Listed below are the best albums of 1967 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 59,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 2 hours ago).
"I meant they were like the equivalent of The Beatles in Australia for a short time, which is a compliment. They were obviously influenced by them (just look at how they dressed), but of course they did their own thing."Reply
"Wow! As soon as the needle drops into the groove, psychedelia fills the room. Harpsichord, organ, vibes, Mellotronesque flute drenched in reverb, psychedelic guitar, it's all here. And this is just the first track! Production is excellent on the vinyl re-issue. Recommended for lovers of psychedelia."Reply
"Listening to this was one of the most eye-popping moments in recent memory. For me I mean. I always had a very specific idea of Ochs. I thought of him as the poor man's Dylan - protest songs, some sweet melodies and sad ones too, and some nice acoustic guitar. As a matter of fact it got to the po...""Listening to this was one of the most eye-popping moments in recent memory. For me I mean. I always had a very specific idea of Ochs. I thought of him as the poor man's Dylan - protest songs, some sweet melodies and sad ones too, and some nice acoustic guitar. As a matter of fact it got to the point where I just mentally glossed over his work when anyone would mention it or when it would come up on lists. That must be true, cuz looking at the RYM lists of 1960s singer/songwriter albums would feature Ochs albums, foremost this one here and I never noticed. I remained ignorant.
Then I saw this album as a big album released in '67. I heard it was "really different" and "totally essential" and I said "alright alright! I'll give it a listen."
Well, I finished listening to it and I was slack-jawed. I couldn't believe what I had just heard ona PHIL OCHS RECORD! My only previous experience with him was his first 2 albums, and I liked them well enough. Oh and I had listened to "Rehearsals For Retirement" which I recall really liking. So there. That is it.
So, in brief, what was this album to me? Like Long Form-"Odessey & Oracle", with the occluded social commentary of "Another Side of Bob Dylan" with a healthy dose of "Imperial Bedroom"-era Elvis Costello in its biting wit and observations of the sad and asinine aspects of the world around the narrator. I mean the songs here are GORGEOUS. They are lush, intensely complex arrangements. There are full classical/symphonic parts, and the musicians here are all so damn top notch. And in the middle of this maelstrom of overwhelming beauty and creatively, is the plain yet endearing vocals of Phil Ochs. His lyrics here are layered and meticulous, they are incredibly observant, and engrossing throughout.
Picking the most intensely triumphant song here is near impossible. No song sticks out as being out of place. At the same time there is no doubt this thing is dense and scattered all at once. There is such a massive amount of musical ideas here. The opener "Cross My Heart" is very nice, intensely beautiful and touching and gives one a good idea of the space of this album. But Then the next 2 songs build on that high mark. Each song is a "WTF" moment for me, where I am not sure I am, again, listening to a Phil Ochs album.
Then the last song "The Crucifixion" manages to peak the whole album in terms of innovation, with its incredibly disconcerting and somewhat discordant strings laying the groundwork for Phil to come in with an epic 8 minute poem which takes us through the whole history of man, with all its attendant betrayals of Nature and God. I am not sure there is a better way to put a cherry on top of one of the most mind boggling listens I've had in quite awhile. This is just a truly awe-inspiring achievement of an album.
"The Spanish bulls are beaten; the crowd is soon beguiled,
The matador is beautiful, a symphony of style
Excitement is ecstatic, passion places bets
Gracefully he bows to ovations that he gets
But the hands that are applauding are slippery with sweat
And saliva is falling from their smiles" - "Crucifixion"
Grade: 9.7/10 "[+]Reply
""Evolution" was the first of two Hollies albums released in 1967. The band did a lot of experimenting in those years, both in songwriting and arrangements. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. "Butterfly" is often hailed as their finest and most consistent, whereas "Evolution" suffers from being..."""Evolution" was the first of two Hollies albums released in 1967. The band did a lot of experimenting in those years, both in songwriting and arrangements. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. "Butterfly" is often hailed as their finest and most consistent, whereas "Evolution" suffers from being anything but consistent. The songwriting is more or less on par with "Butterfly", but some arrangements in various degrees ruin the songs.
Worst is the "underwater" effect put on Graham Nash's voice on "Lullaby to Tim". It could have been a great track, but as it is, it's almost unlistenable. I have often wondered if a version with unruined vocals exists.
The distorted guitars put on the opening track "The the Heartaches Begin" and "Have You Ever Loved Somebody", give a forced feeling that does not help the songs, which are really good Hollies songs. The Searchers proved that "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" even had hit-potentials.
