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rubber soul 01-05-2018 04:46 AM

Rubber Soul's Top 25 Extravaganza (1955-2017)
 
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Call this the foreward to what I think is a very ambitious project. The idea is to try to talk about my top twenty-five albums for each year starting with 1955. Of course that means I have to listen to a lot of albums, especially as we get closer to the present, so I expect this to take a while. Hopefully I’ll make two posts a week until I get caught to where I’m still reviewing albums (as of this writing I’m reviewing 1976), then it may slow up a bit.

I’m also going to throw in some trivia for the hell of it. You know, like the most important events of each year like when Elvis Costello was seen at a gas station and mistaken for the other Elvis? You know, stuff like that.

But it will be mostly about the music, I promise. So keep an eye out for Monday when I debut with my top fifteen (yeah I know, I said twenty-five but you try and find twenty-five quality albums from that year) albums of 1955. See you then. :D

rubber soul 01-07-2018 05:35 AM

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Hello, I guess before I kick off the beginning of my top twenty-fives, I guess I should give you an idea what to expect.

For the most part my tastes range from folk, jazz, and blues in the early years to folk rock and psychedelia in the sixties. In the seventies, I tend to lean towards glam rock and punk/new wave though I certainly will have different genres from metal and r&b and even some singer songwriter type stuff.

In the eighties, expect to see more post punk and post wave as well as what was then known as college rock (REM and their ilk). It won't be as much metal and only a little bit of hip hop, but hopefully I'll still be pretty varied. Later on I'm more into indie folk and rock and even some alt-country, so it could be a slightly mellow period for me overall.

Basically don't expect a lot of metal save maybe Led Zeppelin and Queen. Don't expect a lot of country either (Johnny Cash and Steve Earle will be the main ones there). Do expect a lot of Beatles, REM, Bowie, Costello, and some others.

And of course there will be a ton of some one shot deals. Anyway, I hope you're interested in what makes the Rubber groove so to speak.

So, I'll see you here tomorrow with 1955 (I told you it would be ambitious). So be there or I'll sick my friend on you.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WnXAl1ntt_4/hqdefault.jpg


Sweet Dreams :)

Akai 01-07-2018 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul (Post 1911832)
Basically don't expect a lot of metal save maybe Led Zeppelin and Queen

aha you funny guy.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard 01-07-2018 08:13 AM

this should be good! look forward to reading

rubber soul 01-08-2018 04:13 AM

1955
 
And away, we go…

1955

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The first year of my slightly ambitious project. It wasn’t an especially great year for albums needless to say. Indeed I only have fifteen albums listed this year (I’ll only have twenty for next year, meaning my first true top twenty-five will be in 1957).


Event of the year: Marilyn Monroe’s skirt blows up.
Fad: Smelly Dave Crockett coonskin caps.
Babe of the Year: Peter Pan
Scandal of the Year: There are gay men in Boise, Idaho, and Rock Hudson didn’t even know about it.
Movie or TV show to barf to: Mickey Mouse Club
What we could have done without: Duck and Cover
Pet of the year: Lassie

Other Tidbits: James Dean becomes a teen idol in death, The US capital is moved to Disneyland, Lunatics wearing coonskin caps mug Mickey Mouse, Winston Churchill takes his marbles and goes home, Johnny Cash shoots a man in Reno just to watch him die, US and China play Chicken over Formosa and Taiwan loses, Marty McFly invents rock n roll, Chuck Berry becomes a duck.



Again, things were just starting up so this is an abbreviated list. I’ll mention some highlights at the bottom of the list. So you ready, Steve? Here we go…




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1) Bill Haley and the Comets- Rock Around the Clock
2) Clifford Brown and Max Roach- Study in Brown
3) Julie London- Julie is Her Name
4) Modern Jazz Quartet- Concorde
5) Louis Armstrong- Satch Plays Fats
6) Fats Domino- Rockin and Rollin With Fats Domino
7) Miles Davis- Blue Moods
8) Billie Holiday- Music For Torching
9) Frank Sinatra- In the Wee Small Hours
10) Kenny Dorham- Afro Cuban
11) Sarah Vaughan- In the Land of Hi-Fi
12) Webb Pierce- Webb Pierce
13) Dinah Washington- For Those in Love
14) Errol Garner- Contrasts
15) Thelonious Monk- Plays the Music of Duke Ellington


Highlights- As noted before this is a pretty lean year but what do you expect when record albums and rock and roll were just starting out? It was a great year for singles though as I could rave about the singles from the likes of Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, and all sorts of rhythm and blues artists. Album wise though, it’s mostly more of what might have been described as easy listening later. Rock Around the Clock, at number one, is obviously one of the exceptions. It’s basically a greatest hits package and certainly listenable, but the truth is, even a few years from now, it wouldn’t even get so much as a mention. Still there are some surprises such as Study in Brown (see biggest surprise), and even Julie London who, at least for this year, was the ultimate torch queen.

It gets a little tougher once I get past Billie Holiday (another great torch queen). Nine through fifteen are not great albums by any length of the imagination. They’re on here mainly because they were better than anything else I heard this year. I also notice early on that it’s hard to discern one jazz track from another without a very close listen. I find it’s best to let the jazz albums in particular flow and I’m going to be finding some surprising classics from now until 1966 and even 1970 (yeah, I did love Bitches’ Brew, Occult). Even this year has an early gem (again see biggest surprise).

Biggest Surprise- Clifford Brown and Max Roach- Study in Brown.

This album really stands out in what is a very lean year. Jazz was still trying to get into the hard bop rhythm. This album comes closest to the cool sounds I’ll be hearing from the likes of Coltrane and Mingus in particular.

Biggest Disappointment- Thelonious Monk in general.

I was hoping to like him but basically it’s just a lot of piano to me. That will only work a couple times for me.



Stinker of the Year- Gene Autry- Trusty the Rocking Horse and Bucking Bronco.

Okay, this album must be so bad I can’t even find it on YouTube so I’ll go with his wonderful holiday songs of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Peter Cottontail. He wasn’t back in the saddle with stinkers like those and I’m sure he wasn’t with this album either.


So I guess that’s it for 1955. I hope I got off to a good start. I’ll post my favorite twenty of 1956 (another lean year) later this week.

OccultHawk 01-08-2018 06:55 AM

Quote:

Biggest Disappointment- Thelonious Monk in general.

I was hoping to like him but basically it’s just a lot of piano
He’ll grow on you.

Good list.

rubber soul 01-11-2018 04:58 AM

1956

Another abbreviated list but at least I have twenty this time. Aren’t you excited? :D

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Event of the year: Elvis wiggles his hips
Fad: Greasy kids stuff
Babe of the Year: Kate Smith
Scandal of the Year: John Wayne and friends get radiation poisoning
Movie or TV show to barf to: The Conqueror (John Wayne as Genghis Khan)
What we could have done without: The nuclear arms race
Pet of the year: The Hound Dog Elvis had to sing to

Other Tidbits: The US still likes Ike and tolerates Dick. Everyone fears Elvis’ hips, Rock and Liz get hot and heavy in Giant, I Love Lucy doesn’t get cancelled yet, The Million Dollar Quartet breaks up, The Suez Canal is locked, John Wayne turns day-glo, Godzilla destroys Tokyo. Four out of Five doctors recommend Lucky Strikes, Ralph Nader claims candy cigarettes are bad for your health.


