Urban75 Album of the Year - 1968

Paul was a lot hipper than his cheery/cheesy thumbs up image of later decades would seem to allow for. He suffers from unfavourable comparisons with John, but unfairly so in my view. It was Paul’s bass playing that made Lucy in the Sky great, for example. Had it been left with just John’s chords it wouldn’t have been half as interesting, harmonically.

 

The worst Beatles songs are Paul's, but the best are too IMO. I like more of Lennon's solo post beatles work, but mostly because of Yoko Ono I think.

 

ska invita also try The Young Tradition, who had a decent album out in '68, Galleries.

Their 65 album is their best though - dark and unsettling pagan music for the most part.

 

never heard of him but i like that....not so keen when he sings though but its nice playing

still sounds pretty sleazy to me, but who am i to judge. i guess thats soho shenanigans in 68 all over

no idea...examples?

thanks will check but i wonder if this doesnt deserve its own thread...not sure what to call it though. perhaps someone who knows the different folk terminology could start it? "untwee folk". im not that fussed what year its from.

 

Three miles Davis albums in 68 seems to be
Filles de Killimanjaro (favourite) - came out in the uk in 68, 69 in the US supposedly
Nefertiti (playing for the first time and feeling most of it)
Miles in the Sky (was always a bit too hard for me and still is...maybe one day)

Not getting on that well with most of the 68 jazz albums ive had a chance to check so far...bit of a transitional year in jazz maybe?
have come across a couple of jazz meets classical moments though...will post them in that thread to add to the collection

 

This is well worth checking out, and way ahead of its time. I came across this bands latter incarnation when they had their first album re-released Recently.

The Swedes were the original Krautrockers

 

There's a few great folk threads already, mostly avoiding the twee - I recommended these two last time it came up:

english folk music recommendations
Folk Music (matt m wrote for a folk magazine iirc - either way, his posts are excellent)

 

This is from 1968 - Glenn Gould playing Liszt's piano transcription of Beethoven's Fifth:



And very good it is too.

 

It's all about the way they handle the key changes.

 

International Harvester 'formed' in 1969 so a year too late for the thread. By 'formed', I mean changed their name from Pärson Sound (mentioned upthread). Pärson Sound didn't release any music during their lifetime (1966-68) but had a 2CD retrospective about 20 years ago. You mentioned that you'd only recently discovered International Harvester so I'm guessing you haven't heard Pärson Sound yet in which case you're in for a treat. The sound quality is a bit murky but the music itself is heavy duty drone utopia. I've got all the Träd, Gräs & Stenar stuff too (which came after International Harvester) but, again, it's nowhere near as good as Pärson Sound.

EDIT: Scrap that nonsense I wrote in the first sentence. Not only were International Harvester a going concern in 1968, but as you say, they had the LP out. Apologies. I was bang on about recommending a listen to Pärson Sound. Currently listening to the Harvester 'Hemat' LP as I write this - they'd dropped the 'International' by 1970. I could listen to this stuff and nothing else for weeks on end.

 

I saw Trad, Gras & Stenar last year, they were fab - will check out Parson Sound

 

Trees?
(69/70 onwards)

 

I’ve got the Parson Sound self titled album that was released on Subliminal Sounds, great stuff. Did they release anything else that you know of?

killer b was that the one at Cafe OTO? Bummed I couldn’t make that.

 

No, they played at Liverpool psych fest (presumably on the same weekend)

 

Pärson Sound only have the 2CD/3LP effort that you have. If you liked the International Harvester album then you'll probably like the Harvester album 'Hemat' from 1970 which is also good, though not quite as good as International Harvester. Then there's Träd, Gräs & Stenar - I have the triple album thing from a year or two back and I think another album somewhere. For my money, the better more 'out there' stuff was at the beginning of their career. The later stuff is still enjoyable though more commercial, relative to what came before. Despite the four different band names, it's mostly the same people throughout.

 

Cheers, I’ll check out the Harvester album, not heard it. That Trad, Gras & Stenar comp was the one I mentioned picking up when it came out, it’s a cracking release. They did a two night thing at cafe OTO around that time but I couldn’t make it.

It’s always a nice surprise to not only discover a new band but a great one that’s been going for decades! A bit like when I first came across Can in the late 80’s (thanks to Loop’s cover of Mother Sky) a whole new world of music was revealed.

Actually I have to thank Spacemen 3 for my lesson in music history. They made me spend a good chunk of my giro once on a live 13th Floor Elevators album, that funnily enough was released in 1968.

 

Really into the Parson Sound LP. Will be digging into International Harvester next...

 

Gave the Incredible String Band another go but it still does nothing for me. Had more fun listening to Donovan.

The only record I can remember buying in 1968 was a folk record. Not an LP sadly so it doesn't qualify.



The Black Grunger of Hounslow

 

Ho Chi Minh is a bit of a foot tapper

 

enjoying it so far, although it's immediately a much more conventional album than the Parson Sound (I guess that might just be because it's an actual album rather than a cobbled together collection of whatever demos and studio jams they could find, mind)

 

Let’s have a look...

Delroy looks to be ‘69

Action, yes, Intensified, no.

Otherwise looks good.

 

Oeiginal JA pressing of Intensified on Beverleys seems to be 68?
Desmond Dekker And The Aces* - Intensified
Desmond Dekker & The Aces – Action! & Intensified | Sounds of the Universe

*i was more worried about the compilation rule

 

It's certainly a cobbled together collection but most of it was either recorded for broadcast on Swedish radio or recorded when they played live. From what I can make out from the liner notes (difficult to read even with glasses on), only one of the tracks was from a rehearsal jam.

Back to 1968, there's some great US teenage garage/psychedelia that I'm enjoying listening to again - the second Index album, Bachs - Out Of The Bachs, C.A Quintet - A Trip Thru Hell etc.

 

I'm not complaining about it being cobbled together fwiw - I think a lot of bands lose a bit of their fire when making music for posterity rather than in the moment, especially more experimental bands.

I remember first listening to the Grateful Dead after being fired up by the descriptions of their performances in Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and thinking 'what is this smooth-ass country rock bullshit?' (I've since come round to some of their recorded output, but the point still stands).

 

Just listening to their new band Traden now - stick plugging away 50 years on...

 

Thought this was interesting - Jon Landau does a review of rock in 1968 for a 'last year in review' issue of Rolling Stone in 1969. Some interesting missing names. And amongst those which are included I suspect some will be unfamiliar, or will seem somewhat surprising choices as 'significant' figures.

 

I’ll double check these now I have decent internet.

Anyone who hasn’t voted - I am generously giving a two day extension, as I’m only just back off me hols and am too knackered to count higher than ten at the moment.

Get them votes in!

 

whoops! will do.

 

I'm only just compiling mine now.

Christ, I'm going to look like one enormous hippy.

 

1968's Irish releases - something of a mixed bag.

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