Rock & Roll Historical Perspective

[myrosiedog]

Ajane.

I felt the same way about the Doors when I was younger. Now, not so much.

I've always been a big Greatful Dead fan, but I have always resisted being known as both a Deadhead and a Parrothead (Buffett fan. I listened to Jimmy Buffett before anyone outside of maybe Florida and Louisana had heard of him and just think the whole Parrothead appellation is ridiculous as is Deadhead. Why can't I just enjoy their music and be ME? )


Bee Gees - Idea (not only remember it, have it)
Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (same as above)
Deep Purple - Deep Purple (great album, had it on 8track, now no longer have it)
The Fifth Dimension - Stone Soul Picnic
The Moody Blues - In Search of the Lost Chord
Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets
Buffy Ste. Marie - I’m Going to be a Country Girl Again (Who?)
Small Faces - Ogden’s Special Nut Gone Flake
Ten Years After - Undead
The Zombies - Odyssey & Oracle

Have at various times loved most of the above groups and had albums, but not necessarily the ones mentioned above.

[Google]

 

[AJane]

Buffy Sainte-Marie is well-known here in Canada. She's a native singer/songwriter. She was a big name in the flower-child days - I remember studying her song lyrics in English poetry classes in school. I would compare her style to someone like Joni Mitchell.

[Rattus]

Originally Posted by AJane

Buffy Sainte-Marie is well-known here in Canada. She's a native singer/songwriter. She was a big name in the flower-child days - I remember studying her song lyrics in English poetry classes in school. I would compare her style to someone like Joni Mitchell.

It's funny, I was looking up some names on the BabyNameWizard a couple of days ago and decided to check out Buffy (huge vampire slayer fan, I am ), and the name Buffy spiked in the 70s, but hasn't been in the top 1,000 names before or since. I have to assume that it either had to do with Ms. Sainte-Marie, or the Buffy of Buffy & Jody fame.

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by Rattus

It's funny, I was looking up some names on the BabyNameWizard a couple of days ago and decided to check out Buffy (huge vampire slayer fan, I am ), and the name Buffy spiked in the 70s, but hasn't been in the top 1,000 names before or since. I have to assume that it either had to do with Ms. Sainte-Marie, or the Buffy of Buffy & Jody fame.

Funny you mention them. I just saw an old movie that had Mr. French in it.

[razorbacker]

Rolling Stone Issue 19

Dated October 12, 1968. Mick Jagger on the cover.

A controversy is swirling around the latest album by The Stones. Beggars Banquet is to be released with a photo of a bathroom wall covered in graffiti, at least according to Jagger. Their label (Decca London Records) says that’s not going to happen. Cussing & discussing is taking place in NY. The label says it’s semi pornographic & the stores won’t stock it, Jagger wants them to release the album in a brown paper wrapper stamped Unfit For Children, the label has declined.
Meanwhile the latest Stones single is Street Fighting Man & many radio stations have banned it due to fears it could incite violence.

Drummer Tim Davis, Guitarist Boz Scaggs, & organist Jim Peterman are all leaving The Steve Miller Band to form a new trio. The break up is the result of many months of personality conflicts. The band has just completed Sailor, their second album for an Oct. release.

Drummer Buddy Miles has formed the Buddy Miles Express with 4 ex Electric Flag members.

John Sebastian has parted ways with The Lovin Spoonful to pursue a solo career. He has recently written 3 songs for the Broadway play Jimmy Shine starring a very young Dustin Hoffman. The play is to open Nov. 21. He has also completed his first solo album & it includes vocal support from The Ikettes & musical accompaniment from Stephen Stills, Harvet Brooks (ex Electric Flag), Jack Nietzsche (pianist with the Stones), Paul Harris & Billy Mundi )of the Mothers).

There is an article on Van Dyke Parks, his most recent album Song Cycle was released over a year ago to great critical acclaim but has sold fewer than 10,000 copies (not enough to cover expenses) & he is very disappointed. Surprisingly enough in the article he compares himself very favorably to the Beatles & he sounds very bitter in doing so. He claims they are selling out by selling sweat shirts & Apple memorabilia, & claims their sounds are hired out due to the studio help they get from the likes of George Martin. I must say that I am always taken aback at the way some of these folks come across. He was basically a studio musician for The Byrds & a producer for such stalwarts as Harpers Bizarre before this album, yet he put himself up there with The Beatles. Hello!!!

The interview this time around is with Mick Jagger. He says the first song they recorded that they had also written was called Tell Me. He also says they were writing many ballads at the time for some reason such as As Tears Go By (written for Marianne Faithful, but they recorded it anyway) & a song that became a hit for Gene Pitney called That Girl Belongs to Yesterday. He says that even though Keith had the original idea for Satisfaction, that even after it was finished he/Keith didn’t much like the song. He says the lyrics to Get Off My Cloud are “crap.” He calls Lady Jane a completely very weird sort of song. He doesn’t like the album Between the Buttons. He really seems to not like much of anything the Stones have done yet, brushing off any praise of his lyrics, by saying they are not good & nothing special.

