1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums by 
Mercury 
NOTE: I actually did rank this. Some of these ranks go against where they were initially ranked in my Music Diary. But Here ya go. I did not rank the honorable mentions YET. They are in order of when they appeared on the Music Diary.
I had a Diary, maybe even still do, where I listened to a bunch of Singer/Songwriter albums. First from pre 66, then 67, then 68, and then I went absolutely nuts deep dive into 69. This chart basically lists out every album mentioned with its corresponding review or note in that September-October 2017 Music Diary project. That is why some things won't make sense, references to videos posted in that thread won't make sense. References to rank won't make much sense. My system even changed, the number of albums ranked per year changed. The first thing though was I essentially pointed out that Dylan 63-66 dominated. After the dylan you have my top 10 pre 67 singer songwriter albums, then some albums which were honorable mentions for that period, then top 8 1967 albums, then some honorable mentions, then top 5 1968, followed by honorable mentions, then you have hella honorable mentions for 69 followed by the top 25(!) 69 singer songwriter albums ranked.
The total number of albums mentioned came out to 95. I added 5 albums i hadn't mentioned to get it to an even number.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and okay bye.
- Chart updated: 10/17/2017 20:15
- (Created: 10/14/2017 06:40).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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#1 of 1969
And here it is. My number 1 album on this limited list. Also my number 1 fave singer songwriter album, 1969 album, and number one of 1960s. Hell, it may very well be my favorite album period.
Its incredibly intense, the feelings I have for the record. I will explain some of what makes this album so special here. I could write a book, a short and probably quite bad book about this album.
Mickey Newbury released this, his second solo album, in 1969. There were no clear cut hits on it, no catchy tunes, no songs under 6 minutes and which have clear cut beginnings and endings (there are a few shorter songs but they segue right into other parts of a song cycle of sorts) , the songs were almost all interlocked with the previous songs on the album. It's genre is hard to place my finger on. I suppose its country, yet there is very little twang here. Its folk, but there are elements of full choirs and little details all over the album which seem to fly in the face of the idea I have of a bare bones Folk album. There are no moments which really rock, or get stuck in your head. Instead this album is one 40 minute piece of interconnected stories of love and leaving, being left and looking for someone.
The album starts off and you seem to be in a room with Mickey. You're in his head and seeing and feeling what he is seeing and feeling and thinking. He is struggling with the decision before him of stayting or going. His mate is laying in bed asleep next to you. The album within a minute has fully in Mickey's headpsace. The opening track is a series of distinct musical segments. And you hear how all these parts logically go from one to the next, until the inevitable conclusion comes. And the fact that you are following along with this story and know in your heart where it must end doesn't make it any less sobering or heartbreaking. Then the thunder claps, the rains fall, and you are ushered into the next song. This song "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye" is the reverse angle of what you just heard in the previous song. You are now hearing and feeling the other end of the leaving. I am not doing great describing how stunning this all is. But it sure is stunning.
The first half of the album is distinctly connected by the sound of rain, its very clearly a theme and it is suitably dreary and sad and introspective. The lyrics are full of deeper meanings, and metaphors and similes to die for. Newbury conveys all the small details of loss without using too many words. He just gets you there and fully immersed in this world of contradictions and indecisions, and its all so seamlessly executed.
Another peerless aspect of this album is how much it uses the studio. For many of these country or folk albums people will use the oft repeated idea of "You know, its like you're right next to this person and he's there playing these songs from his heart and its like you're there in the same room or around the fire with him just listening." I often say that as well. But the thing with this album is that is not at all the idea I get. Instead Mickey Newbury uses the studio to put you in his head, he uses the far off sounds to convey where he is at exactly. The brilliantly recorded choirs which seem to come from the far off distance, the sound of rain and thunder to accentuate some low down feeling, the way the bass lines don't sound like they are next to you or even in the "room" but instead sound like they are raining down on the whole world around you, the way the orchestra flourishes and the sounds drop out at perfect moments, the way Mickey whistles at some points here and how that goes along with the far off train whistle, the whole sonic world is so clear and unique, its really unlike any album I've heard.
Now that is all about how the structure of the album amazes me. The themes, the landscape, the flow. This is the base of the album, but it would be merely really cool and ambitious if it wasn't for the songwriting. Mickey Newbury was one of the greatest songwriters of his gen. (forum review too long, cuts off [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
And here it is. My number 1 album on this limited list. Also my number 1 fave singer songwriter album, 1969 album, and number one of 1960s. Hell, it may very well be my favorite album period.
Its incredibly intense, the feelings I have for the record. I will explain some of what makes this album so special here. I could write a book, a short and probably quite bad book about this album.
