Listed below are the best albums of the 1960s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 58,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 5 hours ago).
"New Review. I love this all the more... Due to laziness, I will just include this review of sorts I have on my as-of-now-nonpublic Dylan chart. I wrote this 4 years ago! (Time flies, love all you BEA buddies I've had for 5 years now) "Beautiful, charming, short-and-sweet, countrified, humble, and...""New Review. I love this all the more...
Due to laziness, I will just include this review of sorts I have on my as-of-now-nonpublic Dylan chart. I wrote this 4 years ago! (Time flies, love all you BEA buddies I've had for 5 years now)
"Beautiful, charming, short-and-sweet, countrified, humble, and fantastic album through and through! What I love about this album is it just manages to make me feel happy. It's so optimistic. It is so clearly a huge change away from serious or overly introspective elements of his music. It's amazing to me that Dylan could switch off to a whole new zone and genre of music and pull it off so perfectly.
The lyrics are simple, direct country-style nuggets of beauty. It ain't hard to pick up what is being expressed here. The musicians that back him up here sound great.
Man, there ain't much I dislike about this album at all. I will say I don't like the first track featuring Cash. It just doesn't sound too good. But after that track it rolls so well. It's 24 minutes of solid fun!
The greatest tracks here are "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You", "Nashville Skyline Rag" (what a smokin' instrumental to really kick this album off!), "Lay Lady Lay" (sexy as hell) and of course the very tragic-sounding "I Threw It All Away".
It is hard for me to say how this album compares to other Dylan favorites because it is so different in mood and style and theme and even in the way his vocals are delivered...
On its own terms this album is an essential release in Dylan's discography. I really love it. And it is a great way to end off the 60s! I look at these first 16 albums I've listened to for this chart and it blows my mind how much music he made from 62-69 and it astounds me how consistently great it was. He was just on fire for so long!"
Okay, now present-day Ryan again: Has my love for this album remained? Yes! As a matter of fact its increased greatly! I now LOVE that first Cash track now. Still not my fave track here, but its soooo warm and sweet. Also, Cash + Dylan = automatic good.
Now, compared to that Vince Martin album, its amazing how starkly different this is. Dylan had a clear plan, a short sweet statement delivered in perfectly constructed 2 or 3 minute songs. Martin took the same great band and just said "Let's see where this takes us.".
And as I listen yet again to this classic, I am indeed feeling joyeous, and optimistic again! Dylan is the closest thing to a sonic best friend I have ever had. I mean, that sounds lame, so let me dig the whole deeper with an explanation: Ever since I was a lad o' 12 I have always looked to Dylan's music and words and interviews and story as inspiration, or as a sort of reference point to my life. He has been a constant "friend" and presence. And I truly get emotional thinking about what he has meant for me in my life. So there, I reached the required 6 feet into the ground, kill me now. lol.
I had this album at 12, then moved up to 8 then 9 then 10 on this list...then as I wrote this and listened again, i came to and was like "WHAT?! Are you crayzy!? Get Dylan back on his rightful pedestal, fool!" So up to a (perhaps still too low position ) of #7 it goes!
Oh, and I would like to thank Gram Parson, Chris Hillman, Gene Clark, Doug Dillard, The Byrds in general, and Dylan of course, for showing the rock kids that Country was cool back in 1968 and 1969. That 4-peat statement of "Sweetheart of the Rodeo", "The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark", "Gilded Palace of Sin", and "Nashville Skyline" has been an inspiration for a huge percentage of my favorite music ever. Thanks, you fine geniuses all for doing what was right! (I suppose the Grateful dead, somewhat the Band, and many others deserve credit as well, so thanks Danko, Garcia, Robertson, and all you fine people too.)
