204. The Madcap Laughs

The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
1970

Tracks
1. Terrapin
2. No Good Trying 
3. Love You
4. No Man's Land
5. Dark Globe
6. Here I Go 
7. Octopus 
8. Golden Hair 
9. Long Gone 
10. She Took A Long Cold Look 
11. Feel 
12. If It's In You 
13. Late Night


This is where my rather poor and untrained taste in music actually benefits me.  In terms of real quality, this album does not exactly excel.  Syd Barrett has a bit of trouble hitting high notes, so much so that one of his tracks, I think it was "If It's In You", started over after a painfully struck note.  In addition, you can hear the pages rustle during the album.  Not exactly high brow.


However, I absolutely loved it.  In case you didn't know, this guy was one of the founders of Pink Floyd.  Apparently he pulled an Alexander Spence and sort of lost it and left.  I am not a huge fan of Pink Floyd (despite what I told my attractive blond gentleman friend) but this was incredible.  I thought the lyrics were interesting and the tunes were catchy, particularly "She Took A Long Cold Look".  Definitely check it out.


RATING: 5/5

124. S.F. Sorrow

S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
1968

Tracks
1. SF Sorrow Is Born
2. Bracelets Of Fingers
3. She Says Good Morning
4. Private Sorrow
5. Balloon Burning
6. Death
7. Baron Saturday
8. Journey
9. I See You
10. Well Of Destiny
11. Trust
12. Old Man Going
13. Loneliest Person


Amanda: I was a bad girl again yesterday and didn't post an album, mostly because I was too lazy even to blink last night.  But today, I gave The Pretty Things all the attention they deserved!


I think I mentioned this at the very beginning of our journey but I will say it again anyway.  I have always been more into books or movies than music.  I feel like this album was especially designed for me, because it not only has a coherent story line, but it also felt like a movie soundtrack!  This probably means that it will annoy all you music people out there because it isn't really innovative or impressive.  This made me want to watch Jesus Christ Superstar again...

RATING: 5/5

123. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
1968

Tracks
1. Most Anything You Want
2. Flowers And Beads
3. My Mirage
4. Termination
5. Are You Happy
6. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida


Amanda: Iron Butterfly?  What the hell does that mean?  I am sick of band names that try to be all profound and thoughtful but really are just nonsense.  Apparently the title of the album was supposed to be "In the Garden of Eden" but the main singer was so drunk that it sounded like he said  "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".  At least that kind of makes sense.  A little bit...


So it doesn't seem necessary to do a review on the entire album since all anyone really seems to care about is the final, twenty minute long, track.  It is actually worth the twenty minutes, believe it or not.  It is really catchy and fun.  The rest of the album is just...meh.


RATING: 3/5

122. Gris Gris

Gris Gris
Dr. John and the Nighttripper
1968

Tracks
1. Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya
2. Danse Kalinda Ba Doom
3. Mama Roux
4. Danse Fambeaux
5. Croker Courtbullion
6. Jump Sturdy
7. Walk On Gilded Splinters


Amanda: All right, this is getting ridiculous.  I am on album number 122 and right now Brie just published 86.  I really need to start bothering her about this.  Best guess: Brie is reading this July of 2012.


So this is one of those really weird albums that is just a mess of crazy sounds and psychedelia.  I have always wanted to go to New Orleans; it sounds awesome (though it also sounds pretty scary in this album).  There is crazy voodoo and noises and in truth, I just wanted it to end.  It was just...messy.


RATING: 3/5

120. Cheap Thrills

Cheap Thrills
Big Brother and The Holding Company
1968

Tracks
1. Combination Of The Two
2. I Need A Man To Love
3. Summertime
4. Piece Of My Heart
5. Turtle Blues
6. Oh Sweet Mary
7. Ball And Chain


Amanda: Blah.  I haven't really hated any of the albums lately but this one was awful.  I hate Janis Joplin's voice and personality.  This may seem like an outrageous opinion but I think if you have a bad voice, you shouldn't be a singer.  Her grating voice is only matched with the obnoxious guitar in the background.  She sounds a lot like Bonnie Tyler.  I am all for unique voices but at a certain point, people cross the line from different to pure awfulness.  Yikes.


