number of UK artists including Bowie and Scott Walker such that an album by him should be included. There is, however, no consensus on which are his best albums, and no satisfactory compilation has been issued - most are too inclusive, failing to give an adequate summary. This is the one chosen for Dimery's book - a live performance in 1964 - and while not perfect it'll do as an indicator of what he was about. There are some good songs here, including "Amsterdam", though there are too many songs which simply sound dated and middle of the road. There is little variety in the approach, and even this conventional length album can become tedious. I will continue to look for a better album/ compilation. Score: 4
***
 |
| 1965 |
$ Bob Dylan – Bringing it All Back Home (RS) (CCC) (G50) (NM) (ATT) [FK] Possibly Dylan's best album. Possibly one of the greatest albums of all time by anyone anywhere at any time. Simply awesome. Exceptional album Score: 10
$ The Beatles – Rubber Soul (RS) (CCC) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) Exceptional album. This is the first truly awesome Beatles album, and may be not just one of the greatest Beatles albums, but one of the greatest albums of all time. Awesome. Play it loud! Score: 10
$ Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited (RS) (CCC) (NM) (Q) (ATT) [FK] Exceptional album. Contains "Like A Rolling Stone" and "Ballad Of A Thin Man". Score: 9 1/2
+ The Miracles - Going to a Go-Go (RS) [SL] The opening track is the sublime and perfect "The Tracks Of My Tears". And then it just goes on..... What an awesome and beautiful and varied album. Score: 9
+ The Impressions (Curtis Mayfield) - People Get Ready [SL] Beautiful album. Score: 8
$ Bert Jansch – Bert Jansch (ATT) [FK] Debut, and most highly regarded album, of significantly influential early British folk artist whose guitar work, drawing on the finger picking style of Davy Graham, has inspired a number of artists over the years, and continues to impress. Score: 7 1/2
$ Otis Redding – Otis Blue… Sings Soul (RS) (G50) (ATT) [SL] Exceptional album. Score: 7 1/2
$ The Beach Boys – Today! (RS) The Beach Boys are a highly respected and important pop group: sunny optimism with a punchy Chuck Berry beat married to soaring and happy doo wop vocal harmonies and then a Phil Spector inspired production which led to classics like "Good Vibrations". Today! is generally regarded as the first of the band's decent albums, and a preparation for their most acclaimed album, Pet Sounds. The lyrics are more introspective and thoughtful in contrast to the superficial good time songs that Brian Wilson had previously written, which, coupled with a Phil Spector type production, do give this album a lift. I like some of the songs here, such as the Phil Spectorish "Help Me, Rhonda", but because the band are always following and copying rather than pioneering, they are a little way behind what Phil Spector himself was doing at the time, such as "You've Lost That Loving' Feeling" (1964), "Unchained Melody" (1965), "Be My Baby" (1963), and "Walking In The Rain" (1964). It's also worth noting People Get Ready by The Impressions, which includes the sublime title song "People Get Ready", was released at the same time, and put side by side with Today!, is clearly the more sophisticated, meaningful, authentic, musical, immediate, considered, and important, but gets overlooked in favour of this. However, The Beatles inspired track "When I Grow Up", complete with Harrison riffs, is quite lovely, and as usual is a good homage. The ballads on side two seem to be generally considered the best aspects of this album. So, not quite a great album, but certainly very decent. Score: 6 1/2
+ Them - The Angry Young Them [RB] [EB] Van Morrison's debut album is full of R&B energy combined with a deep soul voice. Score: 6
+ The Yardbirds - For Your Love [EB] Score: 6
+ Wilson Picket - In The Midnight Hour [SL] Debut album. Score: 6
$ John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (RS) (C4) (NM) (ATT) [JZ] One of the, if not the, most acclaimed jazz albums. Jazz as a popular and cool music format was pretty much over by 1965. From the mid Sixties onwards those who played jazz found themselves an audience that was diminishing in size but increasing in loyalty. That loyalty depended on the musicians concentrating more on the mathematics of the music, and less on the swing, melody and soul. Jazz that retained any reasonable popularity was blended with other styles in jazz fusion and jazz rock. This album sort of marks that moment of transition from being cool and popular to being intense and cliquey. Score: 5
+ The Beatles - Help! (RS) (ATT) Decent album. Score: 5
+ Martha and the Vandellas - Dance Party [SL] Score: 5
$ The Who – My Generation (RS) (G50) It's the debut album of The Who, and it contains "My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright", but the rest of the album is not of that standard, and does not stand out from other 1965 debuts such as The Zombies Begin Here, which contains "She's Not There", The Easybeat's Easy, which contains "She's So Fine", The Lovin' Spoonful's Do You Believe In Magic, which contains the title song, and Golden Earring's Just Ear-rings. For a decent overview of The Who in the Sixties see Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy (1971). Score: 5
+ Martin Carthy - Martin Carthy [FK] Revivalist of traditional British folk songs. Met Dylan in 1962, and introduced him to English folk which influenced the direction that Dylan would then take. Score: 5
***
$ Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde (RS) (CCC) (NME) (Q) (ATT) [FK] Exceptional album. Score: 10
$ The Kinks – Face to Face (ATT) Awesome. The Kinks best album, and sadly overlooked. While critics acclaimed Sgt Peppers, Ray Davies' masterpiece has been overlooked. Exceptional album. Score: 10
$ Fred Neil – Fred Neil [FK] Score: 9
+ Cream - Fresh Cream (RS) [EB] [jz] World changer. Debut album of one of the most important bands in rock music. Includes jazz approaches to electric blues that were influential on jazz rock. Exceptional album Score: 9
$ Love – Forever Changes (RS) (CCC) (C4) (Q) (ATT) [Psy] Score: 8
$ The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (RS) (MC) (C4) (NM) (G50) (NME) (Q) (ATT) [Psy] The most hyped album in the history of music - so yes, you have to listen to it to have an opinion. Its status as the greatest album ever made has diminished over the years, so these days it is not even regarded as the best album the Beatles made, let alone the best album ever. The opening is dramatic with the orchestra warming up, and a sense of anticipation from audience noises, then a McCartney tongue-in-cheek rock number segues in with music hall pieces giving us an idea that something is about to happen, and Lennon's sardonic voice prepares us further for something special, and it builds in excitement and anticipation to deliver us, with incredible bathos, Ringo singing the lumpen "With A Little Help From My Friends" - clearly some sort of in-joke that critics have tolerated over the years, but clearly has now worn thin. The song that should appear after the opening, "Lucy In The Sky", now appears, and pulls us back to the possibility that this will be a great album. And so it goes on - some good tracks, and some weak tracks. For me there are too many weak tracks, and even the good tracks I don't find that worthwhile. "Lucy" is a tight, closed track, with a lumpen rhythm, and predictable progression - as a piece of psychedelia it is rather timid. "Getting Better" sounds like something from Revolver, so it's not a progression, but it is a solid Beatles' song. Score: 7 1/2
$ The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (RS) (MC) (C4) (NM) (G50) (UC) (NME) (Q) (ATT) Hugely acclaimed album. The only Beach Boys album to get huge acclaim. Often cited as the best album ever released. Well, it's a listenable album, and - along with the 1975 In Concert album, it contains their best work. But does it live up to the hype? No. Why has it got the hype? Well, that was thanks to a clever marketing ploy by their publicist Derek Taylor to acclaim Brian Wilson as a genius. The notion stuck, and the combination of decent album, and decades of accumulated praise have secured the album's reputation. Score: 7
$ Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (RS) [FK] Score: 7
$ The Beatles – Revolver (RS) (MC) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) Score: 6 1/2
$ John Mayall & the Blues Breakers – With Eric Clapton (RS) (ATT) [EB] On this album Clapton paired a Gibson Les Paul with a Marshal amp and found the perfect rock sound. What Clapton said he was trying to do was "shift that style [the blues] into a Chuck Berry rock format." It was a seismic shift in blues and rock music, and young guitarists could not believe what they were hearing. Through careful experimentation he found he could hold his guitar a certain distance from the amp and get a harmonic sustain - taken to excess it results in feedback, but held just right and it creates beauty. The album was a mix of blues covers and some dreary songs written by John Mayall; while the guitar playing is awesome and ground-breaking and inspirational, the songs are a little weak. The album is here mainly for the historic/cultural significance. Score: 6
+ Various - What's Shakin' [EB] Elektra compilation sampler which has the only recordings of Eric Clapton's Powerhouse, plus the earliest recordings of The Lovin' Spoonful, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Al Kooper, plus a track by Tom Rush. Aside from the importance and rarity of the recordings, this is a fascinating glimpse into the early development of electric folk and blues on both sides of the Atlantic. Score: 5 1/2
$ Cream – Disraeli Gears (RS) (ATT) [jz] [EB] Introduces some jazz rhythm approaches and ideas to British electric blues, hinting at jazz rock. But not the band's best album. Score: 5
+ Sam & Dave - Hold On, I'm Comin' [SL] Sam & Dave epitomised the sweaty gritty Memphis sound - rhythmic blasting horns, and a drop dead beat. This is their debut, with their biggest hit "Hold On, I'm Coming". The 1969 The Best of Sam & Dave (CCC), is a useful sampler, but this album contains all you need, and was issued at their peak. Score: 5 1/2
+ Small Faces - Small Faces This is hot. Score: 5 1/2
$ Country Joe and the Fish – Electric Music for the Mind & Body [Psy] Part of the psychedelic San Francisco sound which included Big Brother, Jefferson Airplane, and The Grateful Dead. This is the band's debut album, and it is widely regarded as their best. Kind of symbolic of late Sixties / early Seventies hippy counter-culture. Score: 5 1/2
$ The Rolling Stones – Aftermath (RS) (CCC) (ATT) [EB] Score: 5 1/2
+ Small Faces - Small Faces This is hot. Score: 5 1/2
$ Country Joe and the Fish – Electric Music for the Mind & Body [Psy] Part of the psychedelic San Francisco sound which included Big Brother, Jefferson Airplane, and The Grateful Dead. This is the band's debut album, and it is widely regarded as their best. Kind of symbolic of late Sixties / early Seventies hippy counter-culture. Score: 5 1/2
$ The Rolling Stones – Aftermath (RS) (CCC) (ATT) [EB] Score: 5 1/2
+ The Seeds - A Web of Sound A typical garage band, representative of the period. This is their second album, and does the usual things until the second track on side two: "Up In Her Room". It's a clear take on Van Morrison's "Gloria", but adds a neat Bo Diddley beat, moves into a hypnotic psychedelic Doors vamp of "Gloria" with a bit of organ, and then gets noisy and repetitive like the Velvets' "Sister Ray". But this is 1966, a year before the Velvets and the Doors, and two years before "Sister Ray". Yes, you need to hear this! Their debut album, also from 1966, The Seeds (this Spotify album contains both albums), is also interesting. Score: 5
+ Buck Owens - The Carnegie Hall Concert [CW] A live album recorded in 1966. Popular country singer who influenced the Beatles among others with his direct and simple rocking country style that was termed the Bakersfield Sound. Score: 5
$ Astrud Gilberto – Beach Samba [jz] The singer of "The Girl From Ipanema". This album has some of that pleasant Sixties innocence and cool. It's nice. I'm keeping it for now. Score: 5
