Monthly Archives: January 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,457) Jigsaw — “Tumblin’” Years before they blew it all sky high, Jigsaw dropped this bomb on the English public, well, I mean “the bomb”, a “psych monster”, “[o]ff the rails” (thomassmilth8721, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyld5on1Ll4), “a phased up stomping, psychedelic beast with a Brian Auger style hammond and eastern guitar licks”.Continue reading “Jigsaw — “Tumblin’”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 11, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,456) The Act — “Cobbled Streets” Watch out, today there is an Invasion of the Easybeat Snatchers! This “[b]loody brilliant” song (notmarkatall, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No_nOJwZ2wQ), a “triumph . . . a psych-infused pop nugget” (liner notes to the CD comps Piccadilly Sunshine: Volumes 1-10: AContinue reading “The Act — “Cobbled Streets”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 10, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,455) Frank Sinatra — “The Train” Frank Sinatra gave us a haunting song, but with “a ‘Mrs. Robinson’ jaunt” to it (Sam Sodomsky, https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/frank-sinatra-watertown/), written by the guys responsible for the Four Seasons’ psychedelic LP The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette (see yesterday’s song!),Continue reading “Frank Sinatra — “The Train”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 9, 2025″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,454) The Four Seasons — “Wall Street Village Day” The Four Seasons’ “foray into sgt pepperland is a real beaut” (checklissteric, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOqO5d9j1PA), “a personal favorite of [Frankie] Valli’s, [who] call[ed] it ‘an incredible song’”, “a buoyant slice-of-life, highlighting the cultural differences between NewContinue reading “The Four Seasons — “Wall Street Village Day”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 8, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,453) Del Shannon — “Gemini” Del Shannon runs away to psychedelia, gracing us with this “real treat . . . [a b]rilliant song” (Baggingarea, https://baggingarea.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/del-shannon-gemini/) that“sounds like that imaginary chart hit in a parallel universe” (Brushbox, https://itstartswithabirthstone.blogspot.com/2016/02/album-reviews-55-del-shannon-further.html, “[a] fantastic 45 from a fantastically giftedContinue reading “Del Shannon — “Gemini”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 7, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,452) The Staple Singers — “I See It” “I see it . . . America can be . . . a land where man is equal and free” This inspiring ‘69 A-side by the Staple Singers (see #680) is “intense” and “non-chalantly struttin’”,Continue reading “The Staple Singers — “I See It”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 6, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,451) The Kinks — “Big Black Smoke” Kinks Kronikles The B-side to the Kinks’ (see #100, 381, 417, 450, 508, 529, 606, 623, 753, 865, 978, 1,043, 1,108, 1,302, 1,330) #5 UK hit “Dead End Street” is “[a] two-minute study in character, DickensContinue reading “The Kinks — “Big Black Smoke”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 5, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,450) The Sound Magics — “Don’t You Remember” Nuggets-worthy British Invasion gold . . . from the Netherlands! Mike Stax writes that: The Sound Magics show superb melodic instincts on this haunting minor-key lament to lost love. Their vibrant three-part harmonies soar overContinue reading “The Sound Magics — “Don’t You Remember”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 4, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,449) The Cheques — “To Stone” I have no idea why this stunning moody garage rock number doesn’t show up on lists of the greatest garage classics. Greg Shaw does say that it is the “[b]est of 3 singles by this soul-influenced groupContinue reading “The Cheques — “To Stone”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 3, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,448) The Elopers — “Music to Smoke Bananas By” Don’t bogart that banana peel! This super cool psych instrumental, a Colorado band’s only A-side, is the “greatest acid instrumental ever” (lewisdye5627, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RCaZlEqh3s), with a “drony bass-line … building the basement for the fuzzedContinue reading “The Elopers — “Music to Smoke Bananas By”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 2, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,447) Al Kooper — “Brand New Day” On this New Year’s Day, let me play Al Kooper’s (see #642, 705, 804) “Brand New Day”, a “youthfully optimistic rocker” (Lindsay Planer, https://www.allmusic.com/album/easy-does-it-mw0000740238) — and let’s hope that “the years of night will pass foreverContinue reading “Al Kooper — “Brand New Day” : Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 1, 2025”