Mickey Newbury released this, his second solo album, in 1969. There were no clear cut hits on it, no catchy tunes, no songs under 6 minutes and which have clear cut beginnings and endings (there are a few shorter songs but they segue right into other parts of a song cycle of sorts) , the songs were almost all interlocked with the previous songs on the album. It's genre is hard to place my finger on. I suppose its country, yet there is very little twang here. Its folk, but there are elements of full choirs and little details all over the album which seem to fly in the face of the idea I have of a bare bones Folk album. There are no moments which really rock, or get stuck in your head. Instead this album is one 40 minute piece of interconnected stories of love and leaving, being left and looking for someone.
The album starts off and you seem to be in a room with Mickey. You're in his head and seeing and feeling what he is seeing and feeling and thinking. He is struggling with the decision before him of stayting or going. His mate is laying in bed asleep next to you. The album within a minute has fully in Mickey's headpsace. The opening track is a series of distinct musical segments. And you hear how all these parts logically go from one to the next, until the inevitable conclusion comes. And the fact that you are following along with this story and know in your heart where it must end doesn't make it any less sobering or heartbreaking. Then the thunder claps, the rains fall, and you are ushered into the next song. This song "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye" is the reverse angle of what you just heard in the previous song. You are now hearing and feeling the other end of the leaving. I am not doing great describing how stunning this all is. But it sure is stunning.
The first half of the album is distinctly connected by the sound of rain, its very clearly a theme and it is suitably dreary and sad and introspective. The lyrics are full of deeper meanings, and metaphors and similes to die for. Newbury conveys all the small details of loss without using too many words. He just gets you there and fully immersed in this world of contradictions and indecisions, and its all so seamlessly executed.
Another peerless aspect of this album is how much it uses the studio. For many of these country or folk albums people will use the oft repeated idea of "You know, its like you're right next to this person and he's there playing these songs from his heart and its like you're there in the same room or around the fire with him just listening." I often say that as well. But the thing with this album is that is not at all the idea I get. Instead Mickey Newbury uses the studio to put you in his head, he uses the far off sounds to convey where he is at exactly. The brilliantly recorded choirs which seem to come from the far off distance, the sound of rain and thunder to accentuate some low down feeling, the way the bass lines don't sound like they are next to you or even in the "room" but instead sound like they are raining down on the whole world around you, the way the orchestra flourishes and the sounds drop out at perfect moments, the way Mickey whistles at some points here and how that goes along with the far off train whistle, the whole sonic world is so clear and unique, its really unlike any album I've heard.
Now that is all about how the structure of the album amazes me. The themes, the landscape, the flow. This is the base of the album, but it would be merely really cool and ambitious if it wasn't for the songwriting. Mickey Newbury was one of the greatest songwriters of his gen. (forum review too long, cuts off [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
3
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[First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
31,075
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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#1 of 1968
No upset or out of left field choice for number 1 here. This remains for me one of those albums where its clear something strange and abstract and almost divine happened. Like few albums before or since such as A Love Supreme, this album almost feels like it has a Godly influence. I don't know how to explain it, but almost every aspect of this record seems soft as air, like a fleeting moment of clarity, like some gossamer in the air which when you reach for it, it is gone, never quite attainable in terms of full conception.
The music, a brilliant mix of irish folk, soul, jazz, blues, and a hundred other things seemingly, is impossible for me to really pin down or categorize. There are moments here of musical beauty and ascendance which is rarely heard. And the vocals by a 23 year old master Van Morrison are mercurial, passionate, they sweep from extreme to extreme as if guided by some unseen hand of some unseen higher power. And the words keep the theme of dichotomy going. Insofar as there are words here that just feel right, they conjure up images and feelings so innate in us as human beings, so true to our conceived form or essence, and yet when you really try to analyze them they, again, seem completely unknowable and abstract.
A Specific moment which for some reason never fails to send shivers down my body is in "Madame George". You know that point at the very beginning when you've just gotten done being happy and exuberant on the previous track "The Way Young Lovers Do" when the bass comes in all slack and earthy like and at that moment Van comes in with his sweet soul? That part for some reason, that exact moment and the whole concatenation of moments leading up to it for some reason makes me think of mental clouds opening, like a person (could be me or you when you listen or Van) is having a moment of spiritual oneness, when he is experiencing a moment of true epiphany and clarity. That for some reason just blows me away every time.
Also the horn on "Slim Slow Rider" is unearthly. Anyway, I won't go into all the points which are exemplary of this albums majesty, cuz, I just don't wanna. Just listen to it again (and again and again and again...) or for the first time.
Just a little inside baseball, I have had this post open and being edited for 3 days. I'm a freak about these lists. I do a lot of listening and dorky "Research". Anyway, you know you have a true towering classic when you find it nearly impossible to move away from an album long enough to even consider other albums for a list. Well, that's been the struggle with Astral Weeks lately.
