1001+ Albums: 60s Block 1

1001+ Albums:

60s Block 1

Elvis is Back!

   Artist: Elvis Presley

   Year: 1960

       Nowhere near as good as his earlier self titled album, but still not bad. There aren't as many classics as compared to that one, in fact maybe not at all. That doesn't stop it from being consistently solid though.

   Rating: B

A Date with the Everly Brothers

   Artist: Everly Brothers

   Year: 1960

       It starts hilariously with what looks like a father beginning to give his son "the talk", and while it ends up not going there, I got a kick out of the fact that they started their album with "My father looked at me one day and said "Son, it's plain to see
That you're getting older and should have a talk with me
You'll soon be going on lots of dates as to a man you grow
And there's one important thing every boy should know."
Anyway, as 50s rock will soon begin to give way to the folk scene, british invasion rock, and eventually psychedelics and hippie culture, this is a pretty solid last hit of good ole rock n' roll music in its earlier phase. It sounds very much like the 50s, and to be honest it shows no signs that this style is getting weak or old, despite what history tells us will happen to popular music in the next few years.

   Rating: B+

Back at the Chicken Shack

   Artist: Jimmy Smith

   Year: 1960

       The birth of soul jazz, or so the book tells me. Has a great groove to it and works well as nice background music for working. Cool stuff and easy listening, not like other types of jazz that may require a more acute ear to fully appreciate. Not that this is shallow music, just more laid back I'd say.

   Rating: B

Joan Baez

   Artist: Joan Baez

   Year: 1960

       Joan Baez has an incredible voice, but I found the line up of traditional folk songs, while still enjoyable, somewhat repetitive and lacking in the political punch from the one who's life was apparently dedicated to social change. It just doesn't have the originality or social power of Dylan, although it does sound lovely at times.

   Rating: C+

Miriam Makeba

   Artist: Miriam Makeba

   Year: 1960

       No doubt hers is a gorgeous voice, and the music is often just purely joyous. With the bells on some tracks sometimes sounds vaguely christmasy. In fact in ranges from everything from island sounding to some kind of holy religious thing with the backup deep male voices. When it sounds nice its nice, but sometimes the extra voices or certain instrumentations annoyed me. Also how do you do that click noise?

   Rating: B-

Muddy Waters at Newport

   Artist: Muddy Waters

   Year: 1960

       Mostly sounded the same throughout every song, but maybe that's what every genre tends to sound like on first listens, before you can pick out all the nuances. Good thing it all sounds pretty good.

   Rating: B