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Thread: Best of 1969... so far

  1. #1
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    Best of 1969... so far

    Okay everyone, you've had 50 years to get your list ready for this iconic era in music. Looking back 50 years, what are your top 10 personal favorites and why? I'll start...

    1. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (by repetition, probably the album from ’69 I’ve played the most)
    2. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way (a ‘goes without saying’ recording. It still feels largely fresh)
    3. John Surman - Way Back When (not released originally in ’69, but perfectly fits the time. One can only imagine how highly this album would be regarded if it had come out that year)
    4. Led Zeppelin - II (another ‘goes without saying’ recording. It’s stands up well today with their other work and rock as a whole)
    5. Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (Compared to LZII, you’d think this album would have had more of an impact in the USA than it ultimately did. Underrated)
    6. Can - Monster Movie (For me, this album falls in line with much of their most classic work. I appreciated it more over time)
    7. Pharoah Sanders - Karma (Pretty amazing spiritual jazz album and my favorite overall work from Pharoah)
    8. Santana – Santana (Classic and ages well)
    9. Soft Machine - Volume 2 (I’m always going to be more of a Third-Seven fan, but it’s still going to make my top 10)
    10. Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention - Uncle Meat (One of my favorite Zappa albums, and I’m not really a Zappa freak. I could see this rising over time as I can appreciate it a lot more than I used to)

    Overall, 1969 was a solid year, full of groundbreaking and genre shaping releases. However, I have gotten much more mileage from the next few years in both quantity and quality (many of which might not exist if not for these).
    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  2. #2
    This is too hard Sean...

  3. #3
    This should be OT. Everyone knows prog wasn't invented until Asia's first album. Lame.

  4. #4
    Well, this is a funny game. And I'll play.

    1) Soft Machine - Volume Two (Changed my complete outlook on the possibilities of "rock")
    2) Zappa/Mothers - Uncle Meat (Expanded my outlook on the possibilities of "rock" even further)
    3) KC - ItCotCK (Confirmed my new outlook on the possibilities of "rock")
    4) Beefheart - Trout Mask (Changed my outlook on the possibilities of art in "rock")
    5) Tim Buckley - Blue Afternoon (Never changed anything whatsoever, but sooths me)
    6) Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief (Changed my outlook on the possibilities of "folk" in "rock")
    7) The Grateful Dead - Live/Dead (Altered my state of mind - both on and after listening)
    8) Jethro Tull - Stand Up (Soundtrack of my nostalgic summers)
    9) Burnin' Red Ivanhoe - M144 (The third truly worthy Scandinavian rock album after the first two by the Savage Rose)
    10) Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails (Because it's cool in a manner which is almost impossible to explain)
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  5. #5
    Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart
    Uncle Meat - Frank Zappa
    Tommy - The Who
    In A Silent Way - Miles Davis
    In The Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
    Vol II - Soft Machine
    Live/Dead - The Grateful Dead
    Stooges - Stooges
    Then Play On - Fleetwood Mac
    II - Led Zeppelin

    (and just underneath Let It Bleed, It's A Beautiful Day, Cosmo's Factory, Everybody Knows this is Nowhere and other insignificant albums...

  6. #6
    1. King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King
    2. The Who, Tommy
    3. Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Transit Authority
    4. The Beatles, Abbey Road
    5. The Grateful Dead, Aoxomoxoa
    6. Jefferson Airplane, Volunteers
    7. Pink Floyd, Ummagumma
    8. MC5, Kick Out the Jams
    9. The Velvet Underground, S/T
    10. Leonard Cohen, Songs from a Room
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

  7. #7
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    Zappa - Hot Rats
    The Who - Tommy
    Johnny Winter - Second Winter
    Tony Williams - Emergency
    Led Zep II
    Tull - Stand up
    Cream Goodbye
    Colosseum - Valentyne suite
    Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
    Jack Bruce - Songs for a tailor
    Steppenwolf - Monster

    That was 11, but I could go on.

  8. #8
    Listening to Then Play On right now induced me to spill some Irish whiskey in the glass at an unforgivably early hour.

    That's the greatest guitar player that ever lived in my humble opinion.

  9. #9
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    I was six back then and if I have some memories, most of the list I discovered (sometimes much) later.