In closing, How this album came to be is one of those truly miraculous moments. 50 years later and there has still been nothing like Astral Weeks. And every time I go to listen to this profound statement of humanism and spiritual inspiration, I know that I am in for some sort of unearthly reward. This album... my God... Love Applause Love Applause Love
"In another world
In another world
In another time
Got a home on high
Ain't nothing but a stranger in this world
I'm nothing but a stranger in this world
I got a home on high
In another land
So far away
So far away
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven" - Astral Weeks
Grade: 10/10 [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
No upset or out of left field choice for number 1 here. This remains for me one of those albums where its clear something strange and abstract and almost divine happened. Like few albums before or since such as A Love Supreme, this album almost feels like it has a Godly influence. I don't know how to explain it, but almost every aspect of this record seems soft as air, like a fleeting moment of clarity, like some gossamer in the air which when you reach for it, it is gone, never quite attainable in terms of full conception.
The music, a brilliant mix of irish folk, soul, jazz, blues, and a hundred other things seemingly, is impossible for me to really pin down or categorize. There are moments here of musical beauty and ascendance which is rarely heard. And the vocals by a 23 year old master Van Morrison are mercurial, passionate, they sweep from extreme to extreme as if guided by some unseen hand of some unseen higher power. And the words keep the theme of dichotomy going. Insofar as there are words here that just feel right, they conjure up images and feelings so innate in us as human beings, so true to our conceived form or essence, and yet when you really try to analyze them they, again, seem completely unknowable and abstract.
A Specific moment which for some reason never fails to send shivers down my body is in "Madame George". You know that point at the very beginning when you've just gotten done being happy and exuberant on the previous track "The Way Young Lovers Do" when the bass comes in all slack and earthy like and at that moment Van comes in with his sweet soul? That part for some reason, that exact moment and the whole concatenation of moments leading up to it for some reason makes me think of mental clouds opening, like a person (could be me or you when you listen or Van) is having a moment of spiritual oneness, when he is experiencing a moment of true epiphany and clarity. That for some reason just blows me away every time.
Also the horn on "Slim Slow Rider" is unearthly. Anyway, I won't go into all the points which are exemplary of this albums majesty, cuz, I just don't wanna. Just listen to it again (and again and again and again...) or for the first time.
Just a little inside baseball, I have had this post open and being edited for 3 days. I'm a freak about these lists. I do a lot of listening and dorky "Research". Anyway, you know you have a true towering classic when you find it nearly impossible to move away from an album long enough to even consider other albums for a list. Well, that's been the struggle with Astral Weeks lately.
In closing, How this album came to be is one of those truly miraculous moments. 50 years later and there has still been nothing like Astral Weeks. And every time I go to listen to this profound statement of humanism and spiritual inspiration, I know that I am in for some sort of unearthly reward. This album... my God... Love Applause Love Applause Love
"In another world
In another world
In another time
Got a home on high
Ain't nothing but a stranger in this world
I'm nothing but a stranger in this world
I got a home on high
In another land
So far away
So far away
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven" - Astral Weeks
Grade: 10/10 [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,749
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1964
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,846
Rank in 1964:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,376
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
#2 of 1969
This is one of those things which almost seems to good to be true. I mean, this album is stunning, mesmerizing, completely overwhelming for me personally. Yet, this is also an album which has almost no associated info, the artist is a near-total mystery, the album is almost completely lost to the world. How can something this pristine be so overlooked?
I know there are thousands of stories like this, albums which are incredible, artists which are so talented and yet are oppressed or ignored for various reasons through history. But experiencving this album finally drove home how vulnerable and precious art and artistic expression is.
Okay, and now, the very little I could find on this artist can be boiled down to one post from a person on discogs. This is what the user on discogs named capttrips says about this album (I have no idea if this remotely accurate, and bear in mind I am not a great investigator of things on the internet, and maybe some of you are more smart about doing research on this): " I am lucky enough to own a copy of this amazing LP. One of only three copies that have surfaced so far in the entire world. Thirteen original songs featuring sparce but clearly psychedelic instrumentation including occasional flute tabla and finger cymbals. Vocals and lyrics are reminiscent of Syd Barett, Arthur Lee, Donovan et.al. Very little is known about John. He was a pale skinned Zimbabwean who also happened to be a transexual living in South Africa's repressive apartheid regime. Apparently maybe less than 200 copies were pressed and of those many were seized and destroyed by security police. Plans are a foot to do a reissue sometime in the near future, so keep your eyes and ears open for further news"
Interesting, right. So there is a download of this available and there is a stream on youtube of it. here...
Musically, this album is a delicate 35 minute experience with in the main John Phillips, his guitar and some tamboruine and some other instrumentation to fill it up. The lyrics are densitive, stunning, at times funny and at times incredibly incisive. The guitar work is first rate. Phillips sounds like he was classically trained at times, the picking is sharp and beautiful. His singing is sweet, and intimate, kind of like a "breathy" whispery style most of the times, in the same vein as Jackson C Frank, Nick Drake, Stuart Murdoch and other music nerd faves. And the compositions and songs are all, and I mean all, fabulous and just absolutely beautiful.
