Featured Album:
This is a series of articles looking at albums from 1960 to whatever year we end up in.
I will select a featured album for each year and the link for the whole album, Plus list the songs on it.
As before, it is not just about the songs and tunes, it is very much about memories, and good ones, I hope.
Not everyone will like my choices of course, and you may remember some from each particular year that you feel should have been included, so do please post a link to the song.
Before we go on. “Teh vaccine” is starting to unravel, as suspected there are now a lot more people who are officially told not to have it, therefore I cannot see anyway they can make it mandatory, or even make life that difficult for us non-believers. Brexit, we do not know how much Doris will give away, though I suspect another year of kicking the can down the line. His Donaldness, well, I have wagered money on Betfair and will make 6.6k profit if he is inaugurated. I have put my stake on not just because I believe he will take his rightful place, but also following the maxim of “Follow the money”. Keep an eye out on his odds. So, we are in for a rocky ride until late January, then we should know where we are. Hold the line brethren, hold the line.
Just a reminder of the GP rules like what I have just made up. Christmas songs may of course be played in the comfort of you own home, car, workplace etc, but not in the pub that is GP, not until at least the 17th December. Anyone feeling the need to post Christmas songs prior to this date should of course be vilified in the usual GP manner.
1969 another awesome year which included, in my opinion the best Beatles album ever, Abbey Road. However, I am trying to avoid having the same band being featured twice.
I remember wanting a Raleigh Chopper bike for Christmas, but not getting one. Girls cried at school as both Paul McCartney and John Lennon got married to Linda Eastman and the dreadful Yoko. The highlight of the year by far was of course the Apollo 11 moon landing, just how spectacular was that! It was not fake either, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins insisted on filming it on location.
Johnny Cash at San Quentin is the 31st overall album by Johnny Cash, recorded live at San Quentin State Prison on the 24th February, and released on the 16th June this year. The concert was filmed by Granada Television. The album was the second in Cash’s conceptual series of live prison albums that also included At Folsom Prison (1968), På Österåker (1973), and A Concert Behind Prison Walls (1976).
Track listing
| Side one | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | “Wanted Man” | Bob Dylan | 3:24 |
| 2. | “Wreck of the Old 97“ | arranged by Cash, Bob Johnston, Norman Blake | 2:17 |
| 3. | “I Walk the Line“ | Johnny Cash | 3:13 |
| 4. | “Darling Companion” | John Sebastian | 6:10 |
| 5. | “Starkville City Jail” | Johnny Cash | 2:01 |
| Side two | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | “San Quentin” | Johnny Cash | 4:07 |
| 2. | “San Quentin” (performed a second time at the audience’s request) | Johnny Cash | 3:13 |
| 3. | “A Boy Named Sue“ | Shel Silverstein | 3:53 |
| 4. | “(There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley“ | Thomas A. Dorsey | 2:37 |
| 5. | “Folsom Prison Blues“ | Johnny Cash | 1:29 |
I do not think I could live with myself if I did not have Johnny Cash featuring.
More writings on this album here: Johnny Cash at San Quentin
The Top 10 Albums with a You Tube hyperlink on the title:
Top Tip: Right-click and open in new tab
| Top Albums of 1969 | ||
| 1 | The Beatles | Abbey Road |
| 2 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin 2 |
| 3 | The Seekers | Best Of The Seekers |
| 4 | Original Soundtrack | The Sound Of Music |
| 5 | Ray Conniff | His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound |
| 6 | Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash At San Quentin |
| 7 | Original Soundtrack | Oliver |
| 8 | Jim Reeves | According To My Heart |
| 9 | Mary Hopkin | Goodbye |
| 10 | Diana Ross & The Supremes with The Temptations | Diana Ross And The Supremes Join The Temptations |
The sound of music still in charts and now No 4, it finally leaves the top ten after quite a few years, replaced by other musicals. Led Zeppelin loved by many (includes Whole lotta love). Some stunning track on the Seekers including “I’ll never find another you” and every track an absolute gem. Jim Reeves is also someone I listen to a lot.
In my view the best albums of the year, after the featured one, and the top tunes from each, are:
Tammy Wynette – Stand By Your Man – Because I like both kinds of music, Country and Western
Merle Haggard – Same Train, A Different Time – He was in the audience for the the featured Johnny Cash album!
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy and the Poor Boys
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River – Not possible to have too much CCR
The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed – Includes Gimme Shelter, “You can’t always get what you want”- Great studio album
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin – For those fan wondering why album 2 appeared but not album 1.
Elvis Presley – From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis – Truly awesome
The Moody Blues – On the Threshold of a Dream
Procol Harum – A Salty Dog – Does not have Whiter Shade of Pale, but what a cracking good album this is.
Bee Gees – Odessa – Very early Bee Gees, one of my favourite bands. Listenable.
Scoring:
As you know I like to review your “tunes” that you post. Scoring this week will be as per my first comment you will not read:
*Note. Anyone scoring a Morrissey (lowest score possible) will be reported and blocked.
Hat tips to:
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/8-all-music-highest-rated/1969/1 these give the top 100 selling charts for each year
http://www.everyhit.com/chart1.html these give the top 10 songs for each year
https://www.youtube.com/ you know them.
Next Time: 1970 – Yay, glam rock starting up!
Featured image: “File:At San quentin 1969 2014-05-04 00-14.jpg” by User:Johnnycash1950-2003 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
© Phil the ex test manager 2020
