The Toy Box: 60's Music

Showing posts with label 60's Music. Show all posts

Retro Spins: David Bowie - David Bowie

My favorite David Bowie song is so obscure, that nobody would ever guess it. Despite his many hits throughout the 1970's and 80's, which are great, you won't find it amongst your Space Oddity's, China Girl's or Magic Dance's. Nope. You would need to go all the way to the 1992 soundtrack for the title track, Cool World, to find my favorite.

Though he had achieved major success far prior to this, my introduction to Bowie didn't occur until 1983. In retrospect of my childhood, it's funny how when you don't know about an artist until your particular era, that you can't fathom they had been around long before that. To me, artists like David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and even Fleetwood Mac, were new artists in the 80's. They didn't exist prior to me hearing them for the first time with their, at the time, current hits.

Bowie consecutively released albums from 1967 through 2016, with very few breaks in between. Throughout his career, he evolved from hippy, to glam rock, to full suits and ties, and on. No one era can truly define his legacy as an artist. He managed to do what so few musicians could, evolving seamlessly from decade to decade, staying relevant throughout as one of the front line forerunners.

Tragically, he passed away just two days after the release of his 2016 album, Blackstar. Bowie had been suffering from liver cancer, but kept this out of the public's eye. I respect that. He wanted people to remember him for who he was. Not be bombarded with unwanted attention and focus for his illness.

I pay my respects to him by going back to his 1967 debut for today's Retro Spins. As the album started up, I picked up on the psychedelic rock style, reminiscent of the era the album is from. It's on par with the like of The Doors, Big Brother And Holding Company, The Who and so many more staples of the late 60's.

I found myself grinning to the lyrics of the first track, Uncle Arthur. I feel he and I would have been great friends amongst the lyrics, "Uncle Arthur, still reads comics. Uncle Arthur, follows Batman." That's my kind of people.

Bowie has a unique voice, that regardless of the song he's singing, sucks you in, and this is what I found kept happening to me. I enjoyed everything, not necessarily for the music or lyrics, but his voice. It's funny how when you listen to older albums that the artists sound different, because of their age. For example, you can definitely tell that James Hatfield was in his early twenties when you hear Kill 'Em All, vs. being in his late twenties for the black album. His voice changed that much over eight years. However, with Bowie, he sounds exactly the same at the age of twenty as he did in his sixties.

Unlike many of the debut albums I've been listening to as of late, I would totally recommend this one. It's pretty good. It makes me want to hear more from him, and as we all know at this point, that's the ultimate goal of these Retro Spins.

It was interesting to learn that Deram, the label Bowie released his debut album on, dropped him among poor sales. What they failed to acknowledge was that in 1967 he was contending with the likes of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. Their loss I suppose, as he would go on to release his second self titled album in 1969 featuring Space Oddity. So they can go ahead and file that one under, "Oops."

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Retro Spins: Genesis - From Genesis To Revelation

If you enjoyed last week's history of ever revolving band members that were Fleetwood Mac, then you may also enjoy today's look at the original lineup of Genesis through its final album. Though it's not as massive as that of Mac, it's seen its fare share of iterations before becoming the classic lineup of Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, and Tony Banks.

Genesis began when God spoke, but as for the band, they began at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey. It was formed by Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, and Anthony Phillips. The name came from pupil Jonathan King, who arranged for them to record their first tracks.

Featuring Peter Gabriel on Vocals, Tony Banks on keyboards, Anthony Phillips on guitar, Mike Rutherford on bass, and John Silver on drums, the band released their 1969 debut, From Genesis To Revelation. However, it's worth noting that Silver was not actually the first drummer for the group. He replaced Chris Stewart just before the album was recorded.

Silver departed after the recording of their debut album to study at Cornell University, and was replaced by John Mayhew for their follow up album, Trespass, released in 1970. Both Anthony Phillips and John Mayhew would exit prior to the recording of 1971's Nursery Crimes, and were replaced by Steve Hackett on guitar, and Phil Collins on drums. Though I was unable to find any information on why Mayhew was dismissed from the group, Phillips departed due to stage fright, and a lack of scope for solos.

