The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
Given it is my only Rolling Stones representation anywhere throughout the countdown, this is a rather controversial choice. It is very me. They are undoubtedly a legendary band who I have no fundamental beef with. I do still need to familiarise myself more with some of their many late 60s and early 70s classics. But it was this bizarre, totally unrepresentative and generally unappreciated outlier that always appealed to me, and I have always loved since getting ahold of it. It is their one total veer into deep left field, away from their usual raw direct bluesy rock into a brief and singular psychedelic experiment, inspired by the in vogue sounds of the time and particularly Sgt. Pepper’s. It comes across as part affectionate tribute, part biting satire and part fit of try-hard jealousy. It is inconsistent and riddled with imperfections and madness but that all adds to the charm. At its multiple peaks it is absolutely breathtaking and like nothing else anyone has ever managed.
Highlights: Citadel, In Another Land, She’s A Rainbow, 2,000 Light Years From Home
Greatest Moment: The crescendo of the masterful proggy workout 2,000 Light Years From Home’s intro, as the ominous piano gives away to a crisp guitar and distant mellotron, before the drums kick the rest of the band in.
The Who – The Who Sell Out (1967)
I absolutely adore this album and I’m still not entirely sure why. So many of the tracks are silly little comic faux-advertising ditties. There’s only one true Who classic (and virtually every other Who album, certainly up to 73, has more). But I constantly come back to it and it was not far from making my final 52. It is just a perfect balance of early Who sounds, as their astonishing power combines with the sweet melodic tendencies in Townshend’s writing and playing and Daltrey’s singing. On top of that is a concept that is very simple in idea and execution but so unique and effective. The album is a massive satirical lampooning of both modern day advertising, in typically Townshendian sardonic style, and somewhat more lovingly, a parody of British commercial radio. These two naturally fit well together and the idea is executed with breathless simplicity. Each track is linked by a short, amusing and usually eminently lovely sounding little musical ditty, advertising either a product or general community service announcements. The result is a constant satisfying flow from track to track in peak Prog fashion which immediately appealed to me, before even addressing the fact that the songs are awesome, fabulous pop rock fun.
Highlights: Armenia City In The Sky, Our Love Was, I Can See For Miles, Relax, Rael 1
Greatest Moment: “The Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal are mine to see on clear days.” A monumental re-entry and payoff in I Can See For Miles.
Buffalo Springfield – Buffalo Springfield Again (1967)
Perhaps the greatest of the pre-CSNY albums from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as a set of musos. Stills and Young are already rather at each other’s throats by this point, but still both in the band and contributing heavily. This is rather a sleeper. I’ve only heard it in full a few times, mostly recently, and am still familiarising myself with many of its tracks. The highlights that cottoned me onto the greatness of this album carry it a long way, but it maintains a consistent quality throughout. It’s got a lovely balance of its all its constituent elements, occasionally very light and folksy, occasionally going in a full-on country direction particularly in Richie Furay’s underrated songs, and sometimes leaning in a hard rock direction. The Stills compositions are varied and wonderful, from the tender Everydays (later covered by Yes) to the energetic hidden gems I’m beginning to appreciate, Bluebird and Hung Upside Down. But it is Young’s two bonafide proggy masterworks Expecting To Fly and closing epic Broken Arrow that elevate this album into this all-time status.
Highlights: Mr Soul, Expecting To Fly, Bluebird, Hung Upside Down, Broken Arrow
Greatest Moment: The achingly gorgeous spectral celestial intro of Expecting to Fly as it washes over then gives way to Young’s distant mournful vocal.
The Nice – The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack (1968)
The debut album by what many consider to be the first true Prog band. There had obviously been seeds planted in recent years, and through 1967 in particular. But Pink Floyd (who were a more pure psychedelic band in these early days) and The Moody Blues (who had mellotron everywhere but on what was basically pop music), aside, none of who would go on to be considered the classic titans of Prog had yet emerged. The genre’s starting focal point is often considered to be In The Court of the Crimson King. But the best part of two whole years earlier, keyboard extraordinaire Keith Emerson’s The Nice were doing their thing, playing raucous loud classically influenced organ dominated music, regularly including re-workings of classical and jazz pieces. This recording is a dated but superb gem. Through most of Side B it meanders but Side A is mighty, with two crisp but big sounding pop songs, a blues jam, and their great opus, a reworking of Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk. Add to this the accompanying single and album bonus track, their infamous instrumental hit rendition of America from West Side Story. Highlights: Flower King Of Flies, The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack, Rondo, The Cry of Eugene
Greatest Moment: You’d assume it’s something from Rondo but actually I think the most gorgeous payoff moments come in the powerful and overlooked closer, The Cry Of Eugene, particularly the final triumphant-piano fueled last re-entry.
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only In It For The Money (1968)
If Absolutely Free is the most consistent tuneful Mothers album I adore, this follow-up is patchier, crazier, less structurally succinct but more politically charged, with a greater impact on public consciousness and endless highs. It is so strange to think that Money follows Absolutely Free, because its sound is much more quaint and dated. A lot of it sounds from the early 60s, probably by design as part of Zappa’s constantly semi-affectionate homage to older popular music. The satirical and musical expression here is more biting and risky. There are some anarchic lyrics and messages, and many moments of unlistenable noise music. But these 19 tracks in 39 minutes move so fast, in a few different sequences of rapid fire highlight after highlight. There are a decent number of avant-garde pieces, but pretty much every tuneful number on here is ultra-direct and enjoyable. Virtually all of Side A is a rapid flow of fun parodic pop, peaking with the album’s great masterpiece, the confusingly titled Absolutely Free. Side B is a more farfetched freakout but has some of Zappa’s most quintessential mind-bending figures and rhythms.
Highlights: What’s the Ugliest Part Of Your Body, Absolutely Free, Flower Punk, Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, Mother People
Greatest Moment: Hard to pick. Pretty much any of Absolutely Free which is as perfect a crazed avant-pop masterpiece as Zappa wrote. The manic energy and rapid time changes of Flower Punk’s filthy riff might just be it too.
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