In preparation for the 1980 album deep dive, I took a quick look back at my Mt. Rushmore for that year. Permanent Waves...check. Blizzard of Ozz...check. Heaven and Hell...check. Hi Infidelity...was I drunk? Yes, drunk on nostalgia. I thought back to my sophomore year in high school when REO Speedwagon ruled the world. I listened to this record just about everyday. "Keep on Loving You" dominated the charts. "Take it On the Run" is a classic rock radio staple to this day. Surely, Hi Infidelity had stood the test of time. Well, not so much.
On a certain level, I still love this album. It led me down a rabbit hole of classic 70's REO Speedwagon. "Roll With the Changes", "Keep Pushin", "Time For Me To Fly", "Ridin' the Storm Out" just to name a few. It features one of the most underrated guitarists of all-time, the late Gary Richrath. His solo on "Take it On the Run" is blistering. Back in the day, I even liked the album tracks. I'm not sure why an album with the subtle as a sledgehammer theme of infidelity appealed so much to a 16-year-old who had yet to even have a girlfriend. But it did.
Today, I went back and gave Hi Infidelity another spin. "2025 Me" decided to rate it 3.5 Stars and there's no chance of it making my Top 25 of 1980. "1980 Me" was a little sad. "Keep on Loving You" and "Take it On the Run" still hold up well. The problem is the songwriting on the rest of the album is a major step down from their 70's catalog and frequently quite cheesy. I could rehash some of the lyrics about hot, sweet-talkin' studs and tough guys, but I don't have the heart to pile on. It's notable that the only other album track that holds up is "Someone Tonight", which was written and sung by bassist Bruce Hall. It was the only track on the album that captures the 1979-81 power pop zeitgeist.
When I woke up today, I had no idea I would be posting about Hi Infidelity. And I don't mean to crap on it. It's still a very significant touchstone in my music journey. It's just remarkable that in two years an album could go from being on my Mt. Rushmore to not even making the Top 25. I felt that deserves some sort of call out before I post the 1980 Deep Dive some time in the near future. I still have about 80 albums to review, so bring your patience for the ride. Peace.
So, I put together a Top 25 song list for 1969. I'm not going to comment on each song since I mentioned most of them with the albums. There are only two songs on this list whose album didn't make my Top 25. Those songs are "Galveston" by Glen Campbell and "Ramblin', Gamblin' Man" by Bob Seger. It's going to take some time to get through the 1980 albums for the next dive, but I'll try to publish some other posts in the meantime. Peace.
25. The Who- Christmas
24. CCR - Lodi
23. The Kinks - Victoria
22. Bob Seger - Ramblin', Gamblin' Man
21. Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid
It's been a long time coming. Let's finally put a wrap on 1969. I may or may not do a songs list. Seems a bit daunting. I have begun looking at 1980 and the Top 25 should be packed. In addition, there are new albums in February by Guided by Voices and Doves, so you can look forward to posts on those releases. Let's do this thing.
5. The Kinks - Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire ( 4.5 Stars )
Arthur seems to get overlooked since it falls in between Village Green and Lola. It's well regarded by critics, but not the record buying public. I believe the only minor hit was "Victoria", which was mostly a Dave Davies song. Ray came in on the chorus to give it a shot in the arm. Arthur continues with the themes of Village Green, though slightly darker. There is still a wistful longing for a Britain that Ray feels is lost. There's a desire to escape the rat race and senseless wars to Shangri La or Australian. Ray Davies' keen eye and clever lyrics are on full display. Arthur rewards repeat listening.
4. Miles Davis - In a Silent Way ( 5 Stars )
In a Silent Way is considered the official beginning of Miles Davis' "Electric Period". These sessions included former members of his Second Quintet, recent members Chick Corea and Dave Holland, and newcomers Joe Zawinul and John McLaughlin. Everyone who played on this session is a jazz legend and it shows. Side A is a nineteen minute Miles composition titled "Shhh/Peaceful, which features Davis soaring above a bed of three keyboards (Hancock, Corea and Zawinul). Side B includes the title track, which was composed by Joe Zawinul and features McLaughlin on electric guitar, and the Davis penned "It's About That Time", which is a jazz-rock fusion track. While I love the Second Quintet, it's hard to argue that In A Silent Way and it's brilliant follow-up Bitches Brew aren't the pinnacle of jazz music.
3. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica ( 5 Stars )
Yes, I'm just as surprised as you. In fact, I wasn't even going to bother listening to this album for the deep dive. One day in the Tastes Like Music discord there was some good-natured back and forth about Trout Mask Replica, so I decided I needed to at least listen to it once before I die. What a fantastic mindfuck of an album. I was hooked by the second track, "The Dust Blows Forward "N" The Dust Blows Back". And the hits just kept coming. "Ella Guru", "Moonlight on Vermont", all the way to the closing track, "Veteran's Day Poppy". My approach for rating this 5 Stars is "the sum is greater than its parts". Still, the parts are mostly delightful. Am I ever going to get down in the weeds of Trout Mask Replica and parse the completely bonkers lyrics or battling time signatures? No. But I will enjoy sitting back and taking it in. I even picked up the Third Man Records vinyl reissue the other day. And the Magic Band consists of the, probably, aptly named, Zoot Horn Rollo on guitar, Antennae Jimmy Semens on guitar, The Mascara Snake on Bass Clarinet, Rockette Morton on Bass, and Drumbo on drums. Love it!
2. CCR - Green River ( 5 Stars )
This album grabbed me right from the opening guitar riff on the title track. I don't know if that's a Telecaster, but it sure as hell sounds like it. Of the three CCR releases of 1969, this is the best guitar album. Therefore...my favorite. Maybe it's the best because it was the middle album. They had one under their belts, but weren't burnt out yet. "Bad Moon Rising" (or as I like to say, "There's a baboon on the right") is obviously a classic banger. My favorite track is "Lodi". Anyone who grew up in a shit town probably has a soft spot for this track. Even a song like "Sinister Purpose" that isn't great still has some tasty guitar all over it. Apparently, I'm on an island with the take that Green River is a 5 star album, but I like what I like.
1. The Beatles - Abbey Road ( 5 Stars )
Can I give this 6 Stars? People forget Abbey Road was The Beatles final album, even though it was released before Let it Be. They were determined to go out on top after the ill-conceived Let it Be sessions. They had to beg George Martin to come back and produce for them one last time. Thankfully, he did and captured a perfect whole band effort. Every member of the Fab Four shines on this record. From the slinky groove of Lennon's "Come Together" to the sublime Abbey Road medley, this is a masterpiece. Even George Harrison contributes two of the all-time best Beatles tracks, "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun". He easily could have kept those for his solo career, but he was bought in on creating on final, great Beatles album. The highlight, though, is the medley that closes Abbey Road. The combination of McCartney's beautiful pieces and Lennon's nasty, biting snippets is tremendous. And the transition from "Polythene Pam" to "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" is genius level composition. "Octopus' Garden" isn't great, but I'm not going to begrudge Ringo getting a fun little track on the last album. The only turd in the punch bowl is "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". This song makes "Her Majesty" seem like Mozart. It's been said a hundred times before, but it's fitting that the last musical statement from The Beatles was, "And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make". Peace.
Well, we've arrived at the Top 10 and my 6-10 is an odd assortment of bands. For some reason, it struck me as funny to imagine all of these guys together at a party. Picture Iggy Pop and Keith Moon, shirts off and plastered, encouraging Pete Townshend to destroy Robert Fripp and Terry Kath's guitars, as Charlie Watts looks on in bemused silence. Good times.
10. Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority ( 4.5 Stars )
Yes, in 1969 Chicago made their recording debut and were actually an immensely talented band that combined rock, jazz and soul to dominate the charts. My band director, when I was a kid, was a huge Chicago fan. Needless to say, we played copious amounts of Chicago tunes. So I was aware they had once been a great band before sucking in the 80's. This album includes the hits "Beginnings", "Questions 67 and 68" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is"? The playing on here is amazing, especially Terry Kath on guitar. Unfortunately, he was indulged by being allowed to include the track "Free Form Guitar" on this release, which isn't representative of his skill. The album is rounded out by a muscular blues number, "South California Purples" and an inspired cover of "I'm a Man". Chicago Transit Authority would probably be 5 Stars if "Free Form Guitar" had been let off.
9. The Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed ( 4.5 Stars )
This is a top 3 Stones album for me, along with Some Girls and Sticky Fingers. It's worth noting, however, that the best performance on Let it Bleed is Mary Clayton's vocals on "Gimme Shelter". That alone puts this at 4 Stars. Throw in "Midnight Rambler", "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and my favorite track "Monkey Man" and we're at 4.5 Stars. I'm still not the biggest Stones fan, but I'm trying.
