Moby Grape:

Moby Grape:(1967)

 WOW:(1968)

My folks had both of these albums in their collection, although, I don't recall them listening to them much when I was a kid. But, they must have at some point, because they're a little trashed. The album covers always intrigued me. Particularly the WOW cover. When I started listening to these records in my teens, I pointed out to my parents that Don Stevenson was flipping off the camera on the cover of the first album, they were both shocked that they had never noticed. 

This is some crazy 1960s Rock'n'Roll. If I was picking a favorite track, I'm going with Murder In My Heart For The Judge.  

Janis Joplin:

Big Brother and The Holding Company: Cheap Thrills: (1968)

Pearl:(1971)

These two albums represent the beginning and the end of Janis Joplin. Now, before I get into this, let me state, I find Janis voice to be grating after an extended listening period. However, I find her story compelling in the same way I find Elvis' latter day tragedy of life compelling. I've always been drawn to those sorts of characters. Anyway... Cheap Thrills is an album I dig the hell out of... Big Brother were a killer band. They were equally the best band to challenge and raise Janis up, and her biggest opponent for star of the stage. No doubt this is what led to their split. Pearl on the other hand has Janis placed squarely in the center of the stage. This album is a postcard from an artist that was snuffed out too soon. 

A side story: I grew up in the woods of Mississippi. During hunting season when gun shots seemed too close to the house, my mother would set the stereo speakers, big 1970's ones, out on the back porch, and blast Pearl at full volume. I'm sure hunting was not good on those days.  

Paul Kantner (Jefferson Starship)

Blows Against The Empire:(1970)

OK, so it would seem that this album is out of alphabetical order, but I have my reasons. You see, I would forget I had this album if I didn't keep it next to Jefferson Airplane. For years I kept this album simply for the album art, very psychedelic era. But, as I listen to it now, there's some trippy stuff to recommend it, mostly on side two. Check out Hijack and Have You Seen The Stars Tonite (featuring Crosby and Nash). Now, this isn't the lineup that would ultimately be Jefferson Starship, but it is the first time the name was used. I was also interested to learn that this was the first album to win a Hugo Award.

Iron Butterfly:

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida:(1968)

Ball:(1969)

Sometimes I wonder why I keep these records. If it weren't for the psychedelic classic In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, I wouldn't own them in the first place. In fact, everything else on In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida that isn't In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida isn't that good. And Ball, well... It's not that Iron Butterfly were terrible, it's just that, in the grand scheme of psychedelic records, there's better stuff out there, in my opinion. I guess these albums are just relics.  

Jimi Hendrix:

Are You Experienced:(1967)

Band of Gypsys:(1970)

Jimi Hendrix Vol 2:(1976)

The Essential:(1978)

Extremely few people have expanded the boundaries of music in the way Jimi Hendrix accomplished. Fewer still have been able to maintain fame after such a tragically short career. For all those reasons and more it's important to keep a few Hendrix albums around at all times. That said, if I was picking favorite Hendrix songs, I tend to gravitate toward the more melodic less bombastic guitar driven stuff, i.e. May This Be Love, Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland), and The Wind Cries Mary. But the tune of his that gets stuck in my head most is Gypsy Eyes.  OK, enough naming songs...time to go listen to some Jimi Hendrix!

Donovan:

Mellow Yellow:(1967)

A Gift From A Flower To A Garden:(1967)

In Concert:(1968)

The Hurdy Gurdy Man:(1968)

Barabajagal:(1969)

Greatest Hits:(1969)

Open Road:(1970)

Cosmic Wheels:(1973)

Slow Down World:(1976)

Donovan:(1977)

There are certain pockets of my collection that I particularly enjoy, and the Donovan section is one such pocket. Of course as a kid I heard the hits, Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Wear Your Love Like Heaven etc... but it wasn't until I started picking up records that I discovered the real depth, and magic of Donovan Leitch. Like most of the great musical artists, each Donovan album is different, and each is its own self contained world. Recently I was playing A Gift From A Flower To A Garden for a friend who had never listened to a Donovan album before, he said he'd always thought of Donovan as psychedelic hanger-on to the Beatles proverbial coattails, and as such had dismissed him along with so many Sixties acts that jumped on the bandwagon accompanied by low production values. After side one my friend tells me his mind is changed, and that he now sees that Donovan was an interesting vital creative force unto himself with productions to rival other top artists of his time. Well...I'm paraphrasing there, but trust me, that was the gist of it. Do I have a favorite out of these albums? No, not really. I can be in the mood for any one of them at any time. 

Country Joe and The Fish:

Electric Music For The Mind And Body: (1967)

Considered to be one of the first psychedelic albums to come out of the San Francisco area, this Country Joe album is totally a product of that time, and I mean that in the best possible way. I'm actually surprised Country Joe & The Fish haven't made a resurgence in the way the 13th floor elevators have. Maybe they have, and I'm just out of those circles. Anyway, this is a killer 60's album.