1966 was the year that the vinyl album became more than just a bunch of filler songs with a few hit singles on it.
The Beatles started this trend a year earlier in 1965 with their release of Rubber Soul, an album of all original music with no filler. This inspired other artists to start viewing albums as a whole work of art and 1966 saw the release of some classic and groundbreaking albums.
Below is a link to an article about the music of 1966 and then an online article about each one of my six favorite albums from that magical, musical year in time. Plus there’s a link to a time capsule video featuring highlights from the year of 1966.
Then there’s the MBIP Coming Attractions as to what’s happening on the blog next week.
——
Sunday Links
Was 1966 pop music’s greatest year? - This article has three essays by writers on three of the most notable albums of 1966: Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, Revolver by The Beatles and Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan.
How The Beatles Recorded One of the Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Albums of All Time - Revolver was The Beatles seventh studio album and this article notes how all four band members were at the top of their game musically and they were also starting to experiment with tape loops, Indian music and other trickery in the studio.
Revisiting The Beach Boys’ Masterpiece, ‘Pet Sounds’ - When Brian Wilson first heard Rubber Soul, it flipped him out that The Beatles had made an entire album with no filler. It inspired him to write the music for Pet Sounds, which was so far ahead of what anyone else was doing, it went over a lot of people’s heads and wasn’t the huge hit the band and their record label had hoped for. Only in retrospect have people acknowledged the genius of the pop masterpiece.
Classic Album: The Rolling Stones - Aftermath - I’ve always felt that the album, Aftermath is the best Rolling Stones album by the band when all of the original members were intact. It’s the first album that all the songs were written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Brian Jones really shines on this album and brings a new dimension to the sound by playing a variety of exotic instruments on the songs including a sitar, dulcimer, marimba and bells.
Bob Dylan’s Vivid, Warm & Biting ‘Blonde on Blonde’ Turns 50 - Blonde on Blonde was Bob Dylan’s seventh studio album, his first double album and the first album that he recorded in Nashville. It turned out to be a winning combination and many feel that this is Dylan’s finest work.
Here We Come…The Monkees’ Incredible First Year - Some people might think it blasphemous to include The Monkees on this list, but they’re a unique band in that they were four individuals picked for a sitcom based on The Beatles film, A Hard Day’s Night. Their first self-titled album came out in 1966 and they were only allowed to sing on it with session musicians playing the instruments. Their first album went to number one and replaced The Beatles Revolver in the top spot. The unique aspect of The Monkees is that they actually became a band and a little over a year after their debut album came out, they recorded the album Headquarters and played all of the instruments themselves and they wrote a good portion of the songs.
‘Freak Out!’: Frank Zappa’s Masterclass In Mischief - Freak Out was the first album by The Mothers of Invention and there was nothing else like it at the time in 1966. All the songs were written and arranged by Frank Zappa and the music took cues from about every musical style from rock ’n roll to barbershop quartet to classical music and everything in between. The song titles like: Who Are the Brain Police?, Hungry Freaks, Daddy and Help, I’m a Rock, left many scratching their heads. Paul McCartney has said that this album helped inspire Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Memories of 1966 - Where Were You? - A video featuring highlights from the year of 1966 including entertainment, politics and sports.
——
MBIP Coming Attractions
Monday: Last night I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant, Hacienda El Mirador and had an amazing Saturday night dinner!
Tuesday: It’s the second stop as I continue to eat all the pizza in Peoria and this week I had a slice of pizza at Hoops Pub and Pizza on Main Street.
Wednesday: I’m not sure what I’m going to do Wednesday, I need to figure this out!
Thursday: We’ll be doing another frozen pizza review this week.
Friday: I’ll continue to eat my way through all the cans that Chef Boyardee offers.
Saturday: I’ll be spotlighting yet another Saturday night on the town from 2013.
—-
Sunday Comic
——
Related Posts: Sunday Links: The Assassination of R.F.K., The Assassination of J.F.K. and Tommy.