RATING: 1/5

113. Electric Ladyland

Electric Ladyland
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
1968

Tracks
1. ...And The Gods Made Love
2. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)
3. Crosstown Traffic
4. Voodoo Chile
5. Little Miss Strange
6. Long Hot Summer Night
7. Come On (Let The Good Times Roll)
8. Gypsy Eyes
9. Burning of the Midnight Lamp
10. Rainy Day Dream Away
11. 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)
12. Moon Turn the Tides...Gently Gently Away
13. Still Raining, Still Dreaming
14. House Burning Down
15. All Along the Watchtower
16. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)


Amanda: I am writing this review in the wee hours of the night (9:25) after a tiring but fun Thanksgiving.  I am pretty sure Brie is on 83 right now so this probably won't get published until April but HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  My family has a tradition of dancing on Thanksgiving. Brie knows from high school that I cannot dance (we are talking private lessons apart from the rest of the students in order to try to correct the chemical imbalance that causes me to not be able to spin like a human being).  Thankfully, I was able to hide in the kitchen with a glass of champagne and my cousin.  See, I am grateful.


Now to Jimi Hendrix.  My aunt and I had a discussion about him today (she saw The Kinks in concert by the way).  We think he is totally overrated.  I am not saying he is awful or boring; in fact, this album was quite entertaining.  I liked "Little Miss Strange".  He just wasn't amazing enough to be anyone's god.  This is our last Hendrix album because of his early death.  I am having trouble being impressed by "music gods" because they have built up so much.

RATING: 4/5

109. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
1968

Tracks
1. Koeeoaddi There
2. Minotaur's Song
3. Witches Hat
4. Very Cellular Song
5. Mercy I Cry City
6. Waltz of the New Moon
7. Water Song
8. Three Is a Green Crown
9. Swift as the Wind
10. Nightfall


Amanda: This is definitely a different kind of album.  I mean, you don't sing songs about minotaurs and witches without being heavily influenced by drugs.  Apparently this is the album where they peaked, and it was downhill from here.


This band is incredibly outlandish, and I can see why some people don't like them.  They wanted to shock and awe so much that I was a little bit turned off as well.  However, overall, I enjoyed it.  It was pretty fun and catchy.  Worth listening to just to see if your reaction is to run or bob your head.


RATING: 4/5

101. I Had Too Much to Dream

I Had Too Much to Dream
The Electric Prunes
1967

Tracks
1. I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)
2. Bangles
3. Onie
4. Are You Lovin' Me More (But Enjoy It Less)
5. Train For Tomorrow
6. Sold To The Highest Bidder 
7. Get Me To The World On Time 
8. About A Quarter To Nine 
9. King Is In The Counting House 
10. Luvin' 
11. Try Me On For Size 
12. Toonerville Trolley

Amanda: 101!  Another landmark!  We only have 900 to go, nonexistent readers!


So The Electric Prunes.  Never heard of them.  This should surprise no one if you read my previous posts.  However, I don't think they were ever that popular; they seem to fade out of existence at the end of the 60s.  This was a pretty good album.  The Electric Prunes have a very specific sound that embodies the era.  The lead vocals are really spectacular.  Towards the end, though, I got tired of it because of its lack of variation.

RATING: 3/5

98. Sunshine Superman

Sunshine Superman
Donovan
1967

Tracks
1. Sunshine Superman
2. Legend Of A Girl Child Linda
3. Three Kingfishers
4. Ferris Wheel
5. Bert's Blues
6. Season Of The Witch
7. The Trip
8. Guinevere
9. The Fat Angel
10. Celeste


Amanda: This album kind of threw me.  I am so used to male harmonies now that listening to a solo artist was a bit disconcerting.  I got over it, though, and was able to enjoy a fantastic album.


