Jeff Beck - "Tallyman" b/w "Rock My Plimsoul" 45prm single, yellow vinyl, 1967/2015 (Epic/Sundazed)

Jeff Beck always appealed to me due to his clothes sense, physical looks, and of course, his guitar playing.  There is something no-nonsense concerning his approach to music-making.  I admire that and being a fan of The Yardbirds, I feel a devotion to his time in that band.  Still, in 1968, when I purchased his album "Truth" I was disappointed in its conservative approach to rock.  I loved the craziness and wildness of The Yardbirds singles and their manic quality.  Beck, on his own, was a tad tasteful.   He had a great band, with such talent as Rod Stewart, Ron Wood as the bassist, and Mick Weller as a drummer - plus the presence of the great Nicky Hopkins.  Still, there was something missing in the mix, and I think that was due that Beck is not a songwriter.  Also, he's not a great arranger like Jimmy Page, who by the way, I don't think he's a songwriter as well.  But he knows a great tune if you get my drift. 

"Tally Man" is an interesting record/song by Beck. Written by the great Graham Gouldman, who wrote hits for The Yardbirds as well as Herman's Hermits, and produced by Mickie Most.  I believe it's Beck on lead vocals, and it's a wonderful pop song done in that Beck manner to make it heavy.  A one-off single before the album, or before he got the band together.  

Vanilla Fudge - "Vanilla Fudge" Vinyl, Album, LP, 1967 (ATCO)

A very popular album when I was a young teenager.  I think every other teenager in Topanga Canyon and the San Fernando Valley had a copy of Vanilla Fudge.  I didn't hate them but was very suspicious of them.  For one, it didn't seem that they wrote any of their songs and there is also an icky aspect to them, that I couldn't put my finger on.  On the other hand, I did have admiration for the album cover art.  It seems like a French cartoon, then an album cover for a NY band.  So, very much in my youth, although my friends had this album, I avoided it like it was the plague.  It struck me as being too straight, and almost Squaresville.  Not until I was in my mid-60s did I purchased a used version of this childhood product. 

What drew me to Vanilla Fudge is Shadow Morton.  I have always loved his work with the remarkable Shangri-Las and he produced the second New York Dolls album, which I like a lot.  So, therefore, and since he produced the Vanilla Fudge, there must be some worth to this album. The way it's packaged it seems to be a statement by Mortan than Vanilla Fudge.  For whom by the way, also had the worse name for a band ever in my existence. Still, side-one is like a novella, in that each song or track fits into the next one.  The Zombies "She's Not There," merges into Sonny Bono's "Bang Bang," which done by The Fudge seems to be the ultimate Existential moment. 

It dawned on me by the time I finished hearing this album, that it is a masterpiece, and somehow through my snobbish youth, I totally missed the drama that is built in this recording.  Heavy on the beat and the organ, this is not garage rock, but almost an operatic practice in doing pop music. In my youth I didn't get it (although everyone else around me got it); this is music that truly reflects the San Fernando Valley in 1967. 

Buffalo Springfield - "Buffalo Springfield" Vinyl, Mono, Album, 1967 (ATCO Records)

Buffalo Springfield had so many pluses that it eventually erased what's good about the band and left the drab, which turned into disappointment. The solid songs mostly by Steve Stills and Neil Young, as well as Richie Furay's contributions,  is almost too good. Their first album "Buffalo Springfield" is my favorite among the three releases. For one, here they were focused and produced by one team: Brian Stone and Charles Greene. Those two worked with Sonny & Cher, as well as other acts on the label ATCO. I also believed they were the managers of Springfield as well. Still, the consistency is important, but on the negative side, their production is wimpy. I suspect Buffalo Springfield on the stage were guitar lunatics, and due to the egos of Stills and Young, probably a battle of the bands, even though they were in the same group. That's the problem with their next two releases where the sense of a band falling apart, and becoming various solo recordings, made the music limp. There are highlights throughout their existence, but I have always had the feeling that they could have been better in the recording studio. It's a shame that Jack Nitzsche didn't produce or arrange all the songs. He would have been a perfect producer for this band.

Having Richie Furay singing most of the material was a good idea at the time. His voice is heavenly clear, and although Stills and Young do have a 'sound' in their distinctive vocals, they come nowhere to the technical excellence of Furay's approach to the vocal. Again, I find the recording of this album very thin, and the production doesn't serve the masterful playing of the band. I feel that they are too contained in the format that's the studio.  For 50 something years, this album has been in and out of my record collection. I finally found a vintage mono edition, and still, not satisfied with the sound. Almost there, and you can even taste it, but still a distance. 