The lineup of Gabriel, Hackett, Rutherford, Banks, and Collins would remain in place through 1974's The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Following weeks of speculation, Peter Gabriel would leave Genesis in 1975, launching a highly successful solo career. Phil Collins would fill double duties, assuming the role of vocals, while remaining the drummer.

Steve Hackett would leave the group after the 1976, stating he, "needed autonomy". For those of you without a dictionary handy, essentially he wanted independence and freedom to do what he wanted. The result was the aptly titled, "...And Then There Were Three..." album released in 1977. This would feature the most popular lineup of the group, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, and Phil Collins.

Though they continued to record in a progressive rock style, things turned commercially successful for Genesis in 1981, when they focused on and released the pop oriented Abacab. This sound, and subsequent success would continue in tandem with Collins own solo success, and Genesis' final album, We Can't Dance in 1991.

However, by 1993, amidst a massive world tour, Collins felt the band couldn't reach any higher than it already had. Rather than continue to try, he opted to step back, focusing on his solo work again. Specifically, to create music which meant more to him personally. He announced his departure from Genesis, releasing his solo album, Both Sides, that same year.

Rutherford and Banks hired Ray Wilson as their vocalist for 1997's Calling All Stations. The album was poorly received, and remains their last studio record to date. Since 2006, Rutherford, Collins, and Banks have reunited for tours, and additional touring scheduled for 2021, while initially postponed, appears to be back on track.

Which leads us to today's Retro Spin, where we go all the way back to 1969 to fire up the debut album of Genesis, From Genesis To Revelation. Right from the start, I pick up on a folksy sound, reminiscent to that of Simon and Garfunkel. I don't necessarily hate it, but I also know this particular style of music doesn't usually resonate with me, in terms of "hit songs".

This initial reaction turned out to be true, as I ultimately didn't walk away with anything new for my shuffle list. From Genesis To Revelation wasn't a bad album. However, what it lacked was any kind of punch. I didn't hear anything that left me wanting to hear it again, and further, I don't even remember any one specific song at all. It was just there. Noise, if you will. Not bad noise, but noise all the same.

With that said, I somewhat expected this. I had tried listening to some of the Gabriel led Genesis stuff in the past, and none of it was really for me. Take that for what it's worth though. My introduction to them was the 80's pop smash hits that dominated the airwaves throughout that decade. I don't remember when I learned that Gabriel was the original front man for the band, but I do recall the shock from hearing it. At the time, I couldn't fathom it. The Sledgehammer guy? Really?

I suppose, just like Fleetwood Mac, sometimes change is necessary to really launch a group from minor success to superstardom. I think this is definitely what happened when Collins took control of Genesis, leading them to a more radio friendly sound, which ultimately resulted in the massive success. For me, Genesis of the 80's is more my speed, but I respect the trials, tribulations, and changes which had to occur to get them to where they are today. For without Gabriel and his folksy sound, there would have never been Collins, Rutherford, Banks, or any of the many hits that have become some of my favorites to this day.

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Retro Spins: Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac. Though the band always consisted of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, it would go through several iterations of singers, additional band members, and even a collaboration with Chicago, before landing on the classic lineup, which included Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie.

The formation of the group began in 1967 with original members, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Jeremy Spencer, and John McVie. Together, they crafted a blues rock sound which would be the foundation for the bands early days. Danny Kirwin would join in 1969 as an additional guitarist, making his debut on Then Play On.Peter Green exited the band after releasing their second album this same year, the collaboration with Chicago entitled, Fleetwood Mac In Chicago. The reason cited for his departure was a continued decline of his mental stability, and desire to give all of the band's money to charity.

Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwin would share lead vocal duties on their 1970 album, Kiln House. However, following its release, Spencer would abruptly quit the group, having joined a religious cult. By 1971, the lineup was restructured, now featuring Danny Kirwin and Bob Welch sharing guitar and vocals, along with Christine McVie who also contributed vocals, while also providing keyboards, as well as John McVie and Mick Fleetwood retaining their respective roles as bassist and drummer.

This lineup too wouldn't last long. By 1973, Danny Kirwin had been fired for refusing to perform during a recent tour. He was replaced for the subsequent album, Penguins, by Bob Weston. Additionally, Dave Walker joined the band to briefly provide additional vocals and harmonica, and I do mean, briefly. He was gone by their next album, Mystery To Me, released that same year. He was asked to leave by the remaining five members because his vocal style didn't fit in with the band's musical style.

