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.
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