Think you have the core classics in your music collection at home or in the car? You may still have these on vinyl (or perhaps you once owned them on vinyl…or eight track tape…or cassette…), but if you are currently missing any on our list, you are certainly missing out on the fundamentals of rock music’s 60s and 70s evolution.
By Alan Clanton
Thursday Review Editor
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; The
Beatles. This was the first great
concept album, and over 40 years later it remains one of the most important and
innovative. The cover alone was worth
endless hours of fun and amusement for those who loved vinyl sleeve artwork at
its most impressive, and more recent CD releases contain much more, including a
behind-the-scenes look at the staging of the elaborate front photo and artwork
by Peter Blake. (Sorry, no four-color
heavy stock cut-outs of sergeant stripes and mustaches). But forget the trappings, just listen to the
music. Recorded between December 1966
and March 1967, this is The Beatles at the height of their powers of
experimentation, and for those who loved the fusion of baroque richness and the
dazzling psychedelia, the Fab Four
threw in everything including the kitchen sink. From the full scale symphony orchestra which brackets the presentation
from beginning to end—to the animal noises, the street sounds, the evocative
sitars, the party laughter, and even Ringo’s lilting, charming vocals on the
opening With a Little Help From my
Friends, the whole package still retains its power to entertain. Take the time to listen to it from start to
finish, from the orchestra tune-up to the final gong.
Who’s Next; The
Who. Gut wrenching from start to
finish. With this landmark album the
members of The Who elevated themselves into the Pantheon of the Gods and took
rock to a new level of energy and power. Originally envisioned by Pete Townsend as a double album and a complex
and theatrically layered multi-media experience (along the lines of Tommy), the record still resonates shorn
of the other elements. The re-mastered
CD includes 16 pages of detailed backstory by Pete Townsend and others. Many of the songs on Who’s Next became mainstays of their live concerts. From Baba
O’Riley (known probably to younger rock listeners for its anthem line “Teenage
Wasteland”) to Behind Blue Eyes; or
from Going Mobile to Love Ain’t for Keeping, some of The
Who’s most energetic and original work can be found here. Then, of course, there is Won’t Get Fooled Again, in my book one
of the greatest rock songs ever recorded: eight-plus minutes of soaring,
high-energy guitar and bass work by Townsend and John Entwistle, mind-boggling
and dynamic drum work by Keith Moon, and insistent vocals by Roger Daltrey—not
mention rock music’s greatest single scream in those last precious moments,
when Daltrey empties out every cubic inch of primal lung power. Play it very loud.
Led Zeppelin; Led
Zeppelin. By some lights the greatest
debut album ever created, and the first major vinyl collection that took the
existing fusion of the Black Man’s Blues and Rock & Roll, and drove it to
its outermost acid boundary. The opening
track, Good Times Bad Times, sets the
mood and tone of this fusion. The two
Willie Dixon blues standards—You Shook Me
and I Can’t Quit You Baby—are
impossible not to like, and retain their freshness every time. Dazed and Confused became one of their
trademark hits. The whole collection of
songs is insistent from start to finish, alternating between hypnotic and
passionate, but proving that seduction and loudness can effectively share the
same aural airspace. This was the
invention of heavy.
Are
You Experienced; Jimi
Hendrix Experience. Easily the most
audacious and mind-blowing collection of guitar workouts ever recorded, this
album still sets the bar for innovation. Recorded in England and released in 1966, the album was remarkably
experimental—even ahead of its time—most notably for its complex layering,
backwards guitar overlays, deliberate distortion and especially Hendrix’s
revolutionary guitar handling. The word psychedelic applies directly to this
music and the cover art. Are You Experienced boasts some of
Hendrix’s best known work, including Hey
Joe, Purple Haze, and The Wind Cries Mary. The record also routinely lands in the top
five of almost all the major music critic rankings, from Rolling Stone to Creem. This is a must-have item, even if you have to
get rid of one of your Backstreet Boys CDs to make room on the shelf.