The Lemon Pipers - "Green Tambourine" b/w "No Help From Me" 45 rpm single, 1967 (Pye International)

Is it even possible to loathe "Green Tambourine?" Which by the way, is a superb song/recording released in the latter half of 1967.  Sometimes considered to be 'bubble-gum rock' record, but to me, it's 2 minutes and 23 seconds of magic.  The group is The Lemon Pipers from Ohio, and the songwriters of the song are hardcore Brill Building culture.  Paul Leka wrote the song with Shelley Pinz but based on Pinz observing a musician playing and asking for money in front of the Brill Building.  It seems his main instrumentation was a tambourine.  With the help of Leka, he came up with the song, and it's a record that is very much tattooed on my soul.  I'm also fond of Leka's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye recorded by a fake band called Steam, but that's another tale. 

The beauty of 'Green Tambourine is the psychedelic touches that are totally commercial, due to the echo delay of some of the lyrics, as well as the use of the electric sitar.  The narrative of sorts is a musician who wants to play his 'green tambourine' which has a Piped Piper, almost gypsy touch to its melody.  It's sad, but the production and arrangement (by Leka) convey pathos as a concept.  A projection of inner-misery, which naturally is organic in the process of pop music.  I also recommend The Associates version as well, if one can find it.  

The Seeds "Future" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2017/1967 (GNP Crescendo)

For whatever reason, I can never take The Seeds seriously.   There are garage bands, but The Seeds always seemed to be a satire of a garage band.  Mostly due to the stance of Sky Saxon and his full embracement of the Flower Power movement.   The first two Seeds albums were straight ahead 60s era garage rock that seemed simple, yet profound.  Throughout my life, I have felt The Seeds belong to the cinematic world of Roger Corman, or the "Something Weird" film distributor.  Which in theory,  sounds pretty good, but compared to a band like The Music Machine, I find The Seeds aesthetically not as important as the one black-gloved wonders.   I avoided The Seeds' third album "Future" like the plague due to the Flower Power motif, but alas, out of boredom, I purchased this album, and I find it fantastic. 

For one, I actually prefer the organ/electric piano of The Seeds, then the Doors, which has a similar line-up.   Jim Morrison is a college professor compared to Sky's lyrics, yet, even in the Roger Corman sense of an aesthetic, Sky may be the real 'deal.'  Straightforward in that Sky had a vision, but he seemed to be the damaged child in some Los Angeles version of a Charles Dickens novel.  The Seeds are Ruffins compared to the sophistication of The Doors.  Still "Painted Doll" is a beautiful and romantic melody, that's almost Iggy Pop in its poetry.  I also love the absurd "Flower Lady and Her Assistant," due that it's a song about a woman who sells flowers on the street, but yet, there's an assistant.  That strikes me as brilliant to add the assistant part.  

Daryl Hooper's keyboards are minimalist and hypnotic.  He's the glue that holds the band together, but for this album, they added various horns, sitar, gong, and most important, a harp.  One can call this album psychedelic, but never loses the pilot, and it's a highly arranged work, with beautiful orchestration.  With the additional instrumentation and the high concept of 'Flower Children,' The Seeds remain to be bratty, defiant, and classic garage rock (in that trashy manner), but with a bigger budget.  It reminds me a bit of The Rolling Stones' "Between the Buttons," in the similar vain in that a band kept their sound, but expanded that landscape with a broader theme.  The Seeds' "Future" is utopian but one can feel a bummer will take place around the corner.   The album as a whole has the classic Seeds sound, but there are also many exotic touches that fit into the groove that's Sky Saxon. 

Jefferson Airplane - "Surrealistic Pillow" Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, 1967 (RCA)

It's strange to me, but I have this compelling need to look back at the music that I ignored due to either hating the band or just didn't like the landscape where that band came from. In this case, I have a hard time getting into the San Francisco sound of the 1960s.   In my mind (and ears) it's Jefferson Airplane's "Surrealistic Pillow, and that's ground zero for everything I disliked about that city in that era.   It wasn't until the recent passing of Marty Balin that I decided to pick up a battered-up Mono version of this album.  In my head, I decided to question my tastes, and go onto an adventure, and this is one of the first of what I think many voyages I'll be making in the next few years. 

