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A twang to part three. This was the era that saw country hit the rock mainstream, through the likes of the Stones. It was also the year that saw the second of the prison recordings that saw his credibility restored. There is a raw energy to these recordings that chimed well with the rock and roll generation.
mp3 Johnny Cash: San Quentin
Townes van Zandt's second and third albums were released in 1969. His second, Our Mother the Mountain, featured some of his great songs, even though he would record many of them again without the somewhat florid arrangements. This though, is mighty fine.
mp3 Townes van Zandt: Kathleen
The Band followed up Music From Big Pink with their eponymous masterpiece, the template for what these days we call Americana.
mp3 The Band: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Johnny Cash sang on the first track, and The Band connection is clear. 1969 was the year Dylan went country with Nashville Skyline.
mp3 Bob Dylan: I Threw it all Away
At the real cutting edge were Gram Parsons' Flying Burrito Brothers with The Gilded Palace of Sin (great title), as country rock edged closer to country itself:
mp3 The Flying Burrito Brothers: Sin City
more to come...
Things take a distinctly English turn on part two. By 1969, Ray Davis' obsession with The English past was in full flow on the concept album Arthur. It's stand-out track was one of the Kinks' great singles.
mp3 The Kinks: Victoria
1969 saw David Bowie make his first mark and his first hit single. However, as everyone knows that song, I thought I'd offer this 1969 b-side. Those who know his 1969 album, originally Man of Words, Man of Music (what a shite title) will recognise the fact that it is saddled with some pretty OTT arrangements which often mar the songs. This song, featuring Mick Ronson for the first time, suffered in particular. This simplified guitar and cello version works much better (Ronson would hit his straps next time up).
mp3 David Bowie: The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud
1969 saw two albums from the Fairport Convention that were just beginning to emerge from the Californian folk rock cover versions into the band that gave us folk-rock and two of the great English songwriters, namely Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny. The first of the two, What We Did On Our Holidays, saw the first great Richard Thompson song.
mp3 Fairport Convention: Meet on the Ledge
1969 also saw The Who release the mishmash that was Tommy. Like most rock double albums, it was a good single one waiting to get out (that's why, incidentally, the fact that many bands now release shorter 40 minuteish cds is A GOOD THING. Anyway, forget all the meaningless plot (such as it was), this is great late '60s Who.
mp3 The Who: See Me, Feel Me
more....
A while back a pal sent me a text (yes, you) challenging me to produce a cd of the best of 1969. So, I'm gonna do it in installments. It's starting a bit heavily:
mp3 The Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter
In 1968, the Stones returned brilliantly to a mix of the blues, country and brilliant rock'n'roll; they also captured the zeitgeist with the likes of Street Fighting Man and Sympathy for the Devil. In the year in which flower power turned darker, and Altamont saw fans killed by Hell's Angels, the Stones captured the mood in this brilliant, menacing and snaky masterpiece. Rape, murder, just a shot away...
mp3 The Stooges: I Wanna Be Your Dog
In spite of their would be Satanic Majesties poses, you know the Stones feared the reaper. Not Iggy. This is, pure and simple, on of the great slabs of primal rock. But now, romance gives way... c'mowwwwwn,,,
1969 also saw Led Zep make their first two albums. Already, the heavy riffing was there, but so were the blues and folk that made them a more interesting band than many recall. Of those, I reckon this is the highlight, its heavy blues riff, Plant's wail.
mp3 Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused
Finally, the obscure. Mott the Hoople's first album wasn't up to much bar this first slice of Ian Hunter's Dylan fetish.
mp3 Mott the Hoople: Backsliding Fearlessly
More to come...