1974 saw yet another band member exit. Bob Weston was fired from the group when Mick Fleetwood discovered that he was having an affair with Fleetwood's wife, Jenny Boyd. In retrospect, this is rather hypocritical, considering Fleetwood would be the man who came between Buckingham and Nicks. Regardless, the band proceeded forward, releasing Heroes Are Hard To Find in 1974 with Bob Welch, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood.

Not wanting to actually be a superstar, Bob Welch opted to leave the group shortly thereafter. His goal to travel the world and be in a, "good band" had been fulfilled, and as such, he saw no reason to remain part of Fleetwood Mac. Enter Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham for what would become the second self titled album, 1975's Fleetwood Mac.

Though Nicks and Buckingham would formally break up in 1976 as a couple, the band continued on through 1987's Tango In The Night. However, tensions were growing between the band, and after a meeting one evening at the home of McVie, Buckingham quit the band. This led to a new lineup featuring the remaining members, plus Billy Burnett and Rick Vito, both on guitars and vocals.

Due to a dispute with Mick Fleetwood over the song Silverspring, Nicks departed the band at some point after the 1990 album, Behind The Mask. A lineup change once again occurred after Rick Vito also quit to pursue a solo career. While Billy Burnette remained with the two McVie's and Fleetwood, new members, Bekka Bramlett, and Dave Mason were added. They recorded and released 1995's, Time. Christine McVie informed her band mates that this album would be her last.

Fleetwood Mac dissolved formally. However, just weeks after doing so, the classic lineup had quietly reformed. In an odd turn of events, President Bill Clinton, would have the band perform for his inauguration in 1997. From there, the classic lineup of Nicks, Buckingham, Fleetwood and both McVie's would set off on a world tour that would see major success.

The last album to date from the band was their 2003, Say You Will. Though it featured the above lineup, Christine McVie was only credited as an "additional musician". She later stated in a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone that she had developed a fear of flying, which resulted in her formally leaving the band after 1998.

Since then, the lineup has continued to tour in some form or fashion, with Christine McVie coming back in 2014, Buckingham being fired in 2018, and Nicks holding out on contributing vocals to a studio album that has been in the works since 2015 / 16. In short, drama continues among the members, and at this point, nobody knows if a new Fleetwood Mac album will ever come to light. Considering all of the members are in their seventies at this point, maybe it's best to just bow out gracefully.

Wow, that's a lot of history and drama for one band. I haven't even touched on the whole point of today's Retro Spin, which was to go all the way back to their 1968 debut album.

As I fired it up, I was greeted by a very different sound than I expected. Having only been acquainted with their more commercial sound from 1975 through 1987, I wasn't expected to hear a rhythm and blues rock album.

What I immediately picked up on was how unrefined it sounded. It starts out with someone in the recording booth trying desperately to get the band to focus and pay attention, and these occur throughout several other tracks, with one specifically ending abruptly as Green says something to the tune about not knowing the rest of the song. At least, I think it was Green.

Overall, it was interesting to hear, but it definitely wasn't for me. I couldn't tell you what any of the songs on the album were, because none of them stood out to me. Truthfully, I got more out of researching the above history of the band then I did from actually hearing the music from their debut. I suppose that's a fair trade off.

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Retro Spins: Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 AM

My introduction to Simon & Garfunkel, or rather Paul Simon, occurred in 1986 with his hit, You Can Call Me Al. Specifically, the music video, which featured Chevy Chase. I want to say I had heard of the duo prior to that when they did their highly anticipated Central Park reunion concert. However, since I was only four years old and living in Bangladesh at the time, I highly doubt this purported memory.

So however it happened, Simon & Garfunkel, the powerhouse folk duo eventually made their way to my radar, but I never really paid them any mind. I eventually picked up a greatest hits CD from them between 2015 and 2018, but honestly never got around to listening to it. By this point, I was all to familiar with their hits from hearing them on classic rock stations, or in movies, and of course the AWFUL cover by the Lemonheads, who I only know because of their equally awful 1988 cover of the terrible song, Luka, by Suzanne Vega.