Enough negative words said, because there are plenty of succesful tracks that make the album quite enjoyable after all.
Like on the previous album all songs were written by Clarke, Hicks and Nash and Allan Clarke and Graham Nash more or less share the lead vocals with Tony Hicks joining in on choruses etc.
"Stop Right There" is a nice quiet Graham Nash ballad; fine violin solo. Nash also takes the lead vocals on one of the big highlights on the album "When Your Lights Turned On"; classic up-beat Hollies with great guitars and harmonies.
The nostalgic "Ye Olde Toffee Shop" featuring harpsichord is quite charming, but no more.
On "Games We Play" Clarke and Nash share the lead vocals. Incredible that this song was not released as a single. Extremely catchy with funny ( naive ) teenage lyrics.
Allan Clarke demonstrates his powerful vocals on several tracks such as "You Need Love" and "Leave Me".
"Water on the Brain" is another example; a song which also features a charming trombone solo.
So all in all you could call it a hit and miss album, mostly hits!
By the way, this review refers to the British version of the album.
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"Although I 've never been a big fan of John Mayall, partly because of his vocals, I must, of course, admit that "A Hard Road" is an important and interesting album; characterized by fine songwriting with a solid foundation in the blues. For me though, it is especially Peter Green's presence that ...""Although I 've never been a big fan of John Mayall, partly because of his vocals, I must, of course, admit that "A Hard Road" is an important and interesting album; characterized by fine songwriting with a solid foundation in the blues. For me though, it is especially Peter Green's presence that makes the album so special - like Clapton’s was on the first Bluesbreakers album.
Green's guitar playing is as impressive as on the first Fleetwood Mac albums and several songs could easily be mistaken for early Fleetwood Mac - especially when Green is allowed to take the lead vocal.
On the original album, which here is supplemented with 14 fine bonus tracks, it's songs like "A Hard Road", "The Same Way" and "Top of the Hill" that may stick with you. Also the two sublime instrumentals "The Stumble" and "The Supernatural" give the album weight.
Generally you get some fine and well played white blues, as it is known from Mayall and his band, which in this case consiste of Peter Green, Aynsley Dunbar and John McVie.
Among the bonus tracks there are also a variety of goodies to find. The catchy single "Looking Back" is one of the most commercial songs Mayall has released , and the number is both well arranged and played with a twinkle in the eye. "Alabama Blues" is a nice little Peter Green thing which originally was first released in 1971 on the "Thru ' the Years" album.
An great EP released with Paul Butterfield is included in its full length, and especially "Ridin 'on the L & N" is a treat.
Another very fine single from January 1967 "Sitting in the Rain " / "Out of Reach " is worth noting. "Sitting in the Rain" is a stripped-down blues song, much in the style of Fleetwood Mac's ”Leaving Town Blues", while "Out of Reach" is a pure Peter Green blues ballad .
Finally , there are four BBC studio recordings which sound surprisingly great. A very recommendable release, for everybody who has even just the slightest interest in the blues.
https://www.angelfire.com/nv/Badfinger/BANDjohnmayall.html"[+]Reply
"Boy does this stand up well despite its age. "A Place In the Sun" is my favorite cover ever. I spent an hour or so once, forget why, trying to decide if there was any album likely to be in both my, and Daryl Hall's collections. I decided this was the best bet."Reply
"Sun Ra music is joy, struggle, love, cameraderie, the full human experience. And above all else, freedom itself, infinite and magical. From the very opening notes of "And Otherness", and through the rest of the album and so many dozens of his records, I knew I had found something life-changing bu...""Sun Ra music is joy, struggle, love, cameraderie, the full human experience. And above all else, freedom itself, infinite and magical.
From the very opening notes of "And Otherness", and through the rest of the album and so many dozens of his records, I knew I had found something life-changing but indescribable, a feeling like home or love, you just know it when you experience it. That sounds ridiculously hyperbolic it is true yet still a self-evident experience for me twenty years later.
Sun Ra revolutionized everything I knew about music. I worship dozens of his 100 or so albums. Not everyone will hear it (get it), yet certainly made for everyone.
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"Another of Nina Simone's brilliant 1960's albums. High priestess of soul, as always with Simone, is another quirky record with excellent songs. Standouts include, don't you pay them no mind, keeper of the flame, and, I hold no grudge. All good stuff."Reply
Mercury | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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mdbaxter | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