But enough of this trivia. The top twenty albums of 1956 (and number one is a real surprise.)


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1) Moondog- Moondog
2) Odetta- Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues
3) Johnny Burnette- Johnny Burnette and the Rock n Roll Trio
4) Elvis Presley- Elvis Presley
5) The Modern Jazz Quartet- Fontessa
6) Sonny Rollins- Saxophone Collosus
7) Thelonious Monk- Brilliant Corners
8) Billie Holiday- Lady Sings the Blues
9) Moondog- More Moondog
10) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers- The Jazz Messengers
11) Elvis Presley- Elvis
12) Sonny Rollins- Plus 4
13) Charles Mingus- Pithcantropus Erectus
14) Gene Vincent and the Blue Cats- Bluejean Bop
15) Duke Ellington- Ellington at Newport
16) Julie London- Lonely Girl
17) Frank Sinatra- Songs For Swingin Lovers
18) Harry Belafonte- Calypso
19) Fats Domino- This Is Fats Domino
20) Julie London- Calendar Girl

I will mention Moondog as my biggest surprise but this is a year for surprises. There still isn’t a lot to choose from this year but the albums at the top are a considerable improvement from 1955. Take Odetta. I’ve heard of her legend but until this project I didn’t hear a lot of her songs. Her Ballads and Blues, well, I can see how she could have influenced Dylan among others. Johnny Burnette scores with my favorite Rock n Roll album of the year and I’ve always liked Elvis’ debut. His second album isn’t so bad either. The list tails off a bit after Elvis’ second entry but Gene Vincent does sneak in there at number fourteen. As for Julie London, I will say she looks sexy on the album covers.



Biggest Surprise- Moondog.

It is one of the most brilliantly unusual albums I’ve ever heard- and we’re talking 1956

Biggest Disappointment- Charles Mingus- Pithcantropus Erectus.

He’ll get better, but I guess I was expecting Black Sinner even this early.

Stinker of the Year- The Louvin Brothers- The Tragic Songs of Life.

Okay, it starts out with Kentucky. Yeah there is something tragic about Kentucky all right. I guess Alabama must be a tragic place too. A horrible rendition of In the Pines and then more cheerful songs about tragedy. Don’t miss My Brother’s Will :laughing:

Okay so make sure you come back next week for my first actually first twenty-five. See you then.

OccultHawk 01-11-2018 06:15 AM

Quote:

Biggest Disappointment- Charles Mingus- Pithcantropus Erectus.
Is it because of A Foggy Day?

Those goofy cityscape sound effects on that rendition ****s on an otherwise great album. I have to skip that track.

rubber soul 01-11-2018 08:10 AM

It's the album in general. I didn't dislike it; it just isn't as good as some of his other albums.

Since you're a Mingus fan, you might be happy with my 1957 list which I plan to post on Monday.

rubber soul 01-15-2018 07:24 AM

1957

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This is my first full list, but first we have some trivial matters to discuss…

Event of the year: Death wins in a chess match
Fad: Samurai Fighting
Babe of the Year: Alfred Hitchcock
Scandal of the Year: Eddie Haskell steals Beaver’s lunch money.
Movie or TV show to barf to: Peyton Place
What we could have done without: Pat Boone
Pet of the year: Checkers (Nixon’s dog)

Other Tidbits: Humphrey Bogart dies but Gary Cooper lives, Leave it to Beaver debuts and Eddie Haskell becomes a household name, Audrey Hepburn hasn’t lost her looks yet, Harry Belafonte buys a Banana Boat, Elvis Presley goes to jail and is all shook up, Henry Fonda gets a murderer off and the Lonesome Rhodes show is the top rated show in history, Sputnik is launched and bomb shelters are built in Dick Nixon’s backyard, The Yankees lose the World Series and George Steinbrenner fires Billy Martin.

Okay, so much for the trivia. Here are my top twenty-five for 1957.


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1) Sonny Rollins- Way Out West
2) Charles Mingus- The Clown
3) Carl Perkins- The Dance Album
4) Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps- Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps
5) Johnny Griffin- A Blowin Session
6) Billie Holiday- Body and Soul
7) John Coltrane- Coltrane
8) Coleman Hawkins- The Hawk Flies High
9) Nat King Cole- After Midnight
10) Thelonious Monk- Monk’s Music
11) Horace Silver Quintet- Six Pieces of Silver
12) Pete Seeger- American Ballads
13) Miles Davis- Miles Ahead
14) Little Richard- Here’s Little Richard
15) Leonard Bernstein- Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story
16) Patsy Cline- Patsy Cline
17) Chuck Berry- After School Session
18) Miles Davis- Birth of the Cool
19) Johnny Cash- Johnny Cash and his Hot and Blue Guitar
20) Elvis Presley- Loving You
21) The Everly Brothers- They’re Off and Rolling
22) The Coasters- The Coasters
23) Buddy Holly and the Crickets- The Chirpin Crickets
24) Ruth Brown- Rock n Roll
25) Miles Davis- Round About Midnight

This is the year where jazz really takes control. For the second straight year, my biggest surprise also happens to be my favorite album of the year. In this case it’s Sonny Rollins. The title track alone is enough to sway me but the album grooves throughout. Mingus’ the Clown is the first of his truly great albums imo. It was close as to which album would be number one. Billie Holiday’s Body and Soul is another album that impresses me. Her early death from a drug overdose seems such a waste.

Rock n Roll is still trying to find it’s bearings as far as albums go. I rated Carl Perkins at number three, but that could have just as easily been his greatest hits. Gene Vincent comes off with a great album though. The two most popular rock albums of that year though, Here’s Little Richard (another greatest hits album) and the Chirpin’ Crickets, while on the list, don’t impress me as much as they do with the RYM bunch. At least there are enough quality albums to make a top twenty-five though.



Biggest Surprise- Sonny Rollins- Way Out West

Crazy Jazz Album. I still can’t get the title track out of my head


Biggest Disappointment- Miles Davis-Round About Midnight.

I’m hoping his future stuff will be better but he doesn’t wow me the way Coltrane does for example.


Stinker of the Year- Various Artists- My Pussy Belongs to Daddy.

(I'd post the album cover but it's kinda X rated so I better not)



The title alone rates a mention. Yeah, it’s pretty much a porn album by various artists with titles such as Sadie’s Still Got the Rag On and He Forgot His Rubbers, you know this has to be a hoot. The album finishes with the classic Tony’s Got Hot Nuts.

Well that made me hot (or maybe I kept the roast on in the oven too long). Anyway. we’ll have 1958 later on in the week so see you then.

OccultHawk 01-15-2018 08:03 AM

Quote:

Biggest Disappointment- Miles Davis-Round About Midnight.

