Interactive Poll #6060: We love the Sixities

The Sixties under 7

Lorenzo:  Gino Paoli “Sassi”  So beautiful and sad, the melody is just gorgeous. Lush and lovely production.   First one out of the box is setting the bar very high! Such depth in this piece.  It’s going to be hard to beat this one.   Spirit “Silky Sam”  One of my favourite bands of the 60’s.  They were the second billing of the first big concert I went to in 1970.  I had the pleasure of working with them later during the 1980s.  This LP and song are wonderful and so innovative.  Neil Young and Crazy Horse “Running Dry”  Another huge favourite of mine, just love him, especially with Crazy Horse.  This is a sad and haunting song.  You’re pulling out all of my favourites with the ones I know…the very creative and funny Bonzo Doo Dah Band “My Pink Half of the Drainpipe”  Just so silly and fun.  Wonderful start to this poll!

Cristi:  Bliss “Cry For Love”  Wow!  Stumped me, never heard this before.  Do you know anything about them?  Kind of heavy/psych/blues sound.  Pretty raw sound, like some of the rough-edged guitar work, lots of energy. Sometimes sounds a little like “Time of the Season,” to me, but then it changes from that. The Doors “Who Scared You” I know it’s out of competition anyway, but thanks for bringing it to attention for those who may not have heard it before.  Eric Burdon & the Animals “Hotel Hell”  I remember this, particularly the whole LP, and have a great love for “San Franciscan Nights.”  Eric Burdon, one of the coolest vocalists ever.  Nice horns in the production here.  The Byrds “Ballad of Easy Rider”  The Byrds were a staple in my home, growing up.  This is such a lovely song.  Has that pretty 60’s production (of course), very representative of the time.  Great choice.  Phoenix “Floarea stancilor”  Never heard this before, either.  Wistful, sad sound to this song…is it a folk song that they covered?  Just has that feel to me about it.  I got the lyrics translated, which made me wonder about the folk possibility, or maybe they just wrote it in a folk style.  You done good.

Greg:  Love “A House Is Not A Motel”  from one of my ever-Top-10-Recordings-Of-All-Time.  Just a fantastic piece, transitioning them from garage to something utterly different, they still take forays into the garage, but go back to the lobby. Arthur Lee, just a fantastic vocalist.  Fine LA psych rock.  Excellent choice!  The United States of America “The American Metaphysical Circus”  More LA music, this time going off in an experimental jaunt.  So very 60’s psych, breaking all the rules.  Donovan “Catch The Wind” One of the most beautiful and perfect love songs ever written.  Donovan wrote some really great songs, didn’t he?  This one is one of the gems.  The Band “Chest Fever”  I remember hearing this when my sisters brought it home.  That organ lead-in is just iconic.  You have excellent taste in music.  😊

I prophesy disaster:  Russell Morris “The Real Thing”  Never heard of him, probably because Australian?  Music was so much more regionally exposed in those days.  Nice voice, interesting choral backup in a pop/psych style.  I would imagine this could have been a bigger hit, had he been from US or Europe.  Kind of almost reminiscent of The Monkees with a little more edge, maybe a Tommy James type.  Followed by “Part Three Into Paper Walls,” This continues on and becomes a bit more contemplative than the first part.  Quite long pieces, also for the type of music.  Remarkable entries.

The Anders:  Steppeulvene “Til Nashet”  Kind of a bluesy sound here, actually reminds me a little of Jethro Tull’s “This Was,” kind of sound.  Young Flowers - "Oppe i træet"  I agree, a little much on the wah-wah, but they were all learning, then.  Definitely very psych feeling.