I always liked "White Rabbit," but never cared about the image of the Jefferson Airplane.  They seemed too self-important with respect to their hippie/folk/community thing they had going.  There appeared to be a 'one-for-me-one-for-all aspect of that scene that's a turn-off to me.  After Balin's passing I decided to leave my prejudices outside my listening room, and just get into the Mono edition of this album.

Without a doubt, and not putting down the talents of Grace Slick, I think Marty Balin was a remarkable vocalist.  The two songs, side-by-side on the first side, "Today" and "Comin Back To Me" is a phenomenal work of mood and angst.  Both sung by Balin and written or co-written by the singer as well.  Not only heartfelt but in a funny manner, it reminds me of a classic Johnnie Ray approach to the song.  A beautiful vocal and almost a spiritual aspect of romance that doesn't seem human, in the sense that is anchored on the ground.   These two cuts I keep going back again because I feel it's the heart of the album.  Then again, you have the upbeat "She Has Funny Cars" and "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds."  All, of course, are wonderful.  "Fantastic Plastic Lover" and other songs remind me a bit of the Rolling Stones' "Aftermath," which were both engineered by the great Dave Hassinger, and recorded at the RCA studios on Sunset Boulevard (not far from Amoeba Music). 

So, yes, I have entered to the other side.   Where I go from here, is anyone's guess.  Nevertheless, "Surrealistic Pillow, beyond "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" is a terrific trip. 

Traffic - "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush" b/w "Coloured Rain" 45 rpm vinyl single, 1967 (Island)

For me, Traffic was the most magnificent band, but only for the first nine or 12 months of their existence in 1967.  After that, I lost interest in them.  Never an offensive group, actually far from that category, but early Traffic was an essential listening experience.  Traffic always had a 'world' touch to their music, with traces of jazz, and folk leanings.  Still, in the early recordings, there was a sense of exploration in sound and songwriting structures.  The focus was on Steve Winwood, but it was the textural contributions from Chris Wood, their horn player, as well as Jim Capaldi (drummer).  Dave Mason was their guitarist, and he added songwriting skills, but there is something that kept him in line with the other three.  Original member, he left, then re-joined them for their second album.  A significant figure in the band, but his presence seemed to be the nail that stuck out too much, with respect to the band. 

"Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush" is the theme song to the movie with the same title.  It has all the best elements of Traffic.  Soulful, melodic, superb musicianship, and superb songwriting.  I have a hunch that this song was not well-loved by Traffic at the time.  Still, an amazing recording, beautifully produced by Jimmy Miller, that had touches of exotic sounds that were dreamy, but very solid on the earth.  The b-side, "Colored Rain" is a classic Traffic cut.  A beautiful little window is looking out onto the landscape of late 1967. 

Paul Jones / Mike Leander - "Privilege" OST, Album, Vinyl, 1967 (UNI Records)

Not a great film, but one that really impressed me as a 12-year old fan of Manfred Mann.  Paul Jones up to this time (1967) was the lead singer for the band Manfred Mann, and he left to go solo, but also starred in this odd film about a pop star being set-up by the Government to control youth.  It's an interesting commentary on pop stardom as well as the nature of marketing in the pop music world.  He and his management would wear 'almost-like' military formal wear and clearly, this is a projection of pop music in the 1970s.  

Mike Leander, record producer, hustler, and the genius behind future star Gary Glitter, wrote the soundtrack, with a handful of Paul Jones vocals.   The songs sung by Jones on the soundtrack are superb.  "Free Me," is so angst driven, that it could have been a Morrissey song from the 1990s.  Patti Smith did a cover of "Free Me," which is equally fantastic.  The other great song here is "I've Been A Bad, Bad Boy."  Paul Jones had the ability to sing gritty blues to light pop.  An underrated vocalist, who was once a friend of Brian Jones, and one time was the original singer for The Rolling Stones.  Paul could have done great in that band.  

Roberto Pregadio & Romano Mussolini - "Satanik" OST, Vinyl, LP, Album, 2017/1967, Limited Edition, Red Vinyl (Dagored)

The soundtrack to Piero Vivarelli's film "Satanik" based on an Italian comic book series.  The score is jazz, with touches of soundtrack melodies coming here and there.  Mostly the listener feels like they're sitting in a small Rome bar and listening to the band.   Not too far off from a Henry Mancini or even John Barry type of jazz feel.  So we're not talking Miles or Monk here, but a very cool version of jazz, that is more likely played by men in suits and sunglasses and of course, in the middle of the night.   

