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 6^th 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…

Time Machine #6

1-21-10 Time Machine #6

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 another one for you today!

Strange Days 2010.01 lists “November 1969 Albums” as David Bowie “Man Of Music, Man Of Words (Philips UK SBL 7912), Deep Purple “s/t” (Album #3) (Harvest UK SHVL 759), Pink Floyd “Ummagumma” (Harvest UK SHDW 1-2), Kevin Ayers “The Joy Of A Toy” (Harvest SHVL 763), The Moody Blues “To Our Children’s Children’s Children” (Threshold UK THS 1), Manfred Mann’s Chapter 3 “s/t” (Vertigo UK VO 3), Mott The Hoople “s/t” (Island UK ILPS 9108), The Allman Brothers Band “s/t” (Atco / Capricorn US SD 33-308), and Captain Beefheart “Trout Mask Replica” (Straight US STS 1053). An honorable mention appears to go to Juicy Lucy “s/t” (Vertigo VO 2).

Today, I think I actually have all of these, except for the Manfred Mann album! The Bowie album is better known these days as the “Space Oddity” album. The Deep Purple album is known as the album that Warner Brothers never picked up for the US. I remember the Pink Floyd 2LP as being so expensive that I didn’t get a copy for years! I found the Kevin Ayers LP in San Francisco, at a place called “Sea Of Records” (on 8^th St.? 9^th St.?) – and have loved it ever since. And he was in Soft Machine! This isn’t my favorite Moody Blues LP, but I did recently get a 2CD deluxe edition CD / SACD of it – so I guess I’ll try again! I was forever intrigued by the M.C. Escher cover on the debut Mott The Hoople LP. I was fascinated by releases on the Island (UK) label, in the late 60’s / early 70’s. My brother turned me on to The Allman Brothers Band, so I heard this one at the time, but didn’t own a copy of it for decades. I knew about Captain Beefheart – but when I found out (in Rolling Stone?) that “the new album” was being produced by Frank Zappa, I knew I had to get it right away. Despite being a double album, as I recall – it was not super expensive – no more than $4.99 in the hippie record store. And the Juicy Lucy LP had an unclothed woman on the cover – and was on Vertigo! Of course, I was interested!

Another ‘Vertigo memory’ shelved away in my files – being in the hippie record store and hearing them play the debut album from May Blitz. That must’ve been the fall of 1970, however.

I never had the opportunity to buy an original Philips UK copy of the 2^nd David Bowie LP. To be honest, at the time I didn’t even know it existed! By the time anybody got interested in David Bowie, it was long gone. I saw my first UK copy of it in the late 70’s – I watched somebody at the Capitol Records (Hollywood) parking lot swap meet pay $100 for it!

And my original copy of “Trout Mask Replica” is autographed by Captain Beefheart, who I got to meet towards the end of the 70’s / beginning of the 80’s.

Time Machine: 1969 #5

12-7-09 Time Machine: 1969 #5

I have been ‘reading’ the Japanese magazine “Strange Days” for all of 2009. A regular feature of this magazine has been “Time Machine – 40 Years Ago” – listing many records released in 1969. Today we conclude my writing about the releases of 1969.

Strange Days 2009.11 lists “September 1969 Albums” as The Beatles “Abbey Road” (Apple UK PCS 7088), Donovan “Barabajagal” (Epic US BN 26481), Fleetwood Mac “Then Play On” (Reprise US RS 6368), Nick Drake “Five Leaves left” (Island UK ILPS 9105), Status Quo “Spare Parts (Pye UK NSPL 18301) and The Mothers Of Invention “Uncle Meat (Bizarre / Reprise 2MS 2024 double album).

I rode my bicycle to Wallach’s Music City and got “Abbey Road” the day it came out. I loved the Donovan album, especially “To Susan On The West Coast Waiting”. I heard Fleetwood Mac on a Warner / Reprise loss-leader sampler double album, and thought “Oh Well” was the bees knees. I saw Nick Drake albums in a catalogue of Island Records (UK), but I did not hear him for another few years. Status Who? I had already been a Frank Zappa fan for 3 or 4 years by 1969, so “Uncle Meat” was a natural for me, with it’s wonderful full-color booklet.

