Recommendations: '60s San Francisco by Kurt Sampsel

San Francisco in the late 1960s-a scene whose importance to popular music has been much documented over the years. It’s true that when most people think of 60s rock, they inevitably think of SF artists like Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead. Many rock historians actually consider the wave of SF groups in 1967 and ’68 to have been the US equivalent of the British Invasion, so dramatic was its impact. Although there may not have been a real “San Francisco sound”, the SF groups did have something in common; they were trying to do something new and different. The San Francisco groups combined a variety of influences (both musical and otherwise) to expand the boundaries of pop music. In the process, they switched popular music’s emphasis from singles to albums, defined what would become known as the West Coast sound, and helped change “rock ‘n’ roll” to just plain “rock”. With no further ado then, the following is my list of ten recommended recordings for those interested in the San Francisco 60s Scene. The recordings chosen were selected not only because they make for enjoyable listening, but also because they are representative of the SF scene and are, at least in retrospect, historically significant.

1. Jefferson Airplane
Takes Off

(RCA Victor 1966/RCA 1996)

www.jeffersonairplane.com

Their first album and still maybe their best. Before fame, fortune, and pretensions had their influence, Jefferson Airplane was a nothing more than a folk-rock band with an interesting sound. The combination of well-chosen folk covers and some very intriguing original songs makes Takes Off a very promising debut. Although well-known frontwoman Grace Slick is not featured on the album, there’s enough going on so that one barely notices. In fact, fans of the group will probably be impressed by the versatility of Marty Balin and Paul Kantner as vocalists. Songs like “Blues from an Airplane”, “Let Me In”, and “Come up the Years” are standouts, but a consistent standard is maintained throughout the album.

2. The Vejtables
Feel…the Vejtables

(Sundazed 1996)

Were the Vejtables significant to the San Francisco music scene? Not really. Did they make an album or sell out the SF ballrooms? No. Still, in retrospect, the group was interesting for its ability to make the link from folk-rock to psychedelia, all before the San Francisco scene had even fully blossomed. The first of their four singles, the pop jangler “I Still Love You”, became a hit in the Bay area and went on to score a #84 hit on the national scene in 1965. By the time of their third release, listeners found the band to have evolved somewhat. The A-side, “Feel The Music”, was a growling, punk-flavored rant featuring raga-rock guitar leads, while the B-side, “Shadows”, was a psychedelic dirge with frightening lyrics about death and alienation. Their fourth single, released under the name The Book of Changes, was different yet. This CD from Sundazed gathers together all their released recordings along with a wealth of unreleased material. Although they’re not likely to be seen on a VH1 special anytime soon, the Vejtables were very much representative of the early San Francisco rock scene.

3. Big Brother and the Holding Company
(Self-Titled)

(Mainstream 1967/Sony-Legacy 1999)

http://www.officialjanis.com/html/main.html

The first Big Brother album is yet another which finds the SF scene in a period of transition. This time, folk, rock, country, and blues are thrown into the mix. Janis Joplin is unusually subdued on this debut, which offers equal showcase to her incredibly innovative backup band. Though not every song is memorable, the writing is ambitious, and some songs are real winners. “Light is Faster than Sound”, “All is Loneliness”, and “Coo Coo” are all great performances. The real stars of the album are guitarists Sam Andrews and James Gurley, whose incredible lead guitar work helped to define the SF sound.

4. Moby Grape
(Self-Titled)

(Columbia 1967/San Francisco Sound 1994)

www.mobygrape.net

Moby Grape had a sound. If ever a group could be both tight and loose at the same time, it was the Grape. The band was blessed with a lot of talent, both in songwriting and in performing. This, their debut, was one of the first albums from the SF scene to make a real dent in the album charts, and deservedly so. Nearly every track is a winner. The album is balanced between beautiful melodic numbers like “8:05”, “Someday”, and “Sitting by the Window” and fast-paced rock songs like “Hey Grandma” and the classic “Omaha”. A brilliant debut.

5. The Great Society
Born to be Burned

(Sundazed 1996)

http://www.d.kth.se/~d94-mfj/greatsoc/

The Great Society was one of San Francisco’s first and best alternative pop bands. Although they only released one single originally (the masterful “Free Advice”/”Someone to Love”), the band recorded a small treasure trove of material for Autumn records in 1965, making its appearance for the first time on this disk. As early as 1965, the band was recording music of nearly unparalleled sophistication in terms of songwriting. In addition, the synergy of cheap, clangy Sears-Roebuck guitars and Grace Slick’s powerful vocals is stunning at times. This CD is what it might’ve sounded like if Grace had taken a day off from the Airplane to sing with the local garage punk band. Truly amazing stuff.

6. The Grateful Dead
(Self-Titled)

(Warner Bros. 1967/Rhino 2003)

www.dead.net

The importance of the Grateful Dead on the San Francisco 60s scene should not be underestimated. Because of the large amount of media attention focused on them even as early as 1967, the group sort of became the unofficial spokesmen of the Haight-Ashbury district. They were also largely responsible for the success of the Fillmore auditorium. Although their incredible mass of recorded output is somewhat varied, this first album is a real gem. The band’s fusion of rhythm and blues and psychedelic pop is inspired. The combination of well-chosen cover material like “Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl” and “Morning Dew” with well-penned original material like “The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)” and “Cream Puff War” makes for fine listening. To me, this album is the Dead at the peak at their powers, leaving them to spend some thirty years slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the overindulgent sludge-rock which they are best known for. Still, that’s just me.

7. Steve Miller Band
Children of the Future

(Capitol 1968/Capitol 1994)

http://www.stevemillerband.com/

By 1968, most SF bands were already working on their second album-or their third in some cases. But for Steve Miller and company, the love affair with the LP had just begun. Although it wasn’t a commercial success, Children of the Future helped set a new standard of polish and production that other SF bands hadn’t aspired to. The arrangements and production indeed are impressive. The entire first side of the original album is a collage of psychedelic blues songs which melt together. The album also helped define the West Coast sound with its freewheeling, effortless pop-rock style. Children of the Future was certainly a difficult act to follow.

8. Quicksilver Messenger Service
(Self-Titled)

(Capitol 1968/Edsel 2000)

http://www.penncen.com/quicksilver/

Another group that made no haste in releasing their first album was Quicksilver Messenger Service. They had been together nearly three years when they released this, their debut album, in 1968. However, it’s clear that the band had spent that time wisely, polishing their act on the ballroom circuit and honing their highly individual sound. The album is full of pleasant, trippy folk-rock numbers. The only major exception to this rule is the twelve-minute “The Fool”, an ambitious and largely instrumental piece which is rather tiresome at places. Overall however, this is a fine album, and one which displays the songwriting talent and innovative performances of a fine group.

9. The Oxford Circle
Live at the Avalon 1966

(Big Beat 1997)

http://www.vickibrennerent.com/bluecheer/fo0150.htm

Though the band was originally from Davis, California, the Oxford Circle were a popular live attraction in the ballrooms of San Francisco during its early musical heyday. Although the band only released one single during their brief lifetime, they also left behind a historic live recording of a concert they performed at the Avalon ballroom in 1966. That recording, along with other unreleased material and the two sides of their single, make up this excellent CD from Big Beat. The band’s live set opens with a stunning nine-minute version of Them’s “Mystic Eyes”, full of incredible feedback guitar work. The rest of the live set is no less interesting, with both covers of other British Invasion songs and group originals. The band’s style was considerably more tight and aggressive than most of the other SF combos, which must have made them a popular alternative to the trippy folk-rock which prevailed during the early days of the San Francisco rock renaissance.

10. It’s a Beautiful Day
(Self-Titled)

(Columbia 1969/San Francisco Sound 1994)

http://www.dustbury.com/music/iabd.html

It’s a Beautiful Day was a unique group among a host of unique groups. Instead of amalgamating folk and rock as was the style of the time, the group added classical influences to the normal mix of folk and pop. With the distinctive violin work and classical arrangements of David LaFlamme, It’s a Beautiful Day had a sophisticated, deep, and atmospheric sound which distinguished them from other SF groups of the day. They also were arguably the first San Francisco group to explore progressive rock. This debut album features the lovely near-hit “White Bird”, along with other virtuoso songs like “Girl With No Eyes” and “Bombay Calling”. An exquisite album.