I know nothing of the composers/musicians Roberto Pregadio and Romano Mussolini.  Pregadio is a jazz pianist who did a lot of Italian soundtracks.   Mussolini is the youngest son of the Italian dictator, and reportedly has no interest in politics, but hugely into jazz.  He played piano and had often worked with Pregadio for soundtracks.  Mussolini is very much a known pianist in Italy and had a long career in that country.   

The soundtrack aspect of the music I think is more Pregadio than Mussolini.  In such moments, the incidental music reminds me a bit of Nino Rota, not in his over-the-top arrangements, but a quiet sense of melody suitable for 3 in the morning. Pergadio is credited as the conductor and director of the orchestra, while the music is credited to both Pregadio and Mussolini.   Or more likely Mussolini made the jazz music.  There is no clear credit on the album.  

The album is red vinyl and in a limited edition of 500.  It's a nice soundtrack album, that's not the best out there, but alas, it gives me pleasure. 

Michel Polnareff - "Âme Caline" EP, Vinyl, 7" 45 RPM, France, 1967 (Disc'Az)

If Lou Christie was French.  This perfect French pop EP is Michel Poinareff at his height, creatively speaking.  Polnareff has the tendency to go over-the-top, in that I suspect his life was one of the great lows and intense highs.  "Ame Caline", the opening song of this EP, is a piano ballad, but sweeping strings, and Polnareff's Lou Christie-like high voice coming in, as a wave hits the beach.  Compared to other French pop at the time there is a bite and a greater music scope or landscape in his work.  A lot of his early work is an odd combination of garage rock meets grandeur arrangements.  "Le Roi des Fourmis" has a lot of percussion, a prominent organ, and is beautifully arranged into a wall of sound.  

Beside this EP, I have a greatest hits collection that I purchased in Fukuoka Japan.  Again, it's not hard to locate Polareff in Japan, it seems he's a well-known figure there compared to the United States, which is not the easiest place to find his recordings (although, not impossible).   Since I don't read French, I'm sure there's information about him that is missed between the languages.  Still, I suspect that he's a very unique figure in the French pop world.  He writes his material, and I sense no one controls his output except himself.  

There are four songs on this EP, besides the two mentioned already there's "Fat Madame" sung in English and co-written by Ray Singer, who worked with the British band Nirvana.  An excellent track which weirdly reminds me of Cockney Rebel.  Or if Steve Harley meets Peter Noone of Herman Hermits fame.  The last track "Le Saule Pleureur" is a sonic soup of various ingredients.  A mixture of flute, unique backup vocal, - in 1967, it was a great year for experimentation in the pop format, and I think Polnareff was very much part of that world. 

Glenn Gould -Three Beethoven Sonatas: "Moonlight Sonata"/"Appassionata Sonata"/Pathétique Sonata" LP, Vinyl, Album, 1967 (Columbia Masterworks)

Glenn Gould has the knack (and skill) to perform music by great composers, yet still, question their composition while playing the piece.   The iconic "Moonlight Sonata" sounds less iconic in his hands, as he takes us what seems to be a different listening experience for the audience.  Usually a very romantic piece of music, but on this recording, Gould makes it into the blues. I always get the impression that Gould's purpose is not to give the ultimate version of a piece but to investigate, question, and poke the work, and see how and why it operates in such a fashion. 

Gould is like someone with architectural knowledge, and he takes a building by Frank Lloyd Wright part-by-part and studies all the individual pieces that made the building.  And therefore get a view how the architect thinks.  This is what he does with Beethoven and Bach.  I get the impression that he's not trying to interpret the work, more like getting into the composer's head, regarding a particular work. 

Thelonious Monk comes to mind when I hear Gould.  It's not the melody of the piece, but how they trace the theme through their skills as a pianist.   Gould is an excellent musician.  A skilled artist. But the reason why we talk or write about him is due to his intellect when connected to his playing.  The same goes for Monk.   "Appassionata Sonata" is a dynamic and romantic piece of music, but in Gould's hands he brings out the poetry of the melody and brings the pomposity of the work down a notch so we can focus on the construction of the work and its natural sense of beauty.  Always an enjoyable experience. 

