Just watching him show those vinyl album covers brought back so many memories of those days when, by the end of the night, there would be piles of albums on the floor as we sat around toasted and happy.
Thank you so much for this review! I was there! I used to hang out at the grateful dead‘s house before they even made their first record. A bunch of us little teenage girls would hang out until Rock Scully kicked us out. Nothing ever happened, we were just kids. Quicksilver was my absolute favorite ! I went to Avalon or Fillmore every weekend. The charlatans played at Avalon all the time. I loved them!
You have captured my love of San Francisco and the music of the late 60’s. From It’s A Beautiful Day to Surrealist Pillow and everything in between. So much love! Thank you for sharing!
Surrealistic Pillow is fabulous, After Bathing at Baxter's is my all time favorite Airplane album. The first official date my wife and I had was seeing Country Joe and the Fish in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We have most of those albums and some in your list we do not have...our loss. Thank you for posting, Bill and Linda 51+ years married and still groovin'!
Surrealistic Pillow is one of the greatest rock albums of all time, no doubt. The rest of their albums were more erratic in quality, though some good songs in there.
Pleased To Say as a Brit i was well into American West Coast Music...And as a Spotty 14 Year old Working in A Record Shop at Weekends, It Enabled Me To Obtain All Of these 25 Masterpieces...Great Video
Big Brother, Cheap Thrills ..... James Gurly had the ultimate psychedelic guitar sound of this era. I always wanted a full album of his playing. Agree with your assessment of the Band and the album.
Glad to have all the Airplane albums. I have seen the band live in 68 in Amsterdam. Together with the Doors. Greetings from the Netherlands. Love this video.
Played with Jerry Miller in '85 at a small bar here in Tacoma. Didn't know who he was, until I read a book about Zeppelin. "Hey, Jerry. Plant mentions your name from '68". THEN it hit me. "You ARE Jerry Miller !" He said, "Yeah, that's why I hired you. You didn't know me". He then took me to meet Page and Plant a few years later. Many vids on my channel of him playing locally. youtube/TacomaPaul channel.
Brings back a lot of nostalgia. Thanks. The LA psychedelic scene had great bands too. The Byrd’s, The Doors and Love with their unforgettable album “Forever Changes”.
Right on, you hit the target in a difficult culling process. This list could change on a hourly basis, too much great stuff to choose from. Your perspective is stellar according to this 70 year old hippie who was there to witness this first hand. This is the soundtrack to our youth.
"list could change on an hourly basis, too much great stuff to choose from" amen 5 or 10 candidates that move right into the top3 every time you listen to it
Really great job, Mazzy! The only issue I feel strongly about is It’s A Beautiful Day at #25. The musicianship, vocal work, featured violin work, and over all strength of this very unique album should place it in the top 10, if not top 5. As others have commented, I would take Anthem of the Sun over Aoxomoxoa, if you had to choose. Perhaps a little less Creedence to make room for Crown of Creation. If you included The Youngbloods, you could certainly have included HP Lovecraft, a band who actually relocated to the Bay Area. In my fragile eggshell mind, I consider their 2nd album, HP Lovecraft II, to be the best psychedelic album of all time, for a lot of reasons. That’s for another discussion. 😊 Thanks for presenting this!
I got the 2-CD withy both studio albums and also the Live-album and I think it's written that their first album is "the best", but I definitely like their 2nd more, though the live version of Wayfaring Stranger gives me goosebumps.
Yawn Wiener of Rolling Stone fame never liked them. But then he's proven himself an idiot many times over. I think Don and Dewey on Marrying Maiden is Killer.
I'm with you there. Interesting tidbit. Children of the Future album cover opened up and viewed under a color-wheel gives the illusion of the figures flying with flapping wings. Some LSD helps the illusion, haha.
I was floored by the debut Quicksilver and all these years later it remains in my top five of all time personal faves. Cipollina's guitar style was instantly recognizable, original, and so super-expressive. I bought the Country Joe "electric music" back in the day and, I'll be honest, it never really grabbed me, but that's okay. I enjoyed your walk through the 25 you chose. Thanks for the tidbits and trivia, too.
Ha ha ha on me....I'm 71 and have been deep into the music of the '60s and beyond for decades. And because I was, for whatever reason, never a big Quicksilver fan, I'd never heard "The Fool". Well, better late than never. This is now on my permanent replay list. Thanks to Norman Maslov for leading me there!
This is a wonderful list, well-considered and convincingly presented. I enjoyed the video enormously and hope it makes its way to the screens of anyone who is looking an authoritative and entertaining overview of a unique time and place.
I discovered you Thursday and have been doing little else but binging! My god! Some stuff I haven't even thought of in many decades that I loved and now have to have again.
Steve Miller: Children of the Future was a whim purchase for me just because I liked the cover. Had no idea what audio treasures it contained. Far and away the best thing Steve Miller did.
An excellent dive sir. And an excellent display of some of your music behind you. Greatly admire that. Going to have to save the video and go over it taking notes for all this music I'll be listening to. Just slightly ahead of my awareness at the time but some of it there anyways. Thanks for the project.
You have no idea how much I loved this video. Subscribed. I'm old now, but those records, all of them, were my youth. I would have had LIve Dead as my number one, but all of those you have are classic. I still love this music. Amazing how such creativity was crammed into a short time and space. Bless it's Pointed Little Head should have made it on your list somewhere. I play guitar in old geezer band and play a lot of old Airplane, Dead and Quicksilver. Such great songs. Way more than just jam bands.
Electric Music is, perhaps, the most psychedelic record, ever. It’s very clear the Joe and band understood the psychedelic experience. I’ve always equated Barry Melton’s guitar work with the San Francisco sound.
I greatly appreciate your list however, if we’re talking Sam Charters then the acid/jazz depth of arrangements on EMFTMAB would SO be on my list as it’s imo THE most potent earliest of Psychedelic recordings as much as I completely dug the 2nd and 3rd Fish Lps they always sounded and felt like the after trip celebration of their first perfect sound bath and Barry’s guitar work on it is absolutely quintessential Honer the Incarnation as There’s no Janis without first Hearing and Appreciating Grace I saw the band twice during their second and third records the first time was the national guard armory in Las Vegas Nevada and David Cohen couldn’t be there that night because his wife was having a baby in San Francisco I really missed his Keyboard tones but the show was phenomenal nonetheless the second time I saw them was at the Las Vegas convention center with the Youngbloods it was a phenomenal double bill and a great representation of that time
CJM said that every song was written, performed, and mixed while on acid; in the hope of creating the perfect soundtrack to a psychedelic experience. I think he succeeded.
Love all the Psych albums, my favorite era of the 60's. Jefferson Airplane my favorite. Glad your in Seattle!, I loved going to the 40th Anniversary of Summer of Love on 9/2/2007 was an incredible day at Golden gate Park and 40th of woodstock Oct/2009 also at Golden Gate Park. I flew down from Seattle for both events had a blast got so high at both events and hung out around Haight Ashbury too. I Lived just a few miles from Jimi's house here. Totally dig all your vids!! WESTCOAST baby!
Love your comments and reviews, a real education for me in many cases. And those work of art albums covers, well done for keeping them so pristine. Keep on with it.
Wow. Stumbled upon your video by accident. As a teenager back then, I was lucky enough to have and cherish almost every album you mention. Yes, Embryonic Journey from Surrealistic Pillow is a masterpiece. Cippolina's guitar playing from Quicksilver is majestic, etc. What a powerful time and place for music. I would have to add the Dead's Anthem of the Sun as it struck a deep transcendent chord watching them play it live up here in the northwest in 1969. Thank you for the presentation and archiving these sublime records.
Gary Duncan was so underrated. Cip's famous vibrato playing became the trademark, but Duncan's solos sadly doesn't get many mentions. Beautiful playing, like crystal blue water. His oriental flavored solos on the live versions of Mona for example, just fantastic. Very sad when he passed away.
