# The miracle half decade



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Are you of a certain age? Then you'll cherish a lot of recordings from 1965 through 1970. Here's one of my faves. Yours?


----------



## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I am of a certain age, but I only have a vague memory of the 1960s. I was born in 1965. That said, my musical sensibilities lie near that miracle half decade. I'm weird in that I stopped listening to new music by 1980. I have almost no music in my collection from the 80s, and nothing from the 90s. And all my favourite music is from the late 60s to early 70s. 

The Beatles Revolver and Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced might be my favourites from that miracle half decade.


----------



## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

"The Band" (The Brown Album). "Music From Big Pink" is almost as good.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The Doors:_The Doors_, 1967. It was not The End; it was just the beginning....


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

This could become a long thread.....

Laura Nyro: _More Than a New Discovery_, 1967; _Eli and the Thirteenth Confession_, 1968


----------



## San Antone (Feb 15, 2018)

*Dylan* - _John Wesley Harding_ (1967); (not to mention _Blonde on Blonde_ (1966), _Highway 61 Revisited_ and _Bringing It All Back Home_ (both in 1965))

*Beach Boys* - _Pet Sounds_ (1966)

*Beatles* - _Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club_ (1967)

*Crosby, Stills & Nash* - eponymous first record (1969)

*John Coltrane* - _A Love Supreme_ (1965)

*Miles Davis* - the four recordings by the Second Great Quintet, _E.S.P._, _Miles Smiles_, _Sorcerer_ and _Nefertiti_ (1965-1968), then _Bitches Brew_ (1969).


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

This were some of my first albums when I was a kid:


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Not my (half) decade (I was born in '57, my main decade is the 70s). My three top choices:

Simon and Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
Beatles - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
King Crimson - In the court of the crimson king


----------



## Guest (Jul 9, 2018)

View attachment 105490


View attachment 105491


Forever intertwined within my memory... You would have to be a Canadian to understand just how profoundly significant the addition of Neil Young was to CSN... Fifty years later and we still can't stop saying - "He's Canadian!" - even to each other - equal parts pride and disbelief...


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I was born in 64 so I came to many of these iconic albums late but I caught up quickly and started gigging regularly around 1978 (I had to go with my older brother, LOL)! The raw power of this one gets me every time and Bain did a great job on the production. The first time I played the title track (quite loudly) my dad said "What the bloody hell was that?" Those bells, that rain and thunder (all Bain's ideas) and that slow riff! Possibly one of the most atmospheric rock songs ever made.














_"Still falls the rain, the veils of darkness shroud the blackened trees, which contorted by some unseen violence, shed their tired leaves, and bend their boughs towards a grey earth of severed bird wings. among the grasses, poppies bleed before a gesticulating death, and young rabbits, born dead in traps, stand motionless, as though guarding the silence that surrounds and threatens to engulf all those that would listen. Mute birds, tired of repeating yesterdays terrors, huddle together in the recesses of dark corners, heads turned from the dead, black swan that floats upturned in a small pool in the hollow. there emerges from this pool a faint sensual mist, that traces its way upwards to caress the chipped feet of the headless martyr's statue, whose only achievement was to die to soon, and who couldn't wait to lose. the cataract of darkness form fully, the long black night begins, yet still, by the lake a young girl waits, unseeing she believes herself unseen, she smiles, faintly at the distant tolling bell, and the still falling rain."_


----------



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

The one I've never got sick of. 1969, the year of its release, was the year I went to Durham University to study English with subsidiary subjects Indian and Chinese Civilisation, and to wear long skirts, burn candles (not just for style but to get through the power cuts) and drink horrible instant coffee with marvel or coffee mate.


----------



## Guest (Jul 9, 2018)

Merl said:


> I was born in 64 so I came to many of these iconic albums late but I caught up quickly and started gigging regularly around 1978 (I had to go with my older brother, LOL)! The raw power of this one gets me every time and Bain did a great job on the production. The first time I played the title track (quite loudly) my dad said "What the bloody hell was that?" Those bells, that rain and thunder (all Bain's ideas) and that slow riff! Possibly one of the most atmospheric rock songs ever made.
> 
> View attachment 105489
> 
> ...


Ah, the legend that is Roger Bain. How do you know that about the beginning being Bain's ideas?