Some
Girls; The Rolling Stones. This is the Stones at their most refreshingly
basic, offering up a big vinyl platter of snappy, infectious high energy Rock
& Roll—no gimmicks, no distractions, no monkey business. Many might dispute this for its placement in
the top twelve, but the next closest rival, Exile
on Main Street, remains uneven despite decades of time to grow on us. Some
Girls bristles with songs that became instant classics, from Beast of Burden to Miss You, and the whole sequence is timeless for its
simplicity. Just give us those raw,
punchy tunes. If you don’t feel the urge
to move, or better still to dance, when you hear Shattered or When the Whip
Comes Down, check your pulse for signs of life.
Born
to Run; Bruce Springsteen. Some things are just a joy to listen to, and Born to Run never fails to please the
ear. This is the Americana of Rock &
Roll at its best. The famous
perfectionist Springsteen reached his mountaintop with this recording, and his
already tight, dynamic studio and live crew was supplemented by the arrival of
Clarence Clemons on saxophone, which brightens the whole effect. Some of his most memorable songwriting skill
is at work here, with Thunder Road,
the infectious Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
and the iconic, poetic Jungleland. Though recorded in the studio, Born to Run has a completely live feel,
the result perhaps of Springsteen’s love of performance and the joyous anthem
quality to most of the songs, and when seen in concert in the 70s and 80s these
songs were replicated with a near perfection on stage. If you have room for only one CD by
Springsteen on your shelf, this is the one.
Dark
Side of the Moon; Pink
Floyd. For some classic rockers and for
many of a whole generation, this album is the album, the best single concept
set ever recorded. Its sales figure seem
to back that view up, if numbers are what matter. It remains one of the biggest sellers in
history, topping all the efforts of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Benny
Goodman combined. It also holds the
all-time record for the most time spent on Billboard’s
Top 100 chart. Dark Side of the Moon gave new meaning to experimentation and
exploration.
Abbey
Road; The Beatles. Though Let
It Be was the last thing The Beatles released, Abbey Road was the last stuff they ever recorded—and despite
the tension of a group experiencing deep and irreparable fractures, they still
managed to capture the magic that made them the most famous rockers and songwriters
of all time. Abbey Road, despite the relevance and permanence of any individual
song, still remains a package deal, best enjoyed from start to finish and
without interruption. This was surely the
Lennon-McCartney collaboration at its best, but the record also features two of
George Harrison’s most remarkable songs—Something
and Here Comes the Sun—written and
recorded when he, too, was at the height of his songwriting skill. (Frank Sinatra said that Something was the greatest love song ever written). Abbey Road is evocative in every way: the
generational mood the songs create, the near classical nature of the sounds,
and—on Side B—the most famous and sophisticated medley ever recorded.
Frampton
Comes Alive; Peter
Frampton. By my measure, still the best
live recording in rock music history. The onetime Humble Pie guitarist and vocalist, who was already a force
on stage, created the ultimate take-home live experience for the rock
generation. The far-better-than-average
mixing and engineering (many live recordings from that era have been thankfully
forgotten for their poor quality) mean that the songs still feel bristling with
a live, arena feel even after all these years and untold thousands of hours of
radio airplay. And the audience feedback
is electrifying on every cut. The
staples of classic rock found here include Show
Me The Way and Baby, I Love Your Way,
and lest we not forget the iconic and durable Do You Feel Like We Do?, the live rock song to end all live songs.
Rumours; Fleetwood
Mac. Once, many years ago—probably in
the early 1980s—I had this album playing on my car stereo system when a female
friend riding in the front seat asked me “isn’t this their greatest hits
record?” No, but it might as well
be. Hard rock it is not, but is still
retains its remarkable freshness and glittering diversity. There are no wasted cuts on this recording,
and despite the range of sound, once never tires of hearing the whole album
from start to finish. This is the
songwriting collaboration and range of Fleetwood Mac at their best, with
Lindsey Buckingham’s most energetic stuff on display, along with Christine
McVie and Stevie Nicks both at the top of their songwriting and singing
game. Songbird is one of the most haunting love songs ever recorded. From You
Make Loving Fun, to Go Your Own Way,
to Don’t Stop, these songs are simply
hard to resist.