These songs are really spectacular; they are a mix between psychedelia and British folk rock.  I believe I have already expressed my views on England to the point of redundancy.  Naturally, I loved the style.  It was a nice change to just listen to one voice and what an amazing voice it was.


RATING: 4/5

I can't stop listening to "These Days" and I am getting really depressed.

Brie: At this point in Donovan's career, he had established himself as a teen pop idol. I really liked his mixture of acoustic and electric guitars. Overall, the album was very calm, and the title track was pretty groovy. And why was I not surprised when I heard an amplified sitar in some of the songs?

I know, Amanda, I keep listening to "White Rabbit" and "These Days".

RATING: 4/5

97. Something Else by The Kinks

Something Else by The Kinks
The Kinks
1967

Tracks
1. David Watts
2. Death Of A Clown
3. Two Sisters
4. No Return
5. Harry Rag
6. Tin Soldier Man
7. Situation Vacant
8. Love Me Till The Sun Shines
9. Lazy Old Sun
10. Afternoon Tea
11. Funny Face
12. End Of The Season
13. Waterloo Sunset


Amanda: I am adding this first paragraph on about three months after I wrote this review.  Currently, I am on album number 152. Brie has been busy this year so is not posting them at the frequency that I do with my other blogs.  However, she says that I can post two or three a day and  she will update them if she wants to later.  When you read this, Brie's post might be under mine or maybe not.  A lot of solo reviews are coming up though so I hope you can be satisfied with my dismal knowledge of music.  Carry on, past Amanda.


The Kinks are the ultimate anglophiles and I love them for it.  I have been in love with London since I went the first time when I was in second grade.  English writers, actors, singers,  and even English food (you can get vegetarian fish and chips at a pub in Mayfair) always fascinate me.  Anyway, The Kinks are so wonderfully English that I can't help loving them.


The album is a vast improvement from this first one but unfortunately it was a total flop in 1967.  This is one of my favorite albums that we have listened to.  The songs are about simple, daily English life.  Beautifully written and performed.


RATING: 5/5

Brie: This album contains two big hits by the Kinks: "Waterloo Sunset" and "Death of a Clown". Despite that, Something Else by the Kinks was not very popular, and only reached number 35 in the British charts.

I love the fact that all of the songs are simple vignettes! Very melodious. I guess the album just couldn't compare to the blaring in-your-face psychedelic material being put out by other artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Cream. I think that because the album is so understated, it is all the more charming. I really loved "Two Sisters" and "Waterloo Sunset".

RATING: 4/5

96. Surrealistic Pillow

Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplanes
1967

Tracks
1. She Has Funny Cars
2. Somebody to Love
3. My Best Friend
4. Today
5. Comin’ Back to Me
6. 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds
7. D. C. B. A.—25
8. How Do You Feel
9. Embryonic Journey
10. White Rabbit
11. Plastic Fantastic Lover


Amanda: I think we have all had some run ins with this band, even if we don't think we did.  If you listen to the song "Somebody to Love", you will instantly recognize it.  Likewise, the song "White Rabbit" is very popular.  It was actually the name of one episode of Lost and I think it played on the Sopranos once.


I didn't think I would like this album.  I thought it would be just another acid rock album that I am now finding really tiresome.  However, this was a pleasant surprise.  The band didn't sound like it was trying to hard to be wildly different which really helps a band (in my 1001 experience) in achieving uniqueness.  I think acid rock fans would shoot you if they knew you hadn't heard "White Rabbit" so definitely listen to this album asap.


RATING: 

Brie: This album was a big part of the soundtrack of the "Summer of Love" in San Francisco. This was Jefferson Airplane's second album and the first to feature Grace Slick, who played keyboards, wrote songs and sang. She performed the vocals on the two hits, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit". You go, girl. I wonder what it would be like to be the only girl in a band with five other guys....

I digress. Okay, so Jefferson Airplane, like the Grateful Dead, took folk rock and mixed it with a little bit of psychedelia. Some tracks were better than others, but the ones that were good were amazing. Even if you don't listen to the whole album, you should definitely listen to the hits.