    Jethro Tull - Stand Up >> that's the only 69 album I lived with back in 1969
    King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King >> need I comment this?
    Renaissance – Renaissance >> never did better, IMHO
    Riley, Terry - A Rainbow in Curved Air >> What a fucking trip that is
    Beatles - Abbey Road >> Well I guess I lived a bit with that one too.
    Caravan - s/t >> need I comment this?
    Buckley, Tim – Lorca >> descending into lunacy
    Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority >> need I comment this?
    Frank Zappa - Hot Rats >> need I comment this?
    Colosseum - Valentyne Suite >> though I discovered this on the US Those About To Die at first.
    Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country >> Rock’n Roll, maaaaaannnn.
    Davis, Miles - In A Silent Way >> need I comment this?
    Deep Purple - Deep Purple >> always had a soft spot for that one
    Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music – amazing black power music…. Incredibly under-rated
    It's a Beautiful Day - It’s a Beautiful Day >> Weak year for Frisco, but saved by this album.
    Drake, Nick - Five Leaves Left >> need I comment this?
    Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
    Santana - Santana >> need I comment this?
    Spirit - Clear >> Their best until 12 Dreams
    Tea & Symphony - An Asylum for the Musically Insane >> Discovered in the 90’s

    That should be about 10

    Just like Cozy: not the best year, but with the next few, I wouldn't be able to cut under 30 albums
    Last edited by Trane; 11-12-2019 at 04:03 AM.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    I was six back then and if I have some memories, most of the list I discovered (sometimes much) later.

    Jethro Tull - Stand Up >> that's the only 69 album I lived with back in 1969
    King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King >> need I comment this?
    Renaissance – Renaissance >> never did better, IMHO
    Riley, Terry - A Rainbow in Curved Air >> What a fucking trip that is
    Beatles - Abbey Road >> Well I guess I lived a bit with that one too.
    Buckley, Tim – Lorca >> descending into lunacy
    Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority
    Colosseum - Valentyne Suite >> though I discovered this on the US Those About To Die at first.
    Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country >> Rock’n Roll, maaaaaannnn.
    Davis, Miles - In A Silent Way >> need I comment this?
    Deep Purple - Deep Purple >> always had a soft spot for that one
    Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music – amazing black power music…. Incredibly under-rated
    It's a Beautiful Day - It’s a Beautiful Day >> Weak year for Frisco, but saved by this album.
    Drake, Nick - Five Leaves Left >> need I comment this?
    Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
    Santana - Santana >> need I comment this?
    Spirit - Clear >> Their best until 12 Dreams
    Tea & Symphony - An Asylum for the Musically Insane >> Discovered in the 90’s

    That should be about 10

    Just like Cozy: not the best year, but with the next few, I wouldn't be able to cut under 30 albums
    Great list, and thanks for including stuff that I would have included if I didn't respect the game's rules (like Lorca, Tea and Symphony, It's A Beautiful Day etc)

  11. #11
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    Such an extraordinary year. I look at the albums being mentioned here and it has to be one of the greatest in rock's history.

    Maybe something like this?

    Abbey Road (my favourite Beatles album- their last roll of the dice to create magic and they surely did)
    Hot Buttered Soul (an important soul album in that its intention as a unified statement is obvious with all those long songs, 'Walk On By' knocked me out the first time I heard it)
    ITCOTCK (not sure I need to explain this one on here!)
    Stand Up (mid 70s Tull seems favoured on here to me sometimes, I prefer the 60s albums to those and this is a major advance on their debut)
    Hot Rats (a Top 10 album in the UK! 'Entry level' Zappa it may be deemed, but it's still one of his best overall albums IMHO)
    Tommy (this holds up well for me, it was really the first 'rock opera' to make a commercial splash so has obvious historic importance)
    Led Zeppelin II (still basically a blues-rock album but they have mastered that form completely...even if they should have got the credits right from the start)
    Dusty In Memphis (her best overall album IMHO- turbulent sessions but the material/arranging/singing was absolutely first class)
    From Elvis In Memphis (a triumphant roar back to artistic/commercial form, after years in the wilderness- his best recording sessions ever IMHO)
    Soft Machine Two (a toss-up between this and Third as to which is their best- some may favour this for its brevity and playfulness)

    I make no apologies for so much non 'prog', because some of the albums in question (Beatles, Isaac Hayes, Elvis, Dusty especially) are genuinely among my favourite albums of all time.
    Last edited by JJ88; 11-11-2019 at 12:45 PM.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zappathustra View Post
    Listening to Then Play On right now induced me to spill some Irish whiskey in the glass at an unforgivably early hour.

    That's the greatest guitar player that ever lived in my humble opinion.
    This is an underrated album. Danny Kirwan being brought in as another writer made such an impact ('Although The Sun Is Shining', 'Like Crying', 'My Dream', all lovely tracks). Jeremy Spencer's tedious Elmore James impressions are nowhere to be found so it's instantly better than their first two.

  13. #13
    Off the top of my head, some albums I dig:

    Soft Machine - Vol. 2
    Deep Purple - s/t
    Led Zeppelin - debut
    Tony Williams Lifetime - Emergency!
    King Crimson - In the Court...
    Chicago Transit Authority

  14. #14
    Member Vic2012's Avatar
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    Santana ..s/t
    Led I and II
    CTA
    CSN...s/t
    Grand Funk (2nd album)

  15. #15
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Recorded in 1969, but released later: Woodstock 1 and 2
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

  16. #16
    How about just a best of October 10, 1969. These three released the same day according to wikipedia.

