Listomania! - 1969

"Well it's 1969 OK, all across the U.S.A.
Another year for me and you, another year with nothing to do."

1969 by Iggy & the Stooges

I didn't know the Stooges in 1969, but the above lyric kinda sums it up succinctly. I have virtually no outstanding memories of that year. I mean, shit happened, like a man walking on the moon, and Woodstock and I started playing AAA hockey and such, but I have nary a funny anecdote to tell. The only thing that comes to mind is my Dad and Uncle Art sitting in the living room and watching news reports from Woodstock and commenting on how it was the end of the world, with all the dopers and hippies screwing in the mud. I dunno, sounded like fun to me! Musically though, it was a different kettle of fish. I got a new record player that spring and spent countless hours listening to my 45s, some of which will be represented in this list. It was another great year in music and the mood started changing from flower-power and peace and love to a more realistic and darker worldview.

Top 10 of 1969

10. The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel

I had a second cousin named Steven from Montreal who loved Simon & Garfunkel. He had a little band that played nothing but the duo's songs. My Nan (his aunt) travelled to Montreal every year and would regale me with stories and photos of him and his group and the songs they played. I often think of him when I hear this song as he was a troubled soul who eventually ended his own life in the late 70s. But, this song now makes me think mostly of Martina and her Dad, Big Joe. I only heard him play it once on the guitar, but I was struck by the poignancy and feeling he put into it. He likes to hear Martina and Taylor and me sing along to it too. I've never asked him this, but I believe that the lyrics resound in him because of his immigration to Canada. I jokingly like to call it one of the 3 Blaskovic National Anthems, along with House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals and Diamonds And Rust by Joan Baez. This verse, I have noticed, seems to hit home with him the most: "When I left my home and my family I was no more than a boy, In the company of strangers, In the quiet of the railway station running scared. Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters Where the ragged people go, Looking for the places only they would know." Rock on Big Joe!

9. Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End - The Beatles

Abbey Road is a great album, but when I was looking at it, I decided to select this medley of sorts as my fave song rather than just 1 song because I just love the way they flow together and create a mood. Golden Slumbers is one of McCartney's greatest achievements in my books. His vocals are spot on great. I love the little orchestral interlude of You Never Give Me Your Money in Carry That Weight as well. Ringo does a yeoman's job of drumming and the guitar solo is a classic. Then, in The End, the electric guitars are fantastic and I remember Hockey Night In Canada putting together a highlight package of great plays to this tune. And then the classic line " And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Oh joy, oh bliss!

8. Cowgirl In The Sand - Neil Young

From Neil's first record with the shambling, sloppy Crazy Horse, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, this 10 minute plus epic is among my top 5 Neil tunes. I once read in the liner notes to his career-spanning (at the time) album Decade that he wrote this song at home in bed with a 103 degree fever. Well, greatness comes from strange places and this is true greatness! His guitar playing is just amazing and I will sing these lyrics out loud with little encouragement. "Old enough now to change your name, when so many love you is it the same? It's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game." Maybe he had Cowgirl fever!

7. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? - Chicago

From their fantastic debut, Chicago Transit Authority, you must only listen to the album version of this song with the brilliant piano intro by Robert Lamm. Yes, believe it or not all you youngsters out there, Chicago was once a great and vital band, before Peter Cetera needed more money and started writing schmaltzy Lite Rock bullcrap. Check out this horn section - outstanding. The playing on this record is magnificent and Lamm's vocal just fits like a glove. You can hear Cetera and his high harmony on the backing vocal and I wish he would have just stuck to that role. This is one of the songs on this list that illustrates my earlier point about a darker worldview creeping into music in '69. "Does anybody really know what time it is, does anybody really care. If so, I can't imagine why, we've all got time enough to die." Peace out man.

6. Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane

If this doesn't get the old hips shaking, then there is no hope for you. Marty Balin and Grace Slick lead us in a call to arms backed by Jorma Kaukonen's smoking lead runs and studio vet Nicky Hopkins tickling the ivories as only he can. Clocking in at a mere 2:05, this is my number 1 by the Airplane. What a blinding little rave-up this is! "One generation got old, one generation got soul, this generation got no destination to hold. Pick up the cry!" Where do I sign up?

5. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash

Written for Stephen Stills' then girlfriend, singer Judy Collins, this is from the supergroup's first record. They sang it at Woodstock and I remember sneaking out of bed to watch them sing it on the Dick Cavett show too. Gorgeous harmonies, as only they could sing, and great acoustic guitar and bass as well make this a big fave of mine. It is truly a suite too, as it has 4 distinct parts in the traditional sense of a suite. I love the coda at the end with Stills singing in Spanish and the "doo-doo-doo-doo-doo" backing vocals. " Lacy. lilting, leery, losing love, lamenting." Holy alliteration Batman!

4. Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone

One of the feel-good songs of all time! The high-hat sound, the horns, the Larry Graham bass part, the rollicking keyboard, the great changes in the vocals- a perfect pop song! This was released right after they played at Woodstock and I rode my bike up to the Disc Shop at Northland Mall and bought it. It never appeared on an album, other than the Greatest Hits, but it is hands down my fave Sly track. This has the typical huge production job that his records had and it still sounds great every time I play it. "End of the spring and here she comes back, hi hi hi hi there, them summer days, those summer days." I feel the need to hit the diving well at Stronach Pool!

3. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

The working class song of 1969. John Fogarty just nails it in just over 2 minutes with the lyrics, all southern boy anger and indignation. The guitars just rock all the way through and the drummer sets a breakneck pace. My first memory of hearing this song is from my cousin Terry. He used to babysit my sister Jondah and me once in a while and I remember him bringing the Willy and the Poor Boys album with him. I made him play Fortunate Son over and over again. I also remember him going out on the balcony of our apartment and smelling really funny and stinky when he came back in. I liked when he came back from the balcony though, as his mood was much happier every time. " It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son no no." Fight the power!

2. Badge - Cream

I love the way Jack Bruce plays the bass on this one. The beginning is superb, and his runs throughout are intoxicating! This was one of only 3 studio recordings on their breakup album Goodbye and it's by far the best. It was written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, at around the same time Clapton was screwing George's wife. Good ol' George plays rhythm guitar on it, but it is Clapton's leads, especially the most beautiful guitar break ever after the second verse. I love that part so much, I always think it should be longer. Well, ask and ye shall receive! I have the DVD of Cream's reunion concert from a couple of years ago and he plays that break about 4 or 5 times in that version. This is also a rare lead vocal by Clapton from those days, as Bruce sang lead on most of the songs. Legend has it that the lyrics were taken from Harrison's conversations with a drunken Ringo Starr, which I believe since the lyrics don't make a whole lot of sense. " I told you 'bout the swans that they live in the park." Uhhh, OK Ringo, have another one!

1. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones

From the opening notes, I get chills up my spine. There is no doubt that this is one of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs ever recorded. I love everything about it. Keith's guitar growls and cries, Jagger is at his slurry best and the backing vocal of Merry Clayton just blows me away to this day! She sang it when she was 8 months pregnant and it apparently caused her to have a miscarriage. This song is so menacing already (just check out the lyrics) and then you add to it the fact that when the Stones played Altamont Raceway in '69, they hired the Hells Angels as security guards and payed them in free beer and things got completely out of hand, ending in the death of 1 person. This song, to many, signifies the end of the peace and love era better than any other and that is hard to argue with. Just a total desert island classic! "Rape, murder, it's just a shot away." Bring on the 70s!