Now I liked this a lot on first listen. But I kept coming back to it, over and over. Again, it seemed too good. Surely, this was good in comparison to its status, surely I was blowing up the quality of this album in my head due to how relatively unknown it was, it can't be really THAT good. That was what I was thinking I'd conclude on subsequent listens. Well, it never happened. I am listening again now, and it shimmers and fills my heart with life and my mind with big ideas even now - and perhaps more than ever - on my 20th or so listen.
The stand out tracks are the utterly beautiful opener "Ballad of a Tall Man" (Jackson C Frank-level gorgeous), the oh so seductive and subtly dark, Proto-Elliott Smith song "Peppermint Wind", the incisive and surprisingly virtuosic guitar instrumental "The Rock", the absolutely absurdly catchy, cutting and twee genius of "Paint Box Jester" (this one really reminds me of some lost Belle and Sebastian classic), the excellent closing track "Look At The Time Fly", the heartbreaking tale of a little girl who lost her hands in a bombing in the song "Permutation Child", the absolutely stunning floating reassuring pick-me-up "Whisper To The Wind" etc.
And I really mean it when i say "etc" cuz there is not a bad song here. The album starts with 6 tracks which absolutely slay and drop my jaw with how great it is. The middle portion goes more in the direction of magical, donovan-esque fantasy lyrics and is more of an enchanting experience. Its great during the middle portion, (forum review too long, cuts [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
This is one of those things which almost seems to good to be true. I mean, this album is stunning, mesmerizing, completely overwhelming for me personally. Yet, this is also an album which has almost no associated info, the artist is a near-total mystery, the album is almost completely lost to the world. How can something this pristine be so overlooked?
I know there are thousands of stories like this, albums which are incredible, artists which are so talented and yet are oppressed or ignored for various reasons through history. But experiencving this album finally drove home how vulnerable and precious art and artistic expression is.
Okay, and now, the very little I could find on this artist can be boiled down to one post from a person on discogs. This is what the user on discogs named capttrips says about this album (I have no idea if this remotely accurate, and bear in mind I am not a great investigator of things on the internet, and maybe some of you are more smart about doing research on this): " I am lucky enough to own a copy of this amazing LP. One of only three copies that have surfaced so far in the entire world. Thirteen original songs featuring sparce but clearly psychedelic instrumentation including occasional flute tabla and finger cymbals. Vocals and lyrics are reminiscent of Syd Barett, Arthur Lee, Donovan et.al. Very little is known about John. He was a pale skinned Zimbabwean who also happened to be a transexual living in South Africa's repressive apartheid regime. Apparently maybe less than 200 copies were pressed and of those many were seized and destroyed by security police. Plans are a foot to do a reissue sometime in the near future, so keep your eyes and ears open for further news"
Interesting, right. So there is a download of this available and there is a stream on youtube of it. here...
Musically, this album is a delicate 35 minute experience with in the main John Phillips, his guitar and some tamboruine and some other instrumentation to fill it up. The lyrics are densitive, stunning, at times funny and at times incredibly incisive. The guitar work is first rate. Phillips sounds like he was classically trained at times, the picking is sharp and beautiful. His singing is sweet, and intimate, kind of like a "breathy" whispery style most of the times, in the same vein as Jackson C Frank, Nick Drake, Stuart Murdoch and other music nerd faves. And the compositions and songs are all, and I mean all, fabulous and just absolutely beautiful.
Now I liked this a lot on first listen. But I kept coming back to it, over and over. Again, it seemed too good. Surely, this was good in comparison to its status, surely I was blowing up the quality of this album in my head due to how relatively unknown it was, it can't be really THAT good. That was what I was thinking I'd conclude on subsequent listens. Well, it never happened. I am listening again now, and it shimmers and fills my heart with life and my mind with big ideas even now - and perhaps more than ever - on my 20th or so listen.
The stand out tracks are the utterly beautiful opener "Ballad of a Tall Man" (Jackson C Frank-level gorgeous), the oh so seductive and subtly dark, Proto-Elliott Smith song "Peppermint Wind", the incisive and surprisingly virtuosic guitar instrumental "The Rock", the absolutely absurdly catchy, cutting and twee genius of "Paint Box Jester" (this one really reminds me of some lost Belle and Sebastian classic), the excellent closing track "Look At The Time Fly", the heartbreaking tale of a little girl who lost her hands in a bombing in the song "Permutation Child", the absolutely stunning floating reassuring pick-me-up "Whisper To The Wind" etc.
