My Favourite Music of the 60's

Since I was born in the 60's, I didn't exactly grow up with that era's music as it happened. It wasn't until the early to mid-70's that I became aware of music as a thing to appreciate as more than wallpaper. My earliest memories of enjoying music, all on TV shows, are of The Partridge Family, The Osmonds, The Jacksons, and Sonny and Cher. Stuff like that. But those were 70's artists (mostly).

Listening to Jefferson Airplane's classic Surrealistic Pillow as I write this,

I'm thinking it's about time I really gave these guys (and gal) a real chance

But once I stumbled upon The Monkees TV show in reruns, I was hooked. Every day after school, I raced home to catch the antics of that clown-ish pop band on the tube. My very first two record purchases, with my own piggy bank money, were a Monkees single and an album (More of the Monkees). Then I saw the Beatles' movies on TV. More records, then tapes, and later on, CDs.  I had caught the bug. Revolver and Rubber Soul rank at the top for me. At the time, I didn't really think about the fact that they were both 60's bands. The Monkees did, of course, carry on past the 60's, but the core of their best music was a product of those times.

During the later 70's, then 80's and beyond, I discovered much more 60's music to enjoy. I didn't love everything I heard, but I gave it all a chance. And it took me a bit longer to develop a true appreciation for some of it. While the Monkees and Beatles were instant faves, stuff like The Doors and Cream required more time and patience - but it was worth it. Strange Days and Disraeli Gears are right up there. And I know I need to give Jefferson Airplane more consideration.

Bands like CCR, Steppenwolf, The Who, The Guess Who, Pink Floyd, Yes, and Led Zeppelin got their start in the 60's (as did David Bowie), and it was pretty easy to enjoy all their music. CCR and Steppenwolf didn't last long into the 70's, but those other artists flourished as the decade played out.

Much more recently, I discovered that I really like the music of folk legend Gordon Lightfoot. I have a few of his 60's albums, and all of them impress.

Others, like the Rolling Stones never really made an impression on me. Sure, I like a bunch of their tunes, but never enough to ever buy an album, not even a greatest hits. But maybe someday, if the song selection is just right. Hendrix took a lot of work to get into; I bought a compilation or two back in the early 80's, but it never really stuck. I now have a solid compilation CD and his Live At Winterland. I can appreciate the contribution Jimi made to the world of guitar, but rarely revisit these albums. Just not my cup of tea.

There are plenty of Beach Boys songs I really like, but I rarely find myself in the mood for them. So I've got Pet Sounds, their most highly regarded, plus a decent compilation album. Dusty.

Then there are the Kinks, Yardbirds, Animals, the Zombies, and others of that sort of near-top tier bunch of artists. A handful of neat tunes, but that was the extent of it for me. Not worth the shelf space. 

Dylan, forget it. I tried. I've heard his music here and there over the years, but his voice turned me off. I do respect his songwriting, though, since other artists have turned out fantastic renditions of his work. Like Hendrix and The Byrds, just to name a couple. Then there's Janis Joplin: nope. I know there are loads of fans out there, but I'm just not one of them. Her voice really rubbed me the wrong way.

It must sound like I'm rather iffy about a lot of 60's music. The thing is that when I watch a movie set in the 60's, I hear a lot of great songs I like. So the big hits can appeal to me, but digging deeper than that may not be necessary. I could really dig a compilation album with the likes of Lovin' Spoonful and The Mamas and the Papas on it. Groovy, man.

Pick-Me-Up / Comfort Food Albums

This week, I watched a Youtuber's video discussing his comfort food albums. Albums that are a go-to when feeling low. Albums that are a guaranteed pick-me-up. I have a bunch of those, too. Stuff I immediately click on when I get home from a rough day at work or elsewhere, and it puts me in a much better mood. We all need something to pick up our spirits now and then, to brighten our day and help us put aside the worrying, bad moods, and downer thoughts that hijack our minds sometimes.

The two "comfort food" albums that have been at the ready in my CD player for the past few months are Disco, by Kylie Minogue, and Smile, by Katy Perry. Both are light, fun, and energetic. Disco was a welcome "comeback" (the way I see it, anyway - Kylie's previous studio album didn't do much for me) with its 70's dance club sounds paired with her modern take on the genre. Smile stuck close to Perry's bubblegum pop style, bouncy and effervescent, though even her slower numbers (not quite ballads) inspire a smile. Both albums were released late 2020, and were just in time to dispel some of the blues that came with these weird coronavirus lockdown times. This feel-good music has been important in getting me through some pretty blah days.

