buddyev Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 (edited) The Most Important Album of 1968 Wasn’t The White Album. It Was Beggars Banquet. https://slate.com/culture/2018/12/rolling-stones-beggars-banquet-50th-anniversary-1968-album.html yes, Im with that. Edited December 7, 2018 by buddyev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyse1 Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 Not even close Much as I love the Stones and Beggars Banquet the best album of 1968 was Astral Weeks and the most influential by a country mile was Music From Big Pink or Sweetheart Of The Rodeo Big Pink fused almost every strain of American music and at the time sounded like nothing else and still resonates today It also included and 2 songs by Dylan (and The Band)from The Basement Tapes which were being played around London the previous year and had in themselves created a huge shift in British music Beggars is the first of the Stones 4 great records and was around the time that Keith Richards and Gram Parsons started a friendship that bonded over heroin and country music Parsons was the driving force in a collaborative sense behind Sweetheart Of The Radio although his vocals were scrubbed from the record for contractual reasons The Byrd’s were in London about to tour South Africa and Richards explainer To Parsons why South Africa was boycotted Parsons quit the Byrd’s and started hanging out with The Stones A lot more complicated than that like everything is but there are dozens of books written about those times and the players that made those records and how they all fit into rock and roll at the time it was being cross pollinated so to speak with country music i feel better now 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brumby Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 I can remember buying both the White Album and Beggars Banquet in 1968. Beggars Banquet in particular was a huge relief after the Stones stuffed it up completely with Their Satanic Majesties Request and I agree that it was better than the White Album. But I bought a bunch of other albums in 1968 too! . Two that I'm sure got more time on my turntable than either the Beatles or the Stones were Electric Ladyland by Hendrix and Wheels Of Fire by Cream. Either one is my 1968 pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThirdDrawerDown Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 Always helpful to go to the article here, where the writer defines "most important" as "most consequential". On these terms, if we were talking of 1967 it would be The Velvet Underground and Nico. As for 1968, and using the writer's examples of consequence, it's Music from Big Pink (w/ its Basement Tapes elements) that comes out ahead. FWIW I play Big Pink more often but Beggar's Banquet louder. Way louder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted December 7, 2018 Author Share Posted December 7, 2018 Yes, most consequential or most interesting is worth discussing. I love all these albums but what’s best seems to me a pointless argument. I probably play Pink and associated albums more than any of the others but does that make it my favourite? Hendrix, Cream - impossible choices. Maybe Beggars Banquet is the most significant because it’s more of a window on the year than the others. It draws on many different musical and lyrical traditions - US & UK - combining them into something very new so it’s a critical album in that respect. But it also deals more directly with and has its finger on the social currents of the time - especially in London, and it is a very ‘London’ album - way more intensely than the other albums. 1968 was a year of social and cultural revolution, there was real fighting in the streets. Pink is no doubt incredibly influential but it’s musical and social roots are more obvious and it turns away from that bigger political/social disruption in a very american way. - thats of course significant in itself and part of the time. Pink is wonderful but it presages a run of Dylan’s weaker and inward looking albums after the absolute genius of JWH. For me Astral Weeks is the most interesting album from that period - musically and lyrically - though it doesn’t seem to belong to any specific time. Its still a surprising and quite amazing album. Mind you, I didn’t discover Van till 1973. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janjuggler Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 Hi All, For me Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly, Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland, The Twain Shall Meet - Eric Burdon and A Saucerful of Secrets, in no particular order are my list. JJ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundfan Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 I love Beggars Banquet, can’t see the fuss about the White album though. But agree with @keyse1, Astral Weeks is my pick of the best album of that year. And in my top five albums ever. Music from Big Pink is another standout from ‘68, and Nefertiti from Miles Davis would be my pick from the jazz genre. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
was_a Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 (edited) Unbelievable year for music. Most important album? What's important? The progression of a certain band? The progression of a certain genre? Influence on later artists? Cream - Wheels of Fire Across the pond: Velvet Underground - White Light, White Heat The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers Blood, Sweat & Tears - Child Is Father to the Man Edited December 7, 2018 by was_a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demondes Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 Wow guys can’t fault any of these nominations but have a soft spot for the Big Pink. oh and was only born that year, so didn’t pick up any of those albums at that time, unfortunately neither did my parents shame on them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted December 7, 2018 Author Share Posted December 7, 2018 These 2 podcasts discussing the music of 1968 are really worth a listen. https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-music-show-abc-rn/id156556864?mt=2#episodeGuid=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fradionational%2Fprograms%2Fmusicshow%2Fthe-music-of-1968---part-1%2F9752156 https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-music-show-abc-rn/id156556864?mt=2#episodeGuid=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fradionational%2Fprograms%2Fmusicshow%2Fthe-music-of-1968-part-ii%2F9751196 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me2also Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 On 07/12/2018 at 8:15 PM, Demondes said: Wow guys can’t fault any of these nominations but have a soft spot for the Big Pink. oh and was only born that year, so didn’t pick up any of those albums at that time, unfortunately neither did my parents shame on them Not quite sure how to quantify 'most important' in that context, but what a year for music. Birth occured to me2also. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbuzzardstubble Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 41 minutes ago, Me2also said: Not quite sure how to quantify 'most important' in that context, but what a year for music. Birth occured to me2also. Exactly. God Bless Tiny Tim was released in '68 also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 (edited) 50 minutes ago, Me2also said: Not quite sure how to quantify 'most important' in that context, but what a year for music. Birth occured to me2also. Most important, most significant, best etc is rubbish, of course. It’s an invitation to think about some great music - a conversation starter, that’s all. Edited December 9, 2018 by buddyev 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 Old guys riffing about 50 yr old muzak...shite load of better stuff since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me2also Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 9 minutes ago, Luc said: Old guys riffing about 50 yr old muzak...shite load of better stuff since then. What an insightful contrabution. Good for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 29 minutes ago, Luc said: Old guys riffing about 50 yr old muzak...shite load of better stuff since then. No nothing better since or before - this is the only music that counts. It’s the epitome of what went before and the beginning of a decline for what came after. Monteverdi, Bach, Mozart’s, Stravinsky, John Coltrane - they were only just warm up acts for Parachute Woman. Silly ****. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 Haha. It's the silly season indeed. 1 hour ago, Me2also said: What an insightful contrabution. Good for you. Yes, I thought so! Have an 'i' on me. *Oh! Your a Qlder I see, sorry, I'll explain then. I was having a dig at some friends. A point easily lost when your reading text only. I'm sure the aforementioned albums are ok but we move on you know or in buddyev's case you go off tangent and all weird...but that's another story. Black+Blue was a much better album than that 68 dross and Blood on the Tracks craps all over Music from big pink @Russ. I keep reading Bacharach for Bach. Apart from that being plain silly, hasn't it got a name when you see one thing but name another? (...leaves door wide open for a kicking...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddisgeek Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 Interesting discussion. The existence of "Oh-bla-di-o-bli-dah' (or whatever its called) not only disqualifies the White Album, but is clear evidence on why the Stones are better than the Beatles. I don't think I'm qualified to say what is the most important album for all popular music from 1968, but for the stuff I dig (punk and sleazy rock n roll) it's a toss up between VUs 'White Light/White Heat' and Blue Cheers 'Vincebus Eruptum'. Both are monstrous albums in their own way, the Velvets chewed up and spat out what rock n roll means with stuff like 'Sister Ray' and 'The Gift', Blue Cheer just blew the doors off everything that went before it. Special mention to the Mothers for 'We're Only it it for the Money, coz it's awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 @Luc Funny when I see Luc I think lucubration. Or was that Luco Brazzi - who sleeps with the fishes. Anyway talking about Burt Bacharach, Bach is about 50% of my listening these days. Love this new ECM recording of Bach cello suites transcribed for viola by Kim Kashkasian. Very very good. Tidal or Spotify it. Black and Blue is dull, just going through the motions. Blood on the Tracks - yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 4 minutes ago, caddisgeek said: Interesting discussion. The existence of "Oh-bla-di-o-bli-dah' (or whatever its called) not only disqualifies the White Album, but is clear evidence on why the Stones are better than the Beatles. I don't think I'm qualified to say what is the most important album for all popular music from 1968, but for the stuff I dig (punk and sleazy rock n roll) it's a toss up between VUs 'White Light/White Heat' and Blue Cheers 'Vincebus Eruptum'. Both are monstrous albums in their own way, the Velvets chewed up and spat out what rock n roll means with stuff like 'Sister Ray' and 'The Gift', Blue Cheer just blew the doors off everything that went before it. Special mention to the Mothers for 'We're Only it it for the Money, coz it's awesome The Beatles did some truly awful crap, mcartney couldn’t fart without churning out some vacuous jingle - half rock half English music hall. White Light is one of my faves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddisgeek Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 Black and Blue? Now I know you are taking the p!ss @Luc The that bought in Ronnie Wood and saw the end of the Stones as a creative force Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyev Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 4 minutes ago, caddisgeek said: Black and Blue? Now I know you are taking the p!ss @Luc The that bought in Ronnie Wood and saw the end of the Stones as a creative force Too right, squire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 Since I was an early convert to progressive rock I will put forward a few of the best prog releases of 1968 Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets The Mother’s Of Invention - We’re Only In It For The Money Deep Purple - The Book Of Taliesyn Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luc Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 Bah&humbug you old fogies, get a grip I say! Take those rose coloured specs off, put that glass of Ben Ean Moselle down or Blue Nun if your an inner city type(or Mateus Rose if your a full blown wally) turn off Homicide on the the TV or the Mavis Brampton Show and listen to the sheer creative climax that was Black + Blue and culminated in so many fantastic tracks! #The hand of fate is on me now It pick me up and knock me down I'm on the run, I'm prison bound The hand of fate is heavy now I killed a man, I'm highway bound # Mick n Keeth at their best yeah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddisgeek Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 @Luc, this is quite possibly the silliest statement you have made on SNA (and there is some stiff competion), go have a cup of tea and a lie down, think you are having an attack of the vapours 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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