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

as a jazz fan I think that the first half decade of the sixties was as good if not even better than the first half. In any case:

Andrew Hill - Andrew!!! (actually recorded in 1964, but released in 1968... is it valid?)
Wayne Shorter (recorded in december 1964, but released in 1965 again)
Lee Morgan - The procrastinator (recorded in 1968 but released in the early seventies... is it valid?)
Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro (and all the albums made by the second quintet)
Van Morrison - Astral weeks
Tim Buckley - Happy sad
Andrew Hill - Compulsion
Stan Getz - Sweet rain
Duke Ellington - Far east suite
King Crimson - In the court of the crimson king
Captain Beefheart - Trout mask replica
Frank Zappa - Hot rats
Nick Drake - Five leaves left
Kevin Ayers - Joy of a toy


----------



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

In The Court of the Crimson King and Hot Rats were LPs I loved too. 
I used to use the lyrics of the former to teach poetry lessons - always went down a treat.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Ingélou said:


> The one I've never got sick of. 1969, the year of its release, was the year I went to Durham University to study English with subsidiary subjects Indian and Chinese Civilisation, and to wear long skirts, burn candles (not just for style but to get through the power cuts) and drink horrible instant coffee with marvel or coffee mate.


By coincidence I pulled out my copy of Clouds last night and played Tin Angel. The musical depth and artistry of this performance is sublime.

Some other records from that era that I still listen to are:

Leo Kottke-6&12 String Guitars
Jethro Tull-Stand Up
The Mothers-Uncle Meat
Jimi Hendrix-Axis Bold As 
The Miles Davis Quintet 1965-1968
Jack Bruce-Songs For A Tailor
Chicago Transit Authority


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Of course, _Led Zeppelin I, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III_.


----------



## San Antone (Feb 15, 2018)

starthrower said:


> Jimi Hendrix-Axis Bold As


Speaking of Hendrix, _Electric Ladyland_ (1968), and you mentioning Jack Bruce reminds me of *Cream*, _Wheels of Fire_ (1968).

A few more I forgot to list in my first post:

*Kinks* - _Something Else_ (1967)
_The Immortal Mississippi John Hurt _ (1967)

Happy to see someone mentioning some of *Andrew Hill*'s recordings from the 60s, but the one I listen to the most is _Point of Departure_ (1965), _Black Fire_ and _Judgment_ came out in 1964. Those three are stellar.


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

San Antone said:


> Speaking of Hendrix, _Electric Ladyland_ (1968), and you mentioning Jack Bruce reminds me of *Cream*, _Wheels of Fire_ (1968).
> 
> A few more I forgot to list in my first post:
> 
> ...


Personally Andrew!!! and Judgment are my favorites (third place for the very overlooked The day the earth stood still), but if I had to choose just one musician for his discography I would choose Andrew Hill (and it would be hard to choose considering guys with incredible discographies like Miles Davis or Duke Ellington). A lot of his albums are amazing.


----------



## Guest (Jul 9, 2018)

Ingélou said:


> In The Court of the Crimson King and Hot Rats were LPs I loved too.
> I used to use the lyrics of the former to teach poetry lessons - always went down a treat.


Some current nostalgia :tiphat:


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

dogen said:


> Ah, the legend that is Roger Bain. How do you know that about the beginning being Bain's ideas?


Iommi and Ozzy have said it before in interview and it's in one of their books. It was the sound engineer too. Nowt to do with Sabbath. Bain said summat along the lines of "this would be cool with a church bell" and the sound engineer had some sampled rainstorm and wanted to throw thar t into the mix too. Sabbath said "yeah go ahead, that sounds cool". They were blown away when they heard how it sounded on the record. Tbh it makes that track. Hats off to Bainy.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

_Traffic _just squeezes into this half-decade, with _John Barleycorn must Die_ in 1970 and the amazing _Low Spark of High Heeled Boys_ in 1971.


----------



## Guest (Jul 9, 2018)

Merl said:


> Iommi and Ozzy have said it before in interview and it's in one of their books. It was the sound engineer too. Nowt to do with Sabbath. Bain said summat along the lines of "this would be cool with a church bell" and the sound engineer had some sampled rainstorm and wanted to throw thar t into the mix too. Sabbath said "yeah go ahead, that sounds cool". They were blown away when they heard how it sounded on the record. Tbh it makes that track. Hats off to Bainy.


Which book/s?.......


----------



## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

King Crimson - ItCotCK
T2 - It'll All Work Out in Boomland
Coltrane - A Love Supreme
McCoy Tyner - Expansions
Zappa - Hot Rats
Miles - In A Silent Way
Soft Machine - Third
Van der Graaf Generator - H to He Who Am the Only One
Van der Graaf Generator - The Least We Can do is Wave to Each OTher
Genesis - Trespass
Gentle Giant - S/T


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

dogen said:


> Which book/s?.......