Spot-on. Personal friend of his, still miss him. David Freiberg called him "the Driving Wheel - spot-on, as well. Great, great guitarist, best rhythm player I ever heard; but great, creative soloist too.
I've always thought his solo on "Who Do You Love" was a masterpiece. Yes, Cippolina's solo later is trippier and takes the whole thing into the stratosphere but I love Duncan's solo on that. And what's up with this guy dismissing later Quicksilver albums? No, I'm not from San Francisco, I'm from Texas but I know what I like. "Fresh Air", "What's You Gonna Do About Me", Great stuff.
@@ronnieguitar99 Fresh Air is good and a few other tunes but the overly reverb drenched vocals of Dino wrecked the band imho. They lost the psychedelic drive they had on the first two records. They got sloppy and Cip left.
@@mazzysmusic I was at Winterland the night Cip decided to quit. It was the Dead, Airplane and Quicksilver and Quicksilver was given the closing slot. You can imagine the buildup after amazing sets by the Dead and Airplane. Well, they came out with a 5 man horn section and fell flat on their faces. It was all ill-rehearsed and sloppy. The hometown audience booed them. We left before they finished, as did most people. And they were my favorite band!! It was a complete disaster. Thank you, Dino. Although, he did sell us some incredible mescaline earlier that day as we waited on line outside.
I love the sound, tone, natural distortion, the early fuzz pedals of electric guitars the psychedelic era. Before rock guitar became so precious and self-conscious.
Excellent selection Mazzy - thank you for reminding me what a brilliant tune Loan Me a Dime is from the Box Scaggs solo album - sublime guitar work from Duane Allman - wonderful
Yes, I believe that they did. However, with some excellent exceptions (Electric Music for the Mind and Body) much of the music they played had little of what we call "psychedelic" in it. As I said, this is true of many of the bands we call "psychedelic".
I was waiting for you to let me down, honestly. These albums are my wheelhouse. Regardless of rankings they are all my seminal influences and worthy of honor! Surrealistic? I totally agree.
Anthem of the sun is one of the very very best psychedelic albums every made. Hands down. Extremely innovative in its recording processes. The seamless combination of live and studio sounds lend a incredible trippy and really beautiful interlude between realities. Imho it belongs at the top of any psychedelic music rankings. Dan Hicks is not psychedelic music btw. Albeit beautiful and sweet music not a psychedelic artist in his soloish albums. The charlatans yes.
@@lanerider7265 nice review based on albums I agree with yr Dan Hicks comment live with the Hot Licks was a very different matter saw them 4 times, twice dosed, & they thoroughly fit the bill
Surrealistic Pillow absolutely number one. Such range of styles and nailed every one. And glad to the The Sons got remembered. I loved their first two albums..
@@mazzysmusic They were the #1 band in San Francisco in 1966. My friends Ronnie Leatherman and John Ike live in Kerrville Texas. Ronnie is coming out with his first ever cd in the next few months. The Elevators started the feedback that all the other bands started copying. I love all the bands that you have shared with us. Thanks Norman and keep your tubes glowing!
@@bertwinston4068 They're a Texas band, whatever you say about being popular in SF where they made appearances as well. I was living in the Houston area when they were becoming known and playing around there. Limited songs of note, but "You're Gonna Miss Me" remains one of the the great psychedelic songs of all time.
@@bertwinston4068 I was way too young for this era & didn’t find the Elevators’ music until cds came out. But, I had no idea they were considered the #1 band in SF in 1966. Is that assessment based on radio polls, #records sold, estimated # of attendees at concerts/local gigs, the music press, or general buzz in the street, etc? I’ve heard the same said of Moby Grape (my 1st album was ‘Great Grape’) and Quicksilver.
@@user-rp6tm6wq4m saying "not ragging on you" to preface my point intended to assure you I'm not offended but just for yr info not smart on my part to say it with American slang. one of SF's blessings is most folk that talk to strangers are more likely to laugh than take offense so it's not a big deal; but good to know if you go there; you won't impress anyone saying "Frisco" yr script looks Greek or Russian to my ignorant eyes. can I ask which?
@@oughtssought1198 haha, you got it! yes it's Greek. I'm from Athens, Greece. Anyway, the SF ( and generally the 60's Californian) scene happens to be one of my favourite periods of rock n roll music. The idiomatic phrase "Frisco" for Greeks means nothing but an abbreviation of San Francisco That's all. So that's me, and you? May i ask you where are you from?
@@user-rp6tm6wq4m hello again, I was searching old youtube replies in search of a specific video revisiting this conversation in that search I was surprised to see that we had this conversation and I somehow neglected to add this link which, considering the topic of this vid + your home's location was an inexcusable oversight on my part. in fact instead of a specific link I'll just recommend that you do a youtube search = "Gravenites Cippolina Athens" and take a tour of everything that turns up hope you + yours are staying healthy thru all that's been going on. enjoyed your civility here. take care.
Wow I had almost all of the albums you showed. You sure took me back in the “wayback machine”. I was very pleased you had Children of the Future, Quicksilver first album and Steve Miller “Sailor”. All three of them have very special meaning for me because I had just been placed in a foster home out in the “Sunset”. In late 1968. I’m from San Jose, and being placed in the City was a major awakening for me. Was e posed to so much.... My parents thought they were punishing me by booting my butt out of the house and having the courts put me in the foster home. Ha ha, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Especially because I got exposed to so much music. My foster mom let me listen to her stereo with headphones for hours on end. This video brings back so many memories of living in the City. Thank you!
Great post, Gary! I lived in California during that time, and was trying to think of a band that you might have missed, but you hit it! Especially some of those lesser know albums like CJ and Fish--putting them up there in the top two or three was right on!
Agree with you but would put Moby Grape higher. I remember having surgery as a kid and when I woke my older brother sat by my bedside holding up the Moby Grape LP and John Wesley Harding by Dylan. As you can imagine I recovered quickly.
Here’s an observation of mine, something I repeatedly notice but rarely mention. The sentiment in a line like “when the truth is found to be lies” typifies many of the lyrics of the 1967-era pop and psychedelic music. The themes of disillusionment and betrayal are HUGE, whether in politics or romance, in that era. By my observation, more so than in other period in American popular music.
"Happy Trails" is my favorite QMS album for sure. I would pick "Crown of Creation" over "After Bathing At Baxter's". "Your Saving Grace" is my pick for best Steve Miller Band albums.
Great selections and nostalgic for me. I lived in San Francisco from 1981-87. Your list included many artists on my Pandora channel. Evidently RU-vid's algorithm reads my Pandora cookies, because I have a channel called Jefferson Airplane Psych Radio. I cast a broader net than you did, so I included some Sly & the Family Stone and Van Morrison (both had psychedelic influences), as well as East Bay powerhouses Tower of Power and Malo. Based on your countdown, I'll add Dan Hicks, Boz Scaggs, and maybe Quicksilver and Moby Grape. I'm trying to keep the vibe alive. Thanks for the great content.
I am also a SF native, and as a young kid was deep into the whole hippie scene. our world revolved around the music, the bands were our gods. my mindset was forever changed by those years, and I still follow that mantra in my head to this day. I think of all the freedom that has been lost and all the fear that has replaced it in these current times, but for that brief period of time the light was bright.
ReturnofTheRiver, of course times are weird and difficult. We are still free in our souls. I have been watching dozens of reaction channels for a couple months. I have re discovered all of the wonderful music that formed my early years. I am 68 years old now, and I have abandoned my conservative politics. I became a right winger in the 1980’s. Now I see more clearly. Politics do not serve, but instead divide. Both parties are controlled by greedy psychopaths. I am free now. I am outside of it all. I have embraced the hippy heart I once had when I was a young man. I am free in my mind and soul.
