Friday, January 22, 2010

Time Machine #7


1-22-10 Time Machine #7


I have been ‘reading’ the Japanese magazine “Strange Days” for a while now. A regular feature of this magazine has been “Time Machine – 40 Years Ago” – listing many records released in 1969. Last year, I wrote 5 blogs on the releases of 1969. I have yet another one for you today!


Strange Days 2010.02 lists “December 1969 Albums” as The Rolling Stones “Let It Bleed” (Decca UK SKL 5025), John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band “Live Peace In Toronto 1969” (Apple UK CORE 2001), John Lennon & Yoko Ono “Wedding Album (Apple UK SAPCOR 11), Fairport Convention “Liege and Leaf” (Island UK ILPS 9115), Renaissance “s/t” (Island UK ILPS 9114), Creedence Clearwater Revival “Green River” (Fantasy US 8393), and Quicksilver Messenger Service “Shady Grove (Capitol US SKAO-391).


I muse be getting old, because I remember each and every record on this list today. I own all of them in 2010 – but in 1969, I didn’t go for John & Yoko’s “Wedding Album” because the kind hippies at the downtown Long Beach hippie record store warned me that it “didn‘t have any songs like on Live Peace in Toronto 1969”. I also took a few years to come around to the Fairport Convention LP, but I like it fine in 2010.


The Rolling Stones LP comes with a poster and special inner sleeve; I got my copy the day it was released in the US – and I still think “Live With Me” is a real highlight of late 60’s Stones’ songs. Pretty much everybody was waiting on the follow-up to “Bayou Country” by CCR; I think the sole disappointment of the “Green River” LP is that it’s darned short (approx. 30 minutes only). I had been listening to Quicksilver for a few years by the time “Shady Grove” came out. Their music was changing, but I was still so young…I took it at face value, and liked it.


Renaissance was very interesting me for two reasons: Keith Relf had been in The Yardbirds and bassist Louis Cennamo had appeared on a Colosseum LP that I liked. And it had a great cover, and was on Island UK.


For some reason, today’s list seems a bit more mainstream than some of the other 1969 releases. Hit product ready in time for Christmas?


We’ve now been through all the Strange Days (Japan) magazine “Time Machine 1969” columns. I wonder if they’ll continue with this train of thought and have “Time Machine 1970” columns? That would be cool.


I find that I am rather aware that it has been 40 years since 1970 – and I remember 1970 very well. I was in 6th grade, but I believe I was already a record collector, doing my best to pay attention to everything that went on in record stores. I tried to find and read issues of Billboard, Melody Maker etc. In a short time, I would be reading Crawdaddy, Creem, Circus, N.M.E., Sounds


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't start collecting records until high school. It really couldn't happen until I had a stereo, which I got between 9th and 10th grade. I didn't read any trade publications until college!

Prior to that I read local freebie pubs like "Freebird" or "Rocks Off." It was a happy day when "Dogfood" appeared on the scene in 1980! As you can tell from the titles, the first two were tragically awful "rawk" publications allied with one of the two "rock" FM stations in town. "Freebird" was associated with WDIZ, the sh*tkicker southern/classic/metal rock station, and "Rocks Off" was associated with Zeta-7 (WORJ FM), the slightly classier classic rock/metal station with a bitless Molly Hatchet in their playlists.

"Dogfood" was the brainchild of Don Gilliland, who got his corporate masters at the local Record Mart chain to bankroll it. Unlike the other two, it featured music that I was very actively listening to and buying at the time! GOOD rock music and New Wave. Heck, by the time of the last few issues in 1981, I was submitting reviews.

Billboard was always freaking expensive, but reading it cover to cover each week while in college was a treat. Especially in the heady time of 1981 when I was a freshman! I could see which imports would be coming down the pike soon, a valuable thing to a budding record snob! And the industry trash was illuminating.

Anonymous said...

And dadgummit, I still don't have a copy of "Let It Bleed" and I've only wanted one for at least 25 years now...

Ron Kane said...

You're in luck - it's still in print.

Brian Ware said...

Dang, I specifically remember buying several new wave titles based on reviews in Dogfood. They were probably your reviews, Jim. See, you were guiding my purchases a good four years before we formally met!

I remember being mighty impressed that Dogfood had a two page interview with Nigel Griggs of Split Enz when they came to Gainesville for the Waiata tour. Man, those were the days...

Anonymous said...

Re: Green River.

Hey, bubalah. My first rule of this business called show? Always leave them wanting more! Which XTC or Cure album would you rather hear? "Black Sea" and "Head On The Door" or "Nonesuch" and "Wish?"

I thought so.