Since we just wrapped up the holiday season, it's worth mentioning the one Christmas album that I could play any month of the year: A Charlie Brown Christmas. The playful, nostalgic tunes, both original and traditional, warm the heart. Some are light jazz, others a bit classically-oriented, but it's all pure gold by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. And I can't help but picture scenes from the famous TV cartoon that this soundtrack accompanied. Been watching that each year since I was a wee lad. Sigh.

Speaking of jazz, there's my absolute favourite jazz album of all time, The Dave Brubeck Quartet's 1959 classic Time Out. Whether you think you think you've heard any of this or not... you have, trust me. The sometimes deceptively simple songs are actually intricate, yet are so melodic and ear-friendly that there's no hating them. I've been a fan ever since I first heard Time Out back in the late 80's. The music works on more than one level: the discerning ear can appreciate the challenging time signatures and top-notch musicianship, while the average listener can simply enjoy the hummable tunes for what they are... timeless jazz with pop sensibility.

Then there's the rock-pop gem from 1979, Breakfast in America, by none other than the legendary Supertramp. I re-bought this album on vinyl LP just a little over a year ago, and have rediscovered just how ingenious the songwriting is on the entire record. Every single song is radio friendly, an instant classic, and you've just gotta sing or hum along with each one. From Gone Hollywood to Child of Vision, and every Top 10 hit in between, it's packed with bright, fun, and mostly happy tunes. As I listen to Breakfast, I am transported back to my youth, listening to my newly-released copy of the album. It sounds as fresh today as it did back then.

Along the same lines, Tom Petty's 1989 release, Full Moon Fever, is jam-packed with radio hits that to this day take me back to my younger days. Again, this is all sing-a-long material, and it's kind of a miracle that albums like this are created. So perfect from start to finish, full of unforgettable lyrics and musical hooks. And it all makes me feel like life is just beginning again. Optimistic and sunny in one way or another... whether musically or lyrically, or both.

How about Abbey Road by that band from Liverpool, the... uh, Beatles? Though it's been a long time since I've played this one, it used to be in frequent rotation for its highly listenable set of rock classics. From rockers to ballads and mid-tempo romps, Abbey Road is about as perfect as it gets. A bit of everything, and the "suite" or medley of short tracks on side two are the crowning achievement. So whether I grin maniacally to Maxwell's Silver Hammer or drop a wistful smile at Because and Golden Slumbers, it's all a sweet trip back in time. I've listened to the Beatles since almost the very start of my musical interest as a kid, so Abbey Road takes me way, way back. And that's worth smiling about.

My Favourite Songs - Part VII

Here we are again with another instalment of My Favourite Songs. It just so happens that today's picks are all oldies - from the 60's through the 80's. And those were good times, weren't they?

First up is Rock You Like a Hurricane, by the Scorpions. Ah, the memories. I first heard the Scorpions on Toronto rock radio station Q107 in the late 1970's. It was around this time that I had a tape deck hooked up to the family room receiver, so I would often sit there with headphones clamped on my noggin, ready to hit the Record button whenever a great song came along. So in this manner, I compiled many, many tape recordings of my favourite songs off the radio. This is how we grabbed free music before the internet. In this way, I got my first Scorps tunes on tape.

Anyway, back to the song... I had already been a Scorpions fan thanks to Q107's very solid rock and metal programming, with a handful of their albums on cassette tape. I was super impressed with the Blackout album from 1982, giving that a lot of play time on my home stereo and my portable player (a Walkman knock-off). Then along came the 1984 release of Love At First Sting, which continued the Scorpions' streak of hit albums, songs and music videos. Rock You Like a Hurricane was and still is easily my favourite track on the album. 

That heavy crunching chord progression and those wailing lead fills set up the build to the big anthemic chorus. The palm-muted chugging gives way to full on power chords during the verses. Rudy Schenker displays his strengths as a top rhythm guitarist here. Then singer Klaus Meine leads the vocal assault on the sing-a-long metal chorus. And so what if we couldn't quite decipher every word he sang (German is his first language, and his English a bit spotty)? Make up your own words!