+ The Fugs - The Fugs First Album Satirical protest rock band formed by Beat and counter-culture poets Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg. Captures the mood of the mid-Sixties. Contains ideas picked up by The Incredible String Band. Score: 5
$ Nico – Chelsea Girl Score: 4 1/2
$ Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention – Freak Out! (RS) (ATT) Debut album by a fascinating and always challenging artist. Zappa was an intelligent, knowing, knowledgeable, and interesting artist, but his material is rarely profound or engages the emotion because of a lack of spiritual commitment. He was always a step removed, and sneered too much, or had his tongue too far into his cheek. When he did lay himself on the line and commit seriously, as in Hot Rats, he could produce profound, transcendental music; or when he was genuinely, openly playful, as in the Live Filmore East album, he could be surprisingly entertaining. But mostly he engaged in trite political snaps or musical parodies, as though afraid to commit. This album reminds me a bit of The Barron Knights, who also did music parodies However, for all its flaws, it is an interesting document. Score: 4 1/2
+ The Spencer Davis Group - The Second Album This is good. Score: 4
$ The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (RS) (MC) (C4) (G50) (NME) (Q) (ATT) One of the great artistic achievements of mankind. Exceptional album. Score: 10
$ The Doors – The Doors (RS) (MC) (C4) (NM) (Q) (ATT) [EB] Score: 10
+ The Doors - Strange Days (RS) (ATT) [EB] Score: 8
$ Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn (RS) (ATT) [psy] Score: 8
$ Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced (RS) (CCC) (C4) (NM) (G50) (Q) (ATT) [EB] The debut album of rock's most flamboyant guitarist. Score: 8
+ The Incredible String Band – The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion [FK] [psy] 1968's Hangman's Beautiful Daughter is the band's better known album and is generally the one that critics like, however 5000 Spirits contains the same approach, instruments and ideas, is earlier, and - for me - is much more light-hearted, fun and inventive. I would select 5000 Spirits over Hangman in a heartbeat. Score: 7 1/2
$ The Kinks – Something Else (RS) (ATT) In my blog article on the Kinks I was fairly down on this album, despite it having some of my favourite Kinks songs. Listening again just recently, and I think I was a bit harsh. Score: 7
+ Procol Harum - Procol Harum [EB] [psy] [pg] Procol Harum are important in moving music on from R&B and British blues (which is evident on their first album) and into psychedelic and progressive music with their use of classical music ideas. Critics tend to like the 1969 album A Salty Dog, but in addition to capturing that moment of transition from British R&B into progressive music, the debut contains "Conquistador", and the US release also contains "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which makes it pretty essential. Score: 7
+ The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed (ATT) [pg] Why listen to this? Released in November 1967, this is considered a landmark fusion album, combining classical, pop and r 'n' b music styles that would later develop into progressive rock. It is a serious album, further developing some of the ideas explored on The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's album released in May. The album is a song cycle (or "concept") with a theme of a day; it starts with "The Day Begins" and concludes with the breath-taking "Nights In White Satin". The songs don't tell a unified story, but they do share the theme of parts of the day organised in sequence. Score: 7
$ Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Safe as Milk (ATT) Score: 6 1/2
+ Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding (RS) (CCC) (NME) (ATT) [fk] [cw] Score: 6
+ Big Brother & The Holding Company / Janis Joplin - Big Brother & The Holding Company Score: 6
$ The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet (RS) (CCC) (NM) (ATT) [EB] Score: 6
$ Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (RS) (MC) (C4) (G50) (ATT) [SL] Score: 6
+ Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign (RS) [EB] Score: 5 1/2
+ Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant [FK] This article may give some clue as to why this should be included. Score: 5 1/2
+ The Red Crayola (or Red Krayola) - The Parable Of Arable Land Fascinating and fun. Score: 5 1/2
+ The Nice - The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack [Psy] [pg] Psychedelic and prog-rock. This serves as a useful companion piece to Days of Future Passed, especially in terms of the hard and excessive instrumentation that was (still is?) such a negative component of prog-rock. Keyboard player Emerson would go on to form ELP, who did the same stuff. It's all here. Emerson didn't advance beyond this. Score: 5
+ Buck Owens - The Carnegie Hall Concert [CW] A live album recorded in 1966. Popular country singer who influenced the Beatles among others with his direct and simple rocking country style that was termed the Bakersfield Sound. Score: 5
$ Astrud Gilberto – Beach Samba [jz] The singer of "The Girl From Ipanema". This album has some of that pleasant Sixties innocence and cool. It's nice. I'm keeping it for now. Score: 5
+ The Fugs - The Fugs First Album Satirical protest rock band formed by Beat and counter-culture poets Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg. Captures the mood of the mid-Sixties. Contains ideas picked up by The Incredible String Band. Score: 5
$ Nico – Chelsea Girl Score: 4 1/2
$ Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention – Freak Out! (RS) (ATT) Debut album by a fascinating and always challenging artist. Zappa was an intelligent, knowing, knowledgeable, and interesting artist, but his material is rarely profound or engages the emotion because of a lack of spiritual commitment. He was always a step removed, and sneered too much, or had his tongue too far into his cheek. When he did lay himself on the line and commit seriously, as in Hot Rats, he could produce profound, transcendental music; or when he was genuinely, openly playful, as in the Live Filmore East album, he could be surprisingly entertaining. But mostly he engaged in trite political snaps or musical parodies, as though afraid to commit. This album reminds me a bit of The Barron Knights, who also did music parodies However, for all its flaws, it is an interesting document. Score: 4 1/2
+ The Spencer Davis Group - The Second Album This is good. Score: 4
***
 |
| 1967 |
$ The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (RS) (MC) (C4) (G50) (NME) (Q) (ATT) One of the great artistic achievements of mankind. Exceptional album. Score: 10
$ The Doors – The Doors (RS) (MC) (C4) (NM) (Q) (ATT) [EB] Score: 10
+ The Doors - Strange Days (RS) (ATT) [EB] Score: 8
$ Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn (RS) (ATT) [psy] Score: 8
$ Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced (RS) (CCC) (C4) (NM) (G50) (Q) (ATT) [EB] The debut album of rock's most flamboyant guitarist. Score: 8
+ The Incredible String Band – The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion [FK] [psy] 1968's Hangman's Beautiful Daughter is the band's better known album and is generally the one that critics like, however 5000 Spirits contains the same approach, instruments and ideas, is earlier, and - for me - is much more light-hearted, fun and inventive. I would select 5000 Spirits over Hangman in a heartbeat. Score: 7 1/2
$ The Kinks – Something Else (RS) (ATT) In my blog article on the Kinks I was fairly down on this album, despite it having some of my favourite Kinks songs. Listening again just recently, and I think I was a bit harsh. Score: 7
+ Procol Harum - Procol Harum [EB] [psy] [pg] Procol Harum are important in moving music on from R&B and British blues (which is evident on their first album) and into psychedelic and progressive music with their use of classical music ideas. Critics tend to like the 1969 album A Salty Dog, but in addition to capturing that moment of transition from British R&B into progressive music, the debut contains "Conquistador", and the US release also contains "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which makes it pretty essential. Score: 7
+ The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed (ATT) [pg] Why listen to this? Released in November 1967, this is considered a landmark fusion album, combining classical, pop and r 'n' b music styles that would later develop into progressive rock. It is a serious album, further developing some of the ideas explored on The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's album released in May. The album is a song cycle (or "concept") with a theme of a day; it starts with "The Day Begins" and concludes with the breath-taking "Nights In White Satin". The songs don't tell a unified story, but they do share the theme of parts of the day organised in sequence. Score: 7
$ Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Safe as Milk (ATT) Score: 6 1/2
+ Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding (RS) (CCC) (NME) (ATT) [fk] [cw] Score: 6
+ Big Brother & The Holding Company / Janis Joplin - Big Brother & The Holding Company Score: 6
$ The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet (RS) (CCC) (NM) (ATT) [EB] Score: 6
$ Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (RS) (MC) (C4) (G50) (ATT) [SL] Score: 6
+ Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign (RS) [EB] Score: 5 1/2
+ Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant [FK] This article may give some clue as to why this should be included. Score: 5 1/2
+ The Red Crayola (or Red Krayola) - The Parable Of Arable Land Fascinating and fun. Score: 5 1/2
+ The Nice - The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack [Psy] [pg] Psychedelic and prog-rock. This serves as a useful companion piece to Days of Future Passed, especially in terms of the hard and excessive instrumentation that was (still is?) such a negative component of prog-rock. Keyboard player Emerson would go on to form ELP, who did the same stuff. It's all here. Emerson didn't advance beyond this. Score: 5
+ The Hollies - Greatest Hits Released just after Graham Nash left the band. The Hollies were essentially a singles band, and during their early career almost all their singles were released separately from the albums - this was the first album to collect them together. There are also later greatest hits compilations which include "Air That I Breathe" and "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother", which would give a more rounded experience, but I haven't yet found the right one. Score: 5
+ Mississippi John Hurt - The Immortal [FK] Delicate, beautiful finger picking blues. He was recorded in 1928, but his records didn't sell, so he continued working as a share-cropper. He was sought out in 1963, when he was in his Seventies, and he recorded some material before he died in 1966. This is an excellent example of his work - more folk than blues, and surprisingly modern. Score: 5
+ Gary Burton - Duster [JZ] Ambient fusion/jazz-rock. Two years earlier than Miles Davis' In a Silent Way, Burton's album explores similar territory. As Burton was not as well known, this didn't have the impact, but is worth listening to as part of the history of the development of fusion. Score: 5
+ Jake Holmes - "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes [FK] Score: 5
$ The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat (RS) (ATT) Not as groundbreaking, awe-inspiring or beautiful as the debut album, this album is nevertheless a fascinating artefact with some challenging and unique pieces. Well worth listening to. Score: 5
+ Mississippi John Hurt - The Immortal [FK] Delicate, beautiful finger picking blues. He was recorded in 1928, but his records didn't sell, so he continued working as a share-cropper. He was sought out in 1963, when he was in his Seventies, and he recorded some material before he died in 1966. This is an excellent example of his work - more folk than blues, and surprisingly modern. Score: 5
