Listomania! - 1967

OK, OK. 1967 - A huge year in music. I know, I know.....but it was also a huge year personally. I mean, we moved from tiny little Capreol to the massive metropolis of London, Ontario.....population at the time of about 250,000 as compared to 3,000 back home. Now that was culture shock to a 6 1/2 year old lemme tell ya! It was Canada's Centennial. It was the Summer of Love. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I saw actual Hippies! Detroit was burning, literally, and we didn't get to go to that Red Wings game yet. In a far away land, (Czechoslovakia) in a far away city, (Prague) my future true love (Martina) (awwww) was born. So other than singing that annoying song by one Bobby Gimby at school ( for those too young to remember it, ask me sometime after I've had a couple and I may sing it), it was a very good year for this guy. Musically, it was one of the most important years of all. So, here's the list, which really omits several great songs, but them's the rules!

Top 10 of 1967

10. Somebody To Love - The Jefferson Airplane

Gracie Slick comes burning in right away, and off we go. My mother thought she had a thyroid condition because of her wide-eyed stare. The guitar is very tinny and the production quality lacks that oomph, but this song is a touchstone of this era in my books.These folks were part of the San Francisco scene, all Haight-Ashbury and flower power. Please forgive them for their sins against music in the 1980s, particularly We Built This City, as they must have needed the money since they apparently smoked it all away in the 60s. "When the truth is found, to be lies." My first inkling that things were not as they seemed.

9. Incense And Peppermints - The Strawberry Alarm Clock

These guys were pretty much one-hit wonders, but this gets on the list for the double hi-hat shot at the 1:40 mark alone. All Farfisa organ and singalong melody, this is the first song that comes to mind when I think of that summer of '67. I remember hearing that one of the dudes in this band went on to play in Lynyrd Skynyrd, but this sounds nothing like them. "Turn on, tune in, turn your eyes around." Groovy baby!

8. Different Drum - The Stone Poneys

OK, who taught them to spell? I used to think this was a great women's lib sort of song when I was younger. Then, I found out it was written by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees and that theory was shot down. This is a very young Linda Ronstadt before her solo career, but that voice is unmistakable. The harpsichord rears its wonderful head again here, but it is all about the vocal. " I ain't sayin' you ain't pretty, all I'm sayin's I'm not ready, for any person place or thing to try and pull the reins in on me." She probably wants to see Europe first or something pal!

7. The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix

A gorgeous song! The shimmer of Mitch Mitchell's ride cymbal, Noel Redding's bass grooving along, and Jimi and that magnificent guitar sound! I was never really a big Hendrix guy, but this song is just too beautiful to resist. It would have been too easy to put Purple Haze on this list because it was the A-side of the single, and it almost made it, but I wore out the grooves on this B-side. " And the wind it cries Mary." 'Nuff said.

6. Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream

Starting in the summer of '67, we went for holidays back to Capreol to my Grandparent's house. My Grandmother, who we kids all called Nan because she was from England, would give me money to go to Del Papa's variety store and buy candy and stuff. On this day, I spent my money on my first Hit Parader magazine because it used to print the lyrics to all the latest hits on its back pages. One of the songs printed in that edition was this psychedelic gem from Cream. This was a very new sound to my ears at the time. It was heavy and bluesy and soulful, and it still is. With Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton trading off the vocals, and Ginger Baker pounding away in the background, it was my entry into the possibilities of the sound of the electric guitar. This was also when they used to write "Clapton Is God" in the Charing Cross tube in London, England. " I've been waiting so long, to be where I'm going, in the sunshine of your love." They made a believer out of me!

5. Expecting To Fly - Buffalo Springfield

This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs that Neil Young ever wrote. The guy was a genius even at this stage of his career. Legend has it that he was reluctant to sing lead because he hated his own voice, but Stephen Stills encouraged him to sing and we all owe Stills a pat on the back in thanks. A very fragile voice to be sure, but this song could never have been sung by anyone else. It is a true masterpiece which was really helped by producer Jack Nietsche's arrangement. This song really stretched the conventions of the rock song at the time too, with the strings and time changes and all. " There you stood on the edge of your feather, expecting to fly." Amazing!

4. I Am The Walrus - The Beatles

What? No song from Sgt. Pepper? Sacriledge! Sorry peeps, but if I were to rank Beatles albums, the crusty old Sarge would be in the lower half of the list. It's still a great record, but I much prefer Revolver or Abbey Road myself. This is from the much maligned (at the time) Magical Mystery Tour and it was the apex of weird. People were just starting to analyze their lyrics, so, in typical Lennon fashion, he decided to give them something to ruminate on for hours. The lyrics probably mean nothing, but I have read that Lennon had written at least part of it on LSD and that may explain lines like " Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come." The orchestration by George Martin is exquisite and I spent hours and hours listening to the end part trying to figure out just what the hell they were saying. Paul is dead! Oh dear!

3. Tin Soldier - The Small Faces

This beauty was written by lead singer Steve Marriott and is one of the finest examples of a white boy singing R 'n' B ever. I love the way the instruments build at the beginning and then Marriott says " Come on" and away we go! These guys remain one of my fave bands to this day, and it is because of things like the keyboard break about a minute and a half into it that I feel this way. Great keyboards by Ian McLagan and brilliant bass by the ever-awesome Ronnie Lane just kick my ass every time! What a groove! " So treat me like a man, 'cos I ain't no child." The sound of young, mod England!

2. Alone Again Or - Love

This may be the brilliant Arthur Lee's greatest achievment. The strings are great, the acoustic guitar is fab, and the trumpet solo sounds like they hired Herb Alpert to play it. Psychedelic, folky and gorgeous! From the groundbreaking album Forever Changes, (maybe my favourite album of all time, depending on which day I'm asked) this songs leads one into the intoxicating songs on the rest of the record. These guys were from L.A. but never made it in the States, so they spent a lot of time in the U.K. where they were much bigger stars on the charts. " And I will be alone again tonight my dear." I would have hung out with you Art!

1. Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks

Sha-la-la! One of the most beautiful songs the English language has ever known! For me, this is the peak of Ray Davies' songwriting abilities. This saga of Terry and Julie makes London town come alive for someone like me who has never been there. It may be the quintessential song about swinging London and I think old Ray must have been quite satisfied when he finished this one. A true masterpiece by a true master of his craft. " But I don't need no friends, as long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset, I am in paradise." Perfection!