I grew up in a house where music played from morning ’til midnight . . . music that largely reflected the tastes of the two San Francisco ex-hippies who happen to be my parents. My French immigrant mother spiced things up with jazz and my dad with the blues, but both shared the eclectic range of musical tastes that characterized the 1960’s.

This is why I’ve done more 1960’s reviews than any other period in musical history. While I don’t have share the Baby Boomer nostalgic reverence of the era or the adulation they tend to heap upon their heroes, I do agree that it was the most creative, inventive and diverse period in the history of popular music. From San Francisco to Liverpool to Swinging London to Motown to The Village, the 1960’s redefined the boundaries of music forever.

In addition to the reviews listed below, you’ll find separate links in the menu bar that will take you to my reviews of The Kinks, The Beatles and The Stones. The menu bar is where you’ll also find links to The Motown Series, The Psychedelic Series, and Conversations on The Moody Blues, a set of recorded conversations with my mother about six of their albums. Last but not at all least, don’t forget to check out my cultural and musical reviews of the era in the series Dad’s 45’s.

• Folksinger, Dave Van Ronk
• Sounds of Summer, The Beach Boys
• Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan
• Fairytale, Donovan
• Sunshine Superman, Donovan
• Having a Rave Up, The Yardbirds
• The Story of Them
• Roger the Engineer, The Yardbirds
• Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys
• In My Life, Judy Collins
• The Doors
• Surrealistic Pillow, Jefferson Airplane
• Are You Experienced, Jimi Hendrix
• Pleasures of the Harbor, Phil Ochs
• Disraeli Gears, Cream
• The Who Sell Out
• Bee Gees 1st
• Lady Soul, Aretha Franklin
• The Very Best of Otis Redding
• A Long Time Comin’, The Electric Flag
• The Time Has Come, The Chambers Brothers
• Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison
• Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake, Small Faces
• Wheels of Fire, Cream
• Rehearsals for Retirement, Phil Ochs
• Retrospective, Buffalo Springfield
• Dusty in Memphis, Dusty Springfield
• Clouds, Joni Mitchell
• Tommy, The Who
• In the Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson
• To Our Children’s Children’s Children, The Moody Blues
• Liege and Lief, Fairport Convention