Gr8s from the 8s -1968
Welcome to another offering of On That Note. A weekly music discussion thread from myself, @cyclones500 and @CycloneRulzzz.
Last week's post was from '500 - the topic was Dynamic Duos. Link: https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/on-that-note-dynamic-duos.238553/
This week we are starting a topic series also suggested by cyclones500 - Gr8s from the 8s. A look back at the best albums released on anniversaries of this year, 2018 (yes, this is 2018!) We arrived at a starting point of 1968 - since the LP as a cohesive musical concept piece was, by then, considered a valid notion.
Since I'm the old man here and missed my turn for OTN last week I'm kicking the series off.
We'd really like to keep it to ONLY albums RELEASED in 1968 please.
To that end I'm providing a couple links to prime the mental pumps of readers to chime in with their favorites. I'd like to see up to 3 per person but if you have one in mind please don't hold back, post it! Also maybe add some commentary - either why you like it musically or maybe it has some historical or emotional connection to your life or a person/place in your past. I do love to hear those connections - as the ones I have mean a lot to me. I am not ranking my 5 - that's too much like picking a favorite child. Just too hard for me. But don't let that hold you back if you feel like you want to do that.
https://www.besteveralbums.com/yearstats.php?y=1968
https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/albums_by_year/albums_1968.html
A caveat: to be brutally frank this is NOT my wheelhouse. If you've followed the series you probably realize I'm more of a song/singles guy. For LP's I tend to not get the same enthusiasm I do for a hot single release. I'd like to hear the really good songs (usually the single, but not always) rather than hear one or two really good songs and the rest okay (with the occasional giant clunker thrown in). So I will tend to rank an LP based on overall listen-ability of the disc, where a bad song tends to pull it out of contention. [And then after saying that, two of the five below DO have the clunker - the song that you immediately hit the SKIP button when it starts.]
I really had a tough time limiting it to 5. One not listed, in particular was tough to cut.
The Doors - Waiting for the Sun
This is the only LP of the group that I actually listened to in full in 1968. Realize I was 12 years old for most of the year and lived in a rural Iowa. And I had almost no money to spend on records. This LP was actually owned by the family who lived across the road and we would often borrow/exchange music for variety. I also remember my father walking in during "Love Street" and commenting on the line, "I wonder what they do in there," with a very lecherous tone, "I know what they do in there!"
This is chronologically the group's third LP and considered a lesser offering than their second (Strange Days, which is considered slightly less great than their first). I'm not actually a huge fan of the Doors. A fan, yes. But mostly it's included here because of the personal memories for me.
The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album)
Made up of compositions mostly written on their trip to India. Over history I've noticed a typical review of the LP generally contain two thoughts. 1. This is not the Beatles being a group but more the beginning of the end - acting as session men on the other members' songs. I personally downplay this; I contend that trend had already begun. 2. The better of the 30 songs should have been culled to make a single stronger LP. I also downplay this as literally every reviewer who says this either neglects to list the songs he/she would eliminate, or lists songs that I personally would definitely include in a single disc. (That would make an interesting OTN topic... which songs would YOU eliminate from the White Album to make it a single disc? Revolution 9, sure... but then what?)
The other thing pointed out by reviewers is - this appears to be the point where George comes into his own as a composer. On that point I will agree. His 4 songs, one per side, are the equal to those of John and Paul. And coaxing buddy Eric Clapton to play lead on While My Guitar Gently Weeps was genius.
(Part 2 below)
Welcome to another offering of On That Note. A weekly music discussion thread from myself, @cyclones500 and @CycloneRulzzz.
Last week's post was from '500 - the topic was Dynamic Duos. Link: https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/on-that-note-dynamic-duos.238553/
This week we are starting a topic series also suggested by cyclones500 - Gr8s from the 8s. A look back at the best albums released on anniversaries of this year, 2018 (yes, this is 2018!) We arrived at a starting point of 1968 - since the LP as a cohesive musical concept piece was, by then, considered a valid notion.
Since I'm the old man here and missed my turn for OTN last week I'm kicking the series off.
We'd really like to keep it to ONLY albums RELEASED in 1968 please.
To that end I'm providing a couple links to prime the mental pumps of readers to chime in with their favorites. I'd like to see up to 3 per person but if you have one in mind please don't hold back, post it! Also maybe add some commentary - either why you like it musically or maybe it has some historical or emotional connection to your life or a person/place in your past. I do love to hear those connections - as the ones I have mean a lot to me. I am not ranking my 5 - that's too much like picking a favorite child. Just too hard for me. But don't let that hold you back if you feel like you want to do that.
https://www.besteveralbums.com/yearstats.php?y=1968
https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/albums_by_year/albums_1968.html
A caveat: to be brutally frank this is NOT my wheelhouse. If you've followed the series you probably realize I'm more of a song/singles guy. For LP's I tend to not get the same enthusiasm I do for a hot single release. I'd like to hear the really good songs (usually the single, but not always) rather than hear one or two really good songs and the rest okay (with the occasional giant clunker thrown in). So I will tend to rank an LP based on overall listen-ability of the disc, where a bad song tends to pull it out of contention. [And then after saying that, two of the five below DO have the clunker - the song that you immediately hit the SKIP button when it starts.]
I really had a tough time limiting it to 5. One not listed, in particular was tough to cut.
The Doors - Waiting for the Sun
This is the only LP of the group that I actually listened to in full in 1968. Realize I was 12 years old for most of the year and lived in a rural Iowa. And I had almost no money to spend on records. This LP was actually owned by the family who lived across the road and we would often borrow/exchange music for variety. I also remember my father walking in during "Love Street" and commenting on the line, "I wonder what they do in there," with a very lecherous tone, "I know what they do in there!"
This is chronologically the group's third LP and considered a lesser offering than their second (Strange Days, which is considered slightly less great than their first). I'm not actually a huge fan of the Doors. A fan, yes. But mostly it's included here because of the personal memories for me.
The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album)
Made up of compositions mostly written on their trip to India. Over history I've noticed a typical review of the LP generally contain two thoughts. 1. This is not the Beatles being a group but more the beginning of the end - acting as session men on the other members' songs. I personally downplay this; I contend that trend had already begun. 2. The better of the 30 songs should have been culled to make a single stronger LP. I also downplay this as literally every reviewer who says this either neglects to list the songs he/she would eliminate, or lists songs that I personally would definitely include in a single disc. (That would make an interesting OTN topic... which songs would YOU eliminate from the White Album to make it a single disc? Revolution 9, sure... but then what?)
The other thing pointed out by reviewers is - this appears to be the point where George comes into his own as a composer. On that point I will agree. His 4 songs, one per side, are the equal to those of John and Paul. And coaxing buddy Eric Clapton to play lead on While My Guitar Gently Weeps was genius.
(Part 2 below)