Strange Days 2009.12 lists “October 1969 Albums” as King Crimson “In The Court Of The Crimson King” (Island UK ILPS 9111), Led Zeppelin “Led Zeppelin II” (Atlantic UK 588 198), Free – self-titled album (Island ILPS 9104), The Kinks “Arthur” (Pye UK NSPL 18317), Flaming Youth “Ark 2” (Fontana UK STL 5533), John Mayall “The Turning Point” (Polydor UK 583 571), The Pentangle “Basket Of Light” (Transatlantic UK TRA 205) and Janis Joplin “I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again” (Columbia US KC 9913).

I hipped myself to King Crimson, finding an inexpensive used LP of “ITCOTCK” and buying it because of the cover, probably in 1970. Did I know it would change the way I looked at rock music? Yes, I got Led Zeppelin “II” when it was released, but…not quite sure why. How did I know to buy this album, then? I didn’t hear Free until “All Right Now”. The Kinks (like The Hollies) seemed to me to be a British 60’s “singles band” – I heard their stuff on Warner / Reprise samplers, but…The Who and Traffic and Family were my kind of British bands in ‘69. Believe it or not, I actually heard Flaming Youth on the FM radio, and went in search of “Ark 2” – and found it! (Probably in 1970 – probably before Phil Collins joined Genesis). I heard John Mayall “Room To Move” on the FM radio (and my brother talked about him, too) – so I got that one right away. The Pentangle were yet another band I was exposed to by the Warner / Reprise loss-leader sampler double LP’s, but I didn’t get this one at that time. Yes, I heard the debut Janis Joplin solo album, but I didn’t go for it. I wanted the loud psychedelic craziness of Big Brother & The Holding Company, not some R&B-infused band of session musicians!

Let’s hope that the 2010 issues of Strange Days continue with their “Time Machine” series! Again, I dedicate these 1969 album writings to my brother, Jim. He took me seriously and was honest with me. Thanks also to the patience of my dad, Harold.

1969

SAVOY BROWN – Train To Nowhere

JETHRO TULL – Look Into The Sun

TEN YEARS AFTER – Bad Scene

SPOOKY TOOTH – Better By You, Better By Me

BLIND FAITH – Had To Cry Today

BEE GEES – The First Of May

FAMILY – Summer ‘67

CREAM – Doing That Scrapyard Thing

MARY HOPKIN – Goodbye

JACKIE LOMAX – Sour Milk Sea

THE IVEYS – And Her Daddy’s A Millionaire

KING CRIMSON – I Talk To The Wind

PROCOL HARUM – The Milk of Human Kindness

THE BEATLES – Come Together

THE WHO – I’m Free

DONOVAN – To Susan On The West Coast Waiting

FLEETWOOD MAC – Oh Well

FRANK ZAPPA / THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION – The Air

SOFT MACHINE – As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still

This is the CD-R that I put together from these "Strange Days" Lists. Please let me know if you'd like to have a copy. Now, I am waiting on the January issue of "Strange Days" for me to continue the "Time Machine" series!

Raining in Los Angeles...

- Ron

Time Machine: 1969 #4

12-4-09 Time Machine: 1969 #4

I have been ‘reading’ the Japanese magazine “Strange Days” for all of 2009. A regular feature of this magazine has been “Time Machine – 40 Years Ago” – listing records all released in 1969.

Strange Days 2009.09 lists “July 1969 Albums” as Deep Purple “The Book Of Taliesyn” (Harvest UK SHVL 751), Pete Brown & The Battered Ornaments “A Meal You Can Shake Hands With In The Dark” (Harvest UK SHVL 752), Shirley & Dolly Collins “Anthems In Eden” (Harvest UK SHVL 754), Third Ear Band “Alchemy (Harvest UK SHVL 756), Edgar Broughton Band “Wasa Wasa” (Harvest UK SHVL 757), Pink Floyd “More” (Columbia UK SCX 6346), Yes – self-titled album (Atlantic UK 588 190), Jethro Tull “Stand Up” (Island/Chrysalis ILPS 9103) and The Iveys “Maybe Tomorrow” (Apple UK SAPCOR 8).