RATING:

Ugh, we're back to dealing with these stupid album units? Not to sound lazy, but I liked just typing in my answer. Those units are a pain in the ass, trust me.

89. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Pink Floyd
1967

Tracks
1. Astronomy Domine
2. Lucifer Sam
3. Matilda Mother
4. Flaming
5. Pow R Toc H
6. Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk
7. Interstellar Overdrive
8. Gnome
9. Chapter 24
10. Scarecrow
11. Bike


Amanda: Although I do enjoy discovering new bands and artists, I love listening to the classics.  I have always seen Pink Floyd shirts and have heard references to their music (American Beauty, anyone?).  Before today, I couldn't name one of their songs.  Embarrassing!


Anyway, I hated it.  This was disappointing.  I am just so sick of acid rock, and I feel like they didn't do anything original.  Oh well.  I always have liked the people who like this music.  I will have to find other things in common with Kevin Spacey.

RATING: 2/5

  Brie: Pink Floyd are like the London version of the Grateful Dead. I like The Piper at the Gates of Dawn much better than any other psychedelic music we have listened to so far. When this album came out in 1967, it was like nothing else on the music scene at the time. Overall, I liked the album, but some of the songs (like "Interstellar Overdrive") could get redundant. Sorry about that, I know everyone says "Interstellar Overdrive" has amazing guitar playing or something, but I don't have enough knowledge in that area to make an intelligent statement about guitar technique.  My favorites were "Flaming" and "Pow R Toc H". Most of the time I am a fan of songs with lyrics, but I really preferred the instrumental tracks on this album.

I know there is this big 'thing' among Pink Floyd fans, or just music fans in general, about who the best leader of the band was. Syd Barrett, David Gilmore or Roger Waters. I don't have enough knowledge about or exposure to all three of them, so as we listen to more Pink Floyd, we can discuss the pros and cons of each further.

RATING: 3/5

88. Disraeli Gears

Disraeli Gears
Cream
1967


Tracks
1. Strange Brew
2. Sunshine Of Your Love
3. World Of Pain
4. Dance The Night Away
5. Blue Condition
6. Tales Of Brave Ulysses
7. Swlabr
8. We're Going Wrong
9. Outside Woman Blues
10. Take It Back
11. Mother's Lament




Amanda: I hate the name of this band.  Cream.  What does that even mean?  They probably thought this sounded so cool even though it means absolutely nothing.  A better question than wtf  does that mean? would probably be why I am getting so worked up about it?  That punctuation was all over the place. It has been a long week, ladies and germs.


I thought this album was kind of a yawn.  For acid rock, the songs were incredibly slow not to mention rather unoriginal.  Apparently, this album is pretty much the definition of psychedelic rock, but I have enjoyed plenty of albums of this genre a lot more.  Blah.


RATING: 3/5

Brie: This album is basically what I think of when psychedelic music is mentioned. I have to say, I am a fan of Eric Clapton's bluesy guitar. Our book says that it "opened the doors to many future musical genres". Yeah, yeah, whatever. That doesn't mean we have to like it. All of you Jimi Hendrix fans have Cream to thank. Hendrix was really inspired by their work. If you have never heard the song "Sunshine of Your Love", where have you been? Ginger Baker's singing on "Blue Condition" didn't do it for me. His voice was too monotone with no personality or unique qualities to it. I did, however, like "Tales of Brave Ulysses", as it is very poetic.

According to Wikipedia, "SWLABR" could mean 'she walks like a bearded rainbow', or 'she was like a bearded rainbow'.

So, for those of you psychedelic rock fans, I'm sure this album is a big deal for you, but it just isn't my preferred genre.

