A Lifetime-Plus of Music

     Music serves as such a timestamp of history.  No decade reflects this quite as impactfully as the 1960s.  In 1965, LBJ was reinaugurated while the country was tearing further apart following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the ever-expanding Vietnam War.  In June of 1965, the Byrds released their initial album, led off and titled by Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man”.  If you had to choose ten songs that most vividly illustrate this turbulent time, this song has to be on the list.  This album is the 287^th rated album on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     I had never heard the term “jangle pop” until I read up on the Byrds, but that is the perfect description.  Their thin, tinny guitar sound is very distinctive and recognizable, and is a leading influence for subsequent acts like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, not to mention the entire indie rock movement.  In addition to famous front-man Roger McGuinn, the Byrds served as a launching pad for the illustrious career of David Crosby, whose high harmony vocals later became a signature sound for Crosby, Stills and Nash.

     The influence of Bob Dylan is overwhelming on this album, with four of his tracks, including the title track being performed.  When you listen to “Spanish Harlem Incident” or “All I Really Want to Do”, the vocals are remarkably similar to the sound Tom Petty would bring forward a decade later.  The guitar and harmony mix are pervasive throughout the album, and truly a signature sound for the 1960s.

     Overall, I would say that the title track and “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)”, which leads off their next album, will always be the high points for the Byrds.  Their presence continues to build on California’s growing influence in the musical scene, and we will soon look further north from L.A., home of the Byrds, to San Francisco.  The progression and evolution of artists as they collaborate, inspire, and write songs for one another is very communal and a pleasure to revisit.

     Folk music is as much of a mystery to me as jazz music, which is exactly whey I’m so glad I have included it in this process.  Today’s album is “Bert Jansch”, by Scottish folk singer Bert Jansch, and even though it is the #1 album on nme.com’s Top 10 Folk Albums of all time, I will fully acknowledge that prior to creating this list, I had never even heard of Bert Jansch.

     I picked the perfect setting to listen to this album, a crisp walk through the sunny country of Virginia on a warm (finally) March afternoon.  My home here is not too far from the Appalachian Trail, and this would be perfect music for a sunny day reaching the clearing at the top of one of our local inclines.  Similar to early Bob Dylan, the album is just Bert and his acoustic guitar, although there is much more emphasis on the guitar on this album.  There are several songs that are instrumental only, including the most listened to song on the album, “Angie”.  Like me, you might be wondering if this is in any way related to the Rolling Stones song of the same name… it is not.  It is just really beautiful solo guitar with a descending main melody blended in with crisp, clean solos.  “Finches” and “Veronica” are two other simple guitar melodies that are highlights on this album.  Knowing his Scottish origin and his simple country approach on this album, I can’t help but wonder if his music was contemplated when Led Zeppelin disappeared to the hills of Wales to a cottage name Bron-Yr-Aur to create the mostly acoustic sounds of Led Zeppelin III.

     Jansch’s voice is simple and mid-range, with just a touch of the Scottish accent shining through.  As I often create a scenario in my mind when listening to music, I picture myself working my way down a trail in the woods, reaching an isolated cabin where a solo performer plays away on the front porch with a smile as sunlight peeks in through the canopy of leaves.  I may have never heard of Bert Jansch before, but this hiking soundtrack will be with me from this point on.

     As you may recall, we first explored live music on albums a few days ago with the iconic James Brown album, “Live At The Apollo”.  I think I have found the perfect companion album for that selection, and I think I may even like this one even more, which is saying something.  “Live At The Regal”, recorded in Chicago’s Regal Theater, is blues guitarist B.B. King’s dynamic performance from one night in late 1964.  This album is rated as the 299^th greatest album on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     Like “Live At The Apollo”, this album is carried by the powerful back and forth surge of energy between King, his band, and the audience.  B.B. King has a unique and evolved sound, mixing in a dash of R&B to his sound with a three-man horn section.  I remember B.B. King once telling the band members of U2 before recording a song with them that “he doesn’t play chords”, and that is essentially true.  The rhythm and melody come from the band, he provides the lead vocals, while his guitar playing is focused on nimble and soulful solos.  The album and show explode with the intro track, “Every Day I Have The Blues”, then he digs deeper and slows it down with “Sweet Little Angel”.  This entire album just rocks and reinforces once again the power of live music, and how much I truly miss it.

     I appreciate the time King takes to recognize his band during the performance, as this performance is a true collaborative effort like any show.  These backing musicians don’t get the same praise, hype, or reward, but I would imagine even today, they and their descendant family members can look back with pride on a cool fall evening in Chicago that suddenly turned red-hot inside the Regal Theater…  what a night, what an album.

     How many Beach Boys albums do you think there are where the two most well-known songs are led by Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine?  On that fact alone, this release from March of 1965 breaks some new ground.  This album is the 466^th rated album of all-time on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     At first glance and first listen, this album may not stand out, but it is notable for the expanded orchestration and increased usage of new sounds, instruments and musicians as Brian Wilson continued his reach for a bigger and more robust presentation.  Considered by some as an early concept album, the first side is primarily upbeat songs, with side two mostly filled by melancholy ballads.