    Zappa - Hot Rats
    King Crimson - ITCOTCK
    The Kinks - Arthur

    I played all three the other day and was reminded of how great The Kinks were at this time.

  17. #17
    Member Kcrimso's Avatar
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    1. King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King (UK)
    2. Miles Davis: In a Silent Way (US)
    3. The Beatles: Abbey Road (UK)
    4. Miles Davis: Filles de Kilimanjaro (US)
    5. Colosseum: Valentyne Suite (UK)
    6. The Soft Machine: Volume Two (UK)
    7. Pharoah Sanders: Karma (US)
    8. Frank Zappa: Hot Rats (US
    9. Caravan: s/t (UK)
    10. Yes: s/t (UK)

    For all you Finnish readers here is my reviews of all of the above albums: https://pienemmatpurot.wordpress.com...at-levyt-1969/
    My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/

  18. #18
    This may come as a shock...but I still have several albums from 1969 to get to before I'd be satisfied calling this a final list (I know...right?).

  19. #19
    Nick Drake Five Leaves Left!


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  20. #20
    Twenty, in order of release....

    Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
    Kick Out The Jams - MC5
    On the Threshold Of A Dream - The Moody Blues
    Stand! - Sly and the Family Stone
    Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - Neil Young
    Tommy - The Who
    Crosby Stills & Nash - Crosby Stills & Nash
    A Salty Dog - Procol Harum
    Five Leaves Left - Nick Drake
    Stand Up - Jethro Tull
    Then Play On - Fleetwood Mac
    The Band - The Band
    Abbey Road - The Beatles
    Hot Rats - Frank Zappa
    In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
    Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin
    Basket of Light - Pentangle
    The Allman Brothers - The Allman Brothers
    Let It Bleed - The Rolling Stones
    Liege & Lief - Fairport Convention
    "And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision."

    Occasional musical musings on https://darkelffile.blogspot.com/

  21. #21
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Leonard Cohen - Songs from a Room
    Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
    King Crimson - ITCOTCK
    Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
    Pink Floyd - Ummagumma
    Terry Riley - A Rainbow in Curved Air
    Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
    Miles Davis: In a Silent Way
    Neil Young - Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere
    Soft Machine - Vol 2
    CAN - Monster Movie
    Kevin Ayers - Joy Of A Toy
    Ian

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  22. #22
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    I don't have much to add to the above other than recorded in 1969, one of my desert island disks for sure is Mile's Davis' Bitches Brew, also VDGG's first proper album The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other.

    ... and for 1969 proper let's not forget the immortal The Shaggs - Philosophy of the World!

    What a magical time for music.

  23. #23
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    I have too hard a time remembering what year albums were recorded, or at least to be able to put together a list.
    A lot of good 'uns so far, though.

  24. #24
    In order of release:
    MOI - Uncle Meat - although I don't like it all, the actual musical bits are brilliant
    Moody Blues - On the Threshold of a Dream - this is my favorite Moody release, love the Are You Sitting Comfortably suite
    Chicago - Chicago I (or CTA if you prefer) - Chicago II is their best but this is full of finely crafted songs and great performances
    Hair - sorry, just a sucker for this musical
    CSN - CSN - amazing harmonies, some classic songs, and no Neil Young
    Jeff Beck - Beck-Ola - raw and powerful with one of my favorite Beck tunes, Rice Pudding
    Yes - Yes - underrated in their catalog
    Zappa - Hot Rats - one his best and really showcases him on guitar
    King Crimson - ITCotKC - duh
    Dead - Live/Dead - worth it just for the St Stephen > The Eleven plus Dark Star

  25. #25
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Dark Elf View Post
    Kick Out The Jams - MC5
    Stand! - Sly and the Family Stone
    Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - Neil Young
    A Salty Dog - Procol Harum
    Basket of Light - Pentangle
    Let It Bleed - The Rolling Stones
    Quote Originally Posted by NogbadTheBad View Post
    Neil Young - Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere
    Soft Machine - Vol 2
    CAN - Monster Movie
    these would be bubbling just under my first list along with:
    White Noise An Electric Storm
    Kevin Ayers Joy of a Toy
    Pink Floyd - More

    Quote Originally Posted by flowerking View Post
    Hair - sorry, just a sucker for this musical
    I actually lived with that as well, cos like for Stand Up, it was my dad's record (but unlike Stand Up, it was a gift)?

    I still own both,n though I do prefer the movie OST (it's part of my top 79/19 thread list )
    Last edited by Trane; 11-12-2019 at 10:21 AM.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

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