RATING: 3/5

87. Forever Changes

Forever Changes
Love
1967

Tracks
1. Alone Again Or
2. House Is Not A Motel
3. Andmoreagain
4. Daily Planet
5. Old Man
6. Red Telephone
7. Maybe The People Would Be The Times
8. Live And Let Live
9. Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This
10. Bummer In The Summer
11. You Set The Scene


Amanda: So apparently Love is going to be a thing in this book.  I figured it was going to one of the bands that we hear from once and then forget about.  I brought Love up with my brother when we were discussing music and he had never heard of them.


This album is a lot better than Da Capo.  I found the songs to be a lot more enjoyable.  I had finally gotten caught up with my iTunes with all the songs I have been adding but it looks like I need to start a new list.  I don't think I can live without "Alone Again Or" on my iPhone (not to be dramatic).  These guys really hit their stride.  Proud of you!


RATING: Four album units.

Brie: I have actually been exposed to Love before beginning this blog. I really liked them, but not enough to put them on my iPod, so I just forgot about them. I agree that they are a lot better than Da Capo. This album marked the time in Love's career when they were coming down after spiraling out of control with their drug use. Forever Changes failed to chart, and Love pretty much fell apart after the album was released.

Forever Changes was kind of acid rock with acoustic guitars and a symphony orchestra. The entire album was an experience; I don't recommend a single specific song to listen to.

RATING: 4/5

83. Da Capo

Da Capo
Love
1967

Tracks
1. Stephanie Knows Who
2. Orange Skies
3. Que Vida
4. Seven And Seven Is
5. Castle
6. She Comes In Colours
7. Revelation

Amanda: The book called this one of the most schizophrenic albums of all time.  They were referring to the fact that the last track is nineteen minutes which is longer than all the other songs combined.  Everyone really hates "Revelation" but loves the other tracks.  I tend to agree.  "Revelation" is pretty self indulgent and boring. However, the other tracks are simply delightful; they reminded me of Cat Stevens.  If you exclude the last track, you can listen to the rest in under twenty minutes which is something that I greatly recommend.  Not the best, but I will take what I can get after the long train of psychadelic rock albums.

RATING:

Brie: Exactly what I was going to say, Amanda, "Revelation" is self indulgent. It is nineteen minutes and takes up an entire album side. At the beginning you get really into the guitar and harmonica and you're having a great time. But then it just goes on and on and on and on.... I disagree, however, that the other tracks were delightful. They were just so-so. Da Capo pales in comparison to other Love albums. "Seven and Seven Is" was awesome, though. And "She Comes In Colors" was pretty neat. I really liked the flute or whatever it was and the other thing. Haha. Don't I sound articulate? It's very hard to describe; you'll just have to listen to it! :)

The use of an entire side of an album for one song was a fairly new thing at the time. Frank Zappa's "Return of the Son of the Monster Magnet" and Bob Dylan's "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" are also considered be among the first to do that.


RATING:

82. Moby Grape

Moby Grape
Moby Grape
1967

Tracks
1. Hey Grandma
2. Mr Blues
3. Fall On You
4. 8.05
5. Come In The Morning
6. Omaha
7. Naked If I Want To
8. Someday
9. Ain't No Use
10. Sitting By The Window
11. Changes
12. Lazy Me
13. Indifference

Amanda: We are in an endless rut of psychadelic rock albums.  We were also in a rut with pop music (Beatles, Beach Boys, Byrds, etc.) but that was a lot more enjoyable.  We are in the late sixties, so you cannot really expect anything better.  Still, I am getting a little sick of this genre.  Gone are the days that certain bands brought something new to the table.  Now it is just getting repetitve and boring (much like this post).

Moby Grape was a total flop in the sixties but it is now critically acclaimed.  I just thought it sounded like everything else we have been listening to lately.  Certainly not bad, just not very interesting or innovative.  I did enjoy "Changes."  This iTunes situation is getting ridiculous.

RATING:

Brie: Amanda, how can you get sick of sixties music?!?

