THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
513) Eric Burdon and the Animals — “Year of the Guru”
This crazy, and crazy-cool, album track from ‘68 is totally unexpected and seems decades ahead of its time. One YouTube commenter says it was the first rap song. Man, does Eric dis gurus — laugh out loud funny. It’s like John Lennon was giving him the blow-by-blow from Rishikesh. Sexy Sadie what have you done? You made a fool of everyone!x
Bruce Eder:
Eric Burdon & the Animals were nearing the end of their string, at least in the lineup in which they’d come into the world in late 1966, when they recorded Every One of Us in May of 1968 . . . . The group had seen some success, especially in America, with the singles “When I Was Young,” “San Franciscan Nights” and “Sky Pilot” over the previous 18 months, but had done considerably less well with their albums. Every One of Us lacked a hit single to help drive its sales, but it was still a good psychedelic blues album, filled with excellent musicianship . . . . “Year of the Guru” . . . show[s] the entire band at the peak of their musical prowess, and Burdon — taking on virtually the role of a modern rapper — generating some real power on some surprisingly cynical lyrics concerning the search for spiritual fulfillment and leaders. . . . the group as a whole would pack it in with the waning of 1968.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/every-one-of-us-mw0000654427
Nick James says that “‘Year Of The Guru‘ . . . [has] prose worthy of a master . . . further social commentary is provided, complete with psychedelic guitar and piano break.” (https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2020/02/25/eric-burdon-the-animals-when-i-was-young-the-mgm-recordings-1967-1968-esoteric-recordings/)
In the other hand, Jeff Burger says that Every One of Us . . . is [a] most forgettable CD . . . Qwith songs like “Year of the Guru[]” . . . sounding like filler from a group that has run out of ideas.” (https://americanahighways.org/2020/03/29/review-the-animals-second-act-plus-a-new-gordon-lightfoot-cd/amp/). Burger, your comment is a nothingburger!
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