     As noted, the most recognizable song on this album is “Help Me Rhonda”.  Even as a long-time Beach Boys fan, I always wondered who sang lead on this song, as it clearly wasn’t Mike Love or Brian Wilson.  The gift of the internet helped me learn a year or two ago that Al Jardine sings lead on this song, and in addition to being a very popular hit for the band, I have always been intrigued by the fade-in, fade-out during the outro of this song.  “Do You Wanna Dance”, with Dennis Wilson on lead, is the first song on side one, with the obvious answer to that question being “yes”.  Just in case you aren’t sure, “Dance, Dance, Dance” with Mike & Brian leading the way, is yet another trademark Beach Boys hit, even though this album keeps moving forward with little reference to surfing or cars.

     By this point in their career, Brian Wilson had already encountered his first significant mental health setback, and was primarily working in the studio while abstaining from touring with the band.  At home in his lab, away from the crowds and masses that helped foster such anxiety and stress, Brian and the band continued to stretch boundaries and challenged his peers across the pond to do the same.

     Last Friday afternoon, as I came in from the afternoon sun following a grueling round of golf in Florida, I gathered around the pool area with my companions for a cool drink and a late lunch.  There were probably 25-30 people gathered in the mix of sun and shadows, enjoying a perfect late winter warm and relaxing afternoon.  I mean this in the most complimentary fashion possible, today’s album “Song For My Father”, by jazz pianist Horace Silver and his quintet, would have been the absolutely perfect soundtrack to be played live by the pool.  Rated #9 on gq.com’s Top 100 Jazz albums of all time, this is the polar opposite of John Coltrane’s heart-racing, intense exploration.

     This is relaxed, this is chill, this is cool.  The title track opens the album, with a bass line that had to inspire Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose My Number”.  The quintet features a trumpet, saxophone, bass and drums, and although it probably seems terribly cliché, I would have loved to have these five guys serenade the rising moon as it chased the sun across the night sky.  An hour in total content, most songs follow a similar feel, although the last song, “Silver Treads Among the Soul”, starts with a trumpet lead that picks up the pace for the album finale.

     I have said many times that music is about mood, settings, feelings, location, and environment.  This album is the perfect accompaniment to that relaxed moment at the end of whatever you did that day, as you gather with those you cherish to catch up on what is behind you, and what lies ahead of you.  I think I will call this “transition jazz”, as I think it is perfect to say goodbye to the day and hello to the night.  Another great find on my road down the undiscovered (for me) world of jazz music.

     The first album released in 1965 is the jazz classic “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane.  This is a four-part jazz explosion, rated as the 66^th best album of all time on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     This album felt like a blend of jazz, progressive rock and jam band, a very intense musical piece from beginning to end.  There is a four-piece quartet, with Coltrane on sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums.  Amazingly, this was recorded in one single session.  There are different moments on the album when each of the artists is playing solo.  While all were impressive, I was really taken by the drumming of Elvin Jones.  It very much reminded me of Keith Moon’s random bursts, off-beat and frantic in pace, while also feeling as if a jazz band was playing side by side while John Bonham is playing his solo in Moby Dick.  It really is once again something much different than any jazz album I have listened to, and truly frenetic in its delivery.

     I find it very positive to see jazz remaining true to its roots while completing reshaping its form all at the same time.  I first heard this album referenced in the song “Angel of Harlem” by U2.  It may have taken me a long time to catch up, but I’m sure glad I did.  The haunting chant of “Love.. Supreme” at the end of Part I will stay with me for a long time.

     Looking into 1965, the volume of influential and impactful music continues to explode.  We will average more than an album a month across many genres.  Even with that, the #1 selling album in 1965?  The soundtrack to the Walt Disney film Mary Poppins, released late in 1964, starring Julie Andrews in another perfect and timeless role as Mary, and Dick Van Dyke, a lovable chimney sweep named Burt with a very suspect British accent.

     I have seen the movie many times, and have even seen two really impressive young theater performances of Mary Poppins, mainly due to the impressive casting in each case for Mary.  This soundtrack is certainly classic Disney at its best, and the Sherman brothers packed this album with songs that explain the mass appeal of the movie and the soundtrack.  “A Spoonful of Sugar”, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocius” (good luck finding that in the spell-check), “Chim Chim Cher-ee”, “Step In Time”, and the powerful finale number (especially in theater with a full ensemble chorus) “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” add musical knockout power to the charming story of Mary & Burt and the Banks family.

     Even in 1965, the world was grappling with pain, struggle and conflict while looking with hope for simpler times and happier imagery.  That always has been and always will be the formula for Walt Disney, and Mary Poppins is Disney at its best.

     Like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones also released their next album at the end of 1964.  “12 X 5”, which is representative of 12 songs from 5 musicians, is a very listenable collection of blues and early rock and roll covers, with three original songs from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

     To me, the story of this album is the emergence of Mick and Keith as the strengths of the band.  Mick has such a strong personality that people tend to overlook his singing voice.  While he is not a classic singer in the mold of Roy Orbison or even Elvis Presley, he is very good at delivering on a variety of songs, and I particularly appreciate the tone and purity of his falsetto as it surfaces on songs like “Under the Boardwalk”, or his sad lament on “Good Times, Bad Times”.  Like Mick, Keith Richards and his guitar playing are notably more aggressive, up-tempo and true rock and roll guitar than most of the music of this time.  On the first song, “Around and Around”, Keith’s unique chord and solo mix pushes the pace along with frequent guest Ian Stewart on piano.  Stewart, while not a regular member of the band, was known to many as the “6^th Rolling Stone” and will surface on many other albums across the British invasion of rock and roll, not just with the Stones.

     The Stones remain very true to their blues roots, with a commitment that is authentic and consistent.  “Confessin’ The Blues”, “Good Times, Bad Times” and “Grown Up Wrong”, which was an original song by Mick and Keith, lean heavily on blues, while pop hits like “Time Is On My Side” and “It’s All Over Now”, which is a fantastic sampler of early Stones, brought the band to a new audience.  I think what I love most about “It’s All Over Now”, and this carries over throughout their career, is how totally different their harmony sound is from the Beatles or even the Beach Boys.  Your first reaction when you hear Mick and Keith together, is that there is no way this can work.  It is rough… and raw… and awesome.  It is just one of many unique aspects that fascinates me to watch their career unfold and grow alongside those boys from Liverpool.

     While rooted in the blues, the Stones demonstrated their range throughout a really strong album here.  I have to think this would have caught my attention and my ear very effectively, even if, and perhaps because, it just seems a bit more dangerous and aggressive than what we had heard up until now.

     1964 concludes with the December release, “Beatles for Sale”, the next step forward for the Fab Four.  I consider this the Beatles somewhat caught between their past and their future.  You can hear progressive signs of evolution blended in with easy-to-like cover versions of 1950s classics.

     As with “A Hard Day’s Night”, John Lennon remains the most prominent voice of the band, but we do see more of Paul as well as one lead vocal each allotted to George and Ringo.  Two of my favorite songs on this album are on side one.  “I’ll Follow the Sun” is a beautiful, mellow piece Paul originally wrote as a teen.  In contrast, Lennon delivers another masterpiece cover version with Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music”.  As much as I like previous covers like “Twist and Shout” and “Money (That’s What I Want)”, “Rock and Roll Music” is my absolute favorite of them all.  John just absolutely nails that slightly ragged edge rocker vocal; I could listen to this over and over.  Paul takes his turn as a Little Richard clone rocker on “Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey (Medley)”.

     Side two starts with “Eight Days a Week”, yet another simple but highly contagious track from the Lennon-McCartney hit factory.  Next up is “Words of Love”, my all-time favorite Buddy Holly song that just melts with the John-Paul harmony vocal.  The rest of side two doesn’t really pop that much for me, including Ringo leading “Honey Don’t” and George on “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”, both written by Carl Perkins.  This is probably the last hurrah of cover songs for the Beatles before John, Paul, and George all dig in as full-time songwriters.  The single “I Feel Fine”, which to me is one of the greatest early Beatles tracks ever, was recorded during this time and released off-album as a standalone single.  Even their best covers rarely stand up as well as their unprecedented original catalog.

     As we head into 1965, the Beatles and their many peers and contemporaries are operating at peak production. The hits just keep coming, the music just keeps getting better and more complex, and the one-upmanship is only getting started.  Enjoy the ride…

     One of the enduring trends of pop music throughout the years is the “girl group”.  One of the most successful versions of this format is the Fabulous Ronettes, led vocally by Ronnie Spector and produced by her infamous husband, Phil Spector.  Their troubled and abusive relationship was hidden behind the scenes as they put hit after hit on the charts in the early 1960s.  The album “Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica” is the 494^th rated album of all time on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     Surely the most widely known and successful hit was “Be My Baby”, which was celebrated two decades later by Eddie Money in the song “Take Me Home Tonight”.  This song is certainly a landmark hit of the early 1960s, both in style and sound.  Probably the second-most successful song on this album is “Walking in the Rain”.  Both this song and the surprise version of “Chapel of Love”, made more famous by the Dixie Cups, underscore what I like and what I would have liked more of from the Ronettes.  The harmony backing vocals are a bit lower in the mix than I would like, and if you compare and contrast the two versions of “Chapel of Love”, I definitely prefer the harmony mix and the tempo from the Dixie Cups.

     All of that said, Ronnie Spector was a tremendous performer at her peak, and it is absolutely tragic what a monster Phil Spector was, and how much havoc he wreaked on her life, along with others including the woman he murdered in 2003.  It certainly proves that what you see is not always what you get, and I have a ton of respect for the way she has carried on through life with dignity and perseverance.