Harvest Records is in the house – yes, but I didn’t hear any of these in 1969 – it took until 1970 or so, when inexpensive US promo LP’s of these titles could be had. And we covered Pete Brown yesterday. I did not know Pink Floyd in 1969, it took Syd Barrett “The Madcap Laughs” to get me to go back and ‘discover’ P.F. I knew Jethro Tull from a Warner / Reprise loss-leader double sampler LP. I didn’t hear Yes for another year or two – and my introduction would’ve been “All Good People” on the FM radio. Didn’t even hear of or know The Iveys LP – they, of course, became Badfinger – but I still don’t think I’ve ever seen a real UK edition of The Iveys LP! I love The Iveys B-side “Her Daddy’s A Millionaire” (Apple 45) – but I didn’t get that for another 5 years!

Strange Days 2009.10 lists “August 1969 Albums” as Blind Faith – self-titled album (Polydor UK 583 059), Miles Davis “In A Silent Way” (CBS UK S 63630), The Nice – self-titled album (Immediate UK IMSP 026), Elvis Presley “From Elvis In Memphis” (RCA UK SF 8029), Ten Years After “Ssssh” (Deram SML 1052) and Canned Heat “Hallelujah” (Liberty LBS 83239).

Blind Faith had been written about and discussed, so I anticipated it vigorously. Miles Davis was definitely not on the screen for me in ’69. I don’t remember how I came to The Nice, but it certainly wasn’t with this particular album – can’t of heard ‘em until Emerson Lake & Palmer came along, a year or so into the future. Elvis Presley, to me, in 1969 was (and will always be) his “Shake Rattle & Roll” RCA EP from the 50’s. Was this the first TYA album that I got when it was new? Quite possibly… I had liked Canned Heat “Going Up The Country”, and indeed they got a good deal ‘more famous’ when Woodstock came along – and, yes, I knew who they were, but I was not buying Canned Heat LP’s in 1969. No way.

I distinctly remember writing to my brother and asking him what he thought about Blind Faith. Perhaps he thought this was unusual – his 11-year-old little brother writing to him about adult rock music? He answered me (he liked it) and he and I have always discussed music…ever since. I dedicate these lists of 1969 to my brother, Jim. He took my inquisitiveness seriously, and I began my life’s work (“music understanding”), thanks to him.

Time Machine: 1969 #3

12-3-09 Time Machine: 1969 #3

I have been ‘reading’ the Japanese magazine “Strange Days” for all of 2009. A regular feature of this magazine has been “Time Machine – 40 Years Ago” – listing records all released in 1969.

Strange Days 2009.07 lists “May 1969 Albums” as John Lennon & Yoko Ono “Unfinished Music No. 2 – Life With The Lions) (Zapple UK 01), George Harrison “Electronic Sound” (Zapple UK 02), Scaffold “L. The P.” (Parlophone UK PCS 7077), The Hollies “Sing Dylan” (Parlophone PCS 7078), Procol Harum “A Salty Dog” (Regal Zonophone UK SLRZ 1009), Tyrannosaurus Rex “Unicorn” (Regal Zonophone SLRZ 1007) and The Who “Tommy” (Track Record UK 613 013/14 double LP).

I loved Procol Harum and The Who. “Tommy” drove us all nuts, making me go back and find inexpensive mono LP’s of “Happy Jack” and “The Who Sell Out”. I actually bought these albums at the time “with my own money”. “A Salty Dog” by Procol Harum has not left my turntable for 40 years now. What are Keith Reid’s lyrics on about? A friend of mine bought these dodgy Beatles’ solo albums, so I stayed away. I didn’t hear Scaffold for another few years, but loved ‘em totally when I did. The Hollies were off my radar by 1969 – relegated to being a UK 60’s ‘singles band’. And I certainly saw the Tyrannosaurus Rex albums – US versions on Blue Thumb, but I did not hear Marc Bolan until “Electric Warrior” (1971) – like nearly everyone else on Earth.