And that guitar solo! Whew.... I get chills just thinking about it. Lead guitarist Matthias Jabs totally tears it up with both shred and melody. He's among my fave guitarists, and this track is an excellent example of his radio-friendly metal stylings. No compromise here, just a hard rockin' fun party vibe that everyone (even non-Scorps fans) can sing and air guitar along with. 

Now on to a little something, perhaps unheard of for many, from 70's Canadian rockers Max Webster. Rascal Houdi is the song, off the 1979 album, A Million Vacations. I first learned of Max  at a high school "dance"... a concert, really. A small gig, but it was among my first shows ever, so I was sort of shell-shocked by the weird assembly of musicians onstage and their loud prog-hard-rock concoction. But they won me over right then and there. I think it was only about a year, or less, later that Max released their sort of breakthrough album, A Million Vacations. Though early Max records garnered respect, they did not give them a lot of exposure.

The Vacations album, though, delivered three hit songs which became Canadian classic rock staples. Rascal Houdi was not one of those songs, but to my ears, this harks back to the heavier, bizarro sound of earlier Webster. Nutty lyrics (which I love and laff at whenever I listen), a buoyant verse structure, a noodly bridge section, then a freakin' kickass guitar solo. Thanks, Kim (Mitchell - band leader, singer, guitarist, songwriter) for this memorable summertime, or anytime, tune. 

Let's go back to the 60's for the next song, Spanish Caravan, by The Doors. While I like so many of their songs, it's really hard to pick favourites. But Spanish Caravan always struck me as a bit different from so many of their psychedelic hits of that decade. Robby Krieger pulls out all the stops on the mesmerizing Spanish guitar intro, which is actually a good chunk of the song. As other instruments join in, a sort of Gypsy lilt emerges, then fuzz guitar and some spacey keyboards send the previously "staid" tune into orbit. And of course, throughout, Jim Morrison intones his romantic-adventure lyrics laced with longing.

Moving along, we'll look at FM, by Steely Dan. I recall recoiling from their music when I first heard it as a young teen. A neighbourhood friend was just starting to buy records, and when he played some Steely, I tuned right out. Not for me. I'd stick with my Kiss and Beatles. But fast-forward a couple of decades, and I found the time was right to properly appreciate the music of this collective of interchanging, but always talented, musicians (around the core duo).

FM was written as a theme song for the 1978 movie of the same title (which I'd like to see, but it's tough to track down). Its sophisticated and complex jazz-rock fusion sound was typical of the Dan at that time. The softly funky verses, the smooth rock chorus, and the dreamy So-Cal sax solo combine for a certain type of listening experience. Late night on the couch with a scotch and a special someone sort of music. Glistening guitar riffs are so tasty my mouth waters. Piano, too. Insistent yet organic bass lends a warm rhythm to what might otherwise be a bit of a cool and antiseptic treatment. Highly produced, but you can't deny the musical virtuosity here.

The Books I Read in 2020

What a year! 2020 was a pretty messed-up time, and even if the world situation didn't directly affect me in a big way, it did weigh on my mind a lot. And that in turn often affected my focus on the little things, like simple pleasures to pass the time. Books, for example.

While I read about thirty books or more the previous several years, I only finished eighteen books in 2020. It was simply a tough year for finding good books that I wanted to spend time with. I had several false starts... I'd buy something, get only a handful of pages in, then put it away for one of several reasons. Sometimes I'd be on my fourth or fifth sci-fi novel, only to realize I'd had enough of that for a while. So I'd give up on that book and seek out a genre I felt more in tune with at that moment. Sometimes it would take me a week or two to locate something. One or two weeks lost. That's a whole book (at the rate I read).

Other times, I would be partway into a good book, but then an even better one would come along. The anticipation of starting the second book would be killing me. I'd be so distracted by the thought of that new book that I'd set aside the first one and get going on the fresh one. I did that more than a few times in 2020. But in most cases, I made a point of going back to wrap up that unfinished book. I did abandon a few entirely, though.

So, between a general malaise, dissatisfaction with my choices, gaps of no reading (of books; I did keep occupied with magazines and newspapers), and distractions, it was inevitable that I'd fall far short of my old goal of thirty books per year.