I've got quite a few Sabbath books ('How Black was my Sabbath', etc) but I went looking for the exact quotes and here they are:

Firstly it's in Iommi's autobiography *'Iron Man'* (page 65).
_"We didn't have time to get involved with the final mix of the album because we were off to Europe. There really wasn't a lot to mix anyway..........Rodger Bain and Tom Allan did add the bells and thunder and lightning at the beginning of Black Sabbath. One of them got some sound effect tapes, "What about putting these on it?" 
We went, "Oh Yeah, that's great!" because it is, it really sets the mood for the track"._

2nd mention is in Ozzy's autobiography *'I am Ozzy'* (page 96):
_"Then Jim went over to the record player and put it on. I almost burst into tears, it sounded so great. While we'd been in Switzerland, Rodger and Tom had put these sound effects of a thunderstorm and a tolling bell over the opening riff of the title track, so it sounded like something from a film. The overall effect was fabulous. I still get chills whenever I hear it."_

I've got a few more quotes on it in other books (but cant track them down right now but it was Bain and Allan who sorted the title track. Btw, for those who have never read Ozzy's book (I am Ozzy) do yerself a favour and read it. It's really funny (especially the story about viewing Roger Whittaker's house). Sorry, I'm a bit obsessed with Sabbath. They were my first love as a rock band.


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Strange Magic said:


> Of course, _Led Zeppelin I, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III_.


I was hoping somebody would bring up Zep.


----------



## Guest (Jul 9, 2018)

Merl said:


> I've got quite a few Sabbath books ('How Black was my Sabbath', etc) but I went looking for the exact quotes and here they are:
> 
> Firstly it's in Iommi's autobiography *'Iron Man'* (page 65).
> _"We didn't have time to get involved with the final mix of the album because we were off to Europe. There really wasn't a lot to mix anyway..........Rodger Bain and Tom Allan did add the bells and thunder and lightning at the beginning of Black Sabbath. One of them got some sound effect tapes, "What about putting these on it?"
> ...


Cheers. What about Mick Wall's book?


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Also the great years of Cream, and of Love (Arthur Lee, one of the true yet almost forgotten geniuses of rock/pop).


----------



## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

norman bates said:


> as a jazz fan I think that the first half decade of the sixties was as good if not even better than the first half. In any case:
> 
> Andrew Hill - Andrew!!! (actually recorded in 1964, but released in 1968... is it valid?)
> Wayne Shorter (recorded in december 1964, but released in 1965 again)
> ...


The only one I don't have is Kevin Ayers! Must remedy that.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

1966 and 1967:


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Another cool Airplane album I picked up last year.


----------



## Guest (Jul 9, 2018)

Those of us north of the 49th parallel who are willing to be honest with ourselves must acknowledge that when it comes to popular culture Canadians suffer from a pronounced case of "Middle Child Syndrome" - we can't help it - we have Great Britain as our elder brother and America as our kid brother and between the two of them... well.. you get us... Canada - polite, quiet, unassuming, friendly, and ever apologetic - Canada...

But in 1968 Steppenwolf came roaring out of the gate with two releases that made us feel as if for one brief moment the forgotten brother in the middle was suddenly someone who was no longer overlooked... no longer taken for granted... someone who was able to step out of the shadows and enjoy a brief but vibrantly shining moment in the radiant northern lights...

Thank you Steppenwolf for that moment in 1968 when our eldest and youngest brothers looked upon us as members of the family...

"Born To Be Wild" -






"Magic Carpet Ride" -






and for that additional brief moment early in 1969 -

"Rock Me" -


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

dogen said:


> Cheers. What about Mick Wall's book?


No, not read that.


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

This one had a big effect on me too. Huge Ash fan back in the 70s and 80s (even went to see them last year too for the upteenth time).


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Here are three albums I still dust off from time to time but they are just the tip of an enormous iceberg of albums I love(d). 
My favoured period was from 1967 - 1977 for albums. The singles charts by the early 70's was generally poor.

View attachment 105506


View attachment 105507


View attachment 105508


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Merl said:


> This one had a big effect on me too. Huge Ash fan back in the 70s and 80s (even went to see them last year too for the upteenth time).


Argus was my Wishbone Ash favourite, perhaps predictably but it falls outside Ken's time range (1972).


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

_Spirit_, though not so well-known, is one of my favorite bands of that era. Here are their albums I most enjoy from 1968, 1969, and 1970.


----------



## San Antone (Feb 15, 2018)

norman bates said:


> Personally Andrew!!! and Judgment are my favorites (third place for the very overlooked The day the earth stood still), but if I had to choose just one musician for his discography I would choose Andrew Hill (and it would be hard to choose considering guys with incredible discographies like Miles Davis or Duke Ellington). A lot of his albums are amazing.


Even though I had all of his BN albums as they came out, I bought the Mosaic box. AH has always been among my top fave jazz leaders/composers - I also like his solo piano stuff from the '70s. _Involution_ with Sam Rivers is a very cool record.


----------



## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

My favourite period in rock/pop/soul music. Beatles, Zappa, Soft Machine, Love, Tim Buckley, VU, Jefferson Airplane, HP Lovecraft, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Otis Redding, Sly and Family Stone, Ben E King.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Has anybody mentioned The Who? One of my favorite bands. Their compilation album, _Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy_, was issued in 1971, but almost all the material is 1970 and prior. A must-have album!


----------