I’m hoping his future stuff will be better but he doesn’t wow me the way Coltrane does for example.
Coltrane plays on that record. It’s a clear cut and dry 5 Star masterpiece.

rubber soul 01-15-2018 08:44 AM

Maybe I can't get into Davis' style as much as I can some others. Of course by the mid sixties there won't be a lot of jazz on my twenty-fives as rock especially improves in quality album wise. There are a couple albums from Miles I do like (you'll have to wait until we get there though :D).


What did you think of the Clown? I know you were probably thinking number one but a close second isn't too bad.

Frownland 01-15-2018 09:37 AM

Jazz Advance and Coltrane are the two best albums of 57 imo. The Clown is way up there though.

rubber soul 01-18-2018 04:17 AM

1958

http://www.amourdurocknroll.fr/pages...obre_19586.jpg




Event of the year: The Purple People Eats the Witch Doctor.
Fad: Hula hoops
Babe of the Year: Mrs. Cleaver
Scandal of the Year: Colonel Nicholson builds a bridge over the River Kwai then blows it up.
Movie or TV show to barf to: Game Shows in general
What we could have done without: The Edsel
Pet of the year: The Chipmunks

Other Tidbits: China leaps forward and lands on Korea, Egypt and Syria reunite and hate each other, USS Nautilus captures Santa Claus, Sir Edmund Hillary is eaten by a penguin, Johnny Unitas becomes a household name and drinks Maypo, Elvis joins the Army and confounds Drill Sergeant Carter, Vincent Price swats a fly and is charged with murder, Marlon Brando says Steve McQueen is just another blob.

And with that, here is another top twenty-five.





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1) John Coltrane- Blue Train
2) Bo Diddley- Bo Diddley
3) Sonny Clark- Cool Struttin
4) Cannonball Adderly- Something Else
5) Miles Davis- Milestones
6) Jimmy Reed- I’m Jimmy Reed
7) The Kingston Trio- The Kingston Trio
8) Lee Morgan- The Cooker
9) Little Richard- Little Richard
10) Johnny Cash- Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous
11) Buddy Holly- Buddy Holly
12) Dale Hawkins- Oh Suzy Q!
13) Sonny Rollins- Freedom Suite
14) Thelonious Monk- Misterioso
15) John Coltrane- Soultrane
16) Ray Charles- Yes Indeed
17) Chuck Berry- One Dozen Berrys
18) Ray Charles- Ray Charles at Newport
19) Ben Webster Quintet- Soulville
20) Billie Holiday- Lady in Satin
21) Stan Getz/Dizzy Gillepsie/Sonny Stint- For Musicians Only
22) Ramblin Jack Elliott- Jack Takes the Floor
23) Ray Charles and Milt Jackson- Soul Brothers
24) Frank Sinatra- Come Fly With Me
25) The Everly Brothers- The Everly Brothers

This is the year of the Blue Train obviously. It’s the first* of many great albums by Coltrane. Of course the title track rates as one of his great classics. Bo Diddley is essentially another greatest hits album of sorts but what a package it is. Note songs that will be famously covered by sixties acts, Who Do You Love and Diddy Wah Diddy are two great example.

*the first album from Coltrane I consider truly great

Three more jazz albums follow and then comes my other big surprise with Jimmy Reed’s album. Reed doesn’t get the credit other blues artists of the period seem to get, maybe because he was more commercially successful than greats like Waters and Hooker, but I’m Jimmy Reed rates right up there with anything the aforementioned two did. The Kingston Trio records the first of some surprisingly good albums for me. Little Richard’s effort this year is probably better than his previous offering. Overall I think this is a pretty good list and it only gets better from here.

Biggest Surprise- Sonny Clark- Cool Struttin.

I knew Blue Train would be good, but Clark wasn’t exactly bad. The album cover of some woman’s legs doesn’t hurt either. :laughing:

Biggest Disappointment: Ramblin Jack Elliot- Jack Takes the Floor

You’ll see later I’m a big fan of folk so I was really hoping this one might threaten the top ten. As it was though, it might as well have been the Kingston Trio

Stinker of the Year- Leona Anderson- Music To Suffer By

Billed as the World’s most horrible singer, Leona Anderson preceded the legendary Mrs. Miller by a decade. Rats in My Room would probably empty a house of rats faster than any poison would. On the bright side, she almost sings Indian Love Call as well as Slim Whitman :D

So there it is for 1958. If you see Elvis in Germany, try not to give him the Nazi salute- he might shoot you. See you next week.

Frownland 01-18-2018 07:46 AM

Hopefully you considered this one when making your list



I would have added Ravi Shankar's Master Musician of India as well. Ornette Coleman, Dorothy Ashby, and Max Roach were all doing rad stuff that year too. I never really considered it before but 1958 was a great year for music.

rubber soul 01-18-2018 08:08 AM

I didn't listen to Elizabeth Cotten, but I will. I had to do some heavy listening (mostly with jazz) to get my early lists together. Ornette Coleman doesn't really do it for me; neither does Max Roach though I think I have him somewhere on these lists (Coleman too, just not very high). Right now. I'm trying to get 1986 (Yeah, I'm way ahead of the game right now) together. With the goal of two lists per week I'm about three months ahead I think.

The next few years will be big years for jazz as well as for folk. I'm looking forward to seeing what people think of those lists.

rubber soul 01-22-2018 04:28 AM

1959


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Event of the year: Disneyland becomes a Communist Country
Fad: Cuban cigars
Babe of the Year: Barbie
Scandal of the Year: Hamilton Burger murders Perry Mason because he never won a case.
Movie or TV show to barf to: Plan 9 From Outer Space (okay so we laughed at that)
What we could have done without: Liz and Eddie
Pet of the year: Gidget

Other Tidbits: Everyone loves Fidel Castro except Ike, Alaska and Hawaii declare independence from Taiwan, The Mercury Seven (The Right Stuff) become the world’s first boy band, Khrushchev visits Disneyland and beats Nixon in the kitchen with a shoe, Charlton Heston enters the Indianapolis 500 with a Chariot and loses, The music dies but comes back as a zombie, Charles DeGaulle denies cheating on Quiz Shows.

And here we go with my top Twenty-Five of 1959.



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1) Dave Brubeck Quartet- Time Out
2) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers- Moanin
3) Miles Davis- Kind of Blue
4) Marty Robbins- Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
5) John Lee Hooker- I’m John Lee Hooker
6) Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster- Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster
7) Charles Mingus- Mingus Ah Um
8) Jimmy Smith- The Sermon
9) The Wailers- The Fabulous Wailers
10) Tom Lehrer- A Wasted Evening With Tom Lehrer
11) Dave Van Ronk- Sings Ballads, Blues, and a Spiritual
12) The Kingston Trio- Here We Go Again
13) Johnny Cash- Songs of Our Soil
14) Howlin Wolf- Moanin in the Moonlight
15) Sonny Boy Williamson- Down and Out Blues
16) John Fahey- Blind Joe Death
17) Odetta- My Eyes Have Seen
18) Ornette Coleman- The Shape of Jazz To Come
19) Horace Silver Quintet- Finger Poppin With…
20) Johnny Cash- The Fabulous Johnny Cash
21) Kingston Trio- At Large
22) Elvis Presley- A Date With Elvis
23) Ray Charles- What’d I Say
24) Bo Diddley- Go Bo Diddley
25) Martin Denny- Quiet Village


This is a strong year for jazz as the genre holds the top three spots this year. It’s also the first year I’ve heard a Miles Davis album I actually rate more than meh. I don’t see Kind of Blue as the masterpiece others do. I can think of at least two albums (One being Bitches’ Brew) that are far superior to Kind of Blue. Still, it comes in at number three. As for the top two, Brubeck edges out Blakey. I think Moanin is indeed one of the great jazz albums of the period, but Time Out flows like a Picasso masterpiece. Even the cover looks like it could have painted by the master himself.