And I really mean it when i say "etc" cuz there is not a bad song here. The album starts with 6 tracks which absolutely slay and drop my jaw with how great it is. The middle portion goes more in the direction of magical, donovan-esque fantasy lyrics and is more of an enchanting experience. Its great during the middle portion, (forum review too long, cuts [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
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#3 of 1969
This is my favorite Leonard Cohen album. It is my favorite for many of the same reasons the self titled Townes Van Zandt album is my favorite Townes album or why Nebraska is the best Springsteen album, or Pink Moon is my fave Nick Drake, or or or etc. Its one of the most starkly grim albums I've ever heard. This album has shadows and pits of blackness so deep, when I listen to this record I am transported to some sort of bleak world with brief flashes of wonder and humanity. This album takes me on a surreal tour through the more shadow lands which exists right before me but is never seen or fully confronted, and my guide is a grizzled wiseman who has seen it clear and has charted and documented all its byroads and ramifications.
I don't know how to talk about this album without getting lost in some ethereal goo. Leonard Cohen was such an accomplished writer and artist by this point. A relatively "old" and very wise 35, already a published and respected Poet. He had more questions and insights than maybe any songwriter at the time of this album. Yet, this album isn't just some scholarly exercise. There is such a depth of feeling in this album which is unleashed in waves of pain and awe due, i think, to the fact that the words are so carefully chosen and so spot on that it strikes a very deep and up that point sleeping nerve.
The opener "Bird On The Wire" is truly one of the very few sacred moments in music history for me. The hugeness of its simple verses, the sheer pain of it, the emotion which that song wells up for me, is something I can't fathom. The sorrow, the need for forgiveness, the brittle vocal delivery, everything....oh man.
The album from that stunning opener, continues to hit you with bleak, austere portraits of friends lost to suicide (Seems So Long Ago, Nancy), of biblical visions of the darkest side of human beings (Story of Isaac), of the immutable devotion to freedom and the endless struggle to overcome evil no matter how futile and no matter what the cost (The Partisan), andof the mysteries of long nights of transient liberty and romance (Lady Midnight), etc.
Musically, there are eccentric touches. The sound backing Cohen on "The Old revolution" (i've no idea what that is, but its cool), the dirgey, low end chug of the acoustic guitar in "The Butcher", hell there is a similar strange effect on "A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes" and "Lady Midnight as on "The Old Revolution"(can someone smarter than me explain to me what that rattly effect is? I am ignorant, but I like it.) also that sweet, far-off electric guitar is freaking awesome, the women speaking french in the most angellic and doomed way on "The Partison,
the organ in "Lady Midnight", etc. There are a lot of little moments on here which push this album, somehow, to new heights.
And finally the closer "Tonight Will Be Fine" is such a great closer. Its by far the least bleak moment on the album, Cohen humsa sweet childish tune, he makes funny rhymes, he talks sex, he whistles, and the bass line is a playful bounce. If I am thinking of this album as a tour through the darkness, then this is the moment toward the end of the tour when the wise man, seeing you are really shook up takes pity, gives a soft smile, shakes you out of your glossy-eyed horror and looks you straight in the eyes and says in his deep, baritone voice "It's okay, there is much beauty and there is some hope and there are reasons to love and to live and to care. It will be fine for awhile.".
"It seems so long ago,
Nancy was alone,
a forty five beside her head,
an open telephone.
We told her she was beautiful,
we told her she was free
but none of us would meet her in
the House of Mystery,
the House of Mystery.
And now you look around you,
see her everywhere,
many use her body,
many comb her hair.
In the hollow of the night
when you are cold and numb
you hear her talking freely then,
she's happy that you've come,
she's happy that you've come." - Leonard Cohen
Rating: 9.8/10 [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
This is my favorite Leonard Cohen album. It is my favorite for many of the same reasons the self titled Townes Van Zandt album is my favorite Townes album or why Nebraska is the best Springsteen album, or Pink Moon is my fave Nick Drake, or or or etc. Its one of the most starkly grim albums I've ever heard. This album has shadows and pits of blackness so deep, when I listen to this record I am transported to some sort of bleak world with brief flashes of wonder and humanity. This album takes me on a surreal tour through the more shadow lands which exists right before me but is never seen or fully confronted, and my guide is a grizzled wiseman who has seen it clear and has charted and documented all its byroads and ramifications.
I don't know how to talk about this album without getting lost in some ethereal goo. Leonard Cohen was such an accomplished writer and artist by this point. A relatively "old" and very wise 35, already a published and respected Poet. He had more questions and insights than maybe any songwriter at the time of this album. Yet, this album isn't just some scholarly exercise. There is such a depth of feeling in this album which is unleashed in waves of pain and awe due, i think, to the fact that the words are so carefully chosen and so spot on that it strikes a very deep and up that point sleeping nerve.
The opener "Bird On The Wire" is truly one of the very few sacred moments in music history for me. The hugeness of its simple verses, the sheer pain of it, the emotion which that song wells up for me, is something I can't fathom. The sorrow, the need for forgiveness, the brittle vocal delivery, everything....oh man.
