|
|
100 Most Influential Albums - Chapter Three: I discover the 60s in the 80s.Feb 22 '09 (Updated Mar 24 '09) Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Music
The Bottom Line 100 Most Influential Albums: The benefit of discovering the 60s in the 80s is that I actually remember it.
I was born in 1964. I was too young to appreciate much in the way of music in my formative years, but by my junior year of high school back in 1981, the most popular music for many of us was not from the eighties, but the sixties. My friends introduced me to all sorts of groups, and soon posters of Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix were on my walls, and my album collection was growing again. These ten albums are the ones that opened my ears to the music of the sixties! 1. The Doors- The Doors (1967) Jim Morrison died long before any of us knew who the Doors were. However, music of the Doors was probably as popular in 1982 as it was in the 60s when it came out. All of my friends had at least one poster of Morrison in their room. We all thought we looked cool wearing denim jackets and sporting aviator style sunglasses that he wore. We all also knew the words to The Crystal Ship, Break On Through, Light My Fire and The End. Soon I had all six of the Doors studio albums and Jim Morrison: An American Prayer. Jim Morrison was cool. If you liked the Doors, you were cool too. 2. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? (1967) Few of my friends could actually play guitar back then. We owned guitars perhaps and could play a few songs. However, we all knew who Jimi Hendrix was, after listening to this album. Anyone that was into the Doors also knew that this left handed guy from the 60's was the greatest guitar player EVER. Hendrix music blared from our boom boxes and our car stereos. We all practiced left handed air guitar to Hey Joe, Foxey Lady and Purple Haze. It didn't take me long to pick up a number of other Hendrix albums and even to learn the Star Spangled Banner on my real guitar. Many things have changed since those high school days. Hendrix being the best guitar player ever, wasn't one of them. 3. The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) When I told one of my friends I liked the Monkees, and thought they defined 60s music, he quickly set me straight. He could play guitar and his favorite group was The Beatles. Although my first Beatles Albums were the Red and Blue Capitol Record collections it was Sgt. Pepper that really woke me up. It was one of the earliest "concept" albums I had heard, and I loved it. I was no longer content to just listen to the Beatles hit songs, I wanted the actual albums! Soon my collection wasn't just a couple greatest hits record sets, it included Abbey Road, Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour, Rubber Soul and the mysterious White Album. 4. The Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed (1969) I remember hearing about the Stones and finally bringing home this LP with a cake on a record on a record player. The cake was decorated with small plastic Rolling Stones figures. I put it onto my turntable. Unlike the Beatles, this was dark and heavy music. Starting with Gimmee Shelter and ending with You Can't Always Get What You Want, this album introduced me to the groups atmospheric growling guitar sounds and Jaggers rough voice. My Robert Plant like poses were now changed up with Jaggers cocky strut. Many more Stones albums followed, and I got to see the band live on their Steel Wheels tour. 5. Crosby Stills & Nash - Crosby Stills & Nash (1969) Eventually I discovered the amazing vocal harmonies of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Marrakesh Express, Wooden Ships, I loved the acoustic guitars and the harmonies. Later of course I discovered the music of their fourth member and also picked up CSN&Y Deja Vu and 4 Way Street. I also eventually saw the band live at Great Woods in Mansfield. The concert had a funny smell as I recall. 6. Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) Despite having already discovered Pink Floyd, my friends and I were mostly only familiar with their career from Dark Side of the Moon forward. Until one day, we discovered that the band had many albums before that and used to be led by a guy named Syd Barrett. Finding the bands first album Piper at the Gates of Dawn, caused me to listen to Pink Floyd in a whole new way. I couldn't believe this was the same group! It also led to Saucerful of Secrets, Obscured by Clouds, More, Atom Heart Mother and Meddle, not to mention a few solo albums by the completely mad Syd Barrett, like Opel and The Madcap Laughs. My Pink Floyd collection was now complete. 7. Cream - Live Cream Vol. II (1972 release of 1968 live recordings) We knew who Eric Clapton was then, and when we discovered he used to be in a band back in the 60s we raided our older brothers or parents collections. My parents listened to Elvis, I was the older brother, so I had to wait for one of my friends. Live Cream Vol II was the album to get! White Room, Tales of Brave Ulysses and Sunshine of your Love! I still hear these songs on the radio! Although I never got to see Cream, I did get to see Eric Clapton live a few times, once playing guitar for Roger Waters on his Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking Tour. 8. Traffic - Mr. Fantasy (1967) My friends also introduced me to a fine band from the 60's and early 70s, Traffic. Dear Mr. Fantasy just had a sound to it that I loved. Soon I found copies of John Barleycorn Must Die and The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. I'm sorry to say that I never found Steve Winwood as interesting as he was with Traffic. 9. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967) I found this LP at a yardsale, and when I brought it home and played it, I was glad I did. The sixties seemed to have a sound that was never really duplicated, not in the feel or the passion anyway. This album contained Airplanes two big hits, Don't You Want Someone to Love and White Rabbit. I would see the band as Jefferson Starship at the Cape Cod Melody Tent and meet Grace Slick. I still remember being pressed against the stage. Somewhere I still have a guitar pick from the show and some autographs. 10. Buffalo Springfield - Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield (1969) The details of this album acquisition escape me now, but I know it was the greatest hits album I owned, I never had any of their three actual album releases. I think I still have the original LP, long since replaced by CD and now ripped onto MP3. What I do remember was not the voice of Stephen Stills, I already knew him from my CSN album, but this other guy that sang the songs; Mr. Soul, Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing, Broken Arrow, I am a Child, On the Way Home and Expecting to Fly! Who was this guy with such an emotional voice? His guitars were incredible too! I loved the harmonies, the guitars, and this incredible collection of songs by Stephen Stills and my new discovery - Neil Young. This album led me to another album that one of my friends had discovered, a solo album by that Neil Young guy. But that is for Chapter Four..... Chapter 7: From Classic Rock to Classical Chapter 6: A lifetime of Heavy Metal Chapter 5: The College Years Chapter 4: My collection Progresses Chapter 2: In the Beginning Chapter 1: All that Jazz  |
| Write the first comment on this review! |
in Music
- Top 100|
Ads by Google
|
by kiwifella
by PacManY2J
![Jersey Boys [Original Broadway Cast Recording] by Original Broadway Cast Reviews](http://di2.shopping.com/images/pi/95/a4/8a/2006752046-100x100-0-0.jpg?p=p2.31b7143f4253d479ac22&a=2&c=1&l=8071320&t=120604053039&r=2)
![Irony Is a Dead Scene [EP] by The Dillinger Escape Plan Reviews](http://di1.shopping.com/images/pi/6b/71/9f/2005398205-100x100-0-0.jpg?p=p24.2734cf45d4afb1e7288d&a=2&c=1&l=8071320&t=120604053041&r=1)