It was also between this time period noted above that I was also hoping from garage sale to garage and estate sales, grabbing CD's up for incredibly cheap. This is where I came across a three CD set entitled, Collected Works. Not really paying much attention to it, I paid the guy the two to three bucks he wanted for it, and went about my day, not really thinking much about it.

I at first just chalked it up to being another greatest hits, but more expansive than the one I had at home. It wasn't until I started thumbing through the booklet that it dawned on my what I was actually holding in my hands. In hindsight, the title should have been a dead giveaway, as Collected Works featured all five of the duo's studio albums in one complete CD set. At the time I purchased this, it was a set going for twenty-five to thirty dollars on ebay, and while that has dropped considerably these days, it was still an amazing deal at the price I got it for.

When transferring it to iTunes, I went ahead and split them up by their respective album, giving them their appropriate date and cover. Which of course makes it easy for me to fire up their first album today for a Retro Spins. So without further ado, let's jump into the duo's debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM.

I was intrigued by the gospel themed song, You Can Tell The World, and was happy to hear a couple other Christian based tracks on the album as it played out. Though beyond those songs, I didn't know of anything on Wednesday Morning until I got to The Sounds Of Silence, a classic in its own right. Though I like the original more, I also didn't hate their cover of The Times They Are a-Changin'.

Overall, the album brought with it a calming feeling. It wasn't in your face, psychedelic, or loud, such as many albums of that era were. It was a nice change of pace, and I can see myself eventually getting around to the other four records in the duo's catalog one day. However, it's not a priory at this time.

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Retro Spins: The Grateful Dead - The Grateful Dead

Photo goes to the right.

My exposure to The Grateful Dead has been an unwilling forcing upon by a co-worker who lives and breaths by the band. He's what they call a Deadhead. He follows the band around to this day, going from show to show, buying every bit of music he can get from them. He's a hippy to his core, and I don't think I've ever seen him get angry. Even when pushed to what many would consider the limit. That just wouldn't be groovy.

I myself have pushed and pushed him about his love for the band, reminding him that he's a burnout and making fun of his love for Jerry Garcia - As guys often do to their friends. It was because of this, I immediately texted him to let him know that I was firing up their first album to finally give them a fair chance.

Look, I could sit here and try to hammer out a history of the band to lead into my listening of the album, but at this point in their history, I would probably do them a great disservice in trying to do so. Instead, I would suggest anyone looking for any information on them to find a better source.

As for the album, or rather, my opinion of it, in terms of sixties music, I suppose it wasn't bad. It wasn't mind blowing by any means, but then again, as a child of the 80's I don't necessarily have the perspective of their impact of their time. Kind of like how The Beatles are considered to be such a revolutionary band, but in today's terms, it's just classic rock.

Did I hear anything that made me want to hear anything further from The Grateful Dead? No. Did I hear anything that got added to my shuffle list? Also, no. While I'm listening to a lot of classic rock as of late, the truth of the matter is that this style of music isn't my favorite. I'm an 80's child, and that's my sweet spot when it comes to the sounds and songs. Still, I want to give some of the sixties and seventies icons a try to see if any of them can change my perspective.

At the very least, I'm trying new things.

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Retro Spins: Alice Cooper - Pretties For You

Ah, yes. Back when Alice Cooper was a band, and not a persona of an individual. The group debuted in 1969 with their album, Pretties For You, and within it you can definitely hear the psychedelic influences that shaped it. What you can't hear is a band that plays in tune, or a singer that seems to be able to hold a note. If this is by choice, it's a poor one.

The album is laughable at best. If you told me in 1969 that the lead singer of this group would go on to be one of the most successful shock rockers of all time, I'd have told you to take another hit off whatever you were smoking. Pretties For You is garbage! Mind you, I came to this conclusion before track two was even over, and nothing beyond that did anything to change my mind.

It's interesting how songs running less than a minute thirty seconds can still feel too long when they're so horrible. They end abruptly too, as if the band didn't even bother to finish writing them.

