This is my favorite year in music, or at least it was the last time I checked.

I can post a 2-disc mix I made many years ago if anyone is interested. I'm sure some of you heard it back in the day though

contra i have your mix from back in the day. i'd like a track list though!

Sticky Fingers

Um... Let It Bleed? Sticky Fingers was 1971.

OK, so this is the year that spawned a whole bunch of music that eventually turned into playlists for the Classic Rock radio stations. The year I graduated from high school (got thrown out one day for wearing a t shirt that had "Sin, Sex, Dope, And Wine- That's The Class Of '69" printed across the back- those backwater public school pigfuckers had no sense of humor), and the year that just about completed my immersion in music and LSD, in no particular order. I'll leave all or most of the more obvious releases for others and offer up:

Jefferson Airplane~ Volunteers- an open call for the Revolution that never ended up happening. First major label release I know of that used the word "motherfucker" in it, and JA producing the last thing of any consistent quality.

Quicksilver Messenger Service~ Happy Trails- maybe a bit overlooked these days, but this was the album to play very loudly in the den of somebody who had sympathetic, or at least tolerant, parents. "Mona" ate me alive on more than one occasion. Cipollina's guitar was as good as anyone on the planet at that point.

Spirit~ Clear- Another somewhat overlooked band that were a big draw in '69. An odd fusion of styles that did it for me. While heavily influenced by Hendrix at times, Randy California's guitar playing had nuances and singular undertones that showed he was more than a Hendrix clone of wah wah and feedback. And the sight of California's stepfather, shaved headed Ed Cassidy, looming over a huge drum set which he played like few others ( the last I heard, in his mid-80's, he was still working), set the band apart from the pack. Notable for the song Dark-Eyed Woman, if nothing else- play it loud.

John Mayall~ The Turning Point- Mayall set aside the Bluesbreakers and set off in an entirely different direction for this live album- all acoustic with no drums, even. Slow, Delta-influenced songs, interspersed with crowd-pleasing up-tempo ones. He put off a lot of hippies with the song "The Laws Must Change" when he told them all, "Every time you're holding, you are guilty of a crime". Pretty amazing sound quality for a live recording of that era as well.

There are so many to choose from, I might mention a few others later.

superior to at folsom prison, for me at least.

I agree.

This album consists entirely of songs culled from their (lip synched) performances on the pre-Monty Python Cleese/Idle show Do Not Adjust Your Set, where the Bonzos were the house band. A combination of psychedelic weirdness and vaudvilleian traditionalism, the Bonzos are one of those rare novelty acts that does bear repeated listening. Some versions of the album contain the band's lone hit single, "I'm the Urban Spaceman".

And, do I really need to say anything about this one?

Except Chris Hillman's hair fucking RULES!!!

In the "motherfucker" sweepstakes, which one of these from '69 was first?


MC5: Kick Out the Jams

Another classic from the year and a landmark that kicked off a whole slew of shit and only grew in stature over time. personally, I"m in the minority and prefer their Back in the USA studio album that came next. But, this is one fine set of tunes and shows the band tearing things up in front a an appreciative audience.

Good point, Dave- damned if I know.

*edit* But after thinking about it for a minute, the "motherfucker" on Kick Out The Jams was dubbed over on the initial release to "brothers & sisters". I stick to my original assertion.

The Stooges

And, of course, as long as we're in Detroit, can't not mention the first Stooges album. Rock 'n' roll has never been dirtier and nastier than this. When the band tears into Now I Wanna Be Your Dog, the music world changed. Nothing much really to say about this album that you've all not heard a thousand times. I'll just say in this case, it's just fine and dandy to believe the hype.

I third.

Okay, so I don't own this album, nor have I heard it in its entirety, but just going on the songs that I DO know from this album — "007 Shanty Town)", "Hey Grandma", "Rudy Got Soul" — it's gotta be a motherfucker:

Anyone with more knowledge on this album care to comment? I know that it's one that I have to hear.

It's not the first fusion record, but is it the first post rock release ? Dunno. It's certainly way before its time. Miles was already experimenting with electric guitar & keys as well as "pop" rhythms. And yet, IASW is a first, an undefined style, a motionless silence.

This is an all-time fave.

That Desmond Dekker album is killer...as is damn near everything I've heard of Desmond Dekker. Even his later stuff wasn't at all bad in my estimation. As much as it is a good idea to grab a collection of his hits, going through the individual albums is totally worth it as the "filler" material is generally top notch as well.

I'll be even more completely predictable than my other posts and also mention the 3rd, self-titled Velvet Underground album



After the chaos of White Light/White Heat, the most startling thing about this record is just how damn quiet and fragile the whole thing sounds. I guess this the beginning of the end with Cale departing and Yule coming in, and the band does take on a dramatically different direction from this point forward. But, for early morning or late night coming down music, this always hits the spot for me.

I can't see the pic posted, but Miles in '69, I'm assuming you are talking about In A Silent Way...which is indeed another great quiet album...and about the only thing from Miles' fusion period that I really do like.

Yessir

This is an amazing year, for sure, and it's hard to know where to even begin talking about it.

But how about this:



Fairport Convention
What We Did on Our Holidays
Unhalfbricking
Liege and Lief

All three of these albums were released in 1969, and all three of them are amazing. These are the three Fairport albums with Sandy Denny in the band, also in the middle of Richard Thompson's five-album run with the group. They are widely considered their best, and are considered the very best of British folk rock. Now I haven't really heard a lot of British folk rock (although I certainly like these a hell of a lot more than the Pentangle and Incredible String Band stuff I have), but I still find that very easy to believe. This is what folk rock should be. It's weighty and meaty, often moody and dark and mysterious. And some really, really great guitar. If you don't know all three of these albums, you need to.

Yeh, I had Liege & Leaf on my list, but ran out of fingers earlier.

Nick released his 'near' perfect debut at the age of 21. An assured, mature, world weary record for one so young, self-conscious and introverted.

One of my favorites. Outside of Fortunate Son ( a classic rock staple I never tire of ), this album is looser than other CCR albums. Almost jam bandish at times and usually that's a bad thing. But here it just works because the songs are really strong. My only complaint is I never really liked their cover of Midnight Special.

Doug Sahm & The Sir Douglas Quintet released this hot pot of country, cajun & jazz and stirred it up into this unique form of country-rock, Tex-Mex flav-o-flav.

yeah Fairport Convention with 3 and CCR with 3 as well.

Good call King. I, too, never tire of it.

The Duck Kee is still standing by the way, right around the corner from a friend I use to visit years ago, in the not-so-friendly area of West Oakland.

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