Moby Grape is considered one of the best pieces of psychedelic rock ever recorded. It's up there with the Grateful Dead. However, I found the whole album disappointingly short. That is, too short to consider Moby Grape a jam band. I mean, look at the Grateful Dead: their songs are like seven minutes minimum. Moby Grape was fun and all, I have just heard way better psychedelic music. The first three songs were kind of 'blah' and the pace is slowed down with the acoustic "8.05", which was very sweet. "Omaha" was a real trip, and "Someday' had amazing harmonies and a great solo.

Apparently, on the cover of the album, Don Stevenson originally was giving the camera the one finger salute. Probably because their record label, Columbia, released five of their songs as singles, which ruined their chances of debuting the album in a high chart position. Columbia, however, airbrushed the finger out of the picture. Also, three of the members of Moby Grape were arrested for marijuana possession.


RATING:

79. Electric Music for the Mind and Body

Electric Music for the Mind and Body
Country Joe and The Fish
1967

Tracks
1. Flying High
2. Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine
3. Death Sound Blues
4. Porpoise Mouth
5. Section 43
6. Super Bird
7. Sad And Lonely Times
8. Love
9. Bass Strings
10. Masked Marauder
11. Grace

Amanda: I am in a really good mood tonight.  Modern Family, Survivor, Psych, and pizza!  What more can a girl ask for (several hundred things just popped into my head)?  You have probably heard that this album is really trippy.  You don't need to be on LSD to enjoy it though.  As far as psychadelic rock goes, I found this album tame, although the song "Super Bird" is pretty wild.  This song just bags on Lyndon B. Johnson, who my dad really likes (though not as much as Regan).  I appreciate the liberal propaganda in this album.  In a high school world studies class, I was one of two people in all of Mr. Landsberg's classes to be in the -10 to -5 range on the political spectrum (the other guy was a communist).  Definitely worth a listen.

RATING:

  Brie: I, too, am very liberal (farther left than Gandhi). Love a good protest album. There is something for everyone on this album; blues, folk, rock, psychedelic, it's all good. The only complaint I have is that "Section 43" went on forever. Electric Music for the Mind and Body could be considered a large component of the Summer of Love soundtrack and the theme for the hippie generation. I have live albums from Woodstock, and the Country Joe and the Fish songs are incredible. They played "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine". This album is definitely an essential for anybody's music collection. I have to agree with Amanda that it seemed kind of tame as far as psychedelic rock goes, but that is probably just because I've heard Jimi Hendrix.  
RATING:

72. Psychadelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

Psychadelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
13th Floor Elevators
1966

Tracks
 1. You're Gonna Miss Me
2. Rollercoaster
3. Splash 1
4. Reverberation (Doubt)
5. Don't Fall Down
6. Fire Engine
7. Thru The Rhythm
8. You Don't Know
9. Kingdom Of Heaven
10. Monkey Island
11. Tried To Hide

Amanda: This album is the birth of acid rock, which I must admit, isn't a genre that I have frequently listened to.  I have actually never been a fan of drug induced works (I don't even like Alice in Wonderland).  The idea of not being in control of my reality has always freaked me out.  Of course, this sentiment might have more to do with...um...past experiences that I don't want to dwell on.  Let's move on!

Overall, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.  It was very rhythmic and a lot less overwhelming than I feared it would be.  I had kind of a long day and Sarah Palin-ed it up by making up a new word, much to my embarrassment (manomphony).  I really needed something to unwind to, and surprisingly enough this album fit the bill.  Just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover (even if you can judge how much it costs, according to Mary Stuart Masterson).

RATING:

Brie: This album is majorly insane. In the best way possible. It basically set precedent for acid rock, psychedelic and garage rock, influencing such bands as Primal Scream. You might think I am joking, but I am not, when I say that The 13th Floor Elevators used an electric jug. An electric jug! I wonder how many other bands in history have done the same.

"You're Gonna Miss Me" and "Fire Engine" were the stand-outs for me. I would definitely reccommend listening to this album. For lack of a better word, "The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators" was fun. The 13th Floor Elevators broke up not too long after achieving success, unfortunately. But the music they did put out was pure gold.

RATING: