Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced

Seattle born Johnny Allen Hendrix changed his name as a three year old to James Marshall Hendrix and after being discharged from the US Army on medical grounds, he began his musical career supporting people like Ike and Tina Turner, Little Richard and Curtis Knight. During this process, he became Jimi Hendrix and after being spotted by Animals bass player, Chas Chandler, he was invited to London for some live gigs.

Managed by Chandler, Hendrix recruited Noel Redding on bass and drummer Mitch Mitchell and they soon had a top ten hit single with 'Hey Joe'. Signed to the fledgling Track record label the trio began work on 13 December 1966 on what would be their debut album, Are You Experienced'




The recording sessions took place at De Lane Lea, Olympic Sound and CBS Studios in London and they ended on 3 April 1967. The album was released to critical acclaim on 12 May that year. In particular, it was the guitar playing of Hendrix which caught the imagination as Hendrix played the instrument like no one had ever done before utilising heavy distortion and feedback.

The track listing of the UK and US release differs but as the album was first released in the UK, I intend to focus on that version here.

Foxy Lady
Beginning with a single note guitar run gradually fading in, the song erupts with a howl of feedback and then the distinctive signature riff that introduces the song. Noel Redding claimed that he came up with the chord that closes this opening number.

Manic Depression
Following a London press conference, Chandler is alleged to have told Hendrix that he sounded like a manic depressive. Intrigued by the phrase, Hendrix wrote this song around that idea. Beginning with thunderous guitar chords backed by the manic drumming and cymbal work of Mitchell, this song is in waltz time. But Strauss it certainly isn't!

Red House
Although written by Hendrix, this is probably the most traditional slow blues track on the album and in the whole of Hendrix's career. With a long 12 bar instrumental introduction and with words telling of how his baby doesn't love him any more so he is moving on, it could hardly be more typical of the blues. The song was omitted from the US version of the album allegedly because 'Americans don't like blues'.

Can You See Me
A much more straight forward rock song but once again featuring great guitar playing from Hendrix and some fiery support work from the rhythm section. The guitar sound may well have been influential on a certain Eric Clapton as much of their 1967 album 'Disraeli Gears' utilised a similar sound.

Love Or Confusion
This is about as far removed from conventional blues as it is possible to get as the song merges elements of rock, jazz and psychedelia, all held together by the powerhouse playing of Mitchell and Redding while the guitar of Hendrix soars and swoops like a bird.

I Don't Live Today
Beginning with an almost native American Indian drum pattern, the song is essentially a vehicle for the guitar playing of Hendrix some of which sounds like a ringing sitar. Clearly George Harrison wasn't alone in introducing Indian elements into his music. Towards the end the song fades in and out and features some spoken pieces by Hendrix a trait he would also include in future recordings.

Side two of the album opened with -
May This Be Love
A slower song that was allegedly written by Hendrix for his mother who had died while he was very young.  The track was recorded at De Lane Lea on 3 April 1967 and was never played again.

Fire
This rather funky R&B song was recorded at De Lane Lea studios on 11 January 1967 and completed at Olympic Sound on 3 February. The words stem from a visit Hendrix made to the home of Redding's mother's house at Christmas 1966. Freezing, Hendrix asked if he could stand close to the fire but his way was blocked by the Redding's sleeping dog. This resulted in the lyrics, 'Move over Rover and let Jimi take over'.

Third Stone From The Sun
Opening with the slowed down voices of Hendrix and Chandler backed by spacey sounds, this dedication to Earth (the third planet from the sun) has been often cited as one of the earliest examples of jazz/rock fusion. It was recorded at De Lane Lea on 13 December 1966 and finished at Olympic on 3 April 1967.
Towards the end, Hendrix can be heard saying 'You'll never hear surf music again'. One theory suggests that this was directed towards surf music star, Dick Dale who had been diagnosed with cancer and it was said to encourage Dale to fight the illness and recover. He did and later covered this track in gratitude.
Apart from the spoken parts, this track is essentially an instrumental.

Remember
Essentially a 12 bar R&B shuffle, coming after the futuristic sounds of the previous track, this seems almost like a step back in time. Perhaps this was deemed something of a filler on the album as it was never played again.

Are You Experienced
The title track was one of the last recorded, at Olympic Sound Studios on 3 April 1967. Taking a lead from The Beatles' 'Revolver', Hendrix made heavy use of backward guitar parts for this futuristic sounding track. Some of the drum parts were also reversed giving a very distinctive sound to this number.

The album was very well received by the critics and by the UK record buying public upon its release. Curiously despite being American, Hendrix was initially less well received in his native country, perhaps because the US were currently hung up on new phenomenon, The Monkees.

There can be little doubting that Hendrix changed guitar playing for ever and the list of those influenced by him is virtually endless. This album started the ball rolling but sadly the career and life of Jimi Hendrix would be over all too soon.

Love - Da Capo

The US west coast formed band who called themselves Love, began playing clubs in and around Los Angeles in April 1965. Composed of guitarists Arthur Lee and Bryan MacLean (a former roadie with The Byrds) along with drummer Alban 'Snoopy' Pfisterer and Ken Forssi on bass they were also joined by another lead guitarist, Johnny Echols.

Signed to folk orientated label Elektra Records, they released their eponymous album in April 1966 and on 20 June 1966 at Sunset Sound Recorder studios, Hollywood, they recorded '7 and 7 Is'. This was released as a single in July 1966 and became the highest charting 'single' record by the band.

Work on the rest of 'Da Capo' took place between 27 September and 2 October 1966 with a line-up that included Michael Stuart-Ware on drums and Tjay Cantrelli on saxophone and flute. Pfisterer subsequently moved to organ and harpsichord. Released in either January or February 1967, the first side was a radical departure from their debut and signalled the way they would move with their follow up album which would be released the following November.

Stephanie Knows Who
Described by Johnny Echols as a jazz-waltz, this track begins with distinctive harpsichord from Pfisterer then Lee belts out the vocals utilising a similar style to that employed in '7 And 7 Is'. The subject matter of the song is a girl who at the time was the girlfriend of Lee but later moved on to Bryan MacLean causing a degree of conflict between the two guitarists. The instrumental section features the saxophone of Cantrelli and some almost free-form guitar playing from Echols.
Recorded towards the end of the sessions on 1 October 1966, this is a wonderful album opener and was subsequently covered by British group, The Move and also by The Aardvarks.

Orange Skies
Bryan MacLean describes this gentle song as the first one he ever wrote while he was working as a 17 year-old roadie for The Byrds. He also claimed that the song was based on part of The Byrds' 'The Bells of Rhymney'.
The song was originally issued as the B-side of the single 'She Comes in Colors' and was the first to be recorded at the opening session dated 27 September. Maria McKee (of Lone Justice), the half sister of MacLean, released a live piano version of the song. They had earlier played together as a teenage duo.

¡Que Vida!
Recorded on 28 September 1966 the melody of this question and answer song was said to have been taken from a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song entitled 'Lifetime of Loneliness'. The title of the song is Spanish for 'what a life' and in the lyrics, Lee explores topics of life and death that he would later develop more fully in the follow-up album, 'Forever Changes'.
Opening with a gentle fingerpicked guitar part by Johnny Echols, the sound of a popping champagne cork heralds the bossa nova rhythm which gives the track the Latin feel suggested by the title. A repeat of the champagne cork brings in the opening guitar motif once again before the song ends to the sound of sleigh bells.

7 And 7 Is
The title makes reference to the girlfriend of Arthur Lee, Anita 'Pretty' Billings, with whom he shared a 7 March birthday. The track was recorded on 20 June 1966 before Michael Stuart-Ware joined the band so featured either 'Snoopy' Pfisterer or Arthur Lee on drums. (Apparently Pfisterer struggled with the complex drum parts, causing Lee considerable frustration and leading to his decision to recruit Stuart-Ware from another LA band, The Sons of Adam). Tjay Cantrelli does not feature on this track at all.
Released as a single in July 1966, it gave Love their first and highest scoring hit record. It has since been covered by a number of other artists including, Alice Cooper, Rush and The Ramones.

The Castle
This had been the name of the Los Angeles house the band shared during their early time together. In fact the cover of the album depicts the band in the grounds of 'The Castle'. The track was recorded at the session on 30 September 1966.
Once again the song begins with beautiful fingerpicked guitar but the opening melody is soon broken as the song goes through a number of changes in tempo. In this respect, possibly more than any other song on the album, 'The Castle' signals what was to follow with the next album.
The number ends with some distinctive Spanish flavoured guitar playing.

She Comes in Colors
Said to be inspired by the outrageous clothing worn by a regular fan of the group (Annette Ferrell), this Arthur Lee song features great flute playing and harpsichord by Cantrelli and Pfisterer respectively.
Because of the 'difficult' chord changes employed, Johnny Echols has declared that this was the most problematic of all the tracks to record.
In May 1967, the title was used as the first line of 'She's a Rainbow' by The Rolling Stones and it is widely believed that Jagger and Richards had been influenced by this song.

Revelation
Versions of this extended jam had been part of the band's repertoire since their club playing days in Los Angeles, though the song was then called 'John Lee Hooker'. It was recorded at the final album session on 2 October 1966 and features individual solos by all of the band members. It occupies all of the second side of the album, though it was not the first instance of one song taking up a whole side. Bob Dylan had beaten them to it with 'Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands' from 'Blonde on Blonde', the previous year.

Moving 'Snoopy' Pfisterer to keyboards (he was a classically trained pianist) and the introduction of Tjay Cantrelli on flute and saxophone, was a masterstroke as the sounds they contributed took the music away from the folk-rock they had played on the first album. The subtle flute parts written by Cantrelli in particular, added a new dimension to the sound of Love and the vision that Arthur Lee had for their way forward. Ironically, Cantrelli (real name John Berberis) would not be included in the line-up for the next album 'Forever Changes'.

However, the album was not a commercial success and this commercial failure can be put down to several possible reasons. Some feel that it was too much of a departure from the rock sounds of their debut album, while others point to the fact that they did not have enough of the newer sounding material to fill an album and had to resort to a lengthy blues jam to fill side two. Drummer Michael Stuart-Ware in his interesting book 'Pegasus Epitaph', claims that he feels that the inclusion of 'Revelation' was a mistake. He suggests the number was included because Lee wanted to 'piss-off' record label Elektra with whom he was in something of a dispute.

Another possible reason for the album not selling in huge numbers was the fact that they failed to promote it with enough live performances. This was partly down to bad luck but also due to the erratic behaviour of Arthur Lee and the general laid back drug culture of the band members. Nevertheless, a new sound had been created and Arthur Lee was to develop this even further and more successfully for the follow-up that would be released later in 1967.

The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico

In April 1966, while The Beatles were commencing work on 'Revolver', The Velvet Underground also began recording their debut album at the rundown Scepter Studios in New York City. Whereas 'Revolver' would be released in August 1966, The Velvet Underground & Nico' would have to wait until March 1966 to see its release. The acetates recorded during April were subsequently rejected by a number of major labels before eventually being accepted by MGM Records for their Verve record label. This led to a further session at TTG Studios, Hollywood during which a further three songs 'I'm Waiting For The Man', 'Venus in Furs' and 'Heroin' would be recorded.

The subject matter of many of the songs contained within the album, was controversial to say the least. Openly dealing with drug use, prostitution, sexual deviancy, sadism and masochism, it is astonishing that these topics were even considered for general release in early 1966. A year later, many artists, The Beatles included, were still hiding drug references within obscure titles and phrases although exactly one month before the release of this album, on 12 February 1966, Keith Richards was arrested at his Redlands home, on drug charges. Little wonder that upon its release, this album was largely condemned for breaking virtually every taboo possible. Being banned by a number of record stores and starved of radio play and advertising, it is unsurprising that the album was at the time, deemed a commercial failure. Due to a lawsuit, the album was withdrawn in June 1967 and it was not until ten years later that critics first began to praise the album as the great work it clearly is. The praise continues almost unanimously to this day!

Although the artist Andy Warhol is credited with the production of the album, in truth, he did little more than provide the finances for the initial New York recording sessions. Confusion reigns as to who was responsible for the actual technical production of the music. Norman Dolph was present at the Scepter Studio sessions but he claims that John Cale did most of the musical arrangement. Interestingly Cale credits Tom Wilson who had been appointed by MGM to supervise the Hollywood sessions, as the main producer.

There is of course no doubt as to who provided the artwork for the album cover. Original pressings showed only the name of Andy Warhol and featured a peelable banana, production of which led to further delays with the release of the album. Whatever the problems at the time, the image is now instantly recognisable and immediately associated with both Warhol and The Velvet Underground.

Sunday Morning
This November 1966 recording was the last one completed for the album. Written to feature the voice of Nico at the specific request of producer Tom Wilson who felt that a single was required to promote the album, the final version actually features Lou Reed on lead vocal. It is the most lavishly produced track on the album and features the distinctive sound of the celesta played by John Cale.

I'm Waiting For The Man
The 'man' of the title is of course a drug dealer and the song relates the attempt to purchase 26 dollars worth of heroin. The percussive rock and roll beat coupled with the subject matter has ensured that this song remains one of the most popular numbers in the Velvet Underground repertoire.

Femme Fatale
This track does feature Nico on lead vocals, a feature that added to the allure of the album at the time of its release and perhaps even to this day. It is clear that English was not her first language as her heavily accented vocal delivery shows. ('She'll build you up to just put you darn, what a clarn').
One of the more gentle sounding songs on the album, it was written by Lou Reed about the Warhol starlet, Edie Sedgwick. The song has since been covered by a host of other artists.

Venus in Furs
Here the band get right down to the taboo subjects of sadomasochism and bondage a full decade before X-Ray Spex were yelling 'Oh Bondage! Up Yours!' The song title is taken directly from the book by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch and the track features John Cale scraping the bow across the strings of his electrified viola to the rhythm set by Reed's unusual guitar. Unusual in that all of the strings are tuned to the same note, albeit in different octaves.
Alternate versions show that the song had been worked on since 1965 and then had a very different arrangement with vocals by John Cale. Before the final Hollywood session, the track was also worked on at a quicker pace and with slightly different lyrics at Scepter Studios in New York.
The song features in a handful of movies and has also been covered by a number of other artists.

Run Run Run
The jogging pace of this song matches the title perfectly. Written By Lou Reed it tells the story of a number of New York City characters trying to score drugs. The drug references are mixed with religious imagery but the most outstanding features of the track are the unconventional guitar solos played by Reed. Against the insistent rhythm he plays jagged lines occasionally distorted by squealing feedback.

All Tomorrow's Parties
This song was apparently Andy Warhol's favourite which is fitting as Lou Reed wrote it about Warhol and his entourage (The Factory). Once again Reed used his guitar with all of the strings tuned to D. Sung by Nico with her voice double tracked, the number has featured prominently in the horror film 'The Lords of Salem'.
Curiously when the first CD version was issued in 1987, an original single tracked mix was included.

And so ends side one of the original vinyl album.

Heroin
Recorded in Hollywood during the Tom Wilson produced sessions in the summer of 1966, this track clocked in at just over seven minutes (yet it still wasn't the longest track on the album). The two chords that make up the song help to provide a hypnotic effect as the tempo starts slowly but builds to replicate the high experienced by the heroin user. This effect is repeated throughout the song.
Lyrically one can understand the reluctance of radio stations to play such a song and one can almost hear the screams of outrage when this was released in early 1967. Reed leaves nothing to the imagination as he graphically describes the act of the needle puncturing the skin and the effect that the drug has on him.
When the track is reaching its crescendo, the frantic drumming abruptly stops. Drummer Maureen (Moe) Tucker explained later that it got so loud and fast that she couldn't hear anything and stopped playing thinking that everyone else would stop also. They didn't so she simply started again!
The track is controversial for 1966 or 1967 yet it is astonishing that the earliest recording of the number dates from sessions in Ludlow Street, NYC in July 1965!

There She Goes Again
The Velvets try their hand at a track that seems to have been largely influenced by The Rolling Stones cover of 'Hitch Hike', a Marvin Gaye song released in 1965 on 'Out of Our Heads'.

I'll Be Your Mirror
This track originally appeared as a single in 1966. Sung by Nico, there appear to have been difficulties in her achieving the delicate vocal effects required by the band. After several attempts she broke down in tears and then achieved the desired result at what would have been the final attempt. The band must have been pleased with the result as following her departure from the band in 1967, they replicated her vocal and her accent during live performances of the song.
Andy Warhol is said to have suggested that the record stylus should become 'stuck' thus repeating the line 'I'll be your mirror' continuously until the record arm was lifted. Nothing ever came of this idea which is probably just as well as a large number of 'faulty' discs might have been returned to the factory.

The Black Angel's Death Song
This song appears to have been the one that first brought The Velvet Underground to the attention of Andy Warhol. After playing a long improvised version of it before a small crowd of drunks at Café Bizarre in New York's Greenwich Village on 11 November 1965, they were approached by Warhol who would later fund and produce their debut album.
The dissonance is created by the screeching of John Cale's violin and by him hissing into the microphone as Lou Reed drones lyrics to represent the figure of death, the black angel of the title.

European Son
Commencing with a couple of verses to a Chuck Berry riff, the track quickly dissolves into a free-form piece of improvisation utilising screaming feedback and heavy distortion. This continues for over six minutes and is possibly a precursor to the improvisational rock they played on tracks such as 'Sister Ray' from their next album, 'White Light/White Heat'.
The song is dedicated on the album to Delmore Schwartz a mentor of Reed who had died in July 1966, though the song itself makes no mention of Schwartz.
At over seven minutes in length, this is the longest track on the album.

Like most records at the time, 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' was released in both stereo and mono versions. Both are now readily available on CD reissues and while both have their individual merits, I have a preference for the mono mix simply because the rockier tracks have that bit more punch.

Despite the understandable lack of commercial success in 1967, the influence of the album and of The Velvet Underground themselves, continues to be heard via a range of artists up to this day. As examples I cite David Bowie, Patti Smith, Television, Can, REM, My Bloody Valentine and The White Stripes. 'Nuff said?

Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow

'Surrealistic Pillow' the second album by Jefferson Airplane was released in mono and stereo in April 1967. It was recorded at RCA Victor's Studio B at 6363 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood over thirteen days from late October to mid November 1966.
Drummer Skip Spence had left the band in the summer of 1966 as had original vocalist Signe Anderson. They were replaced by Spencer Dryden and Grace Slick.
Slick had previously been in a band The Great Society with her husband Jerry and when she left she took with her her own song 'White Rabbit' and also 'Somebody To Love' written by Jerry's brother Darby Slick. Both appeared on this album and were issued as singles.

Jerry Garcia was credited on the album cover as 'musical and spiritual advisor' and he also added guitar to several tracks though this fact was refuted by producer Rick Jarrard. According to road manager Bill Thompson, Garcia was definitely there and even came up with the name for the album when he commented 'That's as surrealistic as a pillow'.




She Has Funny Cars
Written by vocalist Marty Balin and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, this song deals with the materialistic society in the US. The song recorded on 31 October 1966 provides the first example of the wonderful blend between the voices of Balin and Slick. It also features Jack Casady playing a bass with a 'fuzzy' sound similar to that employed by Paul McCartney on 'Think For Yourself' from 'Rubber Soul'.

Somebody To Love
Darby Slick's song was rather different when played at a much slower pace by The Great Society. With it's rockier arrangement, Jefferson Airplane took the song to a new level and thanks to regular features in movies and TV shows, it has become arguably the best known song by the Airplane. The track was recorded on 3 November 1966.

My Best Friend
Although Alexander 'Skip' Spence had left the band to form Moby Grape by the time this album was recorded, the band decided to include this jaunty love song written by their former drummer. It was also the first single released from the album.

Today
A beautiful ballad written by Marty Balin and Paul Kantner and sung by the former. According to Balin, Tony Bennett was recording in the next studio and Balin decided to try to write a song for Bennett to record. They never met and the song was destined to be covered by the lesser known Tom Scott. The gorgeous repetitive guitar part was played by Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead.

Comin' Back To Me
A lovely song composed by Balin while under the influence of marijuana provided by Paul Butterfield of the Butterfield Blues Band. The recorder part is played by Grace Slick. It was recorded on 1 November 1966.

3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds
Another Marty Balin composition starts side two of the vinyl album. I feel that Balin was always more adept at writing beautiful ballads but a rock song was required to kick off side two and this fits the bill.

DCBA-25
Paul Kantner takes solo writing credits for this song which he later revealed is named after the chord sequence that accompanies the melody. The number 25 refers to LSD-25. The track was recorded on 15 November 1966.

How Do You Feel
Vocally and musically this song draws comparisons with the work of The Mamas & The Papas another US folk/rock group who gained popularity in the mid 1960's. The song is credited to Tom Mastin who had played with Michael Brewer as Mastin & Brewer. It features nice three part harmony vocals from Slick, Balin and Kantner and more recorder from Slick.

Embryonic Journey
This short instrumental was the first piece ever written by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen as far back as 1962. A fingerpicking workout, he never intended for it to appear on the album but it did so on the insistence of producer Rick Jarrard.

White Rabbit
When performed with The Great Society, this song was a totally different beast. At over six minutes in length, it was part Ravel's 'Bolero', part Miles Davis 'Sketches of Spain' and part 'Alice in Wonderland'. Featuring lengthy guitar solos and even Grace Slick playing oboe, it was a live favourite of the time.
Jefferson Airplane cut the song down to less than three minutes focusing on the drug imagery of the lyrics.
Slick herself was never totally happy with it but the public disagreed and it became a hit single as well as going on to define the drug fuelled mid to late 1960's.

Plastic Fantastic Lover
Recorded on the same 3 November session as 'White Rabbit', this Marty Balin song is a rant against one of America's favourite obsessions, the TV.

The fusion of folk and rock utilised on this album was totally unique at the time and the album influenced not only other US bands and artists but also others from farther afield - most notably a young group of folk musicians in England who called themselves Fairport Convention.

The Doors - The Doors

1967 began with the January 4th release of the eponymous album by The Doors.

The band had formed in Los Angeles two years earlier and famously took their name from the Aldous Huxley book, 'The Doors of Perception'.  As the resident house band at the famous Whisky a Go Go, they were spotted by Elektra Records president, Jac Holzman and immediately signed to the label.

The sound of The Doors was instantly identifiable thanks to the unique guitar playing of Robby Krieger and the keyboard playing of Ray Manzarek. Add to that the poetic lyrics and sonorous voice of the charismatic but controversial Jim Morrison and the result was a winning combination.

Recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood in August 1966, the album was released in rather different stereo and mono mixes. The mono version was soon deleted and has remained unreleased until 2010 when it was re-released on vinyl only. This mix remains unavailable on CD yet strangely is available as a digital download from certain media outlets. Because of the differences, it is certainly worthwhile having both stereo and mono versions.

Thanks to the sequencing of the tracks, the record is a classic example of how a vinyl album should be constructed with a very strong opening track and two absolute classics ending each side.

Break On Through (To The Other Side)
Beginning with a series of rim shots on John Densmore's snare drum, the bass soon takes up the rhythm which is ironic itself as The Doors never employed a permanent bass player. On this first album most of the bass parts were played by Manzarek on the keyboards.
On the repeated phrase 'She gets high', the final word was edited out of the recording because of the implied drug references. This has been reinstated in later CD releases but remains absent from the mono version.
A great opening song, this immediately introduces the distinctive sound of The Doors.

Soul Kitchen
This song was Morrison's tribute to Olivia's, a soul food restaurant in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. The bass on the track is played by session player, Larry Knechtel.

The Crystal Ship
This parting love song to a former girlfriend of Morrison features some beautiful piano from Manzarek embellishing Morrison's psychedelic imagery.

It has been suggested that the title may have been influenced by an oil rig off the coast of Santa Barbara which glittered like a crystal ship at night, or alternatively may have come from a story in a book of Celtic mythology, 'The Book of the Dun Cow'. Then again, it may have been just about the drug methedrine.

Twentieth Century Fox
Both Ray Manzarek and John Densmore have claimed in their autobiographies that the subject of this song was Manzarek's girlfriend of the time.

Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
This song by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill dates from 1927 and was used in the 1930 opera 'The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny'. Morrison changes the original English words 'Show me the way to the next pretty boy' to the more natural (for him) 'Show me the way to the next little girl'. Producer Paul Rothchild adds backing vocals to this track.

This leads into the final song on side one, the instantly recognisable:-

Light My Fire
The song was mainly written by guitarist Robby Krieger though Ray Manzarek created the distinctive keyboard opening part. When released as a single in April 1967, the seven minute track was cut to just under three minutes by editing out the superb organ and guitar solos. This is something of a travesty though it did gain the song a great deal of airplay which increased sales of the album, so not such a bad thing after all.

Back Door Man
This blues by Willie Dixon kicks off side two of the album in a much rockier arrangement than the original.

I Looked At You
End Of The Night
Take It As It Comes
Essentially these were three short filler songs before the main event of side two.

The End
The creepy but sexy opening guitar phrases lead into Morrison intoning 'This is the end, beautiful friend.' Beginning life as little more than another goodbye song to the girlfriend subject of 'The Crystal Ship', this number evolved over time and during several live performances until the band arrived at the finished product stretching to a little under twelve minutes. Unlike, 'Light My Fire', this number was never going to be cut down to make a radio friendly single. There is little friendly about this song particularly when midway through, Morrison takes the song into the famous (or infamous) spoken 'Oedipus' section beginning with the line 'The killer awoke before dawn'.

Throughout, the drone like keyboards and intricate guitar lines add to the mood though the wonderful drum and cymbal work of Densmore should not be overlooked. The song was recorded live in the studio with the second take being the released version.

Interlude#2 - 1966 Albums That Failed To Make The List

Besides the albums that we have looked at since my starting date of 16 May 1966, there were other very fine records released and you may be wondering why I have not included those in my selections.

For example, in August 1966, Jefferson Airplane released their debut album 'Jefferson Airplane Takes Off'. I have no doubts that Jefferson Airplane were an influential band and in the period we shall be examining, made some recordings that helped to shape the sounds of the remainder of the 1960s and beyond. However, in my opinion, their first effort did not.

'Jefferson Airplane Takes Off' features the developing songwriting partnership of Marty Balin and Paul Kantner and the line-up at that time included guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, drummer Skip Spence bassist Jack Casady and singer Signe Toly Anderson in addition to Kantner and Balin but the music was to all intents and purposes, folk-rock in much the same sort of genre as The Byrds and a host of other bands at that time. Jefferson Airplane would not really 'take off' until October 1966 when Anderson quit the band to be replaced by Grace Slick from neighbouring San Francisco band The Great Society. With two of their songs, 'White Rabbit' and 'Somebody To Love', she helped to take Jefferson Airplane into a totally different direction. But more of that in due course.

One could also make a very sound argument that the third album by The Byrds, 'Fifth Dimension', released in July 1966, was as influential as some of the albums I have included in my list. Certainly 'Eight Miles High' was a leap forward into the realms of raga and psychedelic rock. I would be unable to refute such claims. However, the album for me represents a band that were in transition after the departure of their main songwriter, Gene Clark. Consequently this album is a little inconsistent though by this time they have stopped relying on Bob Dylan songs to flesh out their albums.

Other really good albums that were released in this period were 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme' by Simon and Garfunkel, 'Fresh Cream'  by Cream, 'Jack Orion' by Bert Jansch and the eponymous  debut albums from Tim Buckley and Buffalo Springfield. All were very good albums indeed, but not in my opinion, influential enough to make my list. No doubt, some will feature with subsequent releases as we move into 1967 and beyond.

13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds Of......

The 13th Floor Elevators were formed in 1965 in Austin, Texas by singer Roky Erickson, guitarist Stacy Sutherland and Tommy Hall who played something called an 'electric jug'. This was basically a ceramic jug with a microphone held close to it, or for recording studio purposes the mic was often placed inside the jug. Sounds were created by blowing into the mouth of the jug resulting in hypnotic rhythms similar in feel to those produced by the Brazilian cuica drum. This sound helped to define the music of The 13th Floor Elevators who rapidly established themselves as a great live touring band around Texas in the Spring and Summer of 1966. Signed to the International Artists label based in Houston, they set about recording their first album at Sunset Sound Studios, Dallas.

Whether or not, Roky Erickson was the first to use the term 'psychedelic rock' is open to debate but certainly this album represented one of the first occasions that the word 'psychedelic' was used in an album title. The music on the album was clearly influenced by the use of drugs and the album sleeve notes, written by Tommy Hall, advocated open use of drugs such as mescaline and LSD. Sadly, excessive use of such drugs led to the early demise of the band in 1968 and in the following year, Erickson found himself incarcerated in
Rusk State Psychiatric Hospital in Texas.

The musical legacy they left however, begins with this album which was released in November 1966. In eleven fairly short tracks they splash their trademark sound across the grooves of this record. From the distinctive (and some might say, over-used) wibbly-wobbly sound of Hall's electric jug, to the acid influenced poetry of his lyrics. From the melodic guitar phrases of Stacy Sutherland to the wild shouting/screeching voice of Erickson, this album (and the follow-up) have influenced a host of artists since. Apparently Janice Joplin modelled her vocal style on Erickson and one wonders how much of a debt, Robert Plant owes.

I would offer only one piece of advice. LISTEN TO THE VERSION IN MONO!
For some reason the stereo version of the album is awash with reverberation which diminishes the overall impact. Thankfully this is largely removed in the mono mix allowing the power of the rock songs on the album and the clarity of vocals and instrumentation to shine through.  Tune in, freak out and ENJOY.

'You're Gonna Miss Me'
This was the only song on the album written solely by Erickson. Written and performed while he was still with his previous band The Spades, the Elevators recorded a version which was released as a single in January 1966 (backed by 'Tried To Hide') and which sold quite well in Texas. The song has since become something of a garage-rock classic having been covered by many other artists, as well as featuring at the beginning of the film 'High Fidelity'.
From the opening strident guitar chords, the song fairly rattles along with Erickson shouting and yelping until it fades out on his wailing harp solo.

'Roller Coaster'
Like the roller coaster of the title, this number starts fairly slowly but after Erickson sings 'Come on and let it happen to you', the ride picks up speed and it careers down the track driven by great guitar playing from Sutherland.
'You've gotta open up your mind and let everything come through.'

'Splash 1 (Now I'm Home)
The wife of Tommy Hall, the former Clementine Tausch was working on a novel when she was asked by Roky Erickson to write lyrics for some of his songs. This ballad was one of those and was given it's title because it was as though something splashed between the two of them upon meeting. As the lyrics describe it, 'The neon from your eyes is splashing into mine'.

'Reverberation (Doubt)'
The pounding bass of Ronnie Leatherman drives the rhythm of this song, sung in a sleazy, creepy voice by Erickson. His lone bass also introduces the next track -

'Don't Fall Down'
The band members repeatedly chant the title as Erickson sings the verses over the top. This strangely hypnotic song began life as 'We Sell Soul' when Erickson was with his previous band, The Spades.

'Fire Engine'
Side two of the album begins with the simulation of a fire engine siren, perhaps the influence behind the opening of The Move's 'Fire Brigade' from 1968. Erickson howls over the cacophony of sirens and guitar riffs, then the song develops along a Chuck Berry or early Rolling Stones rhythm.

'Thru The Rhythm'
Whether lyricist Tommy Hall was inspired to use the same rhyming patterns for this song as Frank Zappa did for 'Hungry Freaks Daddy' is unknown but the use of the same rhyme at the end of each verse line, is actually quite effective in this nightmarish psychobabble.
'I've smelt the stench from the fumes that rise
From the books that rehash the same old lies.
I felt the panic that they disguise
In the form of laws of every size.' Etc.

See what I mean?

The album then continues with a trio of songs written by a certain Powell St. John.

'You Don't Know (How Young You Are)'
Rayward Powell St John was born born in Houston, raised in Laredo and attended university in Austin. In The Waller Creek Boys he sang and played harmonica with the likes of Janis Joplin. Gravitating eventually to San Francisco, he became a member of Mother Earth a band which for a while featured Mark Naftalin form The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The quality of his songwriting came to the attention of a number of acts including The 13th Floor Elevators who included three on this, their debut album. Another, 'Slide Machine' would feature on their follow up album in 1967. This track features lines like, 'Your eyes are filled with coral snakes and liquid plastic castles'.

'Kingdom Of Heaven'
The slow plodding bass of Ronnie Leatherman opens this song. 'I'm bringing you this message because it's time I think you knew that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you'. Erickson sings the words of Powell St John over a wash of distorted guitar in this slow, dreamy ballad.

'Monkey Island'
This song about trying to fit in by being something you're not allows Erickson to really stretch himself vocally as he screeches like a demented monkey.

'Tried To Hide'
Another more upbeat song by Tommy Hall and Stacy Sutherland allows Erickson to again demonstrate his vocal prowess and his harmonica skills.

While none of the songs on this album can stand up against the quality of those that had recently been issued by The Beatles, The Beach Boys or The Kinks, the sound created on the disc was unique for its time and certainly inspired many other bands to develop into more psychedelic areas. There are also a number of notable musicians who have acknowledged the influence the 13th Floor Elevators had on their career for example the use of reverb and echo which was adopted by ZZ Top and The Allman Brothers Band.
The irony is that the drugs which influenced their sound and their songs also led to their downfall, but not before the band bettered this first effort. More of that in due course when we look at the influential releases of 1967.

The personnel on 'The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators' were:
Roky Erickson - vocals, guitar, harmonica
Stacy Sutherland - lead guitar
Tommy Hall - electric jug and vocals
Ronnie Leatherman - bass
Benny Thurman - bass on 'You're Gonna Miss Me' and 'Splash 1'
John Ike Walton - drums

Interlude#1 - Stereo or Mono

At this point in time I'd like to take a little break from discussing individual albums from the mid to late 1960s and discuss instead the merits (or otherwise) of stereo and mono recordings.

Way back in the mists of time (the 1950s and early 1960s) things were pretty straight forward. Most homes that owned a record player or the larger piece of furniture which generally housed a turntable and a radio (called a monogram), had one speaker through which to play their choice of music. Consequently records were produced in monaural sound meaning that everything came through one channel and came into the room via the one speaker.

When stereo sound became more common and people obtained pieces of furniture with two speakers (yes, you've guessed it - they were called stereograms) it was then possible to hear different sounds from each of the speakers. However, even then most records were produced for mono sound and a separate mix would be made for the stereo market as these sold in smaller numbers. Consequently the stereo separation would tend to be fairly basic, often as basic as having the voices coming from one channel and the instruments coming from the other. For example, stick the stereo version of the second UK album by The Beatles ('With The Beatles') on the turntable or into your CD player. Now listen to track 1, 'It Won't Be Long'. You will notice voices from the right speaker and generally all the instruments from the left which is fine unless you choose to listen through headphones or earphones when it can be a bit disconcerting.

As time went on, stereo systems became more common and consequently more time and effort was put into making the stereo mix of the song or songs. This all started to happen around the mid 1960s which just happens to be the period we are dealing with in this blog. So we occasionally have to make the choice between the stereo or the mono mix of a piece of work.

But which is better, I hear you ask.

Well you will be disappointed to learn that there is no clear cut answer to that question. It comes down to a matter of choice. Personally, my preference for those early 1960s albums by the likes of The Beatles or Bob Dylan is for the mono version. For the mid 1960s period it is not so clear cut and both stereo and mono have their merits but can sometimes be quite different. Albums that we have already discussed such as 'Pet Sounds', 'Revolver' or 'Blonde On Blonde', sound to my ears great in both mono and stereo. Moving a couple of years further on to the album 'The Beatles' (universally known as The White Album) and I find that I prefer some songs in stereo and some in mono. In some cases they are very different, none more so than 'Helter Skelter' which in mono does not have the false ending and is subsequently about a minute shorter than the stereo version.

So it is a matter of personal choice whether you go for mono or stereo versions. However there are exceptions, and I would say without any hesitation that the next album I will be looking at, should definitely be heard in mono.

Join me then and I will explain why.

The Kinks - Face To Face

With the 28 October 1966 release of 'Face To Face', The Kinks finally released the kind of album that their single releases hinted they were capable of. It was also their first album consisting entirely of self-written material.

Beginning 1966 with the February single release of 'Dedicated Follower Of Fashion', they followed that with 'Sunny Afternoon' on 3 June. It was clear that the songwriting of Ray Davies was developing nicely and boded well for the new album release. Despite suffering somewhat from being issued in the wake of 'Pet Sounds' and 'Revolver', there is no doubt that 'Face To Face' is a wonderful piece of work and it represents the high point in the career of The Kinks up to that point in time.

As the main recording sessions for the album began in June 1966, Ray Davies was about to celebrate his 22nd birthday and was in the process of recovering from a nervous breakdown. The endless touring, writing, recording and the responsibility of being married with a young daughter had taken their toll on this young man. Nevertheless his songs were showing a greater sense of maturity coupled with finely tuned social awareness. The situation was not helped when bass player Pete Quaife quit the band prior to the commencement of the sessions. He subsequently returned to the fold but was replaced on one track by John Dalton.

For the album sessions, the basic line-up of Ray Davies, his brother Dave, Pete Quaife and Mick Avory were augmented by NIcky Hopkins on keyboards and backup vocals from Rasa Davies, the wife of Ray.



'Party Line'
I suppose for the benefit of younger readers, I should first explain what a party line was. Basically in the 1950s and 1960s there was an opportunity to save costs by sharing a telephone line with another subscriber. This could result in the scenarios described in the song whereby one user picked up the receiver to make a call and could hear the other user having a conversation. I daresay it could lead to some awkward situations and sounds perfect for eavesdroppers.
The song begins with the ringing of a telephone and a plummy voice answering 'Hello, who's that speaking please?' The voice is that of Kinks manager, Grenville Collins. A theme Davies envisaged for the whole album, was to have the tracks linked by sound effects. The idea was later dropped but some of the effects do survive.
In his book 'Kink', Dave Davies claimed that he was the writer of this song.

'Rosie Won't You Please Come Home'
The song represents a plea from a mother for the return of her daughter who has left home to 'join the upper classes'. It is made even more poignant by the fact that Davies' sister Rosie had left London and was living in Australia at the time. This is the first truly great song on the album.

'Dandy'
With this number, married man Davies takes a pop at those who are obsessed with 'chasing all the girls' and refuse to settle down. The lyrics warn that 'two girls are too many, three's a crowd and four you're dead.' The sentiments may have been aimed at Dave Davies who at the time was happy to enjoy the wild and free lifestyle of the 'pop star'. Whoever the target, at least Davies ends with the cry of 'Dandy you're alright'.
The song was also released as a 1966 single by The Rockin' Vickers featuring Lemmy prior to his Hawkwind days.

'Too Much On My Mind'
Another superb song which perhaps represents the state of mind of Ray Davies as he went through his breakdown. 'It's ruining my brain, I'll never be the same, my poor demented mind is slowly going.'
Who'd be a rock star?

'Session Man'
Nicky Hopkins who adds some wonderful keyboards to this album and plays the fast paced introduction, was said to be the subject of this song. Full of little in-jokes, Davies sings 'He's not paid to think, just play.'

'Rainy Day In June'
The sound of thunder introduces this song which begins as a doom laden tale of a bad day in June. With 'misty shadows', disappearing light and skies turning grey, 'there is no hope of reasoning'. Later the lyrics turn a tad more supernatural with 'cherished things perishing' and 'elves and gnomes hunched in fear.' Throughout, the music sets the tone as do the thunderous sound effects best heard in mono.

'A House In The Country'
Musically the band return here to their Chuck Berry roots while lyrically Davies attacks the smug stock-broker belt anti-hero who is 'socially dead' but it 'don't matter much to him, 'cos he's got a house in the country.'
The Pretty Things also scored a hit with a single release of this song.

Side two of the album begins with more sound effect to introduce:
'Holiday In Waikiki'
My least favourite track on the album so I have little to say about this song which is self explanatory anyway.

'Most Exclusive Residence For Sale'
Perhaps this is the anti-hero of 'A House In The Country' getting his comeuppance.

'Fancy'
Starting with acoustic guitar reminiscent of The Rolling Stones' 'Lady Jane', this song is built around an Indian type drone and the brief lyrics are largely impenetrable. Perhaps that's the point as Davies sings in the second and final verse, 'No one can penetrate me.'

'Little Miss Queen Of Darkness'
This is the track that features John Dalton on bass in place of Pete Quaife. An acoustic ragtime number, it tells the story of a good time girl who looked happy but had 'sadness in her eyes'. Things weren't all they appeared to be it seems.

'You're Looking Fine'
Dave Davies takes the lead vocals on this track which sounds like a cross between The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison's early band, Them. Not the greatest song on the album but it does feature nice bluesy guitar from the younger Davies (not even 20 years old by this time) and piano from Hopkins.

'Sunny Afternoon'
A standout track both musically and lyrically in which Ray Davies vents his frustration at the British Income Tax system in much the same way George Harrison had with 'Taxman'.
The single version spent a couple of weeks at number 1 in the UK earning even more money for the taxman.

'I'll Remember'
Coming as it does after 'Sunny Afternoon', this song was never going to sound great, but it is actually something of an oddity on this album as it originates from the October 1965 sessions for their previous work, 'The Kink Kontroversy'.

The cover design for the album originated with an idea of Ray Davies in which he envisaged a theatrical mask with the top of the face lifted to allow butterflies to escape. The actual release of the album was delayed by a few months due to a contractual dispute with Pye Records. Nevertheless it was critically acclaimed yet possibly due to the wealth of other great material being released at that time, the sales were relatively poor. With subsequent CD releases including stereo and mono mixes and a number of session outtakes, the album is at last being lauded as the great work it truly is.

Donovan - Sunshine Superman (US Version)

I've specified the US version of this album simply because it was the original album the way it was envisaged by Donovan and producer Mickie Most. Released in the US on 26 August 1966, the UK release was delayed because of a contractual dispute and by the time it was cleared for release in the UK, Donovan had already moved on to his next work. Consequently the version made available to the UK record buying public in June 1967 was rather different being a compilation of 'Sunshine Superman' and it's follow-up 'Mellow Yellow'.

Donovan himself became despondent at the thought of his 'masterpiece' not seeing the light of day but matters worsened when he was arrested in London for possession of drugs in June 1966. This prevented him from entering the US for a while and he was therefore unable to promote the release of the album and single of the same name. Disillusioned, he took off with a friend Gypsy Dave to the Greek island of Paros. It was only news that the single had reached number one in America that persuaded him to return.

The album was recorded between December 1965 and May 1966 at Columbia Studios, Hollywood and EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London and it marked a radical departure from the more folky influences of his first two releases. Whilst retaining some folk styles, 'Sunshine Superman' includes elements of jazz and Indian music along with musical and lyrical examples of what was becoming known as psychedelia. There were also developments in the musical accompaniment incorporating rock band backing (including on the title track, future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones), string and woodwind arrangements and exotic instruments such as sitar, harpsichord and bouzouki.

'Sunshine Superman'
Recorded at Abbey Road Studios (then still known simply as EMI Studios), this song featured renowned session guitarist Jimmy Page and on bass, his fellow future Led Zeppelin cohort, John Paul Jones. The recording session took place in January 1966 and the song was released as a single in the US (backed by 'The Trip') in July that year. The song was very different to Donovan's earlier singles such as 'Catch The Wind' and 'Colours'  and is now regarded as one of the earliest examples of psychedelic music on record. The single reached number 1 in the US and after its delayed December 1966 release in the UK, it reached number 2.

'Legend Of A Girl Child Linda'
Donovan met and fell for Linda Lawrence in the Spring of 1965, however, having been the former girl friend of Rolling Stone, Brian Jones, she was reluctant to commit to a relationship with another musician. Consequently Donovan's love remained unrequited until the late 1960s, yet Linda provided the inspiration for several songs in that period. (The couple married on 2 October 1970 and remain together to this date). Written in Sweden, the 18 verse song is like a medieval fairy tale but is also a story of lost innocence in the tradition of William Blake. It was recorded at Abbey Road and features beautiful harpsichord, string and woodwind arrangements by John Cameron.

'Three Kingfishers'
Donovan sings here of twelve kingfishers and it transpired that the title was actually a typing error on the album sleeve! The song was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios, Hollywood featuring Texan singer-songwriter, Shawn Phillips on sitar.

'Ferris Wheel'
Another of the songs recorded in Hollywood, this again has Donovan backed by tasteful sitar and bongo drums. Although you may not know it from the psychedelic imagery in the lyrics, the song is purportedly about a girl getting her hair caught in a Ferris wheel and having to have it cut off. At least that's according to Donovan when he spoke to MOJO magazine in 2011.

'Bert's Blues'
Donovan pays homage to his friend and fellow Scottish folk musician, Bert Jansch with this track in which he even takes on some of Jansch's distinctive vocal mannerisms. The song was recorded at Abbey Road and featured another great John Cameron arrangement.
And so ends side one of the original vinyl album.

'Season Of The Witch'
Side two kicks off with another psychedelic masterpiece and even features Donovan on electric guitar rather than his trademark acoustic. The air of paranoia and menace indicated in the lyrics has made this song an ideal background piece for numerous films and the song has also been covered by countless other artists. Incidentally the organ during the instrumental break adds to the spooky feel of the song, yet no one seems to know who played it. Nevertheless the song was recorded in Hollywood.

'The Trip'
Although this song served as the B-side of the 'Sunshine Superman' single, it was a different mix featuring harmonica which is not included on the album version. Recorded in Hollywood, the title appears to come from the name of a music club called The Trip which opened in 1965 at 8572 Sunset Boulevard. Although short lived, live acts who played there included The Byrds and The Velvet Underground. Alternatively the song may be about an LSD trip. Whatever the influence, the song name checks Bob Dylan and a Julian who may well be the son of Linda Lawrence and Brian Jones.

'Guinevere'
For this gorgeous and haunting acoustic ballad, Donovan returns to an English medieval theme though the song was ironically recorded in Hollywood.

'Fat Angel'
Written for Mama Cass (Elliott) of American/Canadian group, The Mamas & The Papas, this song also mentions a relatively new west coast group, Jefferson Airplane who would later feature the song in their repertoire and include a live Fillmore East version on their live album 'Bless Its Pointed Little Head'. (Jefferson Airplane's first album, like 'Sunshine Superman' was also released in September 1966).

'Celeste'
The album closes with another lovely ballad inspired by Linda Lawrence and once again given a beautiful arrangement by John Cameron. The medieval theme from earlier songs is carried into this courtesy of the harpsichord instrumental break.

Although the US version of the album represented the work the way that Donovan envisaged it, the cover did not. At that time he was one of the few artists who was able to have a say in the artwork for his releases and for 'Sunshine Superman'  he desired an illustration based upon the letter 'S'. While he was to get his way for the much later UK release (designed by Mick Taylor and Sheena McCall), his ideas were vetoed in the US where the record company preferred a photograph taken by Barry Feinstein, surrounded by a romantic Art Nouveau design by Dick Smith. Whatever the finished product looked like, the sales were certainly not adversely affected.

Despite the medieval subject of some of the lyrics, this was a very forward looking album and one which subsequently influenced artists on both sides of the Atlantic. Perhaps because of the problems associated with it's release and the fact that the US and UK versions were different, it has often been overlooked. The very fact that the release of some of these tracks was delayed in the UK resulted in the album seeming far less ahead of its time. That's a shame because the album as it was meant to be released is a true classic.

It should also be remembered that at the time Donovan was a very well respected writer and musician. The 1970s glam-rock, prog-rock and punk did not help his career but his influence during the 1960s certainly paved the way for the likes of The Incredible String Band. Also without teaching John Lennon and Paul McCartney some fingerpicking techniques in India, we might never have been treated to the guitar introduction to 'Blackbird' or to the descending picked introduction of 'Dear Prudence' (both on 'The Beatles', the White Album).

Paul Butterfield Blues Band - East-West

In the early 1960s. blues loving singer and harmonica player, Paul Butterfield joined forces with like minded guitarist Elvin Bishop and together they formed The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The other members were bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay, both of whom had previously played in the backing band of Howlin' Wolf. Also recruited was another young blues guitarist, Mike Bloomfield.

The band achieved some level of notoriety when Bloomfield, Lay and Arnold accompanied Bob Dylan when he went 'electric' and horrified the folk purists at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. After recruiting singer-songwriter Nick Gravenites, the band then recorded their first studio album, 'The Paul Butterfield Blues Band'.

Lay left the band due to illness and was replaced on drums by Billy Davenport before they commenced work recording their follow-up album in July 1966. For these sessions they would also be augmented by keyboard player Mark Naftalin.

The sessions took place at the famous Chess Studios sited at 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago and the resulting album 'East-West' has become one of the most influential albums of the period. Strange you might think for an album that consisted mainly of blues covers, however well played they may be. What set 'East-West' apart however, were two tracks in which they extended themselves well beyond the parameters normally associated with the blues.




Side one of the album begins with:
'Walkin' Blues'
Like John Mayall's Blues Breakers and many other blues bands at that time, Butterfield was using songs that had been reissued in 1961, twenty three years after the death of their creator, Robert Johnson. This plodding blues number has been recorded by numerous artists over the year and this version is nothing particularly special but it does allow Butterfield to produce some good harmonica licks.

'Get Out Of My Life Woman'
Written by New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint, this song was more a vehicle for the piano work of Mark Naftalin but also features nice guitar fills from Bloomfield.

'I Got A Mind To Give Up Living'
This slow burning blues classic features some great guitar work. Butterfield sings words which I believe were written by BB King, 'I've got a mind to give up living, and go shopping instead.'
Wow, things must be bad!

'All These Blues'
Another traditional blues song which serves as a vehicle for some great harmonica work from Butterfield.

'Work Song'
Now we come to the first of the two songs which really make this album something special. Nat Adderley's instrumental is extended to an eight minute jam featuring more great harmonica from Butterfield, superb guitar solos from Bloomfield and even Bishop and Naftalin take solos. For the first time there are indications that this is more than your average blues/rock album as jazz influences begin to emerge. It may sound 'old hat' now but one must remember that this was before extended jams became commonplace thanks to the likes of Cream.

Side two of the albums commences with a Mike Nesmith composition.
'Mary Mary'
While Butterfield and colleagues were recording this song in Chicago in July 1966, composer Mike Nesmith was recording a version in Western Recorders, Hollywood with The Monkees. His version would be issued the following year on 'More Of The Monkees'.

'Two Trains Running'
Recording in Chess Studios the band obviously feel the influence of Muddy Waters. While the album opener was one of the first blues songs Waters learned to play, this song is one of his own compositions. A great band performance but the highlight is the Mike Bloomfield's guitar solo.

'Never Say No'
The shortest song on the album is a very slow traditional blues with lead vocals from Elvin Bishop. This leads into the longest track on the album.

'East-West'
According to Mark Naftalin, Mike Bloomfield was inspired to write this piece after experiencing an all night LSD trip. Whatever the drug influences, the musical influences are clearly based in the recent work of Miles Davis and John Coltrane where the music developed modally through scales rather than through chord progressions. Based upon a bass line from a Nick Gravenites song ('It's About Time'), Bloomfield developed the music in a way that no other blues band were doing at that time. It was more akin to Indian music built upon a drone rather than American blues.
The song had been developed over a period of several months prior to these recording sessions. It was certainly played live at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood in the winter of 1966 (probably January). Even by then it was pretty much fully formed and ran to a full 13 minutes. Opening deceptively as a blues/rock piece featuring Bloomfield on guitar and eventually Butterfield on harmonica, it builds to a crescendo before almost stopping abruptly. It then becomes something completely different as Bloomfield's guitar takes the casual blues listener to someplace they have never been before. The influence here is clearly eastern making the title 'East-West' wholly appropriate. Once more this section builds to a climax and is then followed by a more melodic part. Eventually this also builds and finally ends in a crashing conclusion, a flurry of notes and chords and Butterfield having the final say.

The impact of this music upon the general blues/pop fan at this time was cataclysmic. This was quite simply like nothing else that existed on record outside of jazz. Without any shadow of doubt it paved the way for bands like The Grateful Dead, Cream and Quicksilver Messenger Service to develop extended, improvised pieces both live and on their own subsequent recordings. For this reason alone it thoroughly deserves its place as one of the most influential albums of not only this period, but of all time.

The Beatles - Revolver

At 8.00 pm on Wednesday 6 April 1966, The Beatles convened in Studio Three at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, to commence work on a song then known simply as 'Mark 1'. It was the first song to be recorded for their as then unnamed next album. The song became 'Tomorrow Never Knows' and the album became 'Revolver'.

It should be remembered that at that time, The Beatles were still very much a live touring band and after having written and recorded 'Rubber Soul' during October and November 1965, they set off on a series of nine concerts in ten days during December. The three months between then and the beginning of April 1966, was probably the longest period of inactivity the group had had since hitting the big time. Not that that time was wasted. Clearly Lennon, McCartney and Harrison had been busy writing and the luxury of having more time to develop their music certainly shows. While 'Revolver' is a logical progression from 'Rubber Soul', it is also a giant leap forward.

At this point, I would just like to pause to emphasise one fact that I find quite remarkable. Take a listen to the album 'Please Please Me' followed immediately by 'Revolver'. Then remind yourself that between the 11 February 1963 recording session for the first album and the 6 April 1966, was a period of only 1,151 days! I find it incredible that so much change could occur in so short a time scale.

When, twelve months later, The Beatles would record 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', they were no longer a touring band, had clearly been influenced by the likes of 'Pet Sounds' and 'Freak Out!' and had the luxury of taking as much time as they wanted in the studio to perfect their art. 'Revolver' on the other hand had to be completed by 24 June at the latest, as they were then flying to Munich to commence what would become their penultimate tour. (Their final tour began in Chicago on 12 August and ended at Candlestick Park, San Francisco on 29 August).

Despite these pressures, they managed to produce an album which many regard as their absolute finest.

'Taxman'
George Harrison was to have three of his compositions feature on 'Revolver', more than on any other Beatles album up to that point. 'Taxman' is the first of these. Recording began on 20 April but the following day a complete remake was recorded in 11 takes and eventually overdubs including the count-in introduction were added on 16 May. Backward guitar parts (soon to become a regular feature of Beatles recordings) were added on 21 June.
While the song is credited to George Harrison, Paul McCartney should receive a special mention for his bass guitar work that drives the rhythm and also for playing the guitar part that closes the song. While I would highly recommend this album in any format, listening to this track in mono really emphasises the astonishing bass playing of McCartney.

'Eleanor Rigby'
More than any other Beatles album to date, 'Revolver' is about contrast and different musical styles. Witness the complete change in style between the rocky album opener and this beautiful song featuring Paul's voice backed by a double string quartet. Prior to recording, George Martin requested that the string ensemble run through the piece first with vibrato and then again without. Both he and Paul McCartney agreed that the piece played straight made for a more dramatic accompaniment.
The track was recorded over two days beginning on Thursday 28 April but with an additional vocal added on 6 June (this being the 'Ah look at all the lonely people' refrain).
Comparisons between the mono and stereo versions of this song reveal how little care and attention went into creating the stereo mix. The stereo version is quite literally strewn with sloppy errors. For example, as Paul sings the first syllable of Eleanor, the ADT is left switched on and is suddenly switched off midway through the word. More distracting was the decision to have the main vocals panned to the right side something which jars particularly when listening on headphones. The mono version is of course, perfect.
The song was destined to be released as a single on the same date (5 August) as the album.

'I'm Only Sleeping'
It is something of an anomaly that this song is musically by no means slow, yet still evokes the lazy feel described in the song lyrics. This is achieved in part by Lennon's somnolent sounding vocal and in even greater part by Harrison's backward guitar solo. Recording of this number began on Wednesday 27 April, a vocal was added two days later and the backward guitars and backing vocals were added at two sessions on 5 and 6 May. The backward guitar was achieved, not by recording a part normally and then playing the tape in reverse, but rather by George Martin writing out a guitar part in reverse and George Harrison playing that.
A rehearsal version included on The Beatles Anthology Volume 2 reveals that at one stage a vibraphone was included in the instrumentation but this was clearly dropped for the final recording.
Three tracks in, this happens to be the first instrumental contribution to the album by John Lennon.