The question is asked, Are you interested in doing stage performances again? He responds, “I’d like to, but the thought of going on stage & playing Satisfaction, Paint it Black, Jumpin Jack Flash & 6 others just doesn’t appeal to me.”
The Stones are another band that I just never much cared for. Obviously they have some great songs, there is no discounting that, but I believe the only album of their I ever bought was It’s Only Rock & Roll, & I bought that one mostly for the song Time Waits For No One. PS. Their performance at the Super Bowl a few years back was, in my opinion dreadful.

Album Reviews:

Undead - Ten Years After
Undead gives us nothing more than a very fine jam band, doing it’s thing, recorded live. Rather than trying to be Cream Heavy or Canned Heat Heavy Ten Years After just gets in there & swings.
Alvin Lee is one of the finest & most underrated guitarists maybe ever. He is incredible to watch
live.

Honkey Blues - Sir Douglas Quintet
The band comes out of the same Texas Blues scene as Janis Joplin, the college folk scene of the early 60’s where authenticity is the pot of gold and the like of the folk was the rainbow. There is a relaxed quality to the album, an absence of strain that suggests they are fairly at home with their music. But, if they relax any further, they won’t even play blues. Better forget the association with Janis, the album is marked by a lack of emotionalism, & in fact of excitement. Sir Douglas is working toward an independent musical conception, & hopefully the lack of vitality in Honkey Blues is part of the scenery along the way, not evidence he is in a blind alley. Well, whether on the road or in an alley, I’ll just say She’s About A Mover.

Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake - The Small Faces
The Small Faces don’t have to pretend to be cynical or even prophetic, happiness is enough for them. Both sides of Ogden transport the listener to equally worriless & problem less places. It’s wonderful, it’s great, & it’s real.

Bare Wires - John Mayall’s Blues Breakers
This album displays several faults common to many albums of the period July 67 - July 68, the search for a concept delivered in new & meaningful ways. While Mayall has created good & valid Blues, this album, if nothing else, shows up his limitations outside of his specialization.

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by razorbacker

Rolling Stone Issue 19

Dated October 12, 1968. Mick Jagger on the cover.

A controversy is swirling around the latest album by The Stones. Beggars Banquet is to be released with a photo of a bathroom wall covered in graffiti, at least according to Jagger. Their label (Decca London Records) says that’s not going to happen. Cussing & discussing is taking place in NY. The label says it’s semi pornographic & the stores won’t stock it, Jagger wants them to release the album in a brown paper wrapper stamped Unfit For Children, the label has declined.
Meanwhile the latest Stones single is Street Fighting Man & many radio stations have banned it due to fears it could incite violence.

Drummer Tim Davis, Guitarist Boz Scaggs, & organist Jim Peterman are all leaving The Steve Miller Band to form a new trio. The break up is the result of many months of personality conflicts. The band has just completed Sailor, their second album for an Oct. release.

Drummer Buddy Miles has formed the Buddy Miles Express with 4 ex Electric Flag members.

John Sebastian has parted ways with The Lovin Spoonful to pursue a solo career. He has recently written 3 songs for the Broadway play Jimmy Shine starring a very young Dustin Hoffman. The play is to open Nov. 21. He has also completed his first solo album & it includes vocal support from The Ikettes & musical accompaniment from Stephen Stills, Harvet Brooks (ex Electric Flag), Jack Nietzsche (pianist with the Stones), Paul Harris & Billy Mundi )of the Mothers).

There is an article on Van Dyke Parks, his most recent album Song Cycle was released over a year ago to great critical acclaim but has sold fewer than 10,000 copies (not enough to cover expenses) & he is very disappointed. Surprisingly enough in the article he compares himself very favorably to the Beatles & he sounds very bitter in doing so. He claims they are selling out by selling sweat shirts & Apple memorabilia, & claims their sounds are hired out due to the studio help they get from the likes of George Martin. I must say that I am always taken aback at the way some of these folks come across. He was basically a studio musician for The Byrds & a producer for such stalwarts as Harpers Bizarre before this album, yet he put himself up there with The Beatles. Hello!!!

The interview this time around is with Mick Jagger. He says the first song they recorded that they had also written was called Tell Me. He also says they were writing many ballads at the time for some reason such as As Tears Go By (written for Marianne Faithful, but they recorded it anyway) & a song that became a hit for Gene Pitney called That Girl Belongs to Yesterday. He says that even though Keith had the original idea for Satisfaction, that even after it was finished he/Keith didn’t much like the song. He says the lyrics to Get Off My Cloud are “crap.” He calls Lady Jane a completely very weird sort of song. He doesn’t like the album Between the Buttons. He really seems to not like much of anything the Stones have done yet, brushing off any praise of his lyrics, by saying they are not good & nothing special.

The question is asked, Are you interested in doing stage performances again? He responds, “I’d like to, but the thought of going on stage & playing Satisfaction, Paint it Black, Jumpin Jack Flash & 6 others just doesn’t appeal to me.”
The Stones are another band that I just never much cared for. Obviously they have some great songs, there is no discounting that, but I believe the only album of their I ever bought was It’s Only Rock & Roll, & I bought that one mostly for the song Time Waits For No One. PS. Their performance at the Super Bowl a few years back was, in my opinion dreadful.

Album Reviews:

Undead - Ten Years After
Undead gives us nothing more than a very fine jam band, doing it’s thing, recorded live. Rather than trying to be Cream Heavy or Canned Heat Heavy Ten Years After just gets in there & swings.
Alvin Lee is one of the finest & most underrated guitarists maybe ever. He is incredible to watch
live.

Honkey Blues - Sir Douglas Quintet
The band comes out of the same Texas Blues scene as Janis Joplin, the college folk scene of the early 60’s where authenticity is the pot of gold and the like of the folk was the rainbow. There is a relaxed quality to the album, an absence of strain that suggests they are fairly at home with their music. But, if they relax any further, they won’t even play blues. Better forget the association with Janis, the album is marked by a lack of emotionalism, & in fact of excitement. Sir Douglas is working toward an independent musical conception, & hopefully the lack of vitality in Honkey Blues is part of the scenery along the way, not evidence he is in a blind alley. Well, whether on the road or in an alley, I’ll just say She’s About A Mover.

Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake - The Small Faces
The Small Faces don’t have to pretend to be cynical or even prophetic, happiness is enough for them. Both sides of Ogden transport the listener to equally worriless & problem less places. It’s wonderful, it’s great, & it’s real.

Bare Wires - John Mayall’s Blues Breakers
This album displays several faults common to many albums of the period July 67 - July 68, the search for a concept delivered in new & meaningful ways. While Mayall has created good & valid Blues, this album, if nothing else, shows up his limitations outside of his specialization.

I saw the Stones live just 3 months before the Superbowl and I have to say that something was NOT right with the Superbowl sound because their live performance was INCREDIBLE as always, but I was extremely disappointed by the Superbowl show and I think a lot came out afterwards that the sound for the stadium was good, but not the tv broadcast.
I have almost every Stones album ever put out. Some are better than others and some songs are just so overplayed as to be tired and old.
Is this the article where Mick says he doesn't see the Stones still doing Satisfaction after they are 30 or 40 or something?

Also interesting is that the album couldn't be released showing a bathroom wall. Didn't Zappa release an album later that showed him sitting on a toilet? Times sure do change.

[razorbacker]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

I saw the Stones live just 3 months before the Superbowl and I have to say that something was NOT right with the Superbowl sound because their live performance was INCREDIBLE as always, but I was extremely disappointed by the Superbowl show and I think a lot came out afterwards that the sound for the stadium was good, but not the tv broadcast.
I have almost every Stones album ever put out. Some are better than others and some songs are just so overplayed as to be tired and old.
Is this the article where Mick says he doesn't see the Stones still doing Satisfaction after they are 30 or 40 or something?

Also interesting is that the album couldn't be released showing a bathroom wall. Didn't Zappa release an album later that showed him sitting on a toilet? Times sure do change.

In answer to your first question, there was no reference to age at all.

As to Zappa, it wasn't an album, it was a poster, the infamous Phi Zappa Crappa. Gotta love Frank.

[razorbacker]

Rolling Stone Issue 20

Dated October 26, 1968. The Beatles on the cover. No. 20

The Doors & Jefferson Airplane are in London for the first time. The Doors have not had a hit in England yet & have been called everything from Melody Makers’ “worst group ever”, to Tony Wilson referring to them as one of the most professional groups on the musical scene. This was the first time for the two groups to appear together & the British favored the Airplane when comparing the two.

The new album, a double album, by The Beatles is schedule for release on November 16. As of now there is no information on the art for the Album cover, but according to Beatles press officer Derek Taylor, it will have a “marked absence of psychedelia.” I reckon a plain White Album would fall into that “absence of psychedelic” category. “So far they have recorded 35 songs which will be cut to the Final 24 before release. Some of the songs that will make the album, Back in the U.S.S.R., Mother Natures Son, Birthday, Everybody’s Got Something to Hide (except me & my monkey) Blackbird, Rocky Racoon, & Sexy Sadie.

Ex Beatle drummer Pete Best has won a libel lawsuit against The Beatles & Playboy magazine. During an interview Ringo was quoted as saying “Pete used to take little pills to make him ill“. Dollar figures will not be made public.

A new band has just signed on to Columbia records. Out of San Francisco, the band is headed by husband & wife David & Linda Aflame & goes by the name of It’s a Beautiful Day. I loved, loved, & still love White Bird. The band was signed by Columbia Records president Clive Davis.

A jury in England has found Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, guilty of marijuana possession. He was fined $120 + $253 court costs, but given no jail time. Meanwhile the dispute over the “bathroom wall” album cover has not been settled & no release date is imminent for the album.

Sly & the Family Stone were all busted for marijuana immediately after touching down at the London airport, causing the band to cancel their British tour & return to the states.

Rick Danko of The Band broke his neck in a car accident almost identical to the one that happened a few months back to Bob Dylan.

According to Music Maker magazine in England, Bob Dylan is the world’s greatest singer, & fourth most popular musician behind Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, & Herb Alpert. Now we know this is a viable list what with them placing Herb Alpert at #3.

Piano whiz Nicky Hopkins has just joined the Jeff Beck group. He can also be heard playing piano on the Beatles Revolution & will be on the latest album by the Stones.

There is a rumor circulating that the next album by Steven Stills will feature accompanying artists David Crosby & Graham Nash. It is being referred to as the latest in the many Supersession types of albums. I think it may become a bit more permanent, only time will tell.

The interview this time around is with Cass Elliot.
She confirms the rumors that The Mama’s & Papa’s have broken up & she is going it alone. She is an hour late to the interview, because she just came from the first listening of her first solo album, “Dream a Little Dream.” She admits up front that there are very few M&P songs that she is proud of or even ever listens to & she doesn’t even have the albums in her house.

One of the reasons she states for going solo is that she has just had a baby & she wanted to stay home instead of going on the road with a band. She is now working on a 3 week stay in Vegas & says she is being paid $40,000 per week.

Here is an interesting story: When the band was just getting together they were in the Bahamas staying at a hotel that was under construction. One of the plumbers dropped a pipe & it hit Cass on the head, knocking her out & putting her in the hospital. When all was said & done, the knock on the head caused her to be able to sing 3 notes higher than previously.

Cass is yet another artist taking pot shots at The Doors calling their music very one dimensional.

She tells of dropping acid 5 times during her pregnancy because she doesn’t believe all the stories the government is putting out about chromosomal damage, so she just did it anyway.


Album Reviews:

Crown of Creation - Jefferson Airplane
The new album by Jefferson Airplane finds a group caught somewhere between style & stylization & the results are sometimes ambiguous. Grace Slick for example is a talented vocalist who can transform a song into something unique, but at the same time Grace is not beneath the distorted mannerisms offered up in place of thoughtful style. Marty Balins’ Share A Little Joke is a prime example of uninteresting Airplane. The House at Pooneil Corner is called a noble failure. The David Crosby composition Triad is a big bonus for the album.

A Saucerful of Secrets - Pink Floyd
Unfortunately the Floyd’s second album is not as interesting as their first, as a matter of fact, it is rather mediocre. Syd Barrett seems to have left the writing of the album up to others & unfortunately Roger Waters just doesn’t hold up his end. He is called “an uninteresting writer, vocalist, & bass player.” Now I just bet this reviewer could look back on that statement & say it must have been the drugs speaking. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun is boring melodically, harmonically, & lyrically. The song Remember the Day features some rather miserable bottle neck guitar, second rate piano, & empty sounding acoustic guitar work. Nick Mason’s drumming is busy & ineffective. Other than that I wonder if this guy liked the album?

As an incentive to subscribe to the magazine they will send you a copy of the new album by The Steve Miller Band, containing future popular Miller songs, Living in the U.S.A., & Gangster of Love.

[myrosiedog]

OMG, White Bird, what a great song. No one else I know has ever even HEARD of IT's a Beautiful Day. I still have the LP!

Razorbacker, that's what I like about you. We may not always like the same stuff, but at least we've HEARD of the same stuff.

[razorbacker]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

OMG, White Bird, what a great song. No one else I know has ever even HEARD of IT's a Beautiful Day. I still have the LP!

Razorbacker, that's what I like about you. We may not always like the same stuff, but at least we've HEARD of the same stuff.

White Bird was a great song, but it never made it to the Top 40, so the band couldn't even be classified as a one hit wonder. I guess us older heads are the only ones hip to the truly great music.

I'm glad you are enjoying these trips back through time to the music scene as it was being reported back then. I know I'm getting a kick out of it.

I must say though that I am really surprised at how disrespected The Doors were back then. Everyone from the press, to other artists, to some of the fan letters are just not at all receptive to the band & especially Jim Morrison.