’60s
Noah’s Barks pages covering things relating to the years 1960 to 1969, i.e. the ’60s.
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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Most of Stanley Kubrick‘s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is still funny, but there are several long segments that are just incredibly boring, silly shit and the same run-on gags, like the aircraft scenes. It’s also natural to be disappointed at the lack of the iconic titular… (read more)
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Françoise Hardy – “Le premier bonheur du jour” (1963)
In some ways, Le premier bonheur du jour is a bit better than Françoise Hardy’s debut a year prior. The production values in particular are much improved and the album no longer sounds like it was recorded in a tin can. Hardy’s vocals have more force and confidence behind them—she’s a true star here. The… (read more)
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Stan Getz – João Gilberto – “Getz/Gilberto #2: Recorded Live at Carnegie Hall”
As of writing, Getz / Gilberto is currently my favorite jazz album, and it has met consistent critical acclaim from just about any person or publication over the years since its release, but Getz/Gilberto #2 somehow seemed to fly under everyone’s radar, including my own until now. There’s a fair reason for that. A few of the… (read more)
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The Shaggs – “Philosophy of the World” (1969)
Haha, what the hell is with Helen Wiggin’s drumming? She never stops tapping away for even a second. It’s like someone sat her down at the kit and flipped a switch on her back to the “on” position and walked away. Obviously, no one in The Shaggs is known for their musicianship—quite the opposite, which… (read more)
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Astrud Gilberto – “The Astrud Gilberto Album”
Fairly typical ‘60s easy listening pop. But as an album, The Astrud Gilberto Album is better than most. Beautiful arrangements are accompanied by a sweet voice sophistically explaining feelings of love and loss as if they were gospel. You know—the usual. Of course, this isn’t musically gospel. It’s primarily bossa nova, albeit with a stronger… (read more)
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Deep Purple – “Deep Purple”
Deep Purple’s third album is the final with their original vocalist. Nonetheless, they deliver one of their most psychedelic, darkest works. (read more)
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The Byrds – “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
A solid album by The Byrds, but I’d have to say this one is only for fans. There are a couple of great songs on here, but an equal or greater amount of material are merely decent or good. The Byrds started to write more of their own material on Turn! Turn! Turn!, but they… (read more)
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Love – “Da Capo” (1966)
The first half of Da Capo is pretty solid psychedelic pop rock despite Love’s ridiculously hammy vocalist. Listening to “¡Que Vida!” and hearing Arthur Lee’s accent could be a contest for how long one can go without laughing. He’s trying to come across as a sensitive, whimsical poet, but it’s so lamely contrived. Speaking of,… (read more)
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The Red Crayola with The Familiar Ugly – “The Parable of Arable Land” (1967)
Brilliant approach: just bash your guitar on the wall until you hear a new sound instead of reaching it naturally. I can’t respect The Parable of Arable Land at all. Tunelessly playing your instruments at random as if one gave a five year-old an electric guitar they’ve never picked up before is a result obvious… (read more)
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The Who – “Tommy”
I’m gonna be upfront: I hate rock operas, honestly. Tommy is not an exception. A melodramatic story that’s impossible to relate to in its campyness and is amateurishly written to boot. There’s a reason The Who are musicians first and not authors, though listening to Tommy almost tempts me to forget the reason for even… (read more)