1967 in Review

Dec 11, 2024

Catching up on publishing my notes from 1967! (part of a long series where I spend a few months listening to as much pop music as I can from one year progressing from 1965 to 1985)

We’re in season 3 of this adventure, listening in August, September, and October. On one hand, I’m finding myself anxious to get to the early 70’s, as outside of this experiment I am starting to notice more what timeframe my most favorite music comes from. It shouldn’t be a surprised - I was sorting my record collection and I don’t even have a 60’s section; the few items from that decade are mixed into smaller Jazz or Quaint Pop I Got For Free sections.

On the other hand, each year that goes by drops some serious bombs on me. My breadth was narrower this iteration, because when I looked at the unpruned list, I kept wanting to listen to the same few things. I’m finding writing summaries is similarly difficult. In such a short list I still want to comment on nearly every one. I suspect the format for future years will have to change.

Unsurprising Romps

  • The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico: While I’m writing these, I click around in the track lists to jog my memory, but this one got a full play through. I feel a bit like this one is cheating, because I know it wasn’t very popular that year, but I think that serves the point of exploring the music history even more.
  • The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced: Holy shit. I knew this album more intimately than any other so far, but again - putting this in the timeline next to all these other psych rock acts made them seem like total phonies. (and he put out TWO great albums this year)
  • The Beatles - Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: What a sweeper. I guess this is very McCartney-heavy, so it makes sense that I like it.

Other Sounds Absorbed

  • Grateful Dead - The Grateful Dead: I understand that this is the general consensus with this album, but the band is so majestic and loved, so I was hoping to get into it and that did not happen. A few months later while writing this, I don’t remember it at all.
  • Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow: This converted me. I have read that the band was disappointed with the album because it felt too crisp and over-produced and didn’t capture their real sound. I wouldn’t change a thing. Embryonic Journey!
  • Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Leonard Cohen: Another conversion. It’s not surprising that the lyricism is mature compared to a lot of the rockers of the time, what have we a poet/writer and all. It feels like a good introduction to the artist, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the catalog over the years.

Total Albums: 27
Most Played: - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced

The List

  • Procol Harum - Procol Harum
  • Tim Buckley - Goodbye And Hello
  • Van Morrison - Blowin’ Your Mind!
  • Country Joe and the Fish - Electric Music For The Mind And Body
  • The Rolling Stones - Between The Buttons
  • The Doors - The Doors
  • Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
  • The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
  • Grateful Dead - The Grateful Dead
  • The Beatles - Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
  • Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe as Milk
  • The Hollies - Evoluation
  • The Kaleidoscope - Side Trips
  • Antonio Carlos Jobim - Wave
  • Bee Gees - Bee Gees’ 1st
  • The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced
  • Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
  • The Kinks - Something Else By The Kinks
  • Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again
  • Cream - Disraeli Gears
  • Love - Forever Changes
  • The Moody Blues with the London Festival Orchestra - Days Of Future Passed
  • The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
  • The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love
  • The Who - The Who Sell Out
  • Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
  • Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Leonard Cohen