8. The Stooges - The Stooges ( 4.5 Stars )
Iggy Pop is another artist I'm not that into, but The Stooges debut is a middle finger to 1969 America. In fact, the opening track is titled 1969. "It's another year for me and you. It's another year with nothing to do." Iggy's sneering vocals are accentuated by some infectious hand claps and razor wire guitar. Then he follows that up with the iconic track, "I Wanna Be Your Dog". "No Fun" is kind of a Stones-y rocker with even more hand claps. Have I ever mentioned I love hand claps? Have I also mentioned that I'm fairly certain I saw Iggy Pop at a RUSH concert in Detroit in 2002? While I was in my seat before the show, a shirtless man who looked exactly like Iggy came out from the backstage area and ran up the aisle to the back of the venue. Anyhow, some people are put off by the ten minutes track, "We Will Fall", but I like it. It's hypnotic and drone-y. If I spent more time with this album it might make it to 5 Stars.
7. The Who - Tommy ( 4.5 Stars )
Tommy was in my original Mt. Rushmore for 1969. It partly fell because other albums moved up and partly because the rock opera format is slightly annoying. If this had just been a concept album with the best tracks it's probably 5 Stars. However, the overtures and short pieces and what not take me out of enjoying the album to its fullest. I suppose that's kind of nit-picky, but that's how I feel. It's still #7 and a great album. Stop judging me! Nobody needs Keith Moon's "Tommy's Holiday Camp" leading into the sublime "We're Not Gonna Take It". Also, I never need to hear "Pinball Wizard" again. Seriously though, I love The Who and there are iconic songs all over Tommy. I just never listen to this record, beginning to end, straight through. Oddly, my favorite track is "Christmas".
6. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King ( 4.5 Stars )
This would have been in the Top 5 had it not been bumped by a stunning, upset pick. Interestingly, this is the 7th debut album in my Top 25. "21st Century Schizoid Man" is arguably one of the greatest musical achievements of the 20th Century. It's technically jaw dropping, yet on the knife's edge of unhinged. In the past, I've offhandedly dismissed Robert Fripp as a guitar great. After doing these last couple dives, I have been completely disabused of that notion. While there are still many guitarists I prefer to Fripp, there's no denying he is a virtuoso player. And Greg Lake would certainly be on my Mt. Rushmore of Prog vocalists.
You are not going to believe what my #3 album is. No, it's not Moondog. Peace.
My 11-15 is full of heavy hitters and one mildly surprising band that is considered a one-hit wonder, but over the course of some of these deep dives has grown in my estimation. This group also includes two records that were on my original Mt. Rushmore. Before this dive I assumed 1969 was a loaded year, but it turns out to have been quite top heavy. However, I don't get to a 4.5 star rating until album # 12.
15. David Bowie - Space Oddity ( 4 Stars )
Space Oddity isn't one of Bowie's highly regarded albums and the title track has been played into the ground by radio stations since 1969. However, it is a major step up from his debut and shows glimpses of the direction he would take in the 70's. For instance, a couple minutes into "Cygnet Committee" he creates a sound that he would flesh out more on the later track, "Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud". This sound would come to serve as the template for his brilliant Glam period. Unfortunately, there are several light-weight tracks on Space Oddity and even "Freecloud" is much better on the live Ziggy album. Still, for 1969 it's 4 Stars. Compared to the rest of his catalog, maybe not.
14. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin ( 4 Stars )
Led Zeppelin rose from the ashes of The Yardbirds and struck a blow to rock music with the hammer of the gods (and some plagiarizing of old, black blues artists). I can imagine in 1969, no one had ever heard anything like this and it was a revelation. I came to Led Zeppelin in the mid-70's and my taste skews more to their later albums. There's no denying that tracks like "Communication Breakdown", "Dazed and Confused" and "How Many More Times" define the hard rock genre. I'm just not a huge fan of the sludgy blues numbers like "You Shook Me" or the church organ tinged "Your Time is Gonna Come". And even though Jimmy Page is the undisputed king of riffs and inspired guitarists I love , like Alex Lifeson and Jack White, "Black Mountain Side" is not very interesting and left me wondering why Michael Hedges never did a superior cover version. The beginning of "How Many More Times", single-handedly, makes this a 4 star album. What a groove!
13. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II ( 4 Stars )
The band so nice I got them twice. I've always liked Zeppelin II slightly more. I wish I had a Bob Ludwig "Hot Mix" of this record. "Whole Lotta Love" is one hell of an opener. That interplay between Page and Bonham in the middle is visceral. When I was younger, I would listen to "Heartbreaker / Living Loving Maid" on repeat. I can't conceive of listening to those tracks separately. Being a nerdy, Tolkein reader, I loved "Ramble On". I still have this at 4 Stars due to there still being several sludgy tracks that I don't enjoy as much as the highlights.
12. Procol Harum - A Salty Dog ( 4.5 Stars )
I've really grown to love this band. Maybe it's because I live in the United States, but I never knew they had so many albums, or a song other than "Whiter Shade of Pale". This is a magnificent record. The title track is much like a pastoral, Peter Gabriel era Genesis song. Gary Brooker is an incredible vocalist and pianist. These early Procol Harum albums feature Robin Trower on guitar, as well. "The Devil Came From Kansas" sounds like a rocker from "Lamb Lies Down" Genesis. However, this record pre-dates that by six years. The album's high point musically would be "Wreck of the Hesperus". The only negatives for A Salty Dog would be that it starts to drag a little at the end and the album cover is horrible. At some point this year I need to do a Procol Harum dive.
11. CCR - Bayou Country ( 4.5 Stars )
It's interesting that CCR was able to create this Bayou mythology, even though they were from California. I don't know how they did it, but they did. In fairness, they do sound like they crawled out of the swamp...in a good way. This mythology was probably bolstered by the outstanding track, "Born on the Bayou". It reads like an origin story for the band. I think the whole vibe of this record is much more cohesive than Willy and the Poor Boys. Even deep cuts like "Bootleg" and "Graveyard Train" are integral to the sound of Bayou Country. As is the stellar track, "Proud Mary". So, I guess this spoils the suspense of which 1969 CCR albums is my favorite. Where will Green River land in the Top 10? You might have to wait a couple days to find out. Keep on Chooglin. Peace.
My 16-20 picks are quite a diverse group; a jazz legend, a British super-group, a garage band, Southern rockers and a jazz-rock fusion guitar master. My Top 15 will be more obvious selections, with a few surprises sprinkled in for good measure.
20. Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro ( 4 Stars )
This album marks Miles' transition from his Second Quintet of Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams to the In a Silent Way sessions. The tracks "Petits Machins" and "Mademoiselle Mabry" feature the arrival of electric piano wizard Chick Corea and bassist Dave Holland. Filles is a very good album, but never reaches the heights of Nefertiti or In a Silent Way or Bitches Brew. It was a necessary step in getting there. It is subtitled Directions in Music by Miles Davis. I would classify it as confident explorations by transcendent musicians.
19. Blind Faith - Blind Faith ( 4 Stars )
This is one of the best super-group albums of all-time. I think what makes it great is everyone stays in their respective lane. Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of Eric Clapton, but on Blind Faith he pays service to the songs, rather than his reputation as "God". Ginger Baker and Rick Grech hold done the rhythm section in a loose, free-form manner. And Steve Winwood is one of the most criminally underrated vocalist in rock history. His performance on "Had To Cry Today" is incendiary, then he follows that with the hauntingly, beautiful classic track, "Can't Find My Way Home". Tremendous.
18. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams ( 4 Stars )
Brothers and sisters. It just takes five seconds to decide if you are part of the problem or part of the solution. This is the rallying cry that leads into the raved up, garage rock one-two punch of "Ramblin' Rose" and "Kick Out the Jams". This record is live and raw. Summer of Love it ain't. Brother Wayne Kramer done kicked it out. Leave it to Southeast Michigan to produce Kick Out the Jams and The Stooges in 1969, as well as the garage rock revival lead by The White Stripes. Must be the gasoline fumes.
17. The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band ( 4 Stars )
Clearly one of the best debut albums and a landmark release in Southern blues rock. The combination of Greg Allman's soulful vocals and the scorching guitars of his brother Duane and Dickie Betts is singular. "Trouble No More" is a fantastic, boot-stompin', shit kicker of a song. And, of course, the tour-de-force is "Whipping Post". The influence of this record cannot be denied.