To be fair, my introduction to Alice Cooper didn't come until 1989's Trash, and album that Cooper purposely pushed for mainstream success. It's because of this, and his subsequent released, Hey Stoopid, that I had a greater expectation for what I was about to hear. I wanted to hear the foundation for what would become the 80's icon I came to know. Well, I heard it. I didn't like it. But, I heard it. Part of it anyway. I finally had to shut it off about halfway through. I couldn't take it much longer.

I'm really worried now, because I recently invested quite a bit of money into a plethora of Alice Cooper albums from the 70's and 80's. I really hope they don't sound like this nonsense. Otherwise, there's a trash can in my kitchen that's going to eat them up. This album was terrible! TERRIBLE! Get this thing away from me!

At least I'm not alone. Apparently even Alice Cooper knows the album stinks. Even he hasn't performed any songs from it since the band's 1971 breakthrough album, Love It To Death. I suppose in light of this, I don't feel so bad shutting it off. If the person behind it even moved away from it, I have no guilt in doing the same.

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Retro Spins: The Doors - The Doors

Ah, The Doors. Them's those chaps what was in that Oliver Stone movie starring Iceman from Top Gun and Sally. That's about all I knew about them, with exception of the hits which have transcended the decades.

The Doors are one of those bands who I collected the majority of their discography before even getting around to firing one up. I've collected their entire studio works from their debut album through 1971's L.A. Woman, which is the last album to feature Jim Morrison, but not the last in the band's catalog. Due to their positive critical reception, I may have to get 1971's Other Voices and 1972's Full Circle.

For now though, let me dive into the band's self titled debut album. Like I mentioned above, with exception of the hits and Stone movie, I know little to nothing about the band. So this is relatively all new territory for me.

The album starts with the hit, Break On Thru (To The Other Side), and this set the bar way high for the rest of the album to achieve to. As the songs continued on, I admittedly found myself very surprised. They were indeed meeting this expectation. It was also at this time that I realized the item was on shuffle, and with exception of the first song, the others were not playing in sequence. It was disappointing to realize I wasn't getting the experience as the band originally intended, order wise, but still, the music was good.

As I continued my play through, it was great to hear additional Doors staples, Light My Fire and The End. These helped to only more so impact how great the album was. And yes, I suppose by the end of it, I was a new inductee into The Door's fandom. Well, maybe not fan, but intrigued and entertained enough to want to check out the next album. That's something I'm definitely looking forward to.

While the hits definitely stood out on the album, more so for their timeless rotation on radio stations than anything else, I didn't hear any songs that I would classify as "bad" - Even in shuffle mode. The Crystal Ship, Alabama Girl (Whisky Bar), and Take It As It Comes were three stand out tracks that I felt could have easily been top singles from the band.

That's going to be it for me on this one.

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Retro Spins: The Monkees - The Monkees

It was because my dad was such a tech nut, that we were that family on the block with the giant satellite dish in our back yard. There's something to be said about the unique television in the 80's that came with this sort of luxury. You could get any channel, see any show, and enjoy a ton of content, most of which you just had to stumble upon by "scanning". It was with this dish, and the aid of my sister, that I was introduced to The Monkees.

Being a young child, and several decades late, I wasn't hip to the knowledge that the group was manufactured by and for Hollywood. To me, The Monkees were a real rock group with their own comedy show, which I suppose by the 80's they were.

My young mind had no knowledge on their complete history. In fact, it wouldn't be until much later - fifteen to twenty years, that I would finally be tuned into that fact with the biopic, Daydream Believers: The Monkees' Story (an excellent movie you can watch in very low quality on Youtube). It was fascinating to see the, possible skewed, history of how Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones were hand picked from a lineup of hundreds of young men to become America's comedic opposites of The Beatles.

Manufactured or not, the quartet worked hard, in Micky's case, actually learning to play the drums while singing, to finally get creative control of their music. For their prior two albums, The Monkees and More Of The Monkees, the band had limited input, often times being relegated only to vocals for songs which had already been written and music which had already been recorded. It was with their 1967 record, Headquarters, that they were finally able to record by themselves, to a degree.

While the band ultimately were able to show the world that they were indeed the musicians they claimed to be, the sacrifice came at the loss of the television series, which ended after two seasons. This wasn't at all helped by their panned film, Head, written by Bob Rafelson and none other than Jack Nicholson himself.