The Doors - "The Doors" Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, 1967 (Elektra)

I first saw The Doors at the Whiskey sometime in late 1966.  They opened up for Van Morrison's era Them.  I went there with my dad to see Them because I couldn't get enough of "Gloria," or "Mystic Eyes."  I must have been eleven years old at the time.   The Doors made a huge impression on me, due to the songs, but also the unusual instrumentation of the band.  No bass player!  I found it psychologically disturbing at the time.  Guitar, Electric Organ/Piano, drums, and voice.  Morrison was the voice. A great voice by the way.  What I remember from that set was Morrison wearing the iconic leather pants, but not moving a muscle while singing.  He held the mike close to his mouth and was hypnotizing me and the audience.   I bought their album when it came out, or perhaps my dad did.  I played that album to death and beyond.  I actually loved every Doors albums except "L.A. Woman."  At that point, I got tired of the band, and I felt the band itself was exhausted as well.  

Pretty much throughout my late teens and adulthood, I pretty much ignored listening to The Doors, even on the AM Radio.   I was turned off on the whole "Lizard King" motif, as well as his official poetry, which was not as good as his lyric writing.   I found other bands to feed my urgency for sound and words, for instance, David Bowie, The Kinks, and the whole Punk explosion of the 1970s. 

Recently I found a Mono version of the first Doors album at Mono Records (no pun intended) and bought it.  I was curious what my adult ears will hear compared to my childhood's listening experience.  In ways, the album holds up.  The songs are still terrific and the performances are faultless.  What is missing is the essence of the band, the mystery.  When I first saw them and purchased their albums when they were originally released, it was still a mysterious process.  Once they hit the huge mainstream and became iconic, I feel the mystery was diluted into the pop world and culture.  In no fashion or way can they match up with The Velvet Underground, who to this day captures the essence of poetry/horror/beauty.    They never date, but The Doors do have an expiration date - at least for my ears and sensibility. 

Still, this is a ROCK classic.  A great album.  But it's an album that has no real importance for me anymore.  

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - "Greatest Hits" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1967 (Fontana)

I could be wrong, but I suspect that Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (DDDBM&T) never actually had a hit in the United States.  For one, who can remember their full name?  Two, they made brilliant ultra-pop records.  So pop that it borders on the eccentric side of that category.  There are two reasons why I'm interested in DDDBM&T.  One, I first heard "Bend It" in conjunction with the great art duo Gilbert & George, where they did a dance to this recording.  I loved the song immediately.  And two, all their hit songs were written by Howard Blaikley, who were actually two songwriters, and wrote tunes for my beloved The Honeycombs. 

I don't think there is another band like DDDBM&T.  Their sound was unique in that it had traces of exotica but done in a hyper-British production that borders on over-production.  "Bend It" is just as powerful as The Who's "My Generation."  It's a rave-up type of tune, with the melody starting off slow, and then it gets faster and faster. Based on a Greek theme motif, it even has a bouzouki on the recording that gives it that cosmopolitan air.  DDDBM&T. had no fear of sounding corny.  In fact, no fear whatsoever.   

This "Greatest Hits" collection is made for American listeners, and it only has 10 songs on the album.  There are more hits and even intriguing b-sides in the U.K., but this is obviously a contractual release of some sort. I'm not sure if there was another official release in America of their music.  In a nutshell, there are better collections out there in the European countries and even (of course) in Japan. For the hardcore fan who must have it all, I direct you there.  Still, this is a delightful album for what it is.  Great tunes here like "Bend It," "You Make It Move," and my fave "Hands Off."   I now regret that I didn't purchase the Japanese CD releases that came out a few years ago.  What I have besides this album is stuff that I downloaded from various websites over the years. 

Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade of Pale" Vinyl LP, Album, 1967, reissue 1973 (A&M Records)

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of my favorite albums.  I bought the original album in 1967 but lost it through moving between locations.  It was about four years ago I found the American reissued edition at Rockaway Records.  Which in turn, makes me want to own the mono version that was first released in the U.K.   I have a faint memory of hearing the mono and loving it because the music seemed more forceful coming from one speaker or one direction.   At the end of the day, that is just otaku chat, because nothing changes the magnificence of the music made by Procol Harum. 