Anyway, I suppose that looking on the bright side of this, I was at least picky enough to end up with a lot of very good reading entries in my book log. Whereas I might have read only a few exceptional books in previous years, 2020, even with its leaner book count, provided me with far more great reads. Over half of the books I read were really good, and well worth recommending.

Here are the highlights of my book reading year:

Motherless Brooklyn, by Jonathan Lethem - very fun detective novel about a NYC P.I. with Tourette's Syndrome

The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn - WWI female spy story set in France, based on true events

Exhalation, by Ted Chiang - compelling short stories by this modern-day sci-fi master

Hyperion, Dan Simmons - released in 1989, this stands among the giants of the sci-fi genre

Anthem: Rush in the 70s, by Martin Popoff - a cool & revealing bio of the Canadian power trio who invented progressive hard rock

Shadowplay, Joseph O'Connor - imaginative historical fiction about Dracula creator, Bram Stoker

Rust in Peace, Dave Mustaine - analysis of the metal album classic by Megadeth founder, singer and guitarist, Mustaine

Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music - fascinating autobiography; perhaps the best I've ever read

Old City Hall, Robert Rotenberg - fun & intriguing crime fiction by this Canadian author I just discovered

Arise, Sir Sean Connery, by John Parker - fascinating & revealing bio of my favourite James Bond actor

Confess, Rob Halford - Judas Priest vocalist (the Metal God) tells all in his absorbing memoir

Record Shopping in the COVID-19 Age

The past year... and, yes, it won't be long before it's been a full year of this global pandemic situation... has been pretty nutty. It has affected people in many ways... their health and the health of their family and friends, their jobs, their income, and their general security and safety as they try to manage daily life, often from the confines of their home for extended periods.

Shop, shop, til ya drop...

I have been lucky enough to have retained my job, and have continued working. I envy those who can work from home, but being in the retail service industry, I am right out there among co-workers and the shopping public. It can be pretty stressful at times.

It's during a time like this that the little things in life matter a lot, too. Like the stuff that helps keep us physically and mentally fit. How we maintain at least a somewhat positive outlook, and escape from the grim reality for a while through sports, exercise, entertainment and hobbies.

Thankfully, I have a lot of interests, so when I'm not working, I can turn to any number of diversions. Music, movies, shows, books, writing (this blog, movie reviews), exercise workouts, art, and so on.

But the world has been a different landscape as far as accessing certain forms of entertainment. While movies and shows and music can be gotten through online streaming services, there's been a noticeable decline in the amount, and even the quality, of the content that's available.

A few 2020 vinyl acquisitions: metal, pop, and blues-rock

Since good movies and shows weren't in abundance in 2020, I leaned more on books and music for entertainment. And when it came to record collecting, some of the fun was gone. Gone were the outings to the flea market, record store browsing, and local record shows. Getting out and physically handling records, and mingling a bit with fellow collectors, went right out the window. In my area, some shops recently re-opened, though with COVID restrictions in place... like masks required, physical distancing, and limiting the number of shoppers in the store at one time. I will just skip the stores until things have calmed way down.

What I have been doing is carrying on with online record shopping, though I purchased a lot less in 2020 than I had in previous years. The Discogs website came in handy for locating vinyl LPs (and the odd CD) at reasonable prices. In my effort to support local or local-ish stores and sellers, I've avoided the corporate giants, like Amazon. Amazon has enough money... and enough of my money, so I'll take a break from them. I'd much rather give my money and support to smaller and/or independent businesses that are either in my city or at least in my country. I broke that rule only the odd time, shopping mainly from Canadian sellers. And I bought direct from the artist occasionally, too, whether Canadian or not. That way, I know my dollars are helping the artist out far more.

Some of these decisions are important to me regardless of the COVID situation. Why not support your own city's or country's economy over that of another nation? I just feel better doing that.

So I did some homework (Google searches) to find record, music, and media stores in my region, or not far off. Now I am happily supporting a couple more Canadian businesses that I'd previously never dealt with. They are Sonic Boom and Pop Music, both Toronto stores with online services. The bonus is that I'm keeping my money within the country, shipping costs are much lower, and shipments generally arrive much faster. Hard to argue with this logic.

Let's keep the record industry alive. Support the artists as much as you can, and support your local and independent record stores, whether they're brick-and-mortar or online. In these troubled times, music still matters... it soothes and de-stresses, energizes and lifts your mood.