+ Gary Burton - Duster [JZ] Ambient fusion/jazz-rock. Two years earlier than Miles Davis' In a Silent Way, Burton's album explores similar territory. As Burton was not as well known, this didn't have the impact, but is worth listening to as part of the history of the development of fusion. Score: 5
+ Jake Holmes - "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes [FK] Score: 5
$ The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat (RS) (ATT) Not as groundbreaking, awe-inspiring or beautiful as the debut album, this album is nevertheless a fascinating artefact with some challenging and unique pieces. Well worth listening to. Score: 5
$ The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday [cw] (RS) (NME) (ATT) Score: 5
$ Young Rascals – Groovin’ [SL] White soul. Score: 5
$ Traffic – Traffic (ATT) [jz] [fk] [sl] Jazz, rock, folk, soul, and fusion. Intelligent, thoughtful, inventive and pleasant music with one of the great soul voices: Steve Winwood. This was Traffic's second album. Score: 5
$ Young Rascals – Groovin’ [SL] White soul. Score: 5
$ Traffic – Traffic (ATT) [jz] [fk] [sl] Jazz, rock, folk, soul, and fusion. Intelligent, thoughtful, inventive and pleasant music with one of the great soul voices: Steve Winwood. This was Traffic's second album. Score: 5
+ Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle Coming from the same direction as Randy Newman (who contributes the opening song) - classically minded with a view that songs are professionally constructed, Parks worked with West Coast bands such as The Byrds, Frank Zappa, and The Beach Boys, as well as Newman and Harry Nilsson, and was co-writer with Brian Wilson on the aborted Smile album, so had a foot in the pop/alternative pop field. This is a quirky hodge-podge of musical styles with elements of music hall and baroque which was the trend at the time (Bowie's debut and Procol Harum's debut, etc). Not entirely successful, it is however competent and interesting, and has acquired critical acclaim and a cult following. His second album, Discover America, is slightly more appealing, interesting, and accomplished, but it's his debut that has gained the interest. Score: 4
$ Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow (RS) (ATT) [Psy] This is often cited as one of the early albums of psychedelic rock . The band's second album, but the first with Grace Slick, the tracks "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love", which Slick brought over from her previous band, are awesome. The rest of the album I struggle with, as I do with other Airplane material. I've never quite got them. They do have a muscular yet rhythmic sound, which would be heard in a lot of bands going into the Seventies, with robust singing by Slick, and they have psychedelic flourishes on the lead guitar, with some funky soulful strumming on the rhythm guitar, but it often doesn't amount to much. I think the sound they had was good, but - other than the two tracks mentioned, they lacked good songs. See the 2013 compilation album Pure... Psychedelic Rock. The two good songs I will put in a 1001 songs article. Score: 3 1/2
$ Moby Grape – Moby Grape (RS) (ATT) [EB] Sounding like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Big Brother & The Holding Company, but much more blues and rock focused, and lacking the psychedelic touches that made those bands famous, this points more toward The Band than their San Francisco compatriots. Worthy and competent, this is widely acknowledged as the band's best album. I have my doubts, though, as Big Brother & The Holding Company's 1967 debut album has more of interest. I left this out originally, but have put it back in at a low score. Score: 3 1/2
***
 |
| 1968 |
$ Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (RS) (NME) (Q) (ATT) [fk] [sl] Exceptional album. Score: 10
+ Captain Beefheart - Strictly Personal (ATT) The Cap'n complained about the post-production on this one, so the received opinion is that it is therefore a lesser album than his others, but I don't hear that - this has many of the strengths of Safe as Milk, and is a musical and interesting album. Score: 10
$ Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen (ATT) [FK] Cohen's debut is his most popular and most acclaimed album. It sets the template for his style, from which he has not strayed far., and contains some of his most well known and enduring songs. It's one of the great debuts, and like the Velvet Underground, while he did do decent, strong, and very popular work afterwards, he never again produced an album this brilliant and iconic. While this is in the folky singer-songwriter style, what Cohen adds is a particular poetic phrasing and imagery that is rare in songwriters; and he also adds a famously pessimistic approach to the music and lyrical content. It is appropriate that the cover should be black, with a sombre sepia tint image of a gloomy Cohen staring out. A stirring, unique, and hugely satisfying album. Score: 10
+ Cream - Wheels of Fire (RS) (ATT) [EB] [jz] [hr] Incorporates jazz ideas which became influential, though is not usually considered to be a part of jazz rock. This is rock. Modern rock. The live album is sublime. Score: 9
$ Laura Nyro – Eli & the Thirteenth Confession I love Laura Nyro, and it surprises me that she is not better known. This is generally regarded as her best album, and it captures her spirited singing, and her ambitious and glorious songwriting. Exceptional album Score: 9
$ Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison (RS) (NM) (ATT) [CW] Classic. Without a doubt one of Cash's best albums, and some feel it is his best. The energy and focus of the performance is tangible, the songs are strong, the atmosphere is electric, the concept of performing in prison (not for soldiers in Vietnam or a President and his friends) and releasing an album of that performance is audacious, and consolidates and validates Cash's folk theme albums exploring some of the darker and more forgotten aspects of America. This is a true outlaw album in its empathy and affection for the thieves and murderers in the prison, and apparent contempt for the jailers and prison authorities. Cash had been giving performances in prisons since 1957, and had previously played at Folsom, and that experience gave him the confidence which is displayed throughout the performance, where he takes an arrogant and contemptuous stance toward the prison itself, which is fully appreciated by the prisoners. The album propelled Cash into the mainstream and made him a legend. When I was a young hippy I had the San Quentin album and loved it - and in many respects I still feel it the more attractive, stronger and listenable album; however, Folsom Prison is a true landmark album - one of the greatest albums of all time. Score: 8 1/2
+ Joni Mitchell - Song To a Seagull [FK] Joni Mitchell's debut album sets up many of her distinctive features - her cool and reflective voice with the soft yodelling that others such as Kate Bush would pick up, her intelligent and poetic confessional lyrics, the beautiful sound she creates, and the solid structure of her songs. There's nothing especially cutting edge, but it's extremely well done, and has a shimmering icy beauty. Later Mitchell would add other musicians and explore jazz elements as part of the trendy jazz-fusion of the Seventies (though she would came to it later than most), but everything that is essential about her is here, and this is possibly her purest, freshest, most honest, and most beautiful album. Possibly her best, and sadly over-looked for the better selling and more talked about albums in the Seventies. Exceptional album. Score: 8
+ Tyrannosaurus Rex - My People Were Fair... [FK] [psy] Gosh, I'd almost forgotten how charming this is. Score: 9
$ The Band – Music from Big Pink (RS) (MC) (ATT) [cw] This roots music/Americana/country-rock sound is what Dylan developed with The Band on The Basement Tapes - however, The Basement Tapes wouldn't be officially published for another seven years, so this is what most people got to hear - this or The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, which is close (though not as good). It had an impact - big enough to get Clapton to break up Cream, and for The Beatles to do things differently from then on. That's fairly significant. And that this was an off-shoot of something Dylan was doing in private is another confirmation of the importance of Dylan. Score: 6 1/2
$ Small Faces – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake (ATT) Score: 6
+ The Doors - Waiting For The Sun (ATT) Score: 6
$ Jeff Beck – Truth [EB] Not quite Led Zeppelin, but getting there. Rod Stewart on vocals. Score: 6
+ Soft Machine - The Soft Machine [jz] Hugely influential band - this is their debut album which combines psychedelic rock, prog-rock, and jazz-rock (with the emphasis on rock) styles in a unique and fascinating whole. They were the heart of the Canterbury scene in the UK, which emphasised serious musicianship in experimental styles while remaining playful and light-hearted - comparable to Frank Zappa in America. They were formed by Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals), Daevid Allen (guitar) and Mike Ratledge (organ); by the time of the debut album Allen had left, though his influence can still be detected. This is one of the earliest albums to successfully fuse together jazz and rock as a unified approach. As the band were composed of rock musicians rather than jazz, the focus is on jazz influenced rock rather than rock influenced jazz, as such it tends to be overlooked by jazz writers. Score: 6
$ The Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society (RS) (ATT) Score: 6
+ Various Artists - The Rock Machine Turns You On The first sampler album, and probably the best. This sparked a number of other sampler albums during the late 60s to early 70s. Aside from the historical importance, the selections are interesting. Score: 5
$ The Beatles – The White Album (RS) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) This is the Beatles' supermarket trolley album - it wobbles all over the place. It's widely seen as a self-indulgent mess with flashes of brilliance. The argument has long been that it would have been better as a single album rather than a double, but there are those who feel that the album's diversity gives it a synergy that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts - and I see that. And there's also the consideration that it does reflect the selfish ego that popular bands can develop where they'll sling together any old trash, and it'll work because people love them so much, and the band believe they are creative geniuses so anything they do is worth listening to. It's also worth noting that every Beatles album had a crap track sung by Ringo, an odd song that didn't quite work by Harrison, some granny songs by McCartney, and a piece of egoistic self-indulgence by Lennon, so this was no exception to that rule - except that there were a lot more of all those things so it becomes an album about all the worse aspects of the Beatles. Is it worth listening to for that? I don't know. Is it worth listening to for the good songs only? The agreed excellent songs are "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Harrison), "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" (Lennon), and "Helter Skelter" (McCartney), to which can be added as decent enough songs "Back In The U.S.S.R" (McCartney), "Birthday" (Lennon-McCartney), and "Revolution 1" (Lennon) - though the single version is better. There is no satisfactory compilation which contains only the best songs. The Blue Album has "Guitar" and "Happiness" but no "Helter Skelter", oddly using the granny song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" instead. Score: 5
+ Various - Hair The musical was culturally and historically significant - the music was part of the psyche of the Woodstock generation, and the song "Let the Sunshine In" was famously sung at Woodstock. Score: 5
$ The United States of America – United States of America Early electronic music. Quirky and interesting, though not great music. Score: 5
$ Scott Walker – Scott 2 Scott Walker is interesting. But I'm not sure which album to select. Score: 5
$ Os Mutantes – Os Mutantes [Psy] Curious Sixties Brazilian psychedelic band. Actually not bad.... Score: 5
$ Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in it for the Money (RS) (NME) (ATT) Zappa's music is difficult to define as he takes musical ideas from rock, jazz, doo-wop, psychedelia, etc to create his own idiosyncratic style. He is admired and respected and has sold well over the years, but his music is not hugely commercial. This is one of his better selling albums, reaching the lower end of the Top 30 in both America and Britain, largely on its association as a parody of Sgt. Peppers. Score: 5
$ The Incredible String Band – The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter (ATT) [FK] [psy] Though 1967's 5000 Spirits album is earlier, more fun, and contains the same ideas and instruments, this is the album that was the band's breakthrough in America, so is noteworthy for that. For me, everything that happens here has already happened on 5000 Spirits (and better), but opinions will differ on that. It may depend on which album you hear first. Anyway, keeping this - though may drop it later. Score: 5
$ Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul (RS) (ATT) [SL] Score: 5
$ Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland (RS) (CCC) (Q) (ATT) [EB] This is rather a messy, sprawling album with more that doesn't work as does, and the sound is very muddy. Hendrix was clearly interested in new studio technology and fully embraced the ideas offered by psychedelic rock and soul to add interesting layers to the UK blues rock he clearly loved, but he needed a good producer to turn those ideas into something workable. The album was seen as messy and muddy on release, but critics have over the years viewed the album more favourably, placing emphasis on what Hendrix achieved rather than what he didn't, and many see this as not only his best album , but an outstanding album in its own right. The top songs on the album - universally acknowledged as "Voodoo Child" and "All Along The Watchtower", are awesome. And there are other decent tracks on the album - such as "Crosstown Traffic" and "Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland)" with its obvious Curtis Mayfield influence. But even amongst those who regard this as a great album, the jury is still out on how complete and effective the other stuff actually is, though supporters feel that it represents Hendrix rich with ideas and excitement, pushing the boundaries. Hmmm. Score: 5
$ Dr. John – Gris Gris (RS) The epitome of New Orleans music. Also worth listening to The Wild Tchoupitoulas - Brother John (1976) (CCC) - they are "Mardi Gras Indians", black Americans who dress up as native Indians during the New Orleans Mardi Gras, and produce similar quirky New Orleans music. Score: 5
+ Various - 2001: A Space Odyssey Score: 5
+ Captain Beefheart - Strictly Personal (ATT) The Cap'n complained about the post-production on this one, so the received opinion is that it is therefore a lesser album than his others, but I don't hear that - this has many of the strengths of Safe as Milk, and is a musical and interesting album. Score: 10
$ Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen (ATT) [FK] Cohen's debut is his most popular and most acclaimed album. It sets the template for his style, from which he has not strayed far., and contains some of his most well known and enduring songs. It's one of the great debuts, and like the Velvet Underground, while he did do decent, strong, and very popular work afterwards, he never again produced an album this brilliant and iconic. While this is in the folky singer-songwriter style, what Cohen adds is a particular poetic phrasing and imagery that is rare in songwriters; and he also adds a famously pessimistic approach to the music and lyrical content. It is appropriate that the cover should be black, with a sombre sepia tint image of a gloomy Cohen staring out. A stirring, unique, and hugely satisfying album. Score: 10
+ Cream - Wheels of Fire (RS) (ATT) [EB] [jz] [hr] Incorporates jazz ideas which became influential, though is not usually considered to be a part of jazz rock. This is rock. Modern rock. The live album is sublime. Score: 9
$ Laura Nyro – Eli & the Thirteenth Confession I love Laura Nyro, and it surprises me that she is not better known. This is generally regarded as her best album, and it captures her spirited singing, and her ambitious and glorious songwriting. Exceptional album Score: 9
$ Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison (RS) (NM) (ATT) [CW] Classic. Without a doubt one of Cash's best albums, and some feel it is his best. The energy and focus of the performance is tangible, the songs are strong, the atmosphere is electric, the concept of performing in prison (not for soldiers in Vietnam or a President and his friends) and releasing an album of that performance is audacious, and consolidates and validates Cash's folk theme albums exploring some of the darker and more forgotten aspects of America. This is a true outlaw album in its empathy and affection for the thieves and murderers in the prison, and apparent contempt for the jailers and prison authorities. Cash had been giving performances in prisons since 1957, and had previously played at Folsom, and that experience gave him the confidence which is displayed throughout the performance, where he takes an arrogant and contemptuous stance toward the prison itself, which is fully appreciated by the prisoners. The album propelled Cash into the mainstream and made him a legend. When I was a young hippy I had the San Quentin album and loved it - and in many respects I still feel it the more attractive, stronger and listenable album; however, Folsom Prison is a true landmark album - one of the greatest albums of all time. Score: 8 1/2
+ Joni Mitchell - Song To a Seagull [FK] Joni Mitchell's debut album sets up many of her distinctive features - her cool and reflective voice with the soft yodelling that others such as Kate Bush would pick up, her intelligent and poetic confessional lyrics, the beautiful sound she creates, and the solid structure of her songs. There's nothing especially cutting edge, but it's extremely well done, and has a shimmering icy beauty. Later Mitchell would add other musicians and explore jazz elements as part of the trendy jazz-fusion of the Seventies (though she would came to it later than most), but everything that is essential about her is here, and this is possibly her purest, freshest, most honest, and most beautiful album. Possibly her best, and sadly over-looked for the better selling and more talked about albums in the Seventies. Exceptional album. Score: 8
+ Tyrannosaurus Rex - My People Were Fair... [FK] [psy] Gosh, I'd almost forgotten how charming this is. Score: 9
$ The Band – Music from Big Pink (RS) (MC) (ATT) [cw] This roots music/Americana/country-rock sound is what Dylan developed with The Band on The Basement Tapes - however, The Basement Tapes wouldn't be officially published for another seven years, so this is what most people got to hear - this or The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, which is close (though not as good). It had an impact - big enough to get Clapton to break up Cream, and for The Beatles to do things differently from then on. That's fairly significant. And that this was an off-shoot of something Dylan was doing in private is another confirmation of the importance of Dylan. Score: 6 1/2
$ Small Faces – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake (ATT) Score: 6
+ The Doors - Waiting For The Sun (ATT) Score: 6
$ Jeff Beck – Truth [EB] Not quite Led Zeppelin, but getting there. Rod Stewart on vocals. Score: 6
+ Soft Machine - The Soft Machine [jz] Hugely influential band - this is their debut album which combines psychedelic rock, prog-rock, and jazz-rock (with the emphasis on rock) styles in a unique and fascinating whole. They were the heart of the Canterbury scene in the UK, which emphasised serious musicianship in experimental styles while remaining playful and light-hearted - comparable to Frank Zappa in America. They were formed by Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals), Daevid Allen (guitar) and Mike Ratledge (organ); by the time of the debut album Allen had left, though his influence can still be detected. This is one of the earliest albums to successfully fuse together jazz and rock as a unified approach. As the band were composed of rock musicians rather than jazz, the focus is on jazz influenced rock rather than rock influenced jazz, as such it tends to be overlooked by jazz writers. Score: 6
$ The Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society (RS) (ATT) Score: 6
+ Various Artists - The Rock Machine Turns You On The first sampler album, and probably the best. This sparked a number of other sampler albums during the late 60s to early 70s. Aside from the historical importance, the selections are interesting. Score: 5
$ The Beatles – The White Album (RS) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) This is the Beatles' supermarket trolley album - it wobbles all over the place. It's widely seen as a self-indulgent mess with flashes of brilliance. The argument has long been that it would have been better as a single album rather than a double, but there are those who feel that the album's diversity gives it a synergy that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts - and I see that. And there's also the consideration that it does reflect the selfish ego that popular bands can develop where they'll sling together any old trash, and it'll work because people love them so much, and the band believe they are creative geniuses so anything they do is worth listening to. It's also worth noting that every Beatles album had a crap track sung by Ringo, an odd song that didn't quite work by Harrison, some granny songs by McCartney, and a piece of egoistic self-indulgence by Lennon, so this was no exception to that rule - except that there were a lot more of all those things so it becomes an album about all the worse aspects of the Beatles. Is it worth listening to for that? I don't know. Is it worth listening to for the good songs only? The agreed excellent songs are "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Harrison), "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" (Lennon), and "Helter Skelter" (McCartney), to which can be added as decent enough songs "Back In The U.S.S.R" (McCartney), "Birthday" (Lennon-McCartney), and "Revolution 1" (Lennon) - though the single version is better. There is no satisfactory compilation which contains only the best songs. The Blue Album has "Guitar" and "Happiness" but no "Helter Skelter", oddly using the granny song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" instead. Score: 5
+ Various - Hair The musical was culturally and historically significant - the music was part of the psyche of the Woodstock generation, and the song "Let the Sunshine In" was famously sung at Woodstock. Score: 5
$ The United States of America – United States of America Early electronic music. Quirky and interesting, though not great music. Score: 5
$ Scott Walker – Scott 2 Scott Walker is interesting. But I'm not sure which album to select. Score: 5
$ Os Mutantes – Os Mutantes [Psy] Curious Sixties Brazilian psychedelic band. Actually not bad.... Score: 5
$ Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in it for the Money (RS) (NME) (ATT) Zappa's music is difficult to define as he takes musical ideas from rock, jazz, doo-wop, psychedelia, etc to create his own idiosyncratic style. He is admired and respected and has sold well over the years, but his music is not hugely commercial. This is one of his better selling albums, reaching the lower end of the Top 30 in both America and Britain, largely on its association as a parody of Sgt. Peppers. Score: 5
$ The Incredible String Band – The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter (ATT) [FK] [psy] Though 1967's 5000 Spirits album is earlier, more fun, and contains the same ideas and instruments, this is the album that was the band's breakthrough in America, so is noteworthy for that. For me, everything that happens here has already happened on 5000 Spirits (and better), but opinions will differ on that. It may depend on which album you hear first. Anyway, keeping this - though may drop it later. Score: 5
$ Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul (RS) (ATT) [SL] Score: 5
$ Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland (RS) (CCC) (Q) (ATT) [EB] This is rather a messy, sprawling album with more that doesn't work as does, and the sound is very muddy. Hendrix was clearly interested in new studio technology and fully embraced the ideas offered by psychedelic rock and soul to add interesting layers to the UK blues rock he clearly loved, but he needed a good producer to turn those ideas into something workable. The album was seen as messy and muddy on release, but critics have over the years viewed the album more favourably, placing emphasis on what Hendrix achieved rather than what he didn't, and many see this as not only his best album , but an outstanding album in its own right. The top songs on the album - universally acknowledged as "Voodoo Child" and "All Along The Watchtower", are awesome. And there are other decent tracks on the album - such as "Crosstown Traffic" and "Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland)" with its obvious Curtis Mayfield influence. But even amongst those who regard this as a great album, the jury is still out on how complete and effective the other stuff actually is, though supporters feel that it represents Hendrix rich with ideas and excitement, pushing the boundaries. Hmmm. Score: 5
$ Dr. John – Gris Gris (RS) The epitome of New Orleans music. Also worth listening to The Wild Tchoupitoulas - Brother John (1976) (CCC) - they are "Mardi Gras Indians", black Americans who dress up as native Indians during the New Orleans Mardi Gras, and produce similar quirky New Orleans music. Score: 5
+ Various - 2001: A Space Odyssey Score: 5
XX Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends (RS) [FK] Score: 4
$ The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo (RS) (MC) (CCC) (G50) (NME) (ATT) [CW] This is the band's famous country-rock album. The remains of the band were joined by Gram Parsons who effectively hijacked the band in order to develop his own obsession with the idea of making country music more popular. For many folks this is the most important Byrds album - but effectively it is not a Byrds album, but a Gram Parsons album. I'm not a huge fan of country. I can tolerate it at times, and sometimes, in the hands of someone sublime like Johhny Cash or Kris Kristoferson, I can enjoy it. Cash had been doing his version of country-rock pretty much since he started, but this sort of country-rock has a more poppier feel than either Cash or Kristoferson would ever do, and proved to be popular. This sound can be heard on The Basement Tapes which had been recorded a year earlier, and though not officially released until 1975, the tracks were widely available on bootlegs, so claims that popular country-rock was developed here by Gram Parsons are erroneous. The Byrds even bookend the album with "You Aint Going Nowhere" and "Nothing Was Delivered" two songs that Dylan recorded for the Tapes ("You Aint Going Nowhere" - "Nothing Was Delivered"). And Dylan had released John Wesley Harding in 1967, an album recorded in Nashville. And The Band's Music From Big Pink was released in July 1968, a month before Sweetheart, and which contains "The Weight" and "I Shall Be Released", two truly superb tracks, so claims of Sweetheart's importance are rather overstated. File under typical Byrds "exaggerated hype" and ignore. Score: 3
$ Led Zeppelin – II (RS) (NM) (ATT) [EB] [HR] I'm of the opinion that the first four albums by Zeppelin are, singly and as a body, outstanding works of human achievement. IV is generally regarded as the pinnacle of that achievement, but it is highly debatable which takes second place - though this is probably it. The album was written, recorded and edited in various studios while the band were touring England and America during 1969, and it is notorious for taking ideas, riffs, lines, and entire songs from other musicians, mostly early blues players, without acknowledgement. Out of that mess unexpectedly comes some raw, exciting, inventive and imaginative music. Yes, the sound is muddy in places, but the power and energy is stunning, and the playful inventiveness of the production during "Whole Lotta Love" is staggering. Heavy, sexual, powerful, raw, and shockingly inventive. This is the definitive Led Zeppelin song. Score: 9 1/2
$ Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (RS) (NM) (ATT) [EB] [HR] From the first note of the first song you know this band is special. The musical ability is staggeringly high, and - unlike Cream - the band work together - they are tight, creative, imaginative, taking the best from what has gone before, and creating something a little different and a little daring, and thus pushing the music into the future. While there is still the feel of the Sixties about some of the music on this album, and the band have not yet fully incorporated other musical styles, the tightness of the band, the huge vocals of Plant, the powerful, inventive, and expressive drumming of Bonham, the fluid, crafted, and adventurous guitar playing of Page, along with the sheer professionalism of Jones on bass and keyboards, is undeniably breath-taking. A band like Zeppelin only comes along once in a lifetime. They stand there with Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, James Brown, and The Rolling Stones as groundbreaking and massively influential. And this album is where it all started. Exceptional album. Score: 9
$ Neil Young – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (RS) (MC) (ATT) [fk] A rocky country-rock album. This is the first with Young's electric backing band Crazy Horse. A bright, confident, and assured album. Tracks like "Down By The River" are at the heart of Young's electric/rock music, with blistering guitar work, and an authentic and original approach to rock music and electric guitar that would prove to be hugely inspirational for succeeding generations. Breath-taking. This is no longer pop, this is art. Not experimental, but done and delivered. Awesome album. Score: 9
$ Johnny Cash – At San Quentin [cw] Exceptional album. Classic. It's possible to debate until the cows come home which is the better album, San Quentin or Folsom. Both were best sellers, though San Quentin was the more popular, and produced bigger hit singles. That may be due to the film that accompanied the album, and partly due to the growing fame of Cash from the success of Folsom. Or it may be due to the power of the San Quentin song, and the reaction of the audience. Cash played the song again, and on the original (better) vinyl release this was followed by A Boy Named Sue, and then finishes up with Peace In The Valley and Folsom Prison Blues. Rarely has there been such a powerful side of an album. On the other hand, Folsom came first, and much of this album is a repeat of the atmosphere and tone of that landmark album. I had this album and played it often so I have an intimate familiarity with it. I prefer the cover, and I prefer the songs, and there is such an electric atmosphere that sizzles on the second side that for me this is slightly the better album. But, really, it's very close. Score: 8 1/2
$ The Kinks – Arthur: Or the Decline & Fall of the British Empire (RS) More critically and commercially successful than Village Green, Arthur was praised on release and continues to receive praise, considered by many as the Kinks best album. this is part of a group of albums from Village Green to Muswell Hillbillies that are seen as the peak of the Kinks albums, and Ray Davies' most mature writing.This feels more like a band album, than just a bunch of Ray Davies songs. The band occasionally groove, and there's a credible attempt by Dave Davies to play mature rock guitar licks. This is a damn good album. Score: 7
+ Phil Spector - Back To Mono (1958-1969) (1991) (RS) Released 1991, this is all the singles Spector produced from 1958 to 1969, with the exception of a handful that didn't chart - plus his Christmas album. With this album, the Christmas album can be dropped from the list. Score: 7
$ The Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed (RS) (CCC) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) [EB] Score: 7
$ Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (ATT) [JZ] As Abbey Road is the most musical of the Beatles' albums, so Hot Rats is the most musical, melodic, and adventurous of Frank Zappa's albums. This is more about creating music than playing around with ideas, so the result is very attractive, surprisingly easy to listen to, and very satisfying on several levels. There is no hiding behind an attitude here - Zappa plays it for real, exposing himself as he stretches out on his guitar - never throwing it away on a gimmick or laugh, but playing it as seriously well as he could all the way through - and boy does he play it well!, and that artistic honesty and authenticity is a huge part of the appeal of this album which blends in jazz ideas to create a form of melodic jazz fusion. Score: 6 1/2
$ The Beatles – Abbey Road (RS) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) It's a patchy, dubious album, but the good bits are awesome. The band are at their peak musically, and the production is crisp and unfussy, so there is a proper, quite serious muso feel to the whole thing. No larking about, no mess, just well played music. And music is key to this album. It's a rare moment to actually hear the band play. Here, and the live on the roof section of Let It Be, are the best bits of music The Beatles ever did. Lennon's contributions are the best - he's at his peak during this period, and "I Want You / She's So Heavy" is a fascinating piece of genuine music - intelligently constructed like a work of art. The most ambitious and musical of all the pieces they ever did. This is heavy blues, and progressive music, and heavy metal, and doom metal, and funk metal. This is Black Sabbath, King Crimson, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ride, Blur and Radiohead. It is sonic, it is extra-ordinary. Probably the best thing they have ever done. It is the end of the Sixties, and the start of the future of rock and roll. I remember when I first heard this at a friend's house. I didn't know it was the Beatles - I could hear it was accomplished, so, as a self-conscious young teenager, I just went over the record player to turn over the LP, so I could have a look at the label. That it was the Beatles stunned me almost as much as the music itself. This is as far from "She Loves You Yeah Yeah" as it's possible to get! Score: 6 1/2
$ Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis (RS) (CCC) (C4) (NME) (ATT) [sl] Score: 6 1/2
+ Humble Pie - As Safe As Yesterday Is [EB] Rugged electric blues with soulful blues. This was very much a thing during this period, though Pie's version of it was well done and influential on Led Zeppelin and others, including the later Paul Weller. The band were not quite as inventive and varied as this on their later albums - this album being a transition between the psychedelic mod RnB of Steve Marriot and the blues boogie of later Pie performances, yet also incorporating folk-rock, so this album is particularly interesting. Score: 6
$ The Stooges – The Stooges (RS) [HR] Powerful debut. Melodic menace. This is a good tight band playing strong songs such as "I Wanna Be Your Dog" with more psychedelic mood pieces. Elements of The Doors, Velvet Underground, and The Who. Often compared with MC5 as they emerged at the same time in the same place and were signed to the same label (for less money), but The Stooges are more authentic. Score: 6
+ The Mamas & the Papas - Hits of Gold [fk] They were a singles band so a greatest hits collection is more appropriate than one of their regular albums. The one I favour, and the one I had, is Hits of Gold (not available on YouTube, so I found the nearest equivalent). Other album lists select different compilation albums. I don't think there is a perfect one. Score: 6
$ The Temptations / Norman Whitfield – Cloud Nine [SL] Norman Whitfield takes ideas from Sly & The Family Stone and psychedelic music and develops Psychedelic Soul. Score: 6