Rating: 9.5/10
Oh and damnit! I forgot to mention this... The cover of Nashville Skyline is a miracle. Its awesome in general, Dylan looks so happy and handsome and all... but look at that nearly perfect triangle! How cool is that?!? Okay, bye. "[+]Reply
"What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas? Everyone talks about how "great" Beethoven was. Beethoven wasn't so great. He never got his picture on bubblegum cards, did he? Have you ever seen his picture on a bubblegum card? Hmmm? How can you say someone is great who's never had his picture on bu...""What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas? Everyone talks about how "great" Beethoven was. Beethoven wasn't so great. He never got his picture on bubblegum cards, did he? Have you ever seen his picture on a bubblegum card? Hmmm? How can you say someone is great who's never had his picture on bubblegum cards?
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"The Byrds debut album brings folk rock to the masses. It's an enjoyable album although sonically it all sounds the same, still, it's an excellent and influential LP. The jangly guitars dominate, a sound that The Beatles had used on the previous year's, what you're doing, on their, Beatles for sal...""The Byrds debut album brings folk rock to the masses. It's an enjoyable album although sonically it all sounds the same, still, it's an excellent and influential LP. The jangly guitars dominate, a sound that The Beatles had used on the previous year's, what you're doing, on their, Beatles for sale, LP. As for the album itself, there are some great songs here, a third from the pen of Bob Dylan, including the stunning, Mr. Tambourine man, which takes Dylan's folk classic and turns it into a catchy pop hit. There's, chimes of freedom, and, all I really want to do(I'm still not sure about that middle eight), and, Spanish Harlem incident. Best of the originals is, I feel a whole lot better, and, here without you. There are a few throwaway's, but that was how it was then, still, an important album which would kick of a barrage of folk rock tracks but the Byrds are the original and best. "[+]Reply
"No doubts: this album is one of the best of the late 1960's. It has a pack of great tracks ("Mr. Soul", "Bluebird", Rock and Roll Woman" and "Broken Arrow"), along with a immense variability of music stiles"Reply
"This group has one of the most interesting and unique dynamics amongst any folk group I have listened to and that keeps this record engaging even during the slower moments. To start with there is the fantastic vocal performance which is classically British and leads the instrumentation perfectly....""This group has one of the most interesting and unique dynamics amongst any folk group I have listened to and that keeps this record engaging even during the slower moments. To start with there is the fantastic vocal performance which is classically British and leads the instrumentation perfectly. It fits the style of music so well and the energy and rawness she can put into her voice is simply stunning. She absolutely dominates songs like Tam Lin and Matty Groves where she makes those songs fill with life and emotion. Then there is the stellar cast backing up Sandy Denny with Dave Swarbrick and Richard Thompson being the most significant. The instrumental performances these two put in are simply phenomenal and they take some of the songs here to the next level. The viola especially is absolutely beautiful on this album and is so delicately played that you can only sit back and admire what you are listening to. Everything then comes together to form this unique classic sound that transports you back to an easier time and creates a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable album with some outstanding performances that are just a joy to be able to experience. "[+]Reply
"The Pretty Things' 1968 album "S.F. Sorrow" did not 'cause much attention when it was originally released. The band had already shown, with their previous album "Emotions", that they wanted to explore new grounds, and that they felt that the r&b concept was too limited for them. "Emotions" showed...""The Pretty Things' 1968 album "S.F. Sorrow" did not 'cause much attention when it was originally released. The band had already shown, with their previous album "Emotions", that they wanted to explore new grounds, and that they felt that the r&b concept was too limited for them.
"Emotions" showed that the band possesed excellent songwriters in Wally Allen, Phil May and Dick Taylor. Unfortunately the production of that album was not too successful; at least at the time it was considered as some kind of a "disaster".
This is not the case with the follow-up album "S.F. Sorrow". The sound is great and Norman Smith's production captured the new psychedelic sounds and trends of the late 1960's perfectly.
"S.F. Sorrow" is a concept album, which tells the sad story of the life of S.F. Sorrow. The idea of doing rock concept album was very new at this time. And Pretty Things were among the very first to come up with a rock album; but in my opinion this is not what makes "S.F. Sorrow" a classic album. The album's strength is clearly the music; though the story is quite interesting too.