Another great video Mazzy. Agree with you on those early Steve Miller Band records. Love the first two but my personal favorite is Brave New World. Btw, how about a Who ranking?
Wow Norman, this is really, really great. I listened to all of these in my formative high school years in Kansas, and a big subset of them are among my favorites as well. So fun watching this video. From another (now) Seattlite! Maybe I'll run into ya sometime. Anyway thanks a ton for posting this. And thanks for championing Moby Grape & Quicksilver!
Saw most of these bands at Winterland. My first concert (1969) was Janis Joplin, Savoy Brown, and Aum. Possibly my favorite concert was Sons of Chaplin when they came out in pajamas. Thank you to Bill Graham for producing these concerts.
I know I’m so late to this video as you already have over 100 comments but I just have to say I love this list no matter the order! I just loved seeing all the great albums! I was happy that I even have over half of the records shown and a third of those were likely received as VCLT from you Haha! If it wasn’t for your constant championing of Jefferson Airplane I may not have become as big as a fan of their music as I am now Theyre now one of my favorite 60’s bands! Thanks for this amazing show and tell Mazzy Peace ☮️✌️👽🤘☮️
IMHO: it'd be good to play a short snipet that best represents each record, so that people who don't know every album can get an idea of what it sounds like
I would have put JA's Crown of Creation in the top 5, maybe even number 1 - I'm surprised it doesn't get a mention. To me, Crown is the album where everybody shines, it's their most accomplished album less direct and obvious than Surrealistic Pillow, but more of a band album.
I agree, and After Bathing at Baxter's shouldn't have been so far back in the list. Surrealistic Pillow, though great, isn't the best Airplane album. Songs like 3/10's of a Mile in 10 Seconds and Plastic Fantastic Lover don't quite make it until their live versions on Bless It's Pointed Little Head.
I´m 63 and wasn´t lucky enough to live in San Francisco in the 60´s. I came to know these records only in the 90s but from then on they became my favorite sounds. Couldn´t agree more on Norman´s selection. Congratulations for sharing this kind of information and also for a so fantastic original records collection.
Blue Cheer’s drummer was insane!! Loud and driving. I saw them once when the drummer did his solo that went on for so long he turned around and vomited - and then went right back to drumming! It was at Avalon. I’ll never forget that.
Pretty good selection and you brought back a lot of memories. My favourite Airplane album is After Bathing at Baxters, but for me their most perfect album is Crown of Creation. Thanks also for the shoutouts for the first Moby Grape and Quicksilver albums - both criminally under appreciated.
Psychedelic is my favourite sub-genre and one thing I always like to bring up in discussions (though this goes outside San Francisco) is how psychedelic and ahead of its time that 5th Dimension by the Byrds is. The note bending on What’s Happening and Captain Soul is a precursor to later classic psych music, and was released a month or two even before Revolver which really kicked things off with a bang. And Highway 61 introduced psych, not in music, but in lyrics a year before 5th Dimension even.
I also own all these on vinyl. It's hard to choose the best because there's so much good stuff that came out of the Bay Area. That first Santana still melts my brain, too.
I always thought Barry Melton's lead playing on things like Section 43 where it sounds very raga like was a direct influence of Mike Bloomfield's playing on the Butterfield Blues Band album East-West
@@mazzysmusic Bloomberg did a stint in San Francisco after he left Butterfield and stunned the PC folkies playing with Dylan at Newport. He was a bit arrogant and didn't think much of any of the bands and their guitar players. But, yes, he was the first to do the Raga Rock thing with East/West.
I stumbled on this video by accident and I'm glad I did. I was in high school in Pgh PA during these years and all I wanted was to head out to San Francisco. I loved your album picks. Many of them I have and you reminded me of some that I don't own that I need to check out again. Great memories. Thanks!
You're very lucky to have been alive in living there at that time man! I must say this is one of the best videos you have done bro, and that says a lot cuz you've done some good ones. Much peace to you my friend stay safe