+ Nina Simone - See-Line Woman: The Best of Nina Simone (2014) [jz] There has to be a Nina Simone album, but there doesn't seem to be general consensus on her best album. Some say it's her debut Little Girl Blue (1958), others say it's the 1959 live album Simone At Town Hall, others the 1965 live album Pastel Blues, or the 1965 album I Put A Spell On You, or the 1967 High Priestess of Soul, her last for Phillips, or the 1967 Sings The Blues, her first for RCA. Some people lay a lot of importance on her live albums. But, no particular album seems to reflect what she's about - the Fifties albums are popular among those who like jazz, the Sixties albums are a mix of rock, soul, and blues. People like her attitude. She has style, and can put authenticity, style, and cool on the songs she sings. There's a bit of rock, a bit of jazz, a bit of blues, and a bit of soul in pretty much everything she does. I think a compilation album which covers her best period, and is a judicious mix of live and studio, is the most appropriate, and after looking at pretty much most of them, I feel See-Line Woman: The Best of Nina Simone is the one to go for. Placed in the Sixties as that was her main period. Score: 6
$ Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left (RS) (MC) (C4) (NME) (ATT) [FK] Drake's debut. Firmly part of the UK folk singer-songwriter scene that also produced John Martyn and Bert Jansch, both of whom Drake strongly resembles. This is delicate and lovely. Deserving of the cult reputation he acquired after his suicide. Score: 6
$ Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking (ATT) [FK] Decent album, but still wondering if earlier albums are less interesting. Score: 6
$ Fairport Convention – Liege & Lief (MC) (G50) (ATT) [FK] British folk rock Score: 6
$ Pentangle – Basket of Light [FK] British folk rock Score: 5 1/2
+ Donovan – Greatest Hits (CCC) [FK] Marketed as Britain's Bob Dylan because they were both young folk singers, but not an appropriate comparison because Donovan was writing a different sort of material entirely. Dylan was profound, Donovan was fey. There is a certain attraction in his psychedelic whimsy, but - to be fair - it is limited, especially as we are no longer in the hippy trippy Swinging Sixties. This collects Donovan's best material from his peak period - the Sixties. Also worth hearing is 1968's In Concert which captures Donovan live in concert in 1967 at his peak of popularity and creativity. The concert is very charming, and has an authentic Sixties feel to it. The album was released on double CD containing the full concert - but that feels a little stretched compared to the original. Score: 5 1/2
$ The Who – Tommy (RS) (C4) (ATT) The album is over-long, overblown, and the music is too often rather tedious and uninspired, but for both ambition and status it is a must listen album. Score: 5 1/2
$ Grateful Dead – Live/Dead (RS) (ATT) The Dead have such a cultural and musical importance that at least one of their albums should be on this list, and as they had a profound reputation for their live performances,. and in particular the song "Dark Star", which takes up all of side one of this double album, this album has to be chosen. It's a curious blend of country-rock and soft jazz. A little goes a long way - for guitar weaving and extended live sets I prefer the Allman Brothers, and for rock-jazz improvisation I prefer Cream and Man. But this band are popular, and have a legendary reputation. Score: 5 1/2
$ King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (ATT) [jz] [pg] [hr] Debut album of Robert's Fripp's eclectic band which is generally classed as either heavy rock or progressive rock or both, but, particularly on this album, also incorporated jazz rock. Score: 5 1/2
$ Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (RS) (ATT) [fk] [cw] This is very pleasant and cute. The band needed Neil Young to bring bite and authenticity and depth, but even without him the music is evocative and, like Simon & Garfunkel, fairly representative of the times and of the hippy ideal. Score: 5 1/2
+ Al Stewart - Love Chronicles (ATT) [FK] Score: 5 1/2
+ Various - Sugar Sugar: The Birth of Bubblegum Pop (2012) I've been looking for a comprehensive Bubblegum music compilation, one that held music by The Monkees and The Archies as well as the Kasenetz and Katz productions, such as the 1910 Fruitgum Company, and this one does that and more, continuing into the Seventies and the instant pop of bands such as Sweet, The Mixtures, and The Fortunes, as well as some less obvious but appropriate choices such as The Bay City Rollers, Abba and Elton John. A sweeping and delightful contentious selection which delivers everything anyone could want in terms of understanding Bubblegum music, and a little bit more. It's placed here in 2012 when the collection was released, but I may move it to a more appropriate year slot because this music was alive in the Sixties and Seventies. Score: 5 1/2
+ Cromagnon - Orgasm Experimental music that doesn't always work, but is always fascinating, and that some see as foregrounding later genres such as industrial and noise rock. Score: 5
+ White Noise - An Electric Storm An experimental, exploratory electronic noise/music group comprised of members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (Dr Who) and an American classical musician with an interest in electronics. The album is edgy, psychedelic pop, incomplete, mostly unsuccessful, but totally fascinating, and while commercially unsuccessful has consistently provoked interest. Score: 5
+ Various - The Psychedelic Years (1966-69) [Psy] Useful guide to the main psychedelic tracks of the late Sixties as well as the related hard rock tracks. Contains Iron Butterfly's "In a Gadda da Vida", so no need to listen to the In a Gadda da Vida album. Score: 5
$ Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence – Oar (ATT) [fk] There is something compulsively odd about this album. Spence was a minor figure in the late Sixties San Francisco psychedelic music scene. He was a founder member of Moby Grape, but had mental health issues. After attacking the rest of the band with an axe he was placed in a mental hospital for six months, where he wrote the songs recorded on this album. On release he made this album by himself. Considering it's oddity and the almost perverse slurring of words and guitar playing, and the general miserable tone, it's not surprising that the album didn't sell and so was deleted within 12 months. There has of late been a renewal of interest and comparisons with Syd Barrett. It's not a great work of art as it copies sometimes too obviously (there is a strong John Wesley Harding feel about Oar, and "Broken Heart" is a mumbled yet compulsively interesting take of Dylan's "St Augustine"), yet it presents as a creative picture of a decaying mind, and is too interesting to ignore, even if difficult to take at times. Score: 5
$ The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground (RS) (CCC) (ATT) Not on the same level as the debut album, and more about Lou Reed than anything else, this is reminiscent of Reed's 1974 album Sally Can't Ride - it's a bunch of fairly straightforward commercial pop songs, nicely done, and with that added twist that Reed can bring to his lyrics. So, not a brilliant album, but it has enough good songs to be worth listening to. Score: 5
$ Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica (RS) (MC) (ATT) I have never quite shared the enthusiasm for this album, preferring his earlier albums, particularly the sorely disregarded Strictly Personal, but including it here as there is a distinct argument that this is an album one must hear. Score: 5
$ Scott Walker – Scott 4 (ATT) A Scott Walker album should be included, and it might as well be this one. Score: 5
+ Amon Düül II - Phallus Dei Amon Duul were a significant part of the Krautrock movement, though as they moved away from their roots and became more commercially successful so their music became more mainstream rock and less interesting. I had Wolf City in my collection, which was a big seller at the time, but always felt that it wasn't quite "there" compared to other German bands I was listening to. At that stage they were nothing like Can, Tangerine Dream, or Faust. Their second album, Yeti, is largely seen as their breakthrough album, standing as it does between the more commercial and mainstream Wolf City, and the musical freedom of Phallus Dei. But if Amon Duul have a place in music history, then it is this, their 1969 debut album. It is fluid and expressive - more muscular and free than UK progressive rock, and is (possibly) the first Krautrock album released (Can's Monster Movies was released Aug 1969). Score: 5
+ Buffalo Springfield - Retrospective Buffalo Springfield had one great single, "For What It's Worth", and at least one other great song, "Mr Soul". These songs are on different albums. 1001 Albums selects Again, which contains "Mr Soul", while Christgau selects the debut album Buffalo Springfield which contains "For What It's Worth". Difficult to make that choice, so I have decided to go with the 1969 compilation Retrospective, which contains both those songs. Score: 5
+ It's A Beautiful Day - It's A Beautiful Day Score: 5
+ Roy Harper - Folkjokeopus [FK] Influential and important British folk artist and guitar player, widely admired by fellow musicians for his songwriting and his approach to guitar playing, but mostly over looked by the public and the critics. (consider Stormcock)
+ Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy [pg] Score: 5
$ Miles Davis – In a Silent Way (ATT) [JZ] Ambient fusion/jazz-rock. Not the first fusion album - rock musicians, particularly in the UK, had been incorporating jazz ideas and styles into their music since the early Sixties, and the full fusion style was fully developed via bands such as Soft Machine by 1969; and jazz musicians had also been exploring fusion ideas, such as Gary Burton with Duster in 1967; however, this was the first fusion by a major jazz artist. It got the attention of jazz critics, who were not pleased, and the attention of rock critics, who were pleased that a highly respected musician of the "senior" music style was exploring the modes of the young upstart rock. Though Bitches Brew would have the greater impact on the general public, this is the one that caught the attention of those in the music business - critics, record companies, and musicians. It is surprisingly modern and listenable - partly due to its quiet ambient and melodic nature. Score: 5
$ Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails (RS) (ATT) The exploration of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" in front of an appreciative and responsive audience is something special. Score: 5
$ Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (ATT) A similar band to Blood, Sweat & Tears, though considered more progressive and musical in their less commercially successful early days until they discovered the financial rewards of playing MOR ballads. This album is bold and exciting, and nothing like the Chicago of later years. Jazzy in a Sixties melodic film music way, but great stuff. Score: 5
$ Sly and the Family Stone – Stand! (RS) (ATT) [sl] Score: 5
+ Bridget St John - Ask Me No Questions [FK] Debut album of folk singer-songwriter with a Nico vocal style. Score: 5
+ The Meters - The Very Best Of (1997) The Meters (their 1969 debut) and their 1974 album, Rejuvenation, are hot albums containing some important funk, but for a more significant overview of their career, this compilation, released in 1997, is essential. Not a commercially successful or well known band, but they cut the groove, and were influential on the development of funk. Score: 5
+ Grand Funk Railroad - On Time [EB] Picking up on the amplified power trio ideas of Cream, Grand Funk were at the forefront of hard rock, stadium rock, and heavy metal. Undemanding melodic electric blues base power pop-rock for big audiences. Dismissed by critics, but loved by the masses, this sort of music has proved to be very popular, and Grand Funk inspired many other bands to follow their example. Grand Funk are the easy listening version of more musically demanding bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin. I saw Grand Funk in the early Seventies at Hyde Park. They were entertaining live, but I wasn't impressed enough to buy any of their albums - even though I am on the cover of one of them as part of the Hyde Park crowd! This is their debut. Score: 4 1/2