For one, they had a unique sound where you hear the soulful voice, but it juxtaposes with the classical orientation of the organ.  An odd and very magnificent arrangement, especially in their hit song "A Whiter Shade of Pale."   Keith Reid's lyrics are a throwback to Charles Baudelaire and the poetry of the 19th century.   Very reflective but with visuals and language that borders more on poetry than the great American songbook literature.  Gary Brooker, the singer and who wrote most of the music for the band, has a very standard 'good voice' for soul music.  So when he sings Reid's lyrics, it is almost he is distancing himself from the literature, which in turns make the listener to listen to the words.  The classic Bob Dylan had that technique as well.  The more abstract the words are, the more you listen, and in theory, the music /words hold up for repeated visits because each listen becomes something new.  Yet, the emotional punch stays the same.  Every time I hear "A Whiter Shade of Pale (the song) I feel a great emotional tug toward sadness that I don't fully understand.    Procol Harum's performance of the song is the best, but on the other hand, there is no bad version or cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale."  The Willie Nelson version is superb as well. 

This is not an album with one hit song, and the others are just fillers.  It's a brilliant and beautiful record from track one to eleven.  The Bob Dylan piano/organ sound from "Blonde on Blonde" and "Highway 61 Revisited" is impressive, but Procol Harum's sound is more dense and textured, due to Matthew Fisher's classical/Bach overtures.   I loved this album when I was 13, and now at 62, it's still an important piece of work for me.  I still hear new things on this LP.  

Noel Harrison - "Collage" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1967 (Reprise Records)

Noel Harrison is known for his role in "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., as well as being the son of Rex.  But he also made a series of albums, and had a huge hit with Michel Legrand's "The Windmills of Your Mind."   And he had been making recordings since the late 1950s.  A recording artist of good taste and his very last album was a recording of Jacques Brel songs - which makes perfect sense with what one thinks of Harrison's music career.  "Collage" is the ultimate 1967 folk/pop album from Harrison.  It's interesting to note that the songwriter/singer was in full bloom at this time, but Harrison is mostly a singer who covered songs.  But his taste was exquisite, and this is one of my favorite albums from that period of time.  Mostly due to his liking, but also he had that British/French attitude towards the craftsmanship of a good song, and '67 produced a lot of great music in that category.   

He covers Dylan's "Just Like A Woman" but also "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen.  He also had the wisdom to do "Museum" by Donovan, which is a fantastic underappreciated piece of work.   A Bob Lind song (another underrated figure) and a great version of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum.   And of course, it ends with "Strawberry Fields Forever."   The beauty of the album is how Harrison approaches the material.  It doesn't feel like he's just singing the hits of the day, but for sure he had an individual and real connection to these songs. 

Antoine - "Lolita Lolita" EP

Antoine - Lolita Lolita EP

Download, 1967

Vogue Records

Antoine is hardcore French folk-pop.  The Donovan affect is so strong in his music.  It is almost if you can't get enough of Donovan’s music, then thank god for Antoine.  Like all great folk songs “Madame Laure Messenger, Claude, Jermie et L’Existence de dieu” borrows from the melody of “Hey Joe” but done in a snappy jazzy way - its a great cut.   On this four-song EP, besides the track mentioned, has a big production or big band sound.  He’s an artist who serves his songs with whatever it needs.  My question is, was there any bad songs put out in 1967?

Bee Gees - "Bee Gees' 1st" CD Album

Bee Gees – Bee Gees' First

CD Album, Repress 2004 Mono & Stereo, US

Polydor

I remember buying this album, as it was the son of Sgt. Pepper in the summer of 1967. And now listening to it in 2013, it still sounds 1967, which is not a bad thing at all. “Red Chair Fade Away” always reminded me of early Traffic, and that was the sound during that year. Baroque strings, strong melodies, and soulful vocals. Which is the Bee Gees in the nutshell. The beauty of their work is that it sounded effortless in their hands. I never felt they had a strong identity, even in their early years. One would or could admire them, but there is a lack of passion, and maybe because they're so skilled in what they do. Which can't be easy.

The Beatles, at least on this album, is the foundation for their first album. Some of the songs remind me of Revolver period, but what is remarkable to me is their sophistication, especially since this is their first album. This doesn't sound like a first album from a band. And alas it isn't because the Gibb Brothers have been making music their whole lives. But the beauty of their aesthetic is that they are always in tuned to the culture that is out there. Even in the 70's when they got on the disco/RnB thing, it seemed natural, and not a forced move on their part. And that is their genius.

Their first album is a must for anyone who even admires the sound of pysch-pop. And of course “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” “To Love Somebody,” and “Holiday” is on it. Sort of essential you know!