recommendations - 60's/70's music

Cafe Society
1

So, I really want to make my dad a CD for his birthday. He’s into bands like CSNY, the Grateful Dead, the Mama’s and the Papa’s, anything with Clapton etc etc … Sorry I can’t give a clearer explanation, I have always thought of this kind of music as “Daddy’s music” which, obviously, is not of much help to any of you guys.

Anyway I have already made him a CD with the songs from these bands that I know he likes, so now I have to think of songs that I think he will like… which is turning out to be a lot harder than I thought!

If you are into this kind of music, what are your favorite songs? Are there any classics that I simply must include?

Thank you ! :slight_smile:

2

You already know about the Dead, I’d suggest ‘American Beauty’ and “Workingman’s Dead”-(I bet you can fit both on one 80 minute cd too)

There’s a lot of good compilations out there, I have one by Nuggets.

One of my fav songs is ‘Incense & Peppermints’ by Strawberry Alarm Clock. The Simpsons always play that when they have hippie music in the background.

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
Reach Out of The Darkness is a good hippie song. By Friend and Lover
This band I’m vaguely familiar with but sounds real good, The Beau Brummels.

3

Judging by what you say your Dad likes, here are some ideas:

Just about anything by The Band. Some choices include: The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down, Up on Cripple Creek, The Weight.

If he likes CSNY, he might like some of their solo stuff. Stephen Stills did a good song called “love the one your with.” Neil Young has some good songs, like “Cinnamon Girl” “Ohio” or “Sugar Mountain.” Steven Stills was also in a band called Buffalo Springfield. Try “For What It’s Worth” Stills also was in a band called Manassas. Try:Fallen Eagle, So Begins the Task, Johnny’s Garden

Do you have just solo Clapton? He was in some bands: Cream (“White Room” “Badge” "Crossroads) Blind Faith (“Can’t Find my way home”), Delaney and Bonnie, Derek and the Dominoes (Layla).

Try some Allman Brothers, too. “Melissa,” “Midnight Rider” “Blue Sky” “Whipping Post.”

Some other choices:

Traffic: Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Feelin’ Alright

Santana: Black Magic Woman

Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick, Song for Jeffrey, Fat Man.

T-Rex: Bang a Gong, Jeepster

Bob Dylan: Tangled Up in Blue, Lay Lady Lay

Moody Blues: Nights in White Satin, Legend of a Mind, Ride My See Saw.

All of these count as “Classic Rock” If you want something more obscure, (i.e., they don’t play on the radio a lot, but are still good) try these:

“Peace Frog” by the Doors. Familiar band with an unknown classic song.

“Black Magic Woman” by Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. This is the original version of the song Santana made popular. They also did a great instrumental called “Albatross.” Very mellow.

“Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell. This is a song that CSNY made popular, but was originally done by Joni Mitchell. I think this version is better.

“40,000 Headman (Roamin Thru the Gloamin With…)” by Traffic

“If”, “Summer '68” by Pink Floyd

“Hot Burrito #1” by Flying Burrito Brothers. This is slightly country sounding.

“Chestnut Mare” , “Ballad of the Easy Rider” by the Byrds. These are also vaguely country-ish.

“ooh la la” Small Faces. Rod Stewart had a version of this recently.

You didn’t mention the Beatles, or Stones, so I didn’t include any of that stuff, but it’s really essential for the time period.

Hope this helps some.

4

Thanks, Cheese, I will have to download those and listen to them … He already has American Beauty, unfortunately, and I put a bunch of songs off it on his last CD.

5

Well, for Clapton stuff, I highly endorse the Crossroads box set.

Fleetwood Mac in their 1967-70 era would fit in here, too. They were originally a Chicago blues band. Check out their Blue Horizon box set - 6 cds for about $35 - a great deal and you get to hear the original version of “Black Magic Woman” (which was written by Mac co-founder Peter Green).

6

Deadhead checking in…

You could grab him a concert from one of the many fine bootleg trading establishments on the web. GD Live has some shows in mp3 that can be downloaded by song. I strongly recommend Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain and Morning Dew from the May 8, 1977 show (or the entire show, in fact). If he trades bootlegs he probably already has this show, though.

More recommended Dead albums are Europe '72 and Live/Dead.

Sounds like I’ve got the same musical taste as he does, but I’m also into Bob Dylan (some good songs: Desolation Row, It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) , Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here, Shine on You Crazy Diamond), and so on. Everything on Hugh Jass’s list, pretty much.

Hope I could be of help.

7

Here are some songs I’d definitely try:
Blue Oyster Cult–“Don’t Fear the Reaper”

Led Zeppelin–“Stairway to Heaven,” “Battle of Evermore,” “Ramble On,” “Whole Lotta Love,” etc.

