The following albums are from the San Francisco rock scene from 1965-1980. All records are graded A through F.
Big Brother & The Holding Company-Big Brother & The Holding Company (Mainstream 1967) B- (Big Brother's 1967 debut was recorded on the cheap in Chicago and it sounded like it. The record was recorded before the group really found their feet but it still had some good tracks such Down On Me, Light Is Faster Than Sound, Blind Man and Intruder.)
Big Brother & The Holding Company-Cheap Thrills (Columbia 1968) A+ (Cheap Thrills caught Big Brother & The Holding Company at their creative peak. It's a live/studio affair that rocked like a beast. It's truly one of the great acid-rock albums of the 60's and made the group's lead singer Janis Joplin a superstar. Big Brother imploded a few months after the release of Cheap Thrills. Key tracks included the USA hit single Piece Of My Heart, Combination Of The Two, Ball & Chain and Summertime. The album would hit the #1 spot on the USA album charts.
Blue Cheer-Vincebus Eruptum (Phillips 1968) A (Their 1968 debut is a rough and tumble affair and is considered the starting point for what's now called 'stoner rock.' Contains their #14 hit cover of 'Summertime Blues.') USA Chart Peak #14
Blue Cheer-OutsideInside (Phillips 1968) A- (The group's second album which still has the raw punch of their debut but is slightly more progressive and psychedelic. Contains the great single 'Feathers From Your Tree.') USA Chart Peak #90
Blue Cheer-New And Improved Blue Cheer (Phillips 1969) B- (The group's third album saw the departure of original guitarist Leigh Stephens, who was replaced by former Other Half/Sons Of Adam lead guitarist Randy Holden and Bruce Stephens. It's a slightly patchy album that has it's moments, other Blue Cheer albums Blue Cheer (1969), BC#5-The Original Human Being (1970), Oh! Pleasant Hope (1971) saw the group move in a more mellow, country-ish direction that was less satisfying.) USA Chart Peak #84
Country Joe & The Fish-Electric Music For The Mind & Body (Vanguard 1967) A (This was Berkeley group Country Joe & The Fish's 1967 debut album and one of the finest releases from the San Francisco/Bay Area from the psychedelic era. It's a record that is soaked in LSD and features wonders such as Section 43, The Masked Marauder, Bass Strings and Grace.)
Country Joe & The Fish-I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die (Vanguard 1967) B+ (This was the second album by The Fish and was more or less in the same bag as their debut. While it's not quite as strong as Electric Music. It still has some brilliant tracks such as Who Am I, Janis, Colors For Susan and Thursday.)
Country Joe & The Fish-Together (Vanguard 1968) B (Together was the third album by Country Joe & The Fish and was actually recorded at a time when the group was falling apart. It's a slightly scattered album but still has some great tracks such as Susan, Away Bounce My Bubbles, Cetacean and An Untitled Protest. The group's fourth album Here We Are Again (1969) had a few good tracks but by then most of the group's magic was fading.)
Grateful Dead-The Grateful Dead (Warner Bros. 1967) B+ (The Dead's 1967 debut was basically a snapshot of their 1966 stage act. It was seen as a disappointment when it was first issued but has improved with age. Key tracks include The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion), Cold Rain & Snow, Cream Puff War, Morning Dew and Viola Lee Blues.)
Grateful Dead-Anthem Of The Sun (Warner Bros. 1968) A+ (Anthem Of The Sun was The Grateful Dead's 1968 psychedelic masterpiece. It was the album that caught the group at it's peak as a psychedelic group. It successfully recreates what the Dead sounded like on stage at The Fillmore and Avalon Ballrooms. Oddly, Anthem is the group's most obscure album and never got any radio exposure.)
Grateful Dead-Aoxomoxoa (Warner Bros. 1969) A (Aoxomoxoa was the Dead's third album and one of their weirdest. Originally planned as a two record set, the album was soaked in acid and featured some of the Dead's most potent tracks such as St. Stephen, Rosemary, Doin' That Rag and Mountains Of The Moon. It also featured The Grateful Dead's weirdest ever piece What Become Of The Baby.)
Grateful Dead-Live/Dead (Warner Bros. Records 1969) A+ (Live/Dead was taken from 1969 concerts that caught the Dead at their performing peak. It featured the definitive version of the band's tour de force Dark Star and also the blinding Aoxomoxoa outtake The Eleven. The record was culled from several concerts but sounded like it was one inspired concert. The Dead never came close to equaling the sheer power of Live/Dead in the years that would follow.)
Grateful Dead-Workingman's Dead (Warner Bros. Records 1970) B+ (Workingman's Dead was the fourth studio album by The Grateful Dead and was the record that saw the group transition from a psychedelic improvising unit to a more country/folk influenced group. The record still carried an edge and featured great songs like Uncle John's Band, New Speedway Boogie, Black Peter, Easy Wind and Cumberland Blues. The only bum track was the moronic dope song Casey Jones.)
Grateful Dead-American Beauty (Warner Bros. Records 1970) A (American Beauty was the fifth studio album by The Grateful Dead and was the most popular album of their career. Musically, it was the group's most accessible record and was welcomed by FM radio in the USA. The Dead seemed to tailor the record to attract radio play and sales and it worked. Key tracks included Box Of Rain, Friend Of The Devil, Ripple and Truckin'.)
Grateful Dead-The Grateful Dead (Warner Bros. Records 1971) B- (The Grateful Dead was the originally titled Skullfuck and was the group's second two record concert album. The album was sort of a mixed bag but did contain some great new tracks such as Bertha, Playing In The Band and Wharf Rat. Sadly, the album also featured some tired cover versions that sort of bogged the set down.)
Grateful Dead-Wake Of The Flood (Grateful Dead Records 1973) B (Wake Of The Flood was issued in 1973 and was more or less the band's last gasp. While the production was a bit slick, the album did feature some well crafted songs such as Here Comes Sunshine, Eyes Of The World and Weather Report Suite. Following Wake Of The Flood, The Grateful Dead released a series of uninspired, coked out albums that had no real purpose and the group eventually became a Woodstock era cabaret act.)
Grateful Dead-Vintage Dead (Sunflower Records 1970) B- (Vintage Dead was a somewhat fascinating cash-in album that was released by MGM Records in 1970. It was recorded at The Avalon Ballroom back in 1966 and provided an interesting look at the group at the beginning. It was originally intended to be part of an aborted 4 album box set that was also to include live albums by Big Brother & The Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Daily Flash.)
Jerry Garcia-Garcia (Warner Bros. Records 1971) B+ (Garcia was the first solo album by Grateful Dead lead guitarist Jerry Garcia. It was somewhat scattered but it did feature some of Garcia's best ever songs such as Deal, Bird Song, Loser and The Wheel. )
No comments:
Post a Comment