Strange Days 2009.08 lists “June 1969 Albums” as Crosby Stills & Nash – self-titled album (Atlantic US SD 8229), Savoy Brown “Blue Matter” (Decca UK SKL 4994), Amen Corner “The National Welsh Coast Live Explosion Company” (Immediate UK IMSP 023), The Casuals “Hour World (Decca UK SKL-R 5001) and in their footnotes (but not on their list), they mention Pete Brown & The Battered Ornaments “A Meal You Can Shake Hands With In The Dark” (Harvest UK SHVL 752).

You couldn’t not hear Crosby Stills & Nash in 1969! The FM hippie radio was playing them, ‘everybody’ was talking about them in the rock press and hippie record stores – I knew Steve Stills from Buffalo Springfield and David Crosby from The Byrds – oh, and the guy from The Hollies. I definitely heard Savoy Brown on the FM radio – “Train To Nowhere”, without a doubt. I bought a 45 of it! Did not hear Amen Corner or The Casuals (I still don’t know much about The Casuals!). I saw the gorgeous Mal Dean covers of the Pete Brown albums on the innersleeves found in Harvest UK LP’s, so I knew I had to have ‘em – after all, Mr. Brown (who I now count as a friend of 20+ years) wrote lots of lyrics for the much-lamented Cream.

As I write briefly about these 1969 releases, I recognize that these are records still very much in my consciousness, present tense. You must hear The Scaffold! Yes, “Tommy” by The Who is over-rated, but the SACD of it sounds AMAZING. Procol Harum are one my top 5 British artists, and I recommend “A Salty Dog” to you unconditionally. For Pete Brown (& Piblokto!), please try and hear “Things May Come and Things May Go, But The Art School Dance Goes On Forever” (1970).

Time Machine: 1969 #2

12-2-09 Time Machine: 1969 #2

I have been ‘reading’ the Japanese magazine “Strange Days” for all of 2009. A regular feature of this magazine has been “Time Machine – 40 Years Ago” – listing records all released in 1969.

Strange Days 2009.05 lists “March 1969 Albums” as Colosseum “Those About To Die Salute You” (Fontana UK STL 5510), Cream “Goodbye” (Polydor UK 583 053), Led Zeppelin – self-titled album (Atlantic UK 588 171), The Bee Gees “Odessa” (Polydor UK 582 049/50 double LP), Spooky Tooth “Spooky Two” (Island UK ILPS 9098), Jackie Lomax “Is This What You Want” (Apple UK SAPCOR 6), Family “Family Entertainment” (Reprise UK RSLP 6340) and Scott Walker “Scott 3” (Philips UK SBL 7882).

I found out about Colosseum by 1970, as much of 1969 was spent lamenting the loss of Cream as a working band. I didn’t hear of Led Zeppelin until “Led Zeppelin II” came along. I certainly knew The Bee Gees! “First Of May” from “Odessa” was a big hit in my house. I had seen LP’s by Spooky Tooth in the hippie record store, but I did not hear them until “The Last Puff”. I tried the Jackie Lomax album because of it having 3 members of The Beatles on it – “Sour Milk Sea” is fantastic. I heard Family on a Warner / Reprise loss-leader sampler LP, so I knew them – I had found a cheap used copy of their 1968 debut album “Music In A Doll’s House”, which remains one of my all-time favorite albums. “Family Entertainment” isn’t too shabby, either! Never heard Scott Walker in 1969 – I did not particularly care for The Walker Brothers (or “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”).

Strange Days 2009.06 lists “April 1969 Albums” as Brian Auger & The Trinity “Definitely What” (Marmalade UK 608 003), Grapefruit “Around Grapefruit” (Stateside UK SSL 5008), Kaleidoscope “Faintly Blowing” (Fontana UK STL 5491), Soft Machine “Volume 2” (Probe US CPLP 4505), The Moody Blues “On The Threshold Of A Dream” (Deram UK SML 1035), Roy Harper “Folkjokeopus” (Liberty UK LBS 83231) and Nazz (Todd Rundgren) – self-titled album (SCG UK 221 001).