The catchy "S.F. Sorrow", driven by great acoustic guitars, gives the album the perfect start. The song almost has hit-record potentials. The musically more complex "Bracelets" follows. It's a song in the same vein as their great "progressive" 1967 single "Defecting Grey". The song did not make it to the charts, but I remember that it got some airplay here in Denmark in 1967-68. The song is featured here as a bonus-track.
"She Says Good Morning" indicates that the Pretty Things were also inspired by the Beatles' "Revolver" album. "Private Sorrow" is another great track - the flute and the acoustic guitars almost sounding like Jethro Tull The dramatic "Ballon Burning" tells the dramatic story of the "Hindenburg" crash in which Sorrow's girlfriend dies. "The mysterious "Baron Saturday" enters the story in the song of the same title. Great Beatle-like vocals.
Musically some of the last tracks are obviously songs that serve to tie the story together and not meant to stand alone. 2 tracks stand out, though. "Trust" and the sad but very beautiful finale "The loneliest Person" featuring only an acoustic guitar and Phil May's vocals.
The 4 bonus tracks are 2 Columbia singles released in 1967-68. All good songs and musically fitting perfectly into the rest of the album. This album is a milestone in the Pretty Things' career! "[+]Reply
"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 ...""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"[+]Reply
"I may be the only person to rank this album #1 but without Robert Johnson & a handful of other Mississippi delta blues singers there wouldn't be any rock and roll. I've been listening to this album for most of my life and I still find new and wonderous things every time I listen to it."Reply
"I remember seeing or reading about this album on this site years ago, back when I used to frequent this site, and whoever recommended it, major thanks! It's a fantastic overlooked gem from the 60's. The songs are weird and psychedelic but they are also melodic and catchy. This stuff is right up m...""I remember seeing or reading about this album on this site years ago, back when I used to frequent this site, and whoever recommended it, major thanks! It's a fantastic overlooked gem from the 60's. The songs are weird and psychedelic but they are also melodic and catchy. This stuff is right up my alley and this album has staying power. Highly recommended."[+]Reply
"Exposing the real 60's, Kick out the Jams is one of the best albums of the 60's and all time. As doop said, a literal explosion of drugs, sex, and violence. This album is what rock n roll is all about. When Kick out the Jams was first released it was the most controversial aside from Velvet Under..."" Exposing the real 60's, Kick out the Jams is one of the best albums of the 60's and all time. As doop said, a literal explosion of drugs, sex, and violence. This album is what rock n roll is all about. When Kick out the Jams was first released it was the most controversial aside from Velvet Underground and Nico ever. It is an unbelievably good debut and showed that live albums can be much more than just something you release to end your contract with your record company. Along with the three Stooges albums and the Four Velvet Underground Albums, Kick out the Jams planted the seeds for punk, post-punk, hardcore punk, pop punk, alternative, and hard rock. Wayne Kramer's guitar playing was fresh, fierce, and unforgettable and fitted Rob Tyner's vocals perfectly. Dennis, Michael, and Fred "Sonic" Smith made the music flow and back in the 60's it would be hard to find musicians who could play this loud, noisy, aggressive new rock so well together. The MC5's influence and the influence of Kick out the Jams spreads across almost every genre. A a closing note i would like to list Kramer's advice to guitar playing and musical success:
1. Plug the thing in. I'm no technical wiz, but I've noticed that electric things always work better plugged in.
2. Wash your hands, You play better with clean hands.
3. If you have to sing and play guitar, practice by yourself before you do it at band practice; you don't want to bring down the rest of the band by making them watch you learn how to walk and chew gum at the same time.
4. Always wear your coolest clothes onstage. It's better to look good than feel good.
5. Work on developing your own sound
6. Learn music-not guitar
7. Write songs (with words!)
8. Watch other guitarists' hands-and feet
9. Breathe-don't hold your breath
10. When smashing the guitar keep a smile on your lips and a song in your heart"[+]Reply
Mercury | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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ShaneSpear | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +22 votes (23 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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Mr. Shankly | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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JohnnyRocketFingers | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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