The album from that stunning opener, continues to hit you with bleak, austere portraits of friends lost to suicide (Seems So Long Ago, Nancy), of biblical visions of the darkest side of human beings (Story of Isaac), of the immutable devotion to freedom and the endless struggle to overcome evil no matter how futile and no matter what the cost (The Partisan), andof the mysteries of long nights of transient liberty and romance (Lady Midnight), etc.
Musically, there are eccentric touches. The sound backing Cohen on "The Old revolution" (i've no idea what that is, but its cool), the dirgey, low end chug of the acoustic guitar in "The Butcher", hell there is a similar strange effect on "A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes" and "Lady Midnight as on "The Old Revolution"(can someone smarter than me explain to me what that rattly effect is? I am ignorant, but I like it.) also that sweet, far-off electric guitar is freaking awesome, the women speaking french in the most angellic and doomed way on "The Partison,
the organ in "Lady Midnight", etc. There are a lot of little moments on here which push this album, somehow, to new heights.
And finally the closer "Tonight Will Be Fine" is such a great closer. Its by far the least bleak moment on the album, Cohen humsa sweet childish tune, he makes funny rhymes, he talks sex, he whistles, and the bass line is a playful bounce. If I am thinking of this album as a tour through the darkness, then this is the moment toward the end of the tour when the wise man, seeing you are really shook up takes pity, gives a soft smile, shakes you out of your glossy-eyed horror and looks you straight in the eyes and says in his deep, baritone voice "It's okay, there is much beauty and there is some hope and there are reasons to love and to live and to care. It will be fine for awhile.".
"It seems so long ago,
Nancy was alone,
a forty five beside her head,
an open telephone.
We told her she was beautiful,
we told her she was free
but none of us would meet her in
the House of Mystery,
the House of Mystery.
And now you look around you,
see her everywhere,
many use her body,
many comb her hair.
In the hollow of the night
when you are cold and numb
you hear her talking freely then,
she's happy that you've come,
she's happy that you've come." - Leonard Cohen
Rating: 9.8/10 [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,922
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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#2 of 1968
In October 1968, before any Poco or Eagles or even Flying Burrito Brothers albums, and just a mere month after the monumental release of The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Dillard & Clark released this landmark album. Arguably the first country rock album, this album is not great merely for reasons of historical significance. No, the songs, the Freaking Songs, are out of this world. The music is backbeat drivin', pastoral packin', gorgeous harmonica laced, harmony heavenly, BLISS! The tight harmonies between Doug Dillard and Gene Clark are truly incredible. And even at this stage in his career, it was clear gene Clark was already a songwriters songwriter.
This album has become so much a part of me and is so goddamn seemingly CUSTOM BUILT for my enjoyment and adoration, that it is hard to explain how much I love it or why for that matter. It's just a wholesome, earthy, perfectly structured rock album, country album, songwritrer album (I am mostly thinking of Gene Clark here. I know it is cheating cuz this ain't marked as Singer/Songwriter on RYM...but it is clear to me the lyrical content and much of the music is Gene Clark through and through.) and just album period. Its 28 minutes of Americana at its best. There is absolutely nothing off about it, there is nothing "merely good" about it, and , okay, I'll just say it, its better than even Gilded Palace of Sin! There! I said it! Now get out of my sight so I can think about what I've said. Ignore that... I am vacillating pretty heavily here. They're both perfect!
Grade: 9.7/10 [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
In October 1968, before any Poco or Eagles or even Flying Burrito Brothers albums, and just a mere month after the monumental release of The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Dillard & Clark released this landmark album. Arguably the first country rock album, this album is not great merely for reasons of historical significance. No, the songs, the Freaking Songs, are out of this world. The music is backbeat drivin', pastoral packin', gorgeous harmonica laced, harmony heavenly, BLISS! The tight harmonies between Doug Dillard and Gene Clark are truly incredible. And even at this stage in his career, it was clear gene Clark was already a songwriters songwriter.
This album has become so much a part of me and is so goddamn seemingly CUSTOM BUILT for my enjoyment and adoration, that it is hard to explain how much I love it or why for that matter. It's just a wholesome, earthy, perfectly structured rock album, country album, songwritrer album (I am mostly thinking of Gene Clark here. I know it is cheating cuz this ain't marked as Singer/Songwriter on RYM...but it is clear to me the lyrical content and much of the music is Gene Clark through and through.) and just album period. Its 28 minutes of Americana at its best. There is absolutely nothing off about it, there is nothing "merely good" about it, and , okay, I'll just say it, its better than even Gilded Palace of Sin! There! I said it! Now get out of my sight so I can think about what I've said. Ignore that... I am vacillating pretty heavily here. They're both perfect!