Though the band was already rife with internal strife, the film damaged the bands clean reputation with younger kids and parents, while the hippy generation they were reaching for with the obscure movie, rejected them. This left the group in a position they never quite recovered from. Peter Tork left the band shortly there after, and though he continued on with the group for a little longer, Michael Nesmith exited in 1969. Micky and Davy would release one final album together in 1970 as The Monkees before calling it quits. It seemed The Monkees had come to an end.

August 1, 1981. The dawn of MTV. It was an era that took a generation by storm. A station dedicated at first to nothing but music videos. However, by 1986, the station would look for other ways to branch out. Among them was running a back to back marathon of the original The Monkees television series. Popularity was rekindled to all new fans, and the band's popularity began to skyrocket. The Monkees responded in kind with their first album in over a decade, 1987's Pool It!. Sadly, Michael Nesmith opted to not reunite with his band mates, leaving just the trio of Dolenz, Tork and Jones Though the only album for almost another decade, all four would finally return to record together for the album, Justus in 1996. This too would be short lived, as it wouldn't be until after Davey Jones' death that the remaining members would reunite again for their 2016 album, Good Times! and 2018's Christmas Party. Sadly, in 2019, Peter Tork would be the next member of The Monkees to pass away.

What the future holds for the remaining two members is yet to be known. However, until that time comes (or not), we can go all the way back to day one with their 1966 debut album, which is exactly what we're going to do today.

The album starts with their iconic television theme song, which is the full two minute twenty-one second version. Though there are several classic hits on the record, including Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day and Last Train To Clarksville, I personally find the album shines the most when Nesmith steps to the front line with his tracks, Papa Gene's Blues and Sweet Young Thing. As a natural guitarist and singer, his songs always felt more professional and personal. This would make sense, considering he was the one who penned them (that's that limited input aspect I mentioned above).

That's not to say the rest of the album is terrible. Far from it. Songs such as, Saturday's Child, Take A Giant Step, Let's Dance On and This Just Doesn't Seem To Be My Day, showcase the group at their best. Meanwhile, the soft spoken Davey Jones ballad, I Wanna Be Free, shapes the teen heartthrob he would soon become. Lastly, Gonna Buy Me A Dog, brings that bit of humor and fun that the television series would soon be known for.

Look, call it manufactured all you want. The debut album is solid. It's well worth listening to, and definitely a staple in your collection if your an audiophile of any kind.

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Retro Spins: Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

As I continue to listen to the music of the late sixties, I can't help but think that Elvis Presley was on to something. This music is weird. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure if you're blitzed out of your mind on some form of conscious altering medicinal that the music makes perfect sense. However, for those of us not riding white dragons, it's just odd.

What I think is really interesting about this particular era of music is how influential Indian music is. You hear a lot of sitars and in general a very Hindu style intertwined with the psychedelic sounds. Pink Floyd captures this perfectly, if you could call it perfect, in their debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.

My exposure thus far to the band has been to their album, The Wall, which I think everyone should listen to at least once, and a slight dabble in their album The Dark Side Of The Moon. Essentially, their two most popular recordings.

Though all of the members of Pink Floyd were crucial in their success, original guitarist, Syd Barrett, may have been the driving force of the band during its early years. Barrett not only developed the sound of the band, but was also the major contributing writer of all of their material. Sadly, the guitarist / vocalist had a deeper issue, one which would see the decline of his mental health over the course of 1965 - 1968. This would lead to issues with other band members, and the decision was made to let him go. Unfortunately, this also resulted in the band being fired from their label, who felt Barrett was the creative talent among them. The label retained Barrett, who sporadically continued on with a solo career until 1972. However, his declining mental health ultimately led to him stepping out of the spotlight. Despite this, the band ensured he continued to receive royalties for his work up until his death in 2006.

As for the remaining members, and the band itself, Pink Floyd is regarded as one of the most influential group of the 60's and 70's, helping to shape the era known these days as Classic Rock. In 1996, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Rick Wright, Roger Waters and even Syd Barrett, as Pink Floyd, were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Interestingly, neither Roger Waters nor Syd Barrett attended the ceremony.