16. Santana - Santana ( 4 Stars )
Speaking of amazing debut albums. At one time (pre-Supernatural), Carlos Santana was my favorite guitarist. His playing has so much "feel". Feel is hard to define. It's emotional, spiritual and pyrotechnic. It seems Santana enters some type of Flow State when he picks up the guitar. This album is bolstered by the vocals of Greg Rolle and the percussion team of Michael Shrieve, Mike Carabello and Jose Areas. Santana's combination of jazz, rock and latin music was unique and created a signature sound. Hopefully he still has some of that Supernatural money. Peace.
Last year, I committed to this 1969 Deep Dive, but about half way in I became completely burnt out. With all the changes at my job it became too daunting to spend so much time listening to albums (most of which I didn't like) and posting. I even stopped engaging in the Tastes Like Music discord group, because it's an intense, competitive group of individuals who seemingly do nothing but listen to music. However, when they announced new deep dives for 1980 and 1995 it got my Mojo working again. Since I have been recovering from surgery this past week, I decided to knock out 1969 and prepare for the 1980 dive.
1969 was kind of a slog, but I did make a few discoveries and only one of my original Mt. Rushmore albums survived the dive. I struggled to come up with a solid 4 star Top 25 albums list. Most everything else I listened to was on a spectrum from okay to God awful. 1965 to 1968 was a golden age for music and 1969 marks the beginning of a transition from The Summer of Love to the unsure footing of new horizons and possibilities. In 1969, we see the phasing out of classic 60's bands and the genesis (pun intended) of new classic bands of the 70's. And while Led Zeppelin came out swinging with two great albums, bands like Genesis and YES were still looking for their signature sound. My 21-25 consists of two rock albums, two jazz and one country.
25. Johnny Cash - At San Quentin ( 4 Stars )
You probably predicted this would be the country album in my top 25. Truthfully, it made the bottom of my list mostly for its cultural significance. There is a palpable energy and tension to Cash's performance to a literal "captive audience". This setting also gives this set of songs more power. In many ways it's more revolutionary and more of a "Fuck You" to the Man than a whole summer's worth of hippies rolling around in the mud. "San Quentin, what good do you think you do? Do you think I'll be different when you're through"? The lyrics to "San Quentin" are venomous and vitriolic and Cash was allowed to sing them to these inmates. "San Quentin, I hate every inch of you". Their reaction was boisterous and cathartic. The Warden, probably not so much.
24. Wayne Shorter - Schizophrenia ( 4 Stars )
I included this album because it was released in 1969, even though it was recorded in 1967, in the middle of Shorter's time in Miles Davis' Second Quintet. In fact, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter are on this record as well. It's a very good album for 1967, but by 1969 it wasn't relevant to the current state of jazz. That said, Wayne Shorter is a legend and he would soon go on to be a pivotal figure in the jazz-rock fusion movement of the 70's. If you take Schizophrenia out of it's historical context, it's a fantastic record.
23. Pharoah Sanders - Karma ( 4 Stars )
This was my first experience with Pharoah Sanders. It pushed me out of my comfort zone of jazz listening. I'm not a huge fan of vocals in jazz, but they weren't jarring on this record. Karma is representative of where jazz was in 1969. Of all the albums I listened to in this vein, Karma was by far the best.
22. CCR - Willy and the Poor Boys ( 4 Stars )
Spoiler Alert: I have three CCR albums in my Top 25 and I have them ranked in the opposite order of pretty much everyone else. For me, the greatness of "Fortunate Son" cannot overcome my exhaustion with the title track and some other substandard tracks like "Cotton Fields" and "Poorboy Shuffle". I'm also not a huge fan of "Midnight Special". Sorry, not sorry. I don't feel too bad though. If a band puts out three albums in a year and their worst one is 4 Stars, that's pretty solid. "Effigy" is a good closer.
21. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere ( 4 Stars )
"Cinnamon Girl" is a tremendous opener. I may have this ranked too low. I wanted to put some stuff ahead of this that I felt was more ahead of its time or influential, but this is a great album. The title track is fun and it also has "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand". Those two tracks are arguably too long, though. I will write that off as Neil incorporating Crazy Horse into his sound. What am I saying, "Cowgirl in the Sand" is not too long. In 1969, I was only five years old, so I have no idea how influential Neil Young was back then. My perception is he was more influential later on with Grunge and Alt-Country. By the way, why has no one written a Neil Young biography and titled it, "A Painter of Pictures"? Peace.
