Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
1969
Album Summary
Elephant Mountain is an album by the American rock band The Youngbloods, released in 1969. It reached number 118 on the Billboard 200 chart. Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1969, Robert Christgau wrote, "In the manner of tight groups, the Youngbloods stretch thinner all the time. Not only have they lost Jerry Corbitt, but their own expertise has become somehow attenuated. Banana used to be the most tasteful electric pianist in rock. Now he has become so tasteful he can sounds like Roy Kral on a lazy night." Lester Bangs was more enthusiastic in Rolling Stone, saying "this is one of the most encouraging albums I have heard in months. ... This album exudes that supremely rare commodity in these dark, bored, destructive times – joy." Years later, Rolling Stone said the album "bridges the gap between the last days of psychedelia and the outbreak of country-rock that had afflicted artists like the Byrds and Neil Young." In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer praised the album, feeling that it "contains some of the band's strongest material to date". The New York Times described the album as their "1969 folk-rock touchstone".
WikipediaThis is an interesting album. I... I think I liked it? There are certainly no stand-out tracks. Nothing to point to and say, "that was a great song!" but, at the same time, I really enjoyed listening to it as background music. Nothing disagreeable in the album (apart from a brief saxophone solo which was as tasteful as that sort of thing can be). Nothing great either. So strange. Not entirely sure how to rate it so it's getting a middling 3.
This list really loves albums that are old. This is more old music that is not special or unique compared to the other old music and it adds nothing. Just because things are old don’t make them groundbreaking or important. This is best described as decade filler.
Sublimely lowkey. Great background, great foreground. Sounds unique and yet matches its contemporaries. I love the folk, psychedelic, and Bluesy vibes going on here.
The sound is fantastic from the get go. Loved all the songs, very folksy. In the same breath, it sounds old and contemporary, it's just an excellent album.
Well, this was a strange one. A bit folky. A bit rocky. A bit jazzy. A bit country. A bit too averagey. Nothing stood out for me, and there was nothing to get my teeth into. It flowed over me like water over a rock. And left me just as cold.
I'd never heard of this album, or the band until now, but I'm glad I found out about them. The music is just so good! I can't believe how good this album has been, from start to finish!
Jammy, folksy, but totally not over the top. Light and fluffy like a merengue (am I good at album reviews???)
Mildly interesting but not horrible. Was nothing different or very entertaining. Not sure how this made the top 1001 albums lists
The Youngbloods album was just like most of the other 60s psychedelic rock stuff we've had. Started okay then got lost up its own arse.
Not terrible but not good. Surely this sort of stuff is ten-a-penny from this era.
This was pretty annoying. It sounded like stupid hippie crap. Gross. I didn't like this much at all. There was 1 song that actually wasn't too bad but I have so much ill will toward this album that it's getting a 1 anyway. This should be omitted from all future publications of the book. Yuck.
Already loving the bluegrass feel as soon as the album starts. Anything that sounds like Outlander is good. Singer sounds like Neil Young. It started like bluegrass but now it's turning into late '60s rock. I do like how every song has a different style, and each one is a pleasant little diddy. (Note after listening) Well that was awesome. The album escalated with each song and ended on a very high note. Will 100% listen again.
Great opening song, and the rest of the album is good vibing music, how have I never heard of this band?!?!?!?!!!
5/5 - Like some of this older folk music: it's good for what it is, but not my cup of tea.
From the lyrics to the music, how it plays with rock, and tries different sounds. I liked it.
Black Mountain Breakdown 👌 Seems like folk is pretty timeless accidentally listened to the whole thing twice
Folk rock. Late 60's. Psychedelic rock. Fun songs, love some of the harmonies. Mellow but upbeat. Perfect for helping keep things light and happy while working.
Absolutely beautiful album. My perception is that The Youngbloods are less cited than other popular counterculture musicians but they are great standard bearers for the movement. The lyrics are poetic and still relevant to our culture 50+ years later. I love everything about this album. The instrumentation is dated but that’s fine. It’s of it’s time. So much fun.
Really good album! Groovy blues and funky rhythms. It resembles me a bit of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Did not know this album yet but it is excellent in every aspect and I have listened to it non-stop for several times.
dude so good and like crazy diverse, J can’t believe all these songs are on the same album made by the same band, that’s crazy - 10/10
This was a very nice surprise. I was expecting more boring Neil Young folk rock nonsense but instead I got: Blues, folk, jazz, country, soul, rock, funk, ragtime, psychedelic, 60s silliness. Will defo listen again.
Très belle découverte de cette liste. Honnêtement pas un mauvais moment sur l'album. Pourquoi ce n'est pas plus connu je ne comprends pas.
Mi sorprende che non conoscessi affatto questa band. Un album eclettico in cui ogni traccia rappresenta un genere diverso: folk, soul, perfino jazz. Sicuramente approfondirò la loro discografia.
Get Together, the only Youngbloods song I ever heard before this, happens to be one of my very favorite songs of the ‘60s. So I’m pretty excited to see the group appear here. It’s about time I checked out some of the rest of their music. From the moment I hit play I loved this album. Darkness Darkness kicked things off beautifully. It’s got a folky, mountainy vibe that instantly appealed. Then as it goes the psychedelia came in and it all blended into something really impressive! The arrangement is beautiful and I love the lead singer’s voice. The Youngbloods make folksy, bluesy, jazzy, country, psychedelia seem completely natural. Only on reflection do I realize what an accomplishment that is. Nothing really jolted me. It all just seemed perfect. The instrumentals are wonderful. And thank you for Don’t Let The Rain Get You Down as I enter a Seattle winter. This is one of my favorite discoveries in this project so far. There will be a lot more from The Youngbloods in my future.