Listening to A Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, I immediately could tell this was going to be on par with the sounds of the era, odd lyrics and all, such as:

Lazing in the foggy dew
Sitting on a unicorn
No fair, you can't hear me
But I can you

Watching buttercups cup the light
Sleeping on a dandelion
Too much
I won't touch you But then I might

Yeah, true lyrics to the song, Flaming. In hindsight, it's so cliche to the 60's. It's the kind of words that would be used in a Dewy Cox song. Knowing the history of Syd Barrett, it also paints a clear picture of a man who was on the edge of a mental collapse.

The album was both intriguing and unimpressive at the same time. Some songs really sucked me in, while others I shrugged off as your typical fare of the era. I did enjoy it enough that I felt it was an album I would want to add to my collection, but not necessarily as any sort of priority. So instead, I purchased an original pressing of Culture Club's Kissing To Be Clever, to replace my remastered edition. Still, I enjoyed it enough that I wouldn't mind hearing more from the band.

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Retro Spins: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced

As the guitar riff for the opening to Purple Haze fired things up, I could feel a sense of energy. I had heard this song countless times before, but as I looked to hear the whole album from start to finish, things felt very different. Perhaps it was because I was delving deep into artists of the past, and as such, was hearing an evolution of music that perhaps I hadn't noticed before. Maybe it was because it was hot on the heals of my last Retro Spin of Elvis Presley that this evolution was all the more prevalent. Whatever it was, The Jimi Hendrix Experience had power behind it that was making me take notice.

Now before I go any further, it's worth noting, and something similar to what I failed to mention on my review of The Rolling Stones debut album, is that there are two versions of this particular album. The original UK release features not only a different cover, but the tracks between it and the US version are very different.

For example, the UK edition doesn't contain the tracks, Purple Haze, Hey Joe and The Wind Cries Mary. Meanwhile, the US edition doesn't contain the tracks, Red House, Can You See Me, This May Be Love and Remember. I don't know what the reasoning is behind the two different versions of the album, but it's a common occurrence with albums from this era. Especially during the earlier years of the artists. Especially as it pertains to UK artists who release albums in the US either consecutively or later in their careers. It's kind of annoying. I shouldn't have to buy two albums to get the full experience, no pun intended.

The album cover shown above is the UK version, while the one below is the US released version. In comparing the full track listing on each album, I think the UK definitely got the short end of the stick, missing out on several of Hendrix's more popular songs.

I have to be honest. I made it to about track six of this album, and it started to feel like a wall of noise. This baffled me, as I was really into it at first. I dare say that Manic Depression is my new favorite song from Hendrix, a song I had never heard until today. But it just kept getting louder and louder as the album progressed, actually giving me a bit of a headache. Mind you, this wasn't a volume issue either. I keep my music relatively low in that regard.

Ultimately, the take away from this was that there were definitely good tracks to be found on the debut album of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, but for me, it wore thin. No, not wore thin. Perhaps, became overwhelming, is a better explanation.

There's no denying that Jimi Hendrix was an amazing musician, but I don't think I'll be personally calling myself a fan. I actually got about half way through fire, AKA, track eight of eleven before saying to myself, "I just don't think I want to hear anymore." I then popped two Advil.

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Retro Spins: The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones

Who would have thought that one of the most influential bands of the sixties and seventies would get there start as a glorified cover band? The Rolling Stones self titled 1964 debut features a slew of classic hits, none of which were written by any of the members. While they contributed one original track, Tell Me (You're Coming Back), this song failed to make any major impression.

The main focal point of the album is very rhythm and blues oriented. A love letter to artists such as, Bobby Troup, Willie Dixon Chuck Berry and Rufus Thomas. It's not terrible by any means, but it's also not the legendary band that would come to be. It wouldn't be until the group's 1966 album, Aftermath, that The Rolling Stones would achieve the breakthrough they were looking for. The album is also notable for being the first where all the tracks were written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

In terms of my listen, I was a bit disappointed. It was nice to hear the early singing and instrumentation of the group. However, it wasn't the powerful punch I was looking for. While I'm trying to stick closely to debut albums for this particular era of Retro Spins, I can't help but think I should have started my Rolling Stones journey with Aftermath. If I were to base my interest in this group solely on this debut album, I honestly wouldn't bother going any further into their catalog.