I go a little country at number four with Marty Robbins’ themed album. It’s a fantastic collection of ballads and it’s a lot more that just El Paso. John Lee Hooker gets his first entry and it may be his best. I’m also going to give a shout out to Tom Lehrer who comes up with one of the best comedy albums ever. Out of the Top Ten, but also deserving of a mention is Dave Van Ronk. We’ll be hearing more from him in future years. And, finally, Martin Denny just squeezes in albeit barely. I had to listen to that album as a kid as that was a favorite of my then step-father’s. Still, it does have its moments.



Biggest Surprise- Jimmy Smith- The Sermon.

I especially liked the title track and was tempted to rank the album higher. It certainly made me want to go to church.

Biggest Disappointment- Ornette Coleman- The Shape of Jazz To Come.

Yes, the album makes the list for 1959 but it really didn’t do a lot for me. It was good enough to make the list though. I guess I call it a disappointment because, for me at least, it didn’t live up to the hype around it.

Stinker of the Year- (tie) The Louvin Brothers- Satan is Real, Jack Lemmon- A Twist of Lemmon

Yep, the Louvin Brothers do it again. When I saw Satan is Real, I knew I had to give it a spin. And, yep, Satan is real. Oh, yeah. I bet Ira found out; he must have been inebriated as usual when he designed the nutty cover. Ooh, what a scary cover. It does have the Christian Life, later covered by the Byrds. Of course there is also Ira’s confessional, the Drunkard’s Doom.

But Satan only gets a tie. For Jack Lemmon begins the long honored tradition of actors recording their own albums. I guess he sings adequately enough, but he doesn’t sound a bit like Jack Lemmon. Then again Jim Nabors doesn’t sound like Gomer Pyle either. Anyhow, Lemmon wins an Oscar for easy listening meant to put people to sleep, and would be a great inspiration to future lotharios like Telly Savalas, Eddie Murphy, and Don Johnson.

Well, that wraps up the fifties. See you later this week as we cover 1960.

Bye.

https://img.discogs.com/T0MOXMgEexNi...-4680.jpeg.jpg

Frownland 01-22-2018 09:40 AM

Sorry not sorry but Shape of Jazz to Come is the best album of the year.

Some other important releases:
John Cage/David Tudor - Indeterminacy: New Aspect of Form in Instrumental and Electronic Music (probably not your thing but very very important)
Duke Ellington - Anatomy of a Murder
Kimio Eto - Koto Music
Del Close & John Brent - How to Speak Hip
George Russel - New York, N.Y.

And Satan is Real is great.

rubber soul 01-22-2018 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland (Post 1918225)
Sorry not sorry but Shape of Jazz to Come is the best album of the year.

Some other important releases:
John Cage/David Tudor - Indeterminacy: New Aspect of Form in Instrumental and Electronic Music (probably not your thing but very very important)
Duke Ellington - Anatomy of a Murder
Kimio Eto - Koto Music
Del Close & John Brent - How to Speak Hip
George Russel - New York, N.Y.

And Satan is Real is great.




I'm sure some Miles Davis fans will beg to differ :laughing:

Like I said before, I just can't get into Coleman. Maybe he's a little too bland to me. I think I can rate my favorite jazz artists, in no particular order, as Coltrane, Mingus, and maybe Blakey and Dolphy. Miles Davis might come in fifth overall thanks to his future efforts.


I might have been harsh on the Louvin Brothers but I couldn't get past the cover. You have to admit, that one's pretty laughable (the cover). I stand by Lemmon's album, though, as being a, um, lemon (don't you like how I make puns? :D)

Frownland 01-22-2018 10:02 AM

What makes the Shape of Jazz to Come so great is that Coleman casts away the piano that was so commonly used to ground the pieces so that the melodic experiments of the horns become the focus. I still consider this record to be incredibly uncompromising today, I can't imagine how ****ing crazy it would've sounded in 59. To be fair even though I was already heavy into free jazz by the time I heard it, it didn't impress me on the first listen.

OccultHawk 01-22-2018 11:56 AM

Yeah Shape belongs at the top. Damn fine list though.

rubber soul 01-25-2018 04:53 AM

1960


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hIKWnBmxb-8/hqdefault.jpg




Event of the year: Francis Gary Powers lands a plane in Red Square and stops the nuclear arms race.
Fad: Busting deejays in Payola Scandal
Babe of the Year: Lucy Van Pelt
Scandal of the Year: A woman arrested for wearing an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
Movie or TV show to barf to: Lawrence Welk
What we could have done without: Dick Clark playing a kiss up in Payola scandal
Pet of the year: Norman Bates

Other Tidbits: Nixon grows a beard and gets trounced in the debates, The CIA tries to set Castro’s beard on fire, France gets the bomb and invades Britain, Woolworth stages a sit-in for more pecan pie, the crime rate triples in Mayberry, North Carolina, Frank Nitti kidnaps Elliot Ness, Chubby Checker invents hip casts, John Kennedy wins West Virginia primary by convincing voters he’s Jewish, Woman killed in a shower for embezzlement, John Wayne single handedly fights off 5000 Mexicans at the Alamo, Elvis Presley makes a comeback and becomes Frank Sinatra.

And here we go with more jazz plus a little bit of folk and rock n roll…




https://img.discogs.com/5p1ncfh_XsHT...22928.jpeg.jpg


1) Charles Mingus- Blues and Roots
2) Miles Davis- Sketches of Spain
3) John Lee Hooker- Travelin’
4) Eric Dolphy- Out There
5) John Coltrane- Giant Steps
6) Johnny Cash- Ride This Train
7) Joan Baez- Joan Baez
8) Charles Mingus- Mingus Dynasty
9) The Everly Brothers- A Date With the Everly Brothers
10) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers- The Big Beat
11) Muddy Waters- At Newport 1960
12) Thelonious Monk- Thelonious Alone in San Francisco
13) James Brown- Think
14) The Everly Brothers- It’s Everly Time
15) Link Wray- Link Wray and His Wraymen
16) Tina Brooks- True Blue
17) Bo Diddley- Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger
18) Ornette Coleman- Change of the Century
19) Bill Evans Trio- Portrait In Jazz
20) Hank Mobley- Soul Station
21) Sonny Clark Trio- Sonny Clark Trio
22) Wanda Jackson- Rockin’ With Wanda
23) The Ventures- Walk, Don’t Run
24) Curtis Fuller Quintet- Blues-Ette
25) The Kingston Trio- String Along




Another year of great surprises. I’ll cover the number two album in the Biggest Surprise. It still gets edged out by what is the first of truly great albums by Charles Mingus. It’s one of those albums where you just relax and let the music flow. His Mingus Dynasty (at number eight) is no slouch either. John Lee Hooker comes in at number three (Did I say last year’s album was his best? Scratch that). It’s a piece of the electric blues you would expect from the legend.