Grade: 9.7/10 [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
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#4 of 1969, Part II
here we are. His 3rd album, and his second of 1969. Townes output in 69 was better than anyone else. It was bonkers. And the production here is nearly perfect! Its so bare and breezy and simple and this gives TVZ's songs room to breathe, to float into your ears and heart and make you weep. The lyrics and the actual songs, THE SONGS!!!! are even better here than on Our Mother The Mountain. TVZ had really turned the corner in the intervening few months and turned on his next gear. To keep that sports analogy going just a bit more (I hear your groans, I'm sorry, just one second) This album represents the age 27 season of that star QB, when he is still putting up the big numbers, still scrambling aorund and showing off his gifts, still throwing it deep, but now he's throwing less interceptions, he's reading the game next level, and he goes to the championship! But he loses... and its not close. In this case cuz of a couple 30 somethings who just act as killjoys to his glory and poke holes in his schemes. But he moves onto the next season to regroup and hopefully break through. With Townes, he just continues honing his craft and makes 3 or 4 more classics and wins a couple championships.
Okay, and I am done with that. Thank gawd.
What I think is amazing about this Self titled Townes album is how effortless it feels. Right from the jump you are treated with one of the breeziest and subtly morunful and confused songwriting feats ever. "For The Sake of the Song" features a gorgeous guitar line from Townes (who much like Joni, is an underrated guitarist). There's a very subdued little bass line. Some pretty percussion. And over the top of this beautiful and again Breezy sound, Townes just seems to be talking to a friend about his predicament with a relationship. The internal rhyme pattern is detailed but not over the top. And you are just sitting there as the audience marvelling at how deeply thought out and intricate the observations are and how quickly the5+ minute song goes by.
And this is true of the whole album. You go through this subtle, shimmering, at times deeply emotional, at other times just comfortably familiar, journey with TVZ, and you enjoy every second being in its presence.
The songs here don't jump out at me. When I look at the tracklist for Our Mother The Mountain or his debut, or even Delta Momma Blues, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt or even High Low and In Between, I am struck by 3 or 4 absolute stand outs, totally memorable and singular Townes moments. With this album though, the whole album coalesces and plays just right, one song to the next, that I just know when I finish the album there is not a less than stellar track here, and I wanna push play again, and again.
That is probably due to just how warm and simple the production is. There are some more flashy parts, like the groove of the bass on "Waitin' Round To Die" (oh and I suppose this song does stick out on the tracklist, so there is a correction from last paragraph). But those more fl;ashy moments are rare, and they are all in beautiful service to the songs. They make sense. The harmonica and bass groove, so dark and ominous, absolutely pushes this song over the top. It seems like Townes and his producer at the time finally realized the earthy genius of Townes, and that you didn't need bells and whistles to make these songs move mountains. The lone voice and guitar and minimal other things alone can just overcome a listener. This album is proof of that.
Other examples of the extra ornamentation working beautfully here is the strangely timed bass drum rhythm on the stunning blues reimagining of "Lungs". And the gorgeous violin backing, and tambourine fun of "(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria".
Songs like "Don't Take It Too Bad", "Colorado Girl", "None But The Rain", "I'll Be Here In the Morning" and "For The sake of the Song" seem to me like perfect examples of that distinctly Townes way of just being the most inviting, sensitive, singer/songwriter of folk/country (Forum review too long, cuts off he [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
here we are. His 3rd album, and his second of 1969. Townes output in 69 was better than anyone else. It was bonkers. And the production here is nearly perfect! Its so bare and breezy and simple and this gives TVZ's songs room to breathe, to float into your ears and heart and make you weep. The lyrics and the actual songs, THE SONGS!!!! are even better here than on Our Mother The Mountain. TVZ had really turned the corner in the intervening few months and turned on his next gear. To keep that sports analogy going just a bit more (I hear your groans, I'm sorry, just one second) This album represents the age 27 season of that star QB, when he is still putting up the big numbers, still scrambling aorund and showing off his gifts, still throwing it deep, but now he's throwing less interceptions, he's reading the game next level, and he goes to the championship! But he loses... and its not close. In this case cuz of a couple 30 somethings who just act as killjoys to his glory and poke holes in his schemes. But he moves onto the next season to regroup and hopefully break through. With Townes, he just continues honing his craft and makes 3 or 4 more classics and wins a couple championships.
Okay, and I am done with that. Thank gawd.
What I think is amazing about this Self titled Townes album is how effortless it feels. Right from the jump you are treated with one of the breeziest and subtly morunful and confused songwriting feats ever. "For The Sake of the Song" features a gorgeous guitar line from Townes (who much like Joni, is an underrated guitarist). There's a very subdued little bass line. Some pretty percussion. And over the top of this beautiful and again Breezy sound, Townes just seems to be talking to a friend about his predicament with a relationship. The internal rhyme pattern is detailed but not over the top. And you are just sitting there as the audience marvelling at how deeply thought out and intricate the observations are and how quickly the5+ minute song goes by.
And this is true of the whole album. You go through this subtle, shimmering, at times deeply emotional, at other times just comfortably familiar, journey with TVZ, and you enjoy every second being in its presence.