And here are other bands to look at:

The Grassroots

Jay and the Americans

The Kinks

Paul Revere and the Raiders

The Youngbloods

Three Dog Night

8

I’d suggest:

Flying Burrito Brothers : Sin City, Do Right Woman, Wheels, Hot Burrito #1 and 2

Gram Parsons: She, 100 Years, Grievous Angel, Love Hurts, In My Hour of Darkness

Led Zeppelin: That’s the Way, Going to California, Tangerine, Over the Hills and Far Away, Stairway, Rock N’ Roll, etc etc etc

Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter, Salt of the Earth, Sympathy for the Devil, You Can’t Always Get What you Want, Dead Flowers, Torn N’ Frayed, Tumbling Dice

Derek and the Dominos: Why Does Love Got to be so Sad? , Nobody Knows you When You’re Down and Out, Bell Bottom Blues, Key to the Highway
some other bands to consider, Hendrix, the Who, Doors, Cream, Byrds, Dylan, Floyd

9

Whatever you do, put something from Airplane other than White Rabbit on it. I recommend High Flying Bird, Today, 3/5 Mile in 10 Seconds, etc. White Rabbit is a wonderful song, and what got me into em in the first place, but if you haven’t heard it 3 million times, you’ve been living in a hole :slight_smile:

And random things I feel like suggesting:
Sly & the Family Stone
Yes
Phil Ochs
Steely Dan

10

No discussion of 60’s/70’s classics is complete without that staple of the hit single: Creedence Clearwater Revival. There are the standards like Proud Mary, Born on the Bayou or Fortunate Son. My personal faves to include in an anthology would be Lodi, Who’ll Stop the Rain? and Lookin’ Out My Back Door.

11

In a mainstream mood:

“I’d love to change the world” by Ten Years After

From the more obscure end of the spectrum, try:

“What Goes On” by the Velvet Underground

12

hey, chief!

this ol’ town’s
full of sin
it’ll swallow you in

if you got the money to burn…

13

My reccommendations:

the Doors:

  1. Wasp
  2. L’america
  3. Shaman’s Blues

Blue Oyster Cult:

  1. Sole Survivor
  2. Astronomy
  3. Wings Wetted Down

Neil Young:

  1. The Needle and the Damage Done
  2. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Harry Chapin:

  1. Taxi
  2. Mr. Tanner

The Animals:

  1. Boom Boom
  2. Bury My Body
  3. Baby Let Me Take You Home
14

Thanks, guys! These all seem like good suggestions, although I probably won’t be able to download them for a couple days… a lot of the artists you guys mentioned I seem to recall him liking (the Doors, the Who, Hendrix, all those bands with Clapton in them, Buffalo Springfield) :)… and in fact, Gravity, it’s funny that you mentioned “The Needle and the Damage Done” because just the other day he was telling me about how it’s such great poetry etc, etc.

(Phil Ochs … ::shiver:: … that dude is right up there with our buddy Dan Hicks…):eek:

Also, yeah, he’s not really into stuff like the Beatles and the Stones… they’re too mainstream for him…

Thank you again! :smiley:

:slight_smile:

15

So, your dad likes these groups, and to repay them for the pleasure they’ve given him, you’re gonna steal from them? :rolleyes:

Great birthday present to give him. Why don’t you knock over a liquor store and steal him a couple bottles of booze while you’re at it. :rolleyes:

Fenris

16

Do your old man a favor and toss in something from MC5, maybe “Ramblin’ Rose.”

I’ll bet he loves to hate it.

17

I seriously hope you’re not stealing this music, that’s really not a very nice gift.

We take copyright violation seriously here at the Straight Dope. If you think the rights of others don’t matter and that artists aren’t entitled to be paid for their work, we’re going to agree to disagree right here and now.

I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here . . . pending an explanation on your part.

your humble TubaDiva
Administrator

18

Okay… from someone who was into similar music back then, here are some recommendations avoiding the mainstream:
Hot Tuna - “Water Song”
Quicksilver Messenger Service - “Who Do Yo Love” the long version, not the edit, “Edward The Mad Shirt Grinder”.
Neil Young - “Cowgirl In The Sand”, “Down By The RIver”.
Sons Of Champlin - “Get High”, “The Thing To Do”.
Spirit - “I’ve Got A Line On You”, “Fresh Garbage”, “Nature’s Way”.
Savoy Brown - “Louisiania Blues”.
Steve Miller Band - “Baby’s Calling Me Home”
Boz Scaggs - “Somebody Loan Me A Dime”

These are a few you can start with.
Good luck.

19

What about Leon Russell? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him mentioned at the Straight Dope. Why not I wonder? The first album I ever bought was James Taylor’s Sweet Baby James and the second was Leon Russell and the Shelter People. He was great.