At the time, I was really only familiar with The Moody Blues on this particular list. I didn’t like this album as well as “In Search Of The Lost Chord”. I think I knew that there was something distantly related to The Beatles about Grapefruit, but I didn’t hear it at all then. I knew nothing of Kaleidoscope or Brian Auger or Julie Driscoll in 1969. By the time of “Flat Baroque and Berserk” (a whole year into the future), I was a Roy Harper fan (thanks to a $1 of “Flat Baroque…”). I always saw the Nazz albums, but I never heard them.

In 2009, the big winner here is the Soft Machine LP, again, one of my all-time favorite albums by any artist. I truly didn’t hear them until “Third” (a year or so into the future), but I ravenously went in search of more Soft Machine once I got my teeth into that; “Volume Two” was what I found first. A bit much to consider being 11 years old and grooving to Soft Machine “Volume 2” – but if I would’ve been hip enough – I would’ve dug it, as I did when I did make it’s acquaintance.

Time Machine: 1969 #1

12-1-09 Time Machine: 1969 #1

I have been ‘reading’ the Japanese magazine “Strange Days” for all of 2009. A regular feature of this magazine has been “Time Machine – 40 Years Ago” – listing records all released in 1969. “Strange Days” experimented with a larger format magazine for the first few months of 2009, but with the April issue, they began this interesting column.

Well, I was awake and listening to rock music in 1969. Lots of possibilities for a young mind: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix…you could hear this music on the radio with some effort – my brother certainly had albums by these artists in our home.

Strange Days 2009.04 lists “February 1969 Albums” as The Fool – self-titled album (Mercury UK SMLC 20138), Mary Hopkin “Postcard” (Apple UK SAPCOR 5), Gun – self-titled album (CBS UK S 63552), The Beach Boys “20/20” (Capitol US ST-133), Ten Years After “Stonedhenge” (Deram UK SML 1029) and Procol Harum “Shine On Brightly” (Regal Zonophone UK SLRZ 1004).

The Fool were the Dutch hippie artists who famously designed the Apple Boutique in London for The Beatles. I never heard their album, but I remember seeing it – it looked way too hippy-dippy, even in 1969! I do not own this album.

Mary Hopkin became famous because of her association with The Beatles (and Apple Records). It’s true, “Those Were The Days” was a big hit – and it was played on the radio a lot back then. It was so popular that it was not uncommon to hear it being sung by someone unlikely (Andy Williams?) on TV. I always liked her single “Goodbye” a lot better. I own “Postcard” on LP, and I even have the original recording of “Those Were The Days” by Gene & Francesca (on their 1968 LP “Hello Love” on Tetragrammaton) – Gene Raskin was who wrote the song. I wonder how Paul McCartney heard it?

Gun was never on my radar back then. Too obscure! Later on, I was a big fan of Parrish & Gurvitz, but Adrian Gurvitz did not enter my picture at all in 1969! Same thing for The Beach Boys. If one was listening to Country Joe & The Fish or Spirit – a band like The Beach Boys was not required listening – then or now.

Ten Years After was definitely on my radar in ’69 – even before their glorious performance at Woodstock. Either my brother talked about them, or I saw how groovy their first 3 albums looked – but what song would I have heard on the radio back then? This is before TYA’s “Love Like A Man” (and “Cricklewood Green”).

Procol Harum is the big winner here. I love ‘em. “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” was a big hit on the radio; you could hear it anywhere. My brother had their debut album, which remains to this very day one of my all-time favorite albums. “Shine On Brightly” followed a year or so after their debut album. Hey, it’s in stereo! This album helped create new directories in my thinking about music. Serious rock music, this. But I love the sound of the collaboration of these British guys. And one member of the band just wrote lyrics!

- Ron