The long project I began with the previous post continues below. My “best of” lists are in order of preference. If I return to a list months or years later, there would no doubt be changes in the order, but many of these choices have remained constant for decades, and my top choices tend to be unchanging. Also, I will probably forget some important favorites. Nevertheless, these are as close to accurate as I can get to listing of my favorite jazz and pop records
The Best LPs of 1966
1. Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note)
2. Sun Ra: Nothing Is (ESP)
3. Bill Dixon: Intents & Purposes (RCA)
4. The Kinks: Face To Face (Reprise)
5. Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde (CBS)
6. Albert Ayler: At Slug’s Saloon, Vol 1 (ESP)
7. Albert Ayler: At Slug’s Saloon, Vol 2 (ESP)
8. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (Capitol)
9. Otis Redding: Dictionary of Soul (Atlantic)
10. Love: Love (Elektra)
11. The Rolling Stones: Aftermath (London)
12. The Godz: Contact High With the Godz (ESP)
13. Sonny Simmons: Staying on the Watch (ESP)
14. Pharoah Sanders: Tauhid (Impulse)
15. Byrds: 5th Dimension (Columbia)
16. The Beatles: Yesterday & Today (Capitol)
17. Nina Simone: High Priestess of Soul (Philips)
18. Simon & Garfunkel: Parsley Sage Rosemary & Thyme (CBS)
19. Sam Rivers: Involution (Blue Note)
20. Sam Rivers: A New Conception (Blue Note)
21. Cecil Taylor: Conquistador (Blue Note)
22. Sonny Rollins: East Broadway Rundown (Impulse)
23. Them: Them (Parrot)
24. Them: Them Again (Parrot)
25. Marion Brown: Three for Shepp (Impulse)
26. Tim Buckley: Tim Buckley (Elektra)
27. The Beatles: Rubber Soul (Capitol)
28. Nina Simone: Sings the Blues (RCA)
29. Wes Montgomery: Smokin’ at the Half Note (Verve)
30. Steve Lacy: The Forest and the Zoo (ESP)
31. The Beatles: Revolver (Capitol)
32. The Who: A Quick One/Happy Jack (Reaction, UK)
33. Byrds: Turn Turn Turn (CBS)
34. Simon & Garfunkel: The Sound of Silence (CBS)
35. Various Artists: The East Village Other (ESP)
36. The Yardbirds: Over Under Sideways Down (Epic)
37. The Thirteenth Floor Elevators: The Psychedelic Sounds (International Artists)
38. Aretha Franklin: Soul Sister (CBS)
39. John Fahey: John Fahey (Vanguard)
40. Tim Hardin: Tim Hardin (Verve)
The Best LPs of 1966
1. Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note)
2. Sun Ra: Nothing Is (ESP)
3. Bill Dixon: Intents & Purposes (RCA)
4. The Kinks: Face To Face (Reprise)
5. Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde (CBS)
6. Albert Ayler: At Slug’s Saloon, Vol 1 (ESP)
7. Albert Ayler: At Slug’s Saloon, Vol 2 (ESP)
8. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (Capitol)
9. Otis Redding: Dictionary of Soul (Atlantic)
10. Love: Love (Elektra)
11. The Rolling Stones: Aftermath (London)
12. The Godz: Contact High With the Godz (ESP)
13. Sonny Simmons: Staying on the Watch (ESP)
14. Pharoah Sanders: Tauhid (Impulse)
15. Byrds: 5th Dimension (Columbia)
16. The Beatles: Yesterday & Today (Capitol)
17. Nina Simone: High Priestess of Soul (Philips)
18. Simon & Garfunkel: Parsley Sage Rosemary & Thyme (CBS)
19. Sam Rivers: Involution (Blue Note)
20. Sam Rivers: A New Conception (Blue Note)
21. Cecil Taylor: Conquistador (Blue Note)
22. Sonny Rollins: East Broadway Rundown (Impulse)
23. Them: Them (Parrot)
24. Them: Them Again (Parrot)
25. Marion Brown: Three for Shepp (Impulse)
26. Tim Buckley: Tim Buckley (Elektra)
27. The Beatles: Rubber Soul (Capitol)
28. Nina Simone: Sings the Blues (RCA)
29. Wes Montgomery: Smokin’ at the Half Note (Verve)
30. Steve Lacy: The Forest and the Zoo (ESP)
31. The Beatles: Revolver (Capitol)
32. The Who: A Quick One/Happy Jack (Reaction, UK)
33. Byrds: Turn Turn Turn (CBS)
34. Simon & Garfunkel: The Sound of Silence (CBS)
35. Various Artists: The East Village Other (ESP)
36. The Yardbirds: Over Under Sideways Down (Epic)
37. The Thirteenth Floor Elevators: The Psychedelic Sounds (International Artists)
38. Aretha Franklin: Soul Sister (CBS)
39. John Fahey: John Fahey (Vanguard)
40. Tim Hardin: Tim Hardin (Verve)
posted by Glen at 3:23 AM
2 Comments:
Noot bad picks but I have an issue with the Nina Sings The Blues sessions. I can't help but think how much better they would have been if she'd gone to Chess Records and used house musicians.
And Jean Smith from Mecca Normal says hi.
You are probably right about the Nina Simone recording. These “best of” choices are very personal ones based upon the records I actually have. I have been going back through the stacks and trying to shake my memories into some semblance of order. I have been trying to re-listen to as many of the favorite records as I can, but in some cases I am relying upon memory. I have loved this (and other) Nina record(s) for about 25 years, since my friend Benjamin first played them for me. I recently acquired a bunch of earlier Nina records, including “Nina Sings Duke Ellington” (1962) and “Nina at the Village Gate” (1961), and they reminded me how much I loved most all her records. Unfortunately I was unable to find my copy of “Sings the Blues” until after I posting the 1966 list. When I find the time to return to this record, I believe my feelings for it will remain strong. Our earliest loves are always amongst the strongest. But who knows? As for Jean Smith, tell her I return her greeting. And she should watch these lists as they approach the Mecca Normal era. She will find a few of her owns titles, assuming I last that long.
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