'Love You To'
Four tracks into the album and already George Harrison is presenting his second song and once again, John Lennon is missing altogether. When recording began on 11 April, this song was unnamed but eventually was dubbed 'Granny Smith' before receiving it's final title.
Despite the use of sitar on 'Norwegian Wood', this was Harrison's first real venture into Indian music.
Differences between mono and stereo mixes are few but mono listeners are treated to an extra thirteen seconds during the fadeout.

'Here, There And Everywhere'
One could be forgiven for thinking that with this beautiful song, Paul McCartney was attempting to emulate what Brian Wilson was doing on 'Pet Sounds'. However, 'Pet Sounds' had only been released in the US one month before the first recording date for this song (Tuesday 14 June 1966) and wasn't released in the UK until July 1966. In his interesting book 'The Beatles In Mono', Andrew Hickey points out that the drum sound in parts seems to emulate the timpani sound that Brian Wilson was using in songs such as 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'I'm Waiting For The Day'. In his book 'The Long Player, Goodbye' Travis Elborough suggests that McCartney attended a 'Pet Sounds' listening session at London's Hilton Hotel and then returned home to start work on this song, however no date is given and there appears to be no other evidence to support this theory.
Whatever the influence for the song, it is an astonishing piece of music and performance, whatever you may think of the sentimentality of the lyrics.
The final take of the song was completed on 16 June with John Lennon present but not actually playing. Paul gave his voice a fragile quality by singing the song in the wistful, breathy style of Marianne Faithfull.


'Yellow Submarine'
Those who dispute the fact that 'Revolver' is the greatest Beatles album, usually point to this track as their evidence. While it is a nothing more than a children's song, it is a very well produced children's song, taking a whole twelve hours of recording time on 26 May and 1 June. The June recording date featured contributions from the likes of Marianne Faithfull, Brian Jones, Patti Harrison and even the Beatles chauffer Alf Bicknell! Packed with a wide variety of sound effects and possibly Ringo's best vocal performance up to that time, the overall effect is quite contagious and as Ian MacDonald says in 'Revolution In The Head', it is 'impossible to dislike'. It also gives a psychological lift to side one of the album after the sad tale of the loneliness and death of 'Eleanor Rigby' and the following track in which Lennon sings 'I know what it's like to be dead.'

'She Said She Said'
Ending side one of the original album, this song began life as a much slower acoustic demo with Lennon singing the lines inspired by a late night conversation he had with the American actor, Peter Fonda. The actor bored and irritated Lennon with a tale of having a near death experience after an operation but somehow the words quoted above, stuck in Lennon's mind. The fact that Lennon was having an LSD trip at the time probably helped. This song was recorded in three takes at the very last session for the album. This took place on Tuesday 21 June 1966. While the lyrics may have intrigued the average teenage Beatles fan in the summer of 1966, it was the music that made this a truly great addition to this album. Subtle rhythm changes, fantastic guitar playing and awesome drum and cymbal work from Ringo make this a fitting end to side one.
Curiously, according to the book 'Revolver: How The Beatles Reimagined Rock'n'Roll' by Robert Rodriguez, Paul McCartney had stormed out of the sessions and did not feature at all on this track. The bass was played by George Harrison.

Flip over now for side two.

'Good Day Sunshine'
'Revolver' represents a peak in the creativity of Paul McCartney as a songwriter, with John Lennon beginning to take something of a back seat. Beginning side two of the album is yet another McCartney song where, aside from some hand claps, Lennon takes no part instrumentally. A very upbeat song which reflects the wonderful summer weather of 1966, this is yet another fine piece of work yet is arguably the least ambitious recording on the whole album. It was recorded essentially in one day (8 June) with overdubs added the following day.

'And Your Bird Can Sing'
The first version of this was recorded on 20 April but almost from the beginning, John and Paul dissolve into hysterical laughter. Released on 'Anthology 2', this version demonstrates  the influence of the jingle-jangle sound of US band The Byrds through the use of the 12-string Rickenbacker guitar. Another version was recorded on Tuesday 26 April. The words of the song have never really been explained but writer John Lennon dismissed the work as 'fancy paper around an empty box.' Whatever Lennon's thoughts, this is another song which utilises the fine interaction between electric guitar and bass in similar fashion to 'Rain' which was also recorded at these April 1966 sessions. To my mind, these songs exemplify the sound of the 'Revolver' album.

'For No One'
One wonders just how many superb compositions Paul McCartney can produce on one record. This is his third astonishing piece on 'Revolver' and is arguably his most mature composition to date. Recording began on 9 May, continued on 16 May and was concluded on 19 May with the addition of a piece written and played on French horn by distinguished session musician, Alan Civil. Originally titled 'Why Did It Die?' the title was possibly changed because of the numerous references to death on side one of the album. Lennon and Harrison played no part in the recording of this song.
In my opinion, McCartney never produced anything as good as this again as his later 'big ballads' began to become rather over sentimental for my tastes.

'Dr Robert'
Another song that was predominantly written by John Lennon and which again features that distinctive guitar sound. However this is a genuine band performance with all Beatles involved. It was a relatively straight forward recording on 17 and 19 April.
The subject of the song may have been Dr. Robert Freymann who provided amphetamines and vitamins to his rich and famous clients (in 1955 he signed the death certificate for jazz legend, Charlie Parker).

'I Want To Tell You'
Originally given the throw away title 'Laxton's Superb' by engineer Geoff Emerick, this song was recorded relatively quickly on 2 and 3 June 1966. The third Harrison song to feature on the album is perhaps most noteworthy for the discordant chord that occurs at the end of each line, giving the song a jarring feel. John Lennon later borrowed this chord to use on 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)'. Paul McCartney plays bass and piano on the track while John Lennon instrumentally contributes only tambourine and hand claps.

'Got To Get You Into My Life'
As upbeat as the opening track of side two, but whereas McCartney admitted a Lovin' Spoonful influence for 'Good Day Sunshine', the influence here is clearly the Stax/Tamla Motown soul sound. While McCartney had this song prepared before the sessions began, he appears to have been unclear as to how to present it. At the very first recording session on 7 April 1966, it was an acoustic number but by the time he returned to the song on 18 May, he had decided to utilise a brass section including two members of Georgie Fame's backing group, The Blue Flames. One of the early takes is included on 'The Beatles Anthology 2' and with it's sparse organ, acoustic guitar and drum arrangement, it is a totally different sounding song to the final released version.

'Tomorrow Never Knows'
Ironically the final song on the album was the first to be attempted in the studio on 7 April. Also ironically it is the most advanced sounding piece on the album as well as being the most advanced of all the recordings attempted by The Beatles up to that date. Known originally as 'Mark One' the first version from 7 April is very different, yet just as compelling as the final released version completed on 22 April. Inspired by Lennon's use of the drug LSD and his simultaneous reading of 'The Tibetan Book Of The Dead', this piece of music was as far removed from 'She Loves You', recorded only three years earlier, as it is possible to imagine. The track is perhaps most notable for three things. First, Ringo Starr's hypnotic thumping drum patterns. Second the use of tape loops to create weird and wonderful effects to voices and instruments and third, the voice of John Lennon which almost achieves the sound he had in his head of thousands of Tibetan monks chanting on a mountain top.
Hearing the piece today, it is difficult if not impossible to imagine the effect this music had on 'pop' fans in the mid 1960's. If parents and their kids had not been divided in their opinions on The Beatles up to this point, they certainly were now.

The album was released in the UK on 5 August 1966 but it's US release contained only 11 tracks as 3 had been used on an earlier album. The effect of this in the US was to diminish even further the contribution of John Lennon. With it's iconic front cover design by German musician and artist, Klaus Voorman and the incredible music contained in the fourteen UK tracks, 'Revolver' had a massive impact on the music world. From here on, albums would gradually become as important and eventually more important than singles. The Beatles would cease to be a touring band and would hereafter concentrate their energies on perfecting their music in the studios. Things would never be quite the same again.