Coltrane’s Giant Steps signals his return to the top twenty-five and he’ll be coming back with a vengeance. The other big surprise for me was Johnny Cash’s Ride This Train. This may be the first real concept album in the rock n roll sense as he narrates into each song as if he’s reviewing his life. It’s a piece of brilliance and is now one of my favorite Cash albums. The Everly Brothers also impress me this year. A Date With the Every Brothers was an album my Mom had when I was a kid. I liked it then and I like it now. Thelonious Monk scores with his first album I actually like. In fact really most of the albums are solid except for maybe the bottom five. Needless to say, this is my favorite chart yet.


Biggest Surprise- Miles Davis- Sketches of Spain.

Until Kind of Blue, I wasn’t really that keen on Miles and even that album didn’t really live up to expectations for me. Sketches of Spain was very original as Davis uses flamenco music to his advantage. It’s my favorite Miles to date.

Biggest Disappointment- The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery.

I didn’t find anything incredible about it at all. It doesn’t even make Honorable Mention. Maybe when I want to hear jazz, I’d rather hear horns and sax and even piano. Guitar is for rock n roll, man.


Honorable Mention

Donald Byrd- Byrd in Hand, Jimmy Reed- Found Love

Stinker of the Year- Annette (Disney’s Darling before those Beach Party pictures)- Hawaiianette

Annette sings songs of Hawaii, excited yet? It takes five seconds of the title track to want to make you stick dynamite in your ears. Other great gems to poke your eyes out to include Hukilai, Blue Muu Muu, and Lua Cha Cha Cha. If I hear them chant Lua Cha Cha Cha one more time… :D

Okay, I’m going to end this so I can get away from Annette. God help us when she does those Beach Party movies. Meanwhile make sure you catch my top 25 for 1961 next week. Until then, aloha.


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OccultHawk 01-25-2018 10:54 AM

Again it’s a good list.

However, leaving off We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite is criminal.

Frownland 01-25-2018 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk (Post 1919923)
Again it’s a good list.

However, leaving off We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite is criminal.

Yes to both. I would've added Russell Sextet at the Five Spot as well, but leaving him off only begins to be a criminal act in 1961.

rubber soul 01-29-2018 03:26 AM

1961


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Event of the year: Pigs invade Cuba and are repulsed by Castro forces and sharks
Fad: Getting lost in space
Babe of the Year: Holly Golightly
Scandal of the Year: Some little kid in Ohio is wishing people into the cornfield.
Movie or TV show to barf to: Sing Along With Mitch
What we could have done without: Colored Only water fountains
Pet of the year: Laika the Russian space dog

Other Tidbits: East Germany builds the Great Wall of China, Kennedy promises to put LBJ on the Moon by 1970, Natalie Wood declares she’s so pretty, Kennedy forms the Peace Corps and supports war in Vietnam, Pampers invented for incontinent adults, people ride to the south for free, Roger Maris cleared of steroid accusations, Khrushchev joins the circus. The Sharks beat the Jets in the first Super Bowl, Mothra destroys Tokyo and turns into a giant caterpillar, Fred Flintstone becomes sheriff of Mayberry, Mr. Wilson arrested for spanking Dennis the Menace.

So this is the year folk becomes a major factor in my charts. Are we ready? Tough, I’m doing it anyway…


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1) John Coltrane- Olé Coltrane
2) Robert Johnson- King of the Delta Blues Singers
3) Joan Baez- Joan Baez 2
4) John Coltrane- My Favorite Things
5) Blind Gary Davis- Harlem Street Singer
6) The Miracles- Hi, We’re The Miracles
7) James Brown- The Amazing James Brown
8) Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland- Two Steps From the Blues
9) The Journeymen- The Journeymen
10) Roy Orbison- Roy Orbison at the Rock House
11) Dave Van Ronk- Dave Van Ronk Sings
12) Hank Mobley- Roll Call
13) Mal Waldron- The Quest
14) Dave Brubeck- Time Further Out
15) The Shadows- The Shadows
16) Oliver Nelson- The Blues and the Abstract Truth
17) Ornette Coleman- Free Jazz
18) Ray Charles and Milt Jackson- Soul Meeting
19) Cecil Taylor- The World of Cecil Taylor
20) Charles Mingus- Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus
21) Judy Collins- A Maid of Constant Sorrow
22) Kenny Drew- Undercurrent
23) Ike and Tina Turner- The Soul of Ike and Tina Turner
24) Max Roach- Percussion Bitter Sweet
25) Bo Diddley- Bo Diddley is a Lover


John Coltrane owns this year. My Favorite Things is probably one of his most acclaimed albums and it is quite good, but for me, Olé Coltrane blows that one out of the water. It’s his best since Blue Train. I put Robert Johnson at number two even though he technically recorded his songs in 1936-37, but they released his collection this year. So I cheated a little so I could include him somewhere in my project, plus he was pretty damned good. I really start to become a fan of Joan Baez this year. She had such an angelic voice in the early sixties in particular. Blind Gary Davis was my other surprise. It’s basically a blues gospel album and quite soulful in its own way. It’s certainly has to be one of the most underrated blues albums out there.

James Brown comes up with one of his energetic pieces with his usual mix of hits and tunes to get jumpy with. I cheated a little with Roy Orbison too. He’s actually one of the greatest singles artists ever but his sixties albums are generally mediocre as a rule. Rock House is a collection of songs from his Sun days. It’s about as good as anything Elvis or Cash did to be honest. Other entries to note include Dave Van Ronk (again), Dave Brubeck, and Judy Collins, who won’t remind anyone of Joan Baez, but isn’t half bad in the early sixties folk scene.

This is the first year where I start to include honorable mentions. Eventually, they will essentially be my 26th to 30th albums in no particular order, but for now, they’re just the albums I thought deserved some mention.

Biggest Surprise- The Miracles- Hi We’re the Miracles.

I wasn’t expecting to like Motown albums in general, but some of the early Motown albums really rock it. This one by the Miracles may be the best of the bunch before What’s Going On though I guess time will tell.

Biggest Disappointment- Elvis Presley- Something For Everybody.

I know, I shouldn’t expect much out of Elvis’ albums in general but 1961 was a banner year for him with hits like Little Sister and (Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame. Unfortunately, neither song is on the album.



Honorable Mention- The Ventures- Another Smash, Elvis Presley- Something For Everybody

Stinker of the Year- Ronald Reagan- Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine.

This, from a man who once co-starred with a monkey. He later would famously slap Angie Dickinson silly and win the Governorship of California. Anyhow he felt the right for doctors to move to Antarctica was more important that somebody’s trivial heart operation. If you think he’s in a lather here, imagine his horror when Medicare became the law of the land.

