As I said in my Surrealistic Pillow review, I've got a major love of and bias toward music from 1967. There's just something magic about that year to me. Maybe it was the optimistic vibe in the music. Maybe it was the desire to experiment. Who knows? This was a great year for music, and as Flower Power was replaced by more aggressive tendencies, it left a permanent impact with the albums left behind.
Now, here are my list rules. 1 album per artist, and I'll attempt to qualify why I picked the ones I picked. OK, here goes......
1. Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band---Beatles
Alright, that one was predictable. I love this album to death, and I have for a few years now. Now, while I understand a lot of the anti-hype against it over the last few years, I still don't see it. People say it's "just pretty pop music." Well, what's so wrong with that? Let's face it---the Fabs very seldom abandoned their pop roots, and when they did, they did so with more-or-less mixed results. Plus, how can you not love something so beautiful that is fun and serious all at the same time?
2. The Doors---Doors
I'm one of the people who likes this one better than Strange Days. It's a perfect blend of dark beauty, intriguing lyrics (except for those two songs....you know which ones), odd keyboards, flamenco-electric guitar, and jazz drumming. It doesn't succumb to the carnivalesque wildness of Strange Days, instead just focusing on presenting a fascinatingly dark picture of the world of Jim and the boys.
3. Forever Changes---Love
I'm relatively new to this album, but I still can see it's greatness. It's light, GORGEOUS, and serious. The acoustic guitar blending with the brass (more Herb Alpert than George Martin) and strings and harp and harpsichord and all the other nifty instruments perfectly blends folk with the orchestrated pop that was being made big by everyone's favorite Limey bands.
4. Are You Experienced?---Jimi Hendrix Experience
Well, duh. This one makes about any top 10 list imaginable, and as well it should. It's the first true hard rock album, but it doesn't throw out catchiness, melody, or intelligence for sheer brute force. Plus, it deserves mention just for how important it was in the development of guitar rock from that point on.
5. Flowers---Rolling Stones
OK, it IS an American hodgepodge of Stones pop, but is that really such a bad thing? It hits so many of the high points of the Stones' pop period that it's indispensable. Plus, it's got Backstreet Girl and Out Of Time---two pop masterpieces that so few people seem to know about.
6. Surrealistic Pillow---Jefferson Airplane
THE quintessential American psychedelic pop/rock record. It's diverse, lovely, aggressive, and even a little dark at moments. It somehow captures the essence of good acid rock without ever crossing into the land of trippy excess.
7. Days Of Future Passed---Moody Blues
Yeah, call me fruity, but it's really great! They took the idea of the concept album to a new level, and they also introduced us to a new style of art-rock. Classically influenced and just a classic of lush-sounding (and catchy) pop.
8. Piper At The Gates Of Dawn---Pink Floyd
OK, somebody's got to remember to mention the OTHER side of psychedelia. This isn't just Haigh-Ashbury Dayglo music---this is cosmic, astral, whacked out of your mind (literally...poor Syd) music. Kiddie songs so drenched in LSD that they're paranoid and scary. Sonic trips to Altair. Chapters from I-Ching. Whacked, but strangely alluring.
9. Disraeli Gears---Cream
Maybe this one should be a spot or two higher, but still....it's a fabulous blues rockin', acid droppin' hunk o' plastic. Or vinyl. Or whatever. It's got some great riffs, some fascinating vocals, and even am accapella song about a baby going down a drain.
10. Buffalo Springfield Again---Buffalo Springfield
SURPRISE! This one is only on here because I elected to limit myself to one album per band represented (sorry, MMT). But, it's still folk-rock excellence with great songwriting, great playing, and great singing. Just one listen to Bluebird and you'll know how this one got here.
Post your comments about this list
COMMENTS
Well, I happen to share your philosophy about 1967. It was the greatest year for rock, it seems every album I buy from that year just, happens to be in my CD player at least three times a week. It all started with me buying Sgt.Pepper and Are You Experienced on the same day and it just went from there, so I feel obliged to comment on this list.
1. Sgt.Pepper- Yeah, this is THE album of '67, not picking this for #1 would make your list well, naive.
2. The Doors debut- Great stuff on this, but not too consistent. Id move it a bit lower on the list, maybe 5, and replace it with Strange Days.
3. Forever Changes- George did underrate this one, good choice.
4. Are You Experienced- Well,duh.
5. Flowers- Tossup with BTB for me, but you need Stones pop on the list. I would probably have picked BTB, though, since it contains all original material.
6. Surrealistic Pillow- Fantastic album, worth the top 5 IMO, contains two classic hits and lots of other great San Francisco material.
7- Days of Future Passed- Getting it in 5 days, very hyped for it.
8- Piper- High points are high, but the acid-heavy style sometimes brings me down. Id put it at #10, but still worth getting if just for Astronomy Domine.
9. Disraeli- Top 5 material, beats out AYE for consistency, which I give big points for (no "May this be Love")
10- BSA- Err, this band is sooo overrated it hurts. U despise them, and can't see any appeal, but Mr. Soul is a fine song.
Any last comments, no Byrds! You gotta put Younger than Yesterday on there, if you've heard it, but a solid list overall.
#1) VU and Nico....... for being anti everything
#2)The Kinks-Something Else.......... for the same reason
#3)The Creation-We are the Paintermen.......perfect!!!!!!!!!!no edge was lost when they did pysche
#4)Buffalo Springfield-Again, what a fantastic eclectic album
#5)Hendrix-Are you Expeienced...... of course
#6)Floyd-Pipers and the 3 singles..... truly great creepy pop/psyche
#7)Beatles-Sgt Peppers.....what else needs to be said
#8)The Pretty Things-Emotions.......brit pop before Blur
#9)Capt Beefhart-Safe as Milk.....demented blues and "Electricity" is frightening
#10)The Byrds-Younger than Yesterday......before they went awfuly bad on "Notorious"