The songs here don't jump out at me. When I look at the tracklist for Our Mother The Mountain or his debut, or even Delta Momma Blues, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt or even High Low and In Between, I am struck by 3 or 4 absolute stand outs, totally memorable and singular Townes moments. With this album though, the whole album coalesces and plays just right, one song to the next, that I just know when I finish the album there is not a less than stellar track here, and I wanna push play again, and again.
That is probably due to just how warm and simple the production is. There are some more flashy parts, like the groove of the bass on "Waitin' Round To Die" (oh and I suppose this song does stick out on the tracklist, so there is a correction from last paragraph). But those more fl;ashy moments are rare, and they are all in beautiful service to the songs. They make sense. The harmonica and bass groove, so dark and ominous, absolutely pushes this song over the top. It seems like Townes and his producer at the time finally realized the earthy genius of Townes, and that you didn't need bells and whistles to make these songs move mountains. The lone voice and guitar and minimal other things alone can just overcome a listener. This album is proof of that.
Other examples of the extra ornamentation working beautfully here is the strangely timed bass drum rhythm on the stunning blues reimagining of "Lungs". And the gorgeous violin backing, and tambourine fun of "(Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria".
Songs like "Don't Take It Too Bad", "Colorado Girl", "None But The Rain", "I'll Be Here In the Morning" and "For The sake of the Song" seem to me like perfect examples of that distinctly Townes way of just being the most inviting, sensitive, singer/songwriter of folk/country (Forum review too long, cuts off he [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,295
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1963
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,549
Rank in 1963:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1960 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1961 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1962 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1963 | 3 | 3% | |
| 1964 | 7 | 7% | |
| 1965 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1966 | 6 | 6% | |
| 1967 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1968 | 22 | 22% | |
| 1969 | 38 | 38% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Bob Dylan | 8 | 8% | |
| Phil Ochs | 5 | 5% | |
| Townes Van Zandt | 3 | 3% | |
| Roger Miller | 3 | 3% | |
| Tim Hardin | 3 | 3% | |
| Bert Jansch | 3 | 3% | |
| Laura Nyro | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 99 from 100th to 1st Looks Like Rain by Mickey Newbury |
| Up 93 from 99th to 6th John by John Phillips (ZW) |
| Up 91 from 98th to 7th Songs From A Room by Leonard Cohen |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 45 from 8th to 53rd The Paul Simon Songbook by Paul Simon |
| Down 41 from 17th to 58th Songs Of Our Times by P.F. Sloan |
| Down 41 from 18th to 59th Songs Of Protest And Anti-Protest by Chris Lucey |
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Mercury (2023)1960s Singer/Songwriter Albums ratings
89/100 (from 4 votes)
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 4 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100/100  | 12/03/2023 01:52 | Moondance | | 84/100 |
 100/100 | 10/14/2017 17:52 |  baystateoftheart | | 95/100 |
| 100/100 | 10/14/2017 11:33 |  Repo | | 100/100 |
| 90/100 | 10/14/2017 07:09 |  bobbyb5 | | 90/100 |
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100/100
From Moondance 12/03/2023 01:53
Absolutely love this chart - I can feel the passion you had in creating it. I came to this chart via exploring Vince Martin's anthology - and I will certainly return here as I notice a few artists that have escaped me to date on my own journey through singer/songwriters.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Repo 10/14/2017 11:33
Repo 10/14/2017 11:33
I think the biggest surprise for me is how low you rank Nick Drake's debut which I consider a masterpiece. I know that you are just getting into Tim Buckley and his charms take a little time, but I know that you've adored Drake for a long time.
But, there is so much stuff here I do not know that's it's impossible to really argue with these ratings. You've become the master in a genre and time period that I thought I knew rather well. Proving yet again that I know nothing. Damn you for that, Mercury. lol
But, yeah this is really, really great stuff. You should definitely continue this project for as long as it still inspires you. Just don't feel compelled to move at such a breakneck speed. lol. When you do, well hop on over to my Mellow Zone. lol.
Peace, brother. Truly phenomenal work, here! Keep it up!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From bobbyb5 10/14/2017 07:12
bobbyb5 10/14/2017 07:12
Awesome. I'm going to make one right now myself. It's going to look very different from yours. I'm more of a pop/rock singer songwriter type of guy. But your chart is awesome anyway, just different than mine will be.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of the 1980s | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Smiths | |
| 2. Prince | |
| 3. Pixies | |
| 4. The Cure | |
| 5. Talking Heads | |
| 6. U2 | |
| 7. Metallica | |
| 8. Kate Bush | |
| 9. R.E.M. | |
| 10. The Stone Roses | |
| 11. Sonic Youth | |
| 12. Michael Jackson | |
| 13. Bruce Springsteen | |
| 14. Tom Waits | |
| 15. Iron Maiden | |
| 16. Prince And The Revolution | |
| 17. Joy Division | |
| 18. New Order | |
| 19. Talk Talk | |
| 20. Rush |