Well, that does it for 1961. Stay tuned for later in the week as we get into 1962.


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rubber soul 02-01-2018 08:33 AM

1962


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Event of the year: Cuba goes day-glo.
Fad: Hiding in bomb shelters
Babe of the Year: Betty Rubble
Scandal of the Year: Marilyn Manson sings to JFK
Movie or TV show to barf to: The Beverly Hillbillies
What we could have done without: Middle aged people doing the Twist
Pet of the year: Dino (no, not Dean Martin)

Other Tidbits: US and Soviets on brink of war over Cuba, Khrushchev gets something in his eye, Glenn orbits the Earth and gets dizzy, Beatles signed by VeeJay records, Decca signs Mitch Miller, Andy Warhol paints a can of soup, Humbert Humbert exposed as a pervert, Frank Sinatra fails to prevent the Assassination of Senator James Gregory, Elvis Presley wins his fifth Academy Award, To Serve Man is exposed as a cookbook, A moose is eaten when he pulls a rabid squirrel out of his hat (again?).

Jazz is hanging in for another year as folk and rock becomes more influential. Let’s say we give the top Twenty-Five a spin…



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1) Joan Baez- Joan Baez in Concert
2) Peter Paul and Mary- Peter Paul and Mary
3) John Coltrane- Coltrane
4) Bob Dylan- Bob Dylan
5) Sun Ra- The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra
6) John Coltrane- John Coltrane Plays the Blues
7) John Lee Hooker- Burnin’
8) Charles Mingus- Oh Yeah!
9) Herbie Hancock- Takin Off
10) Howlin Wolf- Howlin Wolf
11) Marvin Gaye- That Stubborn Kind of Fellow
12) Ravi Shankar- Improvisations
13) Ian and Sylvia- Ian and Sylvia
14) Carolyn Hester- Carolyn Hester
15) Booker T and the Mgs- Green Onions
16) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers- Moasic
17) Sam Cooke- Twistin the Night Away
18) The Supremes- Meet the Supremes
19) Gene Pitney- The Many Sides of Gene Pitney
20) The Marvelettes- Playboy
21) Ray Charles- Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
22) James Brown- Good Good Twistin
23) Charles Mingus- Tijuana Moods
24) The Miracles- I’ll Try Something New
25) The Shadows- Out of the Shadows


This is the year of folk to be sure. I’m generally not big on live albums but there are exceptions. Joan Baez in concert is one of them. If you think I’m off my rocker, listen to her rendition of What Have They Done To the Rain and then tell me I’m nuts. Then again, knowing some of you guys :rolleyes: )…

Peter Paul and Mary comes in at number two. I guess for most people a little bit of them can go a long way, but their first three albums and especially their debut very much impresses me. Again, listen to 500 Miles and… Coltrane comes up with another gem and Bob Dylan makes his solid debut. Number Five is my big surprise while other solid entries include Herbie Hancock, Marvin Gaye’s debut, Booker T’s Green Onions and my other big surprise, Meet the Supremes- go figure. The Beach Boys also recorded their first album this year, but they have to settle for honorable mention. I like the Beach Boys, but their debut really isn’t all that good.



Biggest Surprise- Sun Ra- The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra

The king of experimental jazz is no better than on this gem. I didn’t know what to expect having only really heard Rocket Number Nine, but, yeah, wow. Love this album.

Biggest Disappointment- Ray Charles- Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.


No, I didn’t really expect it to be among my absolute favorite albums, but when you consider this is considered to be the best album of 1962 by many critics, this doesn’t even come close for me. I guess I’m a bigger fan of his Atlantic output when it comes right down to it. Here, he’s trying to be Frank Sinatra or whoever.



Honorable Mention- The Beach Boys- Surfin Surfari, Bo Diddley- Bo Diddley, Ornette Coleman Quartet- Ornette, The Shirelles- Baby It’s You, Lightnin Hopkins- Lightnin Strikes


Stinker of the Year- Ann Corio and Sonny Lester- How To Strip For Your Husband

This was the year of David Rose and the Stripper. It was also the time when women were nervous that their husbands wouldn’t like their coffee. So, naturally this album was meant for a helpful guideline for women to , um, serve their husbands. Look for classics like Seduction of the Virgin Princess and Lonely Little G-String.

Well, we’ve survived the Cubans and the Twist. Stay tuned for next week as we cover 1963.

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Akai 02-01-2018 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul (Post 1922544)
Scandal of the Year: Marilyn Manson sings to JFK

lol

rubber soul 02-05-2018 04:02 AM

1963


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Event of the year: JFK gets attacked by the Birds
Fad: The game ‘Who Shot John Kennedy?’
Babe of the Year: Rocky the Flying Squirrel
Scandal of the Year: Ed Sullivan walks out on Bob Dylan over his really big shoes
Movie or TV show to barf to: Cleopatra
What we could have done without: George Wallace and Bull Connor
Pet of the year: Christine Keeler


Other Tidbits: JFK speaks German in Berlin and inadvertently tells the audience to f*** themselves, he later accepts a teaching post in Australia during a trip to Dallas, Martin Luther King has a nightmare, At John Lennon’s request, the Queen rattles her jewelry, people are eaten by man eating flowers called triffids, Russia and US establish the Cone of Silence, Wilbur Post sent to mental institution for talking to a horse.

Okay a note here. UK and US releases were a bit different from each other as the US liked to stretch albums out over time. Therefore, two Beatle albums in the UK would become seven in the US. I tried to use the UK releases as much as possible but if a couple slip through the cracks, blame Kapp records or something.

Okay here we go…



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1) The Beatles- With the Beatles
2) Bob Dylan- The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
3) The Beatles- Please Please Me
4) Charles Mingus- The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
5) James Brown- Live At the Apollo
6) Dave Van Ronk- Folksinger
7) Johnny Cash- Blood Sweat and Tears
8) The Beach Boys- Surfer Girl
9) Peter Paul and Mary- In the Wind
10) Prince Buster- I Feel the Spirit
11) The Impressions- The Impressions
12) Sam Cooke- Night Beat
13) Kenny Burrell- Midnight Blue
14) Various Artists- A Christmas Gift To You From Phil Spector
15) Thelonious Monk- Monk’s Dream
16) The Beach Boys- Surfin USA
17) The Searchers- Meet the Searchers
18) The Atlantics- Bombora
19) The Kingsmen- In Person
20) Peter Paul and Mary- Moving
21) Eric Dolphy- Conversations
22) The Miracles- The Fabulous Miracles
23) The Searchers- Sugar and Spice
24) The Marvelettes- The Marvelous Marvelettes
25) Lesley Gore- Sings of Mixed Up Hearts


This is the beginning of what I like to call the Beatle era. It’s also a good gage on how the quality of albums seem to improve, probably peaking around 1967-1968. As it is 1963 is the best year to date as the Beatles take number one for the first of six consecutive years as well as the number three spot. In between, we have probably Bob Dylan’s best folk album. He’s full blown political now as he guides us through Masters of War and A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall. Mingus comes up with another jazz classic and then there is James Browns’ classic Live at the Apollo. Dave Van Ronk releases his best effort this year and the Beach Boys come up with their first classic album in my book. They also score with Surfin’ USA. Other interesting albums include the Searchers’ two UK entries and the Atlantics. In the Honorable Mentions I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the Kingston Trio’s #16. While I couldn’t put it in my top twenty-five. I was surprised that they could still keep playing some decent stuff as late as 1963, especially since by now folk had gone all political.