Oh, sure. The Youngbloods. I know them. Wait...do I? Am I confusing them with The Yardbirds? Oh yeah: come on people now, smile on your brother... That's them. That song's not on this album though. The only song I know on this album is Darkness, Darkness because Ann Wilson (of Heart) did a cover on her amazing album Hope & Glory. I love that cover. And I love The Youngbloods' original. I love a lot of this album. It's definitely 60s but not overplayed. Interesting instrumentation. Speaking of...there are a few instrumental bits that go on a little long but that's my only complaint. This is good good stuff and I want to hear more.
I love folk rock! This is amazing! I love the Built to Spill vibes. Darkness Darkness is such a DnD song, Smug was great, On Sir Francis Drake was a fire jazz track, love this. Great listen, start to stop.
Loved it! Elements of folk music. It didn't sound typically '60s like "Get Together."
Monta kuuntelua, aina tuli fiilis, et on pikkukekkulissa lauantaipäivänä auringonpaisteessa
Virkeligt fedt album. En smooth og easy listening plade med en blandet rock/jazz stil. Tæt på 5 stjerner
Great album. Amazing guitar and cool use of a variety of instruments. Definitely listening again
I enjoyed this slightly folkier/jazzier version of the Allman Brothers. Some really solid songs as well as some that were just low key and kind of fun. Favorite Tracks: “Darkness, Darkness,” “Smug,” and “Ride the Wind”
I knew the songs but couldn't tell you their name or the band, they are a classic, nice instrumentation and a powerful voice
Good folk music—fiddling, acoustic guitar, EYC. Sometimes reminiscent of Irish folk music
The little musical interludes were kind of fun breaks to actual tracks and I think set the album up well. I enjoyed the sorta lighthearted vibe, and the sound from these older albums just sounds good, so I really enjoyed it without knowing how to describe it. The Francis Drake one that was long and purely instrumental also caused me to dive into his Wikipedia page, so I’ll add an extra star for the potential LearnedLeague help.
Enjoyed it end to end... the first ~30 seconds were awesome, then from there I liked the bluesy parts, instrumentals, even the little slide whistle and the elevator music opening on the last track. Close to a 5 for me but I just didn’t hear the homerun song
Nog nooit iets van gehoord en aangenaam verrast. Ik hoorde er van alles in: Nick Drake, The Beatles, Aaron Neville etc.
a bit of a blur, but I vaguely recall this as pleasant and old school. need to listen again
I liked this a lot. Perfect vibes for a Monday morning. Chill, but upbeat.
War mir bisher gar kein Begriff l, aber schönes Album und gut zum durchhören
Yet another I've never heard of that is incredibly impressive. I don't get all the hullabaloo around the 70s when the 60s seem to have stuff like this
Pleasantly surprised by this record. More 3.5 than 4. Still good though.
Nice and chili folk rock. I specially liked the track 'on sir Francis drake'. A mellow instrumental whit jazz and psychedelic influences.
Darkness Darkness-Already impressed by the fiddle (?) ish start. The lyrics are so...dark. heh. liking that riff with the main vocals. i really should learn proper music terms lmao. Smug-has a country like melody to it so far. Damn that was so short! On Sir Francis Drake-its an instrumental piece? sounds not bad. and whoops two songs went by without me noticing. Beautiful-chill feel good piece. Rain song- lmao relistening to the album. i like it better than yesterdays bc rock still doesnt jive with me much. this ones like a mix of different genres altogether, jazz, some rock, swing? country, idk. nice tunes regardless. very alternative i think? oh lmao wiki says its folk rock/country rock/psychidelica? sounds about right actually. not bad. maybe this rock i can jive with.
Very trippy, jazzy, cool! Started with kind of a dark hippy Darkness Darkness (later covered by Robert Plant), got into loose jazzy improv-feeling Francis Drake…Beautiful is 60s bluesy Janis Joplin-esque (or JC superstar)
I like this … not listened to them before …. Great opening track … nice bass … Big Tim Buckley fan
This was a cool ass album, need to check it out some more, prob a 3 but ill be generous
Really enjoyed the album. I'd call it classic Indie folk (if that's a thing).
25th October 2021 Listened on the living room speaker while working, quiet day. Started fight club work out. I really enjoyed this - combination of folk and Hill Country blues. Right up my alley.
I would listen to this again in a heartbeat, and it is getting saved in my library. Not every song is a masterpiece, but that's okay. I also started to get the vibe that some tracks sound like they could have been made yesterday, which is GREAT. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is mine!
This was delightfully jolly. A surprise that it was as early as 1969....would go 4.5 stars if the scale went there
-"Darkness, Darkness" has an awesome distorted guitar sound -It gets kinda slow across the middle of the record -"If the world was peanut butter, we'd be sticking by each other" is a stunning lyrics from "Don't Let The Rain Bring You Down" -Cool sax and drummery in "Quicksand" -Great guitar and drum jamming in "Sham." It might be my favorite track from the album -Definitely some great moments, but needs more oomph or consistency to get to 5 stars
Five stars loaded in the nerf gun, ready to fire at will. We're overdue for a 1001 miracle. Who are these guys. The name suggests an underground classic. It's 1969. Great band name. It's all almost there. Some of the songs were perfect. Loved the jazzier business. Love anything in 6/8 time. Some Love. Some Canned Heat. Some Fairport Convention. Some of it fell flat, but a nice surprise from 1001. A-
Someone should have told them that delay effects on the first couple tracks sounds toilet
Never heard this one before. It feels like someone tried to distill the sound of 60's rock into a single album. Every song could be on a movie soundtrack to set the period.
What a great album! Weirdly, no one track stood out, bit the bright, free feeling of the whole thing made it zip by in a pleasing mix of crunchy guitar and bouncy organ. Nothing outstayed it's welcome. It was all very fun and joyous! An underrated gem.