+ Dr Strangely Strange - Kip of The Serenes [FK] Irish folk band influenced by The Incredible String Band. (Rethinking this - perhaps the band are too close to The ISB....) Score: 4
$ The Band – The Band (RS) (CCC) (ATT) I have been ambivalent about The Band for many years. They are quite sombre - almost maudlin. This album is like a funeral dirge. They are respected partly because they backed Bob Dylan, but also because of their contribution to country rock. They appear on the live Before The Flood album, and on The Basement Tapes album, and Music From Big Pink is listed, so they are already present on this list with their best contributions. I'm not entirely sure what this album adds to that, as, other than "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Up On Cripple Creek", the tracks on this album are weak compared to Big Pink. Score: 4
$ Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (RS) (NM) (ATT) [EB] [HR] From the first note of the first song you know this band is special. The musical ability is staggeringly high, and - unlike Cream - the band work together - they are tight, creative, imaginative, taking the best from what has gone before, and creating something a little different and a little daring, and thus pushing the music into the future. While there is still the feel of the Sixties about some of the music on this album, and the band have not yet fully incorporated other musical styles, the tightness of the band, the huge vocals of Plant, the powerful, inventive, and expressive drumming of Bonham, the fluid, crafted, and adventurous guitar playing of Page, along with the sheer professionalism of Jones on bass and keyboards, is undeniably breath-taking. A band like Zeppelin only comes along once in a lifetime. They stand there with Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, James Brown, and The Rolling Stones as groundbreaking and massively influential. And this album is where it all started. Exceptional album. Score: 9
$ Neil Young – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (RS) (MC) (ATT) [fk] A rocky country-rock album. This is the first with Young's electric backing band Crazy Horse. A bright, confident, and assured album. Tracks like "Down By The River" are at the heart of Young's electric/rock music, with blistering guitar work, and an authentic and original approach to rock music and electric guitar that would prove to be hugely inspirational for succeeding generations. Breath-taking. This is no longer pop, this is art. Not experimental, but done and delivered. Awesome album. Score: 9
$ Johnny Cash – At San Quentin [cw] Exceptional album. Classic. It's possible to debate until the cows come home which is the better album, San Quentin or Folsom. Both were best sellers, though San Quentin was the more popular, and produced bigger hit singles. That may be due to the film that accompanied the album, and partly due to the growing fame of Cash from the success of Folsom. Or it may be due to the power of the San Quentin song, and the reaction of the audience. Cash played the song again, and on the original (better) vinyl release this was followed by A Boy Named Sue, and then finishes up with Peace In The Valley and Folsom Prison Blues. Rarely has there been such a powerful side of an album. On the other hand, Folsom came first, and much of this album is a repeat of the atmosphere and tone of that landmark album. I had this album and played it often so I have an intimate familiarity with it. I prefer the cover, and I prefer the songs, and there is such an electric atmosphere that sizzles on the second side that for me this is slightly the better album. But, really, it's very close. Score: 8 1/2
$ The Kinks – Arthur: Or the Decline & Fall of the British Empire (RS) More critically and commercially successful than Village Green, Arthur was praised on release and continues to receive praise, considered by many as the Kinks best album. this is part of a group of albums from Village Green to Muswell Hillbillies that are seen as the peak of the Kinks albums, and Ray Davies' most mature writing.This feels more like a band album, than just a bunch of Ray Davies songs. The band occasionally groove, and there's a credible attempt by Dave Davies to play mature rock guitar licks. This is a damn good album. Score: 7
+ Phil Spector - Back To Mono (1958-1969) (1991) (RS) Released 1991, this is all the singles Spector produced from 1958 to 1969, with the exception of a handful that didn't chart - plus his Christmas album. With this album, the Christmas album can be dropped from the list. Score: 7
$ The Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed (RS) (CCC) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) [EB] Score: 7
$ Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (ATT) [JZ] As Abbey Road is the most musical of the Beatles' albums, so Hot Rats is the most musical, melodic, and adventurous of Frank Zappa's albums. This is more about creating music than playing around with ideas, so the result is very attractive, surprisingly easy to listen to, and very satisfying on several levels. There is no hiding behind an attitude here - Zappa plays it for real, exposing himself as he stretches out on his guitar - never throwing it away on a gimmick or laugh, but playing it as seriously well as he could all the way through - and boy does he play it well!, and that artistic honesty and authenticity is a huge part of the appeal of this album which blends in jazz ideas to create a form of melodic jazz fusion. Score: 6 1/2
$ The Beatles – Abbey Road (RS) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) It's a patchy, dubious album, but the good bits are awesome. The band are at their peak musically, and the production is crisp and unfussy, so there is a proper, quite serious muso feel to the whole thing. No larking about, no mess, just well played music. And music is key to this album. It's a rare moment to actually hear the band play. Here, and the live on the roof section of Let It Be, are the best bits of music The Beatles ever did. Lennon's contributions are the best - he's at his peak during this period, and "I Want You / She's So Heavy" is a fascinating piece of genuine music - intelligently constructed like a work of art. The most ambitious and musical of all the pieces they ever did. This is heavy blues, and progressive music, and heavy metal, and doom metal, and funk metal. This is Black Sabbath, King Crimson, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ride, Blur and Radiohead. It is sonic, it is extra-ordinary. Probably the best thing they have ever done. It is the end of the Sixties, and the start of the future of rock and roll. I remember when I first heard this at a friend's house. I didn't know it was the Beatles - I could hear it was accomplished, so, as a self-conscious young teenager, I just went over the record player to turn over the LP, so I could have a look at the label. That it was the Beatles stunned me almost as much as the music itself. This is as far from "She Loves You Yeah Yeah" as it's possible to get! Score: 6 1/2
$ Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis (RS) (CCC) (C4) (NME) (ATT) [sl] Score: 6 1/2
+ Humble Pie - As Safe As Yesterday Is [EB] Rugged electric blues with soulful blues. This was very much a thing during this period, though Pie's version of it was well done and influential on Led Zeppelin and others, including the later Paul Weller. The band were not quite as inventive and varied as this on their later albums - this album being a transition between the psychedelic mod RnB of Steve Marriot and the blues boogie of later Pie performances, yet also incorporating folk-rock, so this album is particularly interesting. Score: 6
$ The Stooges – The Stooges (RS) [HR] Powerful debut. Melodic menace. This is a good tight band playing strong songs such as "I Wanna Be Your Dog" with more psychedelic mood pieces. Elements of The Doors, Velvet Underground, and The Who. Often compared with MC5 as they emerged at the same time in the same place and were signed to the same label (for less money), but The Stooges are more authentic. Score: 6
+ The Mamas & the Papas - Hits of Gold [fk] They were a singles band so a greatest hits collection is more appropriate than one of their regular albums. The one I favour, and the one I had, is Hits of Gold (not available on YouTube, so I found the nearest equivalent). Other album lists select different compilation albums. I don't think there is a perfect one. Score: 6
$ The Temptations / Norman Whitfield – Cloud Nine [SL] Norman Whitfield takes ideas from Sly & The Family Stone and psychedelic music and develops Psychedelic Soul. Score: 6
+ Nina Simone - See-Line Woman: The Best of Nina Simone (2014) [jz] There has to be a Nina Simone album, but there doesn't seem to be general consensus on her best album. Some say it's her debut Little Girl Blue (1958), others say it's the 1959 live album Simone At Town Hall, others the 1965 live album Pastel Blues, or the 1965 album I Put A Spell On You, or the 1967 High Priestess of Soul, her last for Phillips, or the 1967 Sings The Blues, her first for RCA. Some people lay a lot of importance on her live albums. But, no particular album seems to reflect what she's about - the Fifties albums are popular among those who like jazz, the Sixties albums are a mix of rock, soul, and blues. People like her attitude. She has style, and can put authenticity, style, and cool on the songs she sings. There's a bit of rock, a bit of jazz, a bit of blues, and a bit of soul in pretty much everything she does. I think a compilation album which covers her best period, and is a judicious mix of live and studio, is the most appropriate, and after looking at pretty much most of them, I feel See-Line Woman: The Best of Nina Simone is the one to go for. Placed in the Sixties as that was her main period. Score: 6
$ Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left (RS) (MC) (C4) (NME) (ATT) [FK] Drake's debut. Firmly part of the UK folk singer-songwriter scene that also produced John Martyn and Bert Jansch, both of whom Drake strongly resembles. This is delicate and lovely. Deserving of the cult reputation he acquired after his suicide. Score: 6
$ Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking (ATT) [FK] Decent album, but still wondering if earlier albums are less interesting. Score: 6
$ Fairport Convention – Liege & Lief (MC) (G50) (ATT) [FK] British folk rock Score: 6
$ Pentangle – Basket of Light [FK] British folk rock Score: 5 1/2
+ Donovan – Greatest Hits (CCC) [FK] Marketed as Britain's Bob Dylan because they were both young folk singers, but not an appropriate comparison because Donovan was writing a different sort of material entirely. Dylan was profound, Donovan was fey. There is a certain attraction in his psychedelic whimsy, but - to be fair - it is limited, especially as we are no longer in the hippy trippy Swinging Sixties. This collects Donovan's best material from his peak period - the Sixties. Also worth hearing is 1968's In Concert which captures Donovan live in concert in 1967 at his peak of popularity and creativity. The concert is very charming, and has an authentic Sixties feel to it. The album was released on double CD containing the full concert - but that feels a little stretched compared to the original. Score: 5 1/2
$ The Who – Tommy (RS) (C4) (ATT) The album is over-long, overblown, and the music is too often rather tedious and uninspired, but for both ambition and status it is a must listen album. Score: 5 1/2
$ Grateful Dead – Live/Dead (RS) (ATT) The Dead have such a cultural and musical importance that at least one of their albums should be on this list, and as they had a profound reputation for their live performances,. and in particular the song "Dark Star", which takes up all of side one of this double album, this album has to be chosen. It's a curious blend of country-rock and soft jazz. A little goes a long way - for guitar weaving and extended live sets I prefer the Allman Brothers, and for rock-jazz improvisation I prefer Cream and Man. But this band are popular, and have a legendary reputation. Score: 5 1/2