Biggest Surprise- Prince Buster- I Feel the Spirit.

I almost went with Dave Van Ronk’s Folksinger but I expect good folk music. I didn’t know what to expect from a ska album. I absolutely love this album. And Madness did get their name from his signature song.

Biggest Disappointment- Dick Dale and His Deltones- King of the Surf Guitar.

I love your instrumentals but do me a favor, Dick, don’t sing- you suck!


Honorable Mention- Dionne Warwick- Presenting Dionne Warwick, The Kingston Trio- #16, Ike and Tina Turner- It’s Gonna Work Out Fine, James Brown- Prisoner of Love, Miles Davis- Seven Steps To Heaven




Stinker of the Year- Danke Schoen- Wayne Newton.

Before he became a smarmy entertainer in Vegas, Wayne Newton was a child star of twenty-one who in those days sounded like he had just been fired from the Chipmunks. If you saw Ferris Bueller Takes Off, you likely heard Danke Schoen. You may not have heard the Beatles Twist and Shout though because you probably were fighting to get out of the theatre. Yes, Virginia, this album truly sucks chipmunk balls.

Well now we’re in the Beatle era and it only gets better from here. See you later this week with 1964.


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rubber soul 02-08-2018 02:07 AM

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This was supposed to be the day I unveiled 1964, but as the great philosopher, Confucius, once said, s*** happens.

Because of some real life issues I am going to have to take a hiatus for a while. Maybe it will only be for a day or two or it could be considerably longer. At this stage, I honestly don't know what's going to happen.

So, in the meantime, I'm going to thank everyone for reading this thread and for making mb a fun place for me the last few months. Maybe when I come back, Pet Sounds will be able to kick off our joint project on the Beatles and I'll continue this journal.


But for now, I'll leave you with my favorite exit song...



rubber soul 02-08-2018 06:53 AM

Okay, I guess I better explain. My Mom was rushed to the hospital yesterday and her condition turned grave last night. Unfortunately, I pretty much saw the play by play and it's pretty not really good. Now it's likely she's not going to make it according to what I'm hearing.

But I am still here, even if sporadically, and will try to post 1964 tomorrow so be ready for anything. :)

OccultHawk 02-08-2018 07:38 AM

Sorry to hear that

Plankton 02-08-2018 08:23 AM

Hoping for the best, RS. But, as you said... That's tough to have to go through.

rubber soul 02-08-2018 08:40 AM

Yeah. Right now it's like she could die tonight, next month, or somehow make a miracle recovery (though the third one seems very doubtful). Anyway, I'll try to sneak in as much as possible. Thanks, guys. :)

rubber soul 02-08-2018 06:31 PM

Well, Mom died this afternoon. A little quicker than expected but expected nonetheless.

Well, I already wrote this up so here goes...


1964

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Event of the year: Elvis Presley does Ann Margaret
Fad: Really bad Beatle wigs
Babe of the Year: Josephine the Comet Plumber
Scandal of the Year: Barry Goldwater blows up the daisy girl. (according to LBJ anyway)
Movie or TV show to barf to: Gilligan’s Island
What we could have done without: The Beatles vs. the Four Seasons album
Pet of the year: Sonny Liston

Other Tidbits: The Beatles invade America and Britain gets her colonies back, Goldfinger wants James Bond to die, Ringo Starr knocks out Muhammad Ali for the Heavyweight Boxing Title, Things go better with Coke, The Warren Commission concludes John Wilkes Booth acted alone in Lincoln assassination, The Battleship Maine is sunk in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, the Rough Riders are sent to Vietnam, Liz marries Dick, Liz divorces Dick, Liz marries Dick again, Bob Dylan discovers pot, Martin Luther King wins the Academy Award, scientists discover that panthers are pink.


And with that, here is my top twenty-five for 1964…


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1) The Beatles- A Hard Day’s Night
2) The Rolling Stones- The Rolling Stones
3) Johnny Cash- Bitter Tears
4) Bob Dylan- Another Side of Bob Dylan
5) Phil Ochs- All the News That’s Fit To Sing
6) The Beatles- Beatles For Sale
7) Bob Dylan- The Times They Are a Changin
8) Eric Dolphy- Out To Lunch
9) Joan Baez- Joan Baez/5
10) Judy Henske- High Flyin’ Bird
11) The Holy Modal Rounders- The Holy Modal Rounders
12) The Beach Boys- Shut Down Vol. 2
13) Charles Mingus- Mingus, Mingus, Mingus
14) The Kinks- Kinks
15) The Ronettes- The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica.
16) The Animals- The Animals
17) The Yardbirds- Five Live Yardbirds
18) Muddy Waters- Folk Singer
19) Lesley Gore- Girl Talk
20) Ian and Sylvia- Northern Journey
21) Dave Van Ronk- Inside Dave Van Ronk
22) Sam Cooke- Ain’t That Good News
23) The Supremes- Where Did Our Love Go
24) The Hollies- In the Hollies Style
25) Manfred Mann- The Five Faces of Manfred Mann

The British Invasion is now full blown as the Beatles again hold the top spot. I actually would rate With the Beatles higher than A Hard Day’s Night, but no matter; it’s all semantics when you get right down to it. The Rolling Stones debut (UK version) comes in at number two. This is followed by Johnny Cash’s best album, Bitter Tears. Here he sings about the plight of the Native American. Cash is always best when he sings about the issues of the day as he will later with Man in Black for example. Dylan scores two in the top ten again and Phil Ochs’ debut scores big with me too. In terms of pure Folk, Phil Ochs tops my list though I would take Dylan’s electric period overall if it came down to brass tacks. Jazz is now fading from my top twenty five but Out To Lunch is everything it’s said to be; a jazz classic. Mingus also scores here for one last time. Out of the Top Ten, highlights include the wacky Holy Modal Rounders and a surprising effort by Lesley Gore who proves she isn’t just a singles’ artist to the chagrin of her handlers no doubt.


Biggest Surprise- Judy Henske- High Flying Bird.

I think I’ve established that I’m a pretty big fan of sixties folk but even I was taken aback by the blues-folk songstress. The arrangements were ahead of its time as folk in 1964 was still basically a singer with his/her guitar. Henske, though, would use percussion and other instrumentation that was still to become common with future folk albums. Phil Ochs didn’t get into going beyond an acoustic guitar until 1967 for example. Anyway, this was a pleasant surprise.

Biggest Disappointment- Downliner’s Sect- The Sect.

Now these guys are a great blues rock band in the vein of the Pretty Things, but this album to me, is basically a bunch of covers. They’re not bad mind you; it’s just an album that I would have thought would fare better with me.