Again, this is not a bad album. I get what it is. A love letter from a group to an era of rhythm and blues that inspired them to want to be musicians. However, at the end of the day, it's also not the iconic group they would become.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Retro Spins: The Jackson 5 - Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5

Five brothers, a determined father and the Motown sound would soon create one of the greatest artists of all time. A man who not only released the greatest selling album of all time, a spot held even today, but someone who when he passed would send the entire world into mourning. I'm of course talking about Michael Jackson and the group he fronted, The Jackson 5.

Though many people often attribute Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 as the first recordings from the youth group, there is actually another. One which has only recently seen the light of day. 2009 to be exact. This "album" entitled The Steeltown Recordings, featured a nine year old Michael and his brothers laying down tracks such as Big Boy, Under The Boardwalk and My Girl. However, none of these had the punch that Motown would soon pack.

Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 may give the impression that the female Supreme singer discovered the group. However, this was more so a marketing tactic. Motown knew how to utilize already established acts / stars to promote new talent, and this worked out well for The Jackson 5.

However, this would quickly prove to be unnecessary. Entering the charts at number ninety in November of 1969, I Want You Back rapidly shot up to the number one spot by January of the following year, becoming their first of soon to be many number one hits. Who's Loving You would join the track on the charts, but only make it to number fifty-five. Though they never charted, Standing In The Shadows Of Love, You've Changed, My Cherie Amour and Stand are solid tracks unto themselves.

Admittedly, this is not my first time hearing this album from start to finish, but I wanted to give it one more listen as I wrote this post up. This turned out to be a good thing, as I found out that the latter four tracks mentioned above were no longer in my shuffle list. That was something I definitely needed to rectify and did.

So far, I'm really enjoying going back into the annals of rock history. While I've started with the 60's, I'll definitely be jumping around a bit to the 70's, and even the 50's. I want to hear all those classic debut albums from the likes of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and more. Keep it tuned here to join me for my reviews.

Retro Spins: The Beatles - Please Please Me

"1, 2, 3, 4." They're the first words and the count off which started Beatlemania. As a child of the 80's, I like many before me know about the Beatles. I know their music, well, some of it anyway. However, what I don't have is that "wow" factor that those who were there to see it all unfold have. To me it's just music.

To truly appreciate the band, you need to first understand the times. Not only was their musical structure ahead of its time, in terms of sound and production, but they also brought with them a youth movement across the globe. Many cultural movements were purportedly inspired by The Beatles, and inspired many young artists to pursue a career in music.

Despite their very short career together as a band, just a mere seven years, they churned out a total of twenty number one hits. However, more so impressive than this achievement would be on April 4, 1964, when they held all five of the top five slots on Billboard with Can't Buy Me Love (1), Twist And Shout (2), She Loves You (3), I Want To Hold Your Hand (4) and Please Please Me (5). If that weren't impressive enough, they also held seven additional spots on the charts this day, for a total of twelve Billboard hits. Those additional songs, I Saw Her Standing There (31), From Me To You (41), Do You Want To Know A Secret (46), All My Loving (58), You Can't Do That (65), Roll Over Beethoven (68) and Thank You Girl (79).

I don't think even Michael Jackson had that kind of success with his album, Thriller. But, hopefully you get the point I'm trying to make. The band was big. As such, it was only appropriate that they would be selected to launch an all new series here at The Toy Box. Retro Spins: The Classic Years is starting with a listen to The Beatles debut album, Please Please Me.

Fourteen tracks encompass the first album, and yet, due to their short nature, the album only totals around thirty-three minutes. I recognized several of the tracks, but my surprise more so came from finding out that these classic hits, which I had heard from several other artists, were written by the Fab 4.

As I listened to the songs, I could tell exactly what people were saying with their style revolutionizing an era. While some tracks, such as P.S. I Love You, sound very bubblegum style, and in line with the sounds of the era, others sound very different. You could tell The Beatles were on the horizon of something, and while it isn't achieved fully on their debut album, you can see the groundwork it's being built on.

Overall, I liked what I heard, and I want to hear more. Good thing I already own their entire UK catalog. As I type this, I feel like it may also be time to track down the US released albums. I may just have to do that.