Stone revels in summer of love
Rolling Stone celebrates their 40th anniversary this year, with plans to publish three special commemorative issues to mark the occasion. The current issue (July 12-26) is the second in the series, and they do a first rate job of capturing the culture of that tumultuous year. Besides the excellent print job on the cover (my day job is design), what’s inside is enough to make a Deadhead drool. This tribute edition pointedly demonstrates that 1967 was a watershed year in music for more than just the release of Sgt. Pepper.
A sampling of RS musical milestones from 1967:
1) Otis Redding dies in a plane crash in Wisconsin
2) The Who release “The Who Sells Out” and announce plans to produce a rock opera
3) The San Francisco Bay is the epicenter for psychedelic music as Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother and the Holding Company and the Grateful Dead pack the Fillmore and Avalon ballrooms and introduce free shows in the park.
4) Brian Wilson is persuaded to abandon recording of the legendary “Smile” album and reluctantly churns out “Wild Honey”
5) Roger McGuinn fires David Crosby from the Byrds
6) Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” reaches the Top 10
7) The Doors debut “Light My Fire”
Jimi Hendrix releases two albums; “Are You Experienced” and “Axis: Bold As Love”
9) Syd Barret and Pink Floyd record their first album, with “Piper at the Gates of Dawn”
10) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are busted for drug possession and serve two days in jail
11) Cream releases “Disraeli Gears” and scores a hit with “Sunshine of Your Love”
12) The Stones produce their second album of the year; “Their Satanic Majesties Request”
13) Woody Guthrie dies, his son Arlo releases “Alice’s Restaurant”
14) Andy Warhol produces and creates the album cover art for the debut of “The Velvet Underground & Nico”
15) The Monterey Pop Festival sets the stage for future festivals with acts like The Mamas and the Papas, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, the Grateful Dead, Simon & Garfunkel and Jimi Hendrix, who finished his set by lighting his Stratocaster on fire.
16) Bob Dylan releases “John Wesley Harding”
17) Not only do The Beatles release “Sgt. Pepper” this year, they find time to produce a second album; “Magical Mystery Tour”
I know this is one big commercial for a publication that doesn’t need any help advertising, but this latest offering is actually worth the cover price in spite of the lack of photos of Christina Aguliera. Excuse me while I kiss the sky.
July 13th, 2007 at 7:28 am
In my opinion 1967 was the greatest year for music. the mainstream music was as good as the underground music. too bad I wasn’t around to experience it first hand.