Honorable Mention- Ian and Sylvia- Four Strong Winds, Simon and Garfunkel- Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, Tom Paxton- Ramblin’ Boy, The Everly Brothers- Gone, Gone, Gone, The Temptations- Meet the Temptations


Stinker of the Year- The Chipmunks- The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles

And the girls went screaming- all the way to the mental institution. Boy those Chipmunks knew how to cash on a music trend (wait till you hear Chipmunk Punk). They didn’t even grow their hair; that mean David Seville made them wear Beatle wigs. I think after this album, I’ll go listen to something more swinging, like Lawrence Welk.

And so ends a rather exciting year. Next up will be 1965. See you then.

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rubber soul 02-13-2018 05:54 AM

Still have some completed top twenty fives in reserves though it may be a while before I can totally complete them. Meanwhile we move on, shall we?...


1965


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Event of the year: The Beatles are given medals at a Mets game by Elvis.
Fad: Wrecking Ford Mustangs
Babes of the Year: Ginger and Mary Ann
Scandal of the Year: Frankie and Annette shack up
Movie or TV show to barf to: My Mother the Car
What we could have done without: The Vietnam War
Pet of the year: Ilya Kuryakin

Other Tidbits: The night the lights went out in New York City, Malcolm X joins JFK in Australia, A cookout goes awry in Watts, LBJ declares blacks equal by sending them to Vietnam, an unmanned spaceship crashes into a telephone pole and starts the Apollo program, Bob Dylan electrocutes himself at Newport, Hugh Hefner invents the mini-skirt, Gomez Addams defeats Herman Munster for the Welterweight title, Frankie and Annette fall in love in Beach Blanket Bingo at Hamburger Hill.

The quality of the top twenty is getting better with each year and I really like this batch. So here we go…



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1) The Beatles- Rubber Soul
2) Bob Dylan- Highway 61 Revisited
3) Bob Dylan- Bringing It All Back Home
4) Phil Ochs- I Ain’t Marchin Anymore
5) John Coltrane- A Love Supreme
6) The Rolling Stones- No. 2
7) The Who- My Generation
8) The Beatles- Help!
9) Otis Redding- Otis Blue
10) Them- The Angry Young Them
11) The Byrds- Mr. Tambourine Man
12) The Zombies- Begin Here
13) The Kinks- Kontroversey
14) The Beach Boys- Summer Days and Summer Nights
15) The Pretty Things- Get the Picture
16) Joan Baez- Farewell, Angelina
17) The Kinks- Kinda Kinks
18) Richard and Mimi Farina- Celebrations For a Grey Day
19) The Pretty Things- The Pretty Things
20) The Beau Brummels- Introducing the Beau Brummels
21) The Yardbirds- Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds
22) Jackson C.Frank- Jackson C.Frank
23) John Fahey- The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death
24) The Fugs- The Fugs Sing Ballds of Contemporary Protest, Points of View, and General Dissatisfaction
25) The Sonics- Here Are the Sonics

Now things are getting going. The fact that my biggest surprise only comes in at number 24 should give you an idea of what I think of this year. For starters, Dylan’s Highway 61 is truly one of my favorite albums ever. In fact all-time it comes in at number four. Unfortunately for him, it was the same year that my number two all time album was released. Well, my name is Rubber Soul, isn’t it? :D.

Dylan also comes in at number three with his second best album. Yes, Dylan had one hell of a year, Phil Ochs scores big again, and Coltrane keeps jazz alive with his brilliant A Love Supreme. There are all sorts of gems on this year’s chart, but I’ll especially point to the Who, the Zombies, the Pretty Things two entries, and the Sonics who just sneak into an amazing top twenty-five. Even in the Honorable Mentions you have the Moodies' first entry. They were quite impressive with the Denny Laine fronted piano blues band.

Biggest Surprise- The Fugs.

Of course I’ve heard snippets from these guys (notably, CIA man which they recorded a little later), but this album bounces between nutty acoustic goofballishness that would make Zappa proud and some straightforward folk rock. It proved to be an enjoyable listen. Also note that the album still comes in at 24 which gives you an idea on how the quality of albums is improving.

Biggest Disappointment- The Rolling Stones- Out of Our Heads (US version)

This was the first Stones album I ever bought and, outside of the hit singles, the album is pretty boring. If you took away Satisfaction, the Last Time (one of my favorite Stones songs btw), and Play With Fire, the album would even stink. Needless to say, the aforementioned three songs saved the album from complete disaster (it did make my honorable mentions).


Honorable Mention- The Byrds- Turn, Turn, Turn, Donovan- Fairytale, The Moody Blues- The Magnificent Moodies, The Rolling Stones- Out of Our Heads, The Beach Boys- The Beach Boys Today.


Stinker of the Year- The Addicts- The Addicts Sing

A friend of mine had this album (he liked to buy odd albums for the covers mostly). The story is these guys were taken from the streets and put together as a gospel choir. They’re not the worst singers, but come on; do you really want to advertise a band as a bunch of ‘former’ drug addicts? They sing acappella on You Are the Finger of God (so don’t pick God’s nose) and it sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. Well, hopefully, they were cleaned up and remained that way.

Well, that’s it for 1965. See you later on for 1966.

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Frownland 02-13-2018 08:25 AM

Lol Beatles need to drop down a good 20 at least my man.

You missed Juju, Wayne Shorter's best album. That would be number three for me beneath A Love Supreme and Ayler's Spiritual Unity (I get why you didn't put the latter on though, it's not for everyone).

One that also might not have made it on your radar


OccultHawk 02-13-2018 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland (Post 1926198)
Lol Beatles need to drop down a good 20 at least my man.

You missed Juju, Wayne Shorter's best album. That would be number three for me beneath A Love Supreme and Ayler's Spiritual Unity (I get why you didn't put the latter on though, it's not for everyone).

One that also might not have made it on your radar


I think every year, we’ll be able to pick it apart but he’s still doing a good job.

For both of us Ayler -I think it’s the same for you- he continues to run through the core of so much great music. His sound was meant to echo and it keeps reverberating. It’s going to continue haunting our musical consciousness long after we’re dead and gone. I get that Ayler is harder than Dolphy but he included Out to Lunch. So that invites the discussion. Don’t play with fire if you don’t wanna get burned. If free jazz is in play there’s no excusing the absence of Spiritual Unity.

Frownland 02-13-2018 09:17 AM

While they're both free jazz it's pretty disingenuous to lump Dolphy and Ayler together, very different animals.

rubber soul 02-13-2018 09:51 AM

Hey, everyone has their own favorites :laughing:

I didn't play a lot of Hurley, but I will when I have more time. The first track sounded pretty good. I don't know if he would have made my list but that's only because 1965 was such a monster year. We're into the meat of my favorite era now.

And don't diss the Beatles, Frownie, it's not like I pick on Captain Beefheart, much :rolleyes:

Frownland 02-13-2018 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul (Post 1926221)
And don't diss the Beatles, Frownie, it's not like I pick on Captain Beefheart, much :rolleyes:

The Beatles never released the best album of it's respective year =/= The Beatles are shit.

If you have qualms about Beefheart, bring it up. Discussing music is always more interesting than patting people on the back when you like the same things.


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