$ King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (ATT) [jz] [pg] [hr] Debut album of Robert's Fripp's eclectic band which is generally classed as either heavy rock or progressive rock or both, but, particularly on this album, also incorporated jazz rock. Score: 5 1/2
$ Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (RS) (ATT) [fk] [cw] This is very pleasant and cute. The band needed Neil Young to bring bite and authenticity and depth, but even without him the music is evocative and, like Simon & Garfunkel, fairly representative of the times and of the hippy ideal. Score: 5 1/2
+ Al Stewart - Love Chronicles (ATT) [FK] Score: 5 1/2
+ Various - Sugar Sugar: The Birth of Bubblegum Pop (2012) I've been looking for a comprehensive Bubblegum music compilation, one that held music by The Monkees and The Archies as well as the Kasenetz and Katz productions, such as the 1910 Fruitgum Company, and this one does that and more, continuing into the Seventies and the instant pop of bands such as Sweet, The Mixtures, and The Fortunes, as well as some less obvious but appropriate choices such as The Bay City Rollers, Abba and Elton John. A sweeping and delightful contentious selection which delivers everything anyone could want in terms of understanding Bubblegum music, and a little bit more. It's placed here in 2012 when the collection was released, but I may move it to a more appropriate year slot because this music was alive in the Sixties and Seventies. Score: 5 1/2
+ Cromagnon - Orgasm Experimental music that doesn't always work, but is always fascinating, and that some see as foregrounding later genres such as industrial and noise rock. Score: 5
+ White Noise - An Electric Storm An experimental, exploratory electronic noise/music group comprised of members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (Dr Who) and an American classical musician with an interest in electronics. The album is edgy, psychedelic pop, incomplete, mostly unsuccessful, but totally fascinating, and while commercially unsuccessful has consistently provoked interest. Score: 5
+ Various - The Psychedelic Years (1966-69) [Psy] Useful guide to the main psychedelic tracks of the late Sixties as well as the related hard rock tracks. Contains Iron Butterfly's "In a Gadda da Vida", so no need to listen to the In a Gadda da Vida album. Score: 5
$ Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence – Oar (ATT) [fk] There is something compulsively odd about this album. Spence was a minor figure in the late Sixties San Francisco psychedelic music scene. He was a founder member of Moby Grape, but had mental health issues. After attacking the rest of the band with an axe he was placed in a mental hospital for six months, where he wrote the songs recorded on this album. On release he made this album by himself. Considering it's oddity and the almost perverse slurring of words and guitar playing, and the general miserable tone, it's not surprising that the album didn't sell and so was deleted within 12 months. There has of late been a renewal of interest and comparisons with Syd Barrett. It's not a great work of art as it copies sometimes too obviously (there is a strong John Wesley Harding feel about Oar, and "Broken Heart" is a mumbled yet compulsively interesting take of Dylan's "St Augustine"), yet it presents as a creative picture of a decaying mind, and is too interesting to ignore, even if difficult to take at times. Score: 5
$ The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground (RS) (CCC) (ATT) Not on the same level as the debut album, and more about Lou Reed than anything else, this is reminiscent of Reed's 1974 album Sally Can't Ride - it's a bunch of fairly straightforward commercial pop songs, nicely done, and with that added twist that Reed can bring to his lyrics. So, not a brilliant album, but it has enough good songs to be worth listening to. Score: 5
$ Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica (RS) (MC) (ATT) I have never quite shared the enthusiasm for this album, preferring his earlier albums, particularly the sorely disregarded Strictly Personal, but including it here as there is a distinct argument that this is an album one must hear. Score: 5
$ Scott Walker – Scott 4 (ATT) A Scott Walker album should be included, and it might as well be this one. Score: 5
+ Amon Düül II - Phallus Dei Amon Duul were a significant part of the Krautrock movement, though as they moved away from their roots and became more commercially successful so their music became more mainstream rock and less interesting. I had Wolf City in my collection, which was a big seller at the time, but always felt that it wasn't quite "there" compared to other German bands I was listening to. At that stage they were nothing like Can, Tangerine Dream, or Faust. Their second album, Yeti, is largely seen as their breakthrough album, standing as it does between the more commercial and mainstream Wolf City, and the musical freedom of Phallus Dei. But if Amon Duul have a place in music history, then it is this, their 1969 debut album. It is fluid and expressive - more muscular and free than UK progressive rock, and is (possibly) the first Krautrock album released (Can's Monster Movies was released Aug 1969). Score: 5
+ Buffalo Springfield - Retrospective Buffalo Springfield had one great single, "For What It's Worth", and at least one other great song, "Mr Soul". These songs are on different albums. 1001 Albums selects Again, which contains "Mr Soul", while Christgau selects the debut album Buffalo Springfield which contains "For What It's Worth". Difficult to make that choice, so I have decided to go with the 1969 compilation Retrospective, which contains both those songs. Score: 5
+ It's A Beautiful Day - It's A Beautiful Day Score: 5
+ Roy Harper - Folkjokeopus [FK] Influential and important British folk artist and guitar player, widely admired by fellow musicians for his songwriting and his approach to guitar playing, but mostly over looked by the public and the critics. (consider Stormcock)
+ Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy [pg] Score: 5
$ Miles Davis – In a Silent Way (ATT) [JZ] Ambient fusion/jazz-rock. Not the first fusion album - rock musicians, particularly in the UK, had been incorporating jazz ideas and styles into their music since the early Sixties, and the full fusion style was fully developed via bands such as Soft Machine by 1969; and jazz musicians had also been exploring fusion ideas, such as Gary Burton with Duster in 1967; however, this was the first fusion by a major jazz artist. It got the attention of jazz critics, who were not pleased, and the attention of rock critics, who were pleased that a highly respected musician of the "senior" music style was exploring the modes of the young upstart rock. Though Bitches Brew would have the greater impact on the general public, this is the one that caught the attention of those in the music business - critics, record companies, and musicians. It is surprisingly modern and listenable - partly due to its quiet ambient and melodic nature. Score: 5
$ Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails (RS) (ATT) The exploration of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" in front of an appreciative and responsive audience is something special. Score: 5
$ Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (ATT) A similar band to Blood, Sweat & Tears, though considered more progressive and musical in their less commercially successful early days until they discovered the financial rewards of playing MOR ballads. This album is bold and exciting, and nothing like the Chicago of later years. Jazzy in a Sixties melodic film music way, but great stuff. Score: 5
$ Sly and the Family Stone – Stand! (RS) (ATT) [sl] Score: 5
+ Bridget St John - Ask Me No Questions [FK] Debut album of folk singer-songwriter with a Nico vocal style. Score: 5
+ The Meters - The Very Best Of (1997) The Meters (their 1969 debut) and their 1974 album, Rejuvenation, are hot albums containing some important funk, but for a more significant overview of their career, this compilation, released in 1997, is essential. Not a commercially successful or well known band, but they cut the groove, and were influential on the development of funk. Score: 5
+ Grand Funk Railroad - On Time [EB] Picking up on the amplified power trio ideas of Cream, Grand Funk were at the forefront of hard rock, stadium rock, and heavy metal. Undemanding melodic electric blues base power pop-rock for big audiences. Dismissed by critics, but loved by the masses, this sort of music has proved to be very popular, and Grand Funk inspired many other bands to follow their example. Grand Funk are the easy listening version of more musically demanding bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin. I saw Grand Funk in the early Seventies at Hyde Park. They were entertaining live, but I wasn't impressed enough to buy any of their albums - even though I am on the cover of one of them as part of the Hyde Park crowd! This is their debut. Score: 4 1/2
+ Dr Strangely Strange - Kip of The Serenes [FK] Irish folk band influenced by The Incredible String Band. (Rethinking this - perhaps the band are too close to The ISB....) Score: 4
$ The Band – The Band (RS) (CCC) (ATT) I have been ambivalent about The Band for many years. They are quite sombre - almost maudlin. This album is like a funeral dirge. They are respected partly because they backed Bob Dylan, but also because of their contribution to country rock. They appear on the live Before The Flood album, and on The Basement Tapes album, and Music From Big Pink is listed, so they are already present on this list with their best contributions. I'm not entirely sure what this album adds to that, as, other than "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Up On Cripple Creek", the tracks on this album are weak compared to Big Pink. Score: 4
+ Moondog - Moondog Quite heavily promoted, largely via a wonderful image of the bizarre Moondog, an aging blind eccentric who sold his simple jazz compositions on the streets of New York until he was invited to make this minimalist classical album. Fairly simple, but charming. More conventional and less exciting than the marketing imagery (aimed largely at students and rock audiences) would suggest, it is pleasant listening - better when engaged with minimalist ideas spiced with minor jazz touches than the sugary, cliched classical ideas. Score: 4
Bob Dylan: 6 albums Total score: Average:
Eric Clapton: 6 albums
The Yardbirds: 2 albums Cream: 3 albums
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers: 1 album
The Kinks: 4 albums
The Rolling Stones: 3 albums
The Velvet Underground: 3 albums
Frank Zappa: 3 albums
Captain Beefheart: 3 albums
The Doors: 2 albums
The Beach Boys: 2 albums
Led Zeppelin: 2 albums
Jimi Hendrix: 2 albums
The Byrds: 2 albums
Aretha Franklin: 2 albums
Van Morrison: 2 albums
Them: 1 album
Van Morrison: 1 album
Johnny Cash: 2 albums
The Incredible String Band: 2 albums
Simon & Garfunkel: 2 albums
Pink Floyd
Janis Joplin
Moody Blues
Love
Procol Harum
Leonard Cohen
Joni Mitchell
Laura Nyro
Fred Neil
Ike & Tina Turner
Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated
James Brown
Bert Jansch
The Miracles
Otis Redding
Small Faces
Fairport Convention
Top artists
The Beatles: 7 albums Total score: Average:Bob Dylan: 6 albums Total score: Average:
Eric Clapton: 6 albums
The Yardbirds: 2 albums Cream: 3 albums
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers: 1 album
The Kinks: 4 albums
The Rolling Stones: 3 albums
The Velvet Underground: 3 albums
Frank Zappa: 3 albums
Captain Beefheart: 3 albums
The Doors: 2 albums
The Beach Boys: 2 albums
Led Zeppelin: 2 albums
Jimi Hendrix: 2 albums
The Byrds: 2 albums
Aretha Franklin: 2 albums
Van Morrison: 2 albums
Them: 1 album
Van Morrison: 1 album
Johnny Cash: 2 albums
The Incredible String Band: 2 albums
Simon & Garfunkel: 2 albums
Pink Floyd
Janis Joplin
Moody Blues
Love
Procol Harum
Leonard Cohen
Joni Mitchell
Laura Nyro
Fred Neil
Ike & Tina Turner
Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated
James Brown
Bert Jansch
The Miracles
Otis Redding
Small Faces
Fairport Convention
