Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Number: 131 Date: 05/14/2026 Artist: The Youngbloods Album: Elephant Mountain Year: 1969 Style: Folk Rock Familiarity: None (1) Rating: Before: ======= So my first thought upon seeing the band name, album title, and cover with big pile of poop front and center was some sort of subversive hip-hop or rap, then I saw the date, 1969. So I have no clue what to expect now. During: ======= 4 Darkness, Darkness 3 Smug 3 On Sir Francis Drake 4 Sunlight 3 Double Sunlight 4 Beautiful 3 Turn It Over 4 Rain Song 3 Trillium 3 Quicksand 3 Black Mountain Breakdown 3 Sham 4 Ride The Wind ----------------------------------------------------- 3.53 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= It is a pleasant enough album and a fine example of this type of music from the late 60's - early 70's but nothing really unique or special about it. I'm sure there are dozens of albums out there that could compete for the same slot in a 1001 albums you must hear list. 4 my personal rating 3 suitability for this list 2 impact ----------------------------------------------- 3 composite rating
fairly uninteresting
I like this better when no one is singing.
its fine. i heard far more interesting jazz rock tho. and the folk stuff on here is kind of odd and out of place tbh
This has some good moments but not enough that I would want to relisten
Interesting and strange. Didn't sound like an album at all, but instead a selection of songs the algorithm might have chosen after playing a psychedelic country rock crossover landmark like Sweetheart of the Rodeo. I was open to this being better than Sweetheart, even, which has never quite lived up to its legend or its cover art in my mind. So I thought, "Cool, here we have a collection of songs in similar style but without the Dylan covers or Gospel songs." Thing is, I never would have imagined they were all by the same band, though I might have guessed one of the bands was the crew behind "Get Together." I might have imagined some of these songs were by the Beegees or the Monkees or the Zombies or any number of bands ending in an E sound from the 60s and 70s. So in the end I liked some of the songs a lot but felt kind of meh about the album. And after I finished the algorithm went straight into "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," the first track of Sweetheart of the Rodeo...
Expectation: -> I assumed this was a 90s band by name. Which means this '69 album will be completely new to me. After listening: -> This is perfectly average. Transports me back to the 60s-70s. Nothing awe inspiring and nothing cringy. Five of 13 songs are instrumentals and of those only 11 seconds long. Why bother? There are a lot of older bands/albums I would reach for before this. Track ranking: Quicksand Darkness Beautiful Smug Sunlight Sham Rain Wind Drake Trillium Double Black Turn
60s but I enjoyed it. Was pleasantly surprised. Nothing remarkable about this one though.
The instrumental songs didn't do much for me, but most of this was good. Interesting for sure. I enjoyed this. This was an easy listen. The songs flowed well into each other Liked Songs: "Darkness, Darkness" , "Sunlight" , "Beautiful" , "Trillium" , "Quicksand" , "Sham"
I always try to refrain from using thought-terminating clichés in my writing, but I struggle to come up with words to describe this other than, as they now say, "mid". the middest of mid to ever mid. if you've heard a West Coast folk rock album from the late 60s or early 70s, you'll find nary a surprise within the music of the Youngbloods. well, okay, that's not totally fair; there's a few diversions into jazz, country and psych that serve to mix things up a bit. but, on the whole, I think there's plenty of other music from this scene that probably deserves a closer look in a book of (again) "Must Hear" albums. hey, at least there's the opener and closer, which are pretty good. light 5/10.
I don't know what to say about this album. It was fine. I felt like I had heard all of the songs before, and none of them at the same time. I didn't actually know any of them but they sounded familiar. Maybe it just sounds like generic late 60s rock?
Very interesting stuff here!
Pleasant album. Lot more jazzy and bluesy than I expected. Good guitar but no real memorable songs
Kind of generic to me, but they could still play.
Aight
not another random 60s album. we hate the boomer who compiled the list for this. i could ignore the surplus of average synthpop and indie and britpop but this is unforgivable.
Blind album and artist. Some parts were definitely cool, especially the opening track, but the rest wasnt phenomenal or anything outstanding so I'll have to give it a 3.
chill. didn't stay with me though...
Decent rock album!
6/10 Felt like background music.
Mochte die jazzigen Sachen.
Pleasant but a bit forgettable.
Again, another fairly inoffensive, but dull album. Did nothing for me. Some of my kinda music as well, so was pretty disappointed. Not bad, just nothing outstanding.
No soy mucho del Country pero este me gustó, aparte los interludios están buenos.
Easy listen
Variously described as folk-rock, country-rock and late stage psych-rock, there's a lot about this that could still fit on a record, today. It's got some weird production touches (some funny echo effects on the lead vocals in places, or else a really strange echo-like backing vocal) and otherwise still bears the strong influence of Blues on rock music ('On Sir Francis Drake' is just a light Blues jam, mostly). There's an exploration joke there, I assume. The bits of (actual published) reviews that I read circled around ideas of the various proportions of psych, folk and country in the rock music on offer by The Youngbloods, here. There's always a discussion to be had about that but those things were always part of the makeup of rock & roll (Chuck Berry once quipped that he'd have been in the country genre if he hadn't been black). Opinions abound but the fundamental roots of rock music were country (itself an adaptation of traditional Celtic music with some other things), blues (a descendant of African music) and Cuban (again, African and Spanish, run through a colonial blender). Plus some other stuff; it's always been a highly-synthesized genre, glomming bits and pieces all the time. To me, the phrase 'country-rock' is a bit like saying 'rum and coke with rum added'; it does describe the particular blend but it's a little redundant. Not wrong, just funny. Anyway, the album is pretty good. I think it peaked at the first track, 'Darkness, Darkness', which could really do with a modern cover, but overall it's a fun listen. It reminds me of a much less harmony-obsessed Grateful Dead (which, yes, is a bit like saying a crustless pizza) but there wasn't anything wrong with it. 'Trillium' was also really cool: great bass groove to the intro. Must I have listened to this before I died? Yeah, I guess. Which translates to a strong 3/5
Never heard of these guys before surprisingly. Sounds like a decent 60s folk rock album, probably right in the middle of the street for me with 3 stars. Not terrible, not great either
Yet another late ‘60s/early ‘70s psychedelic-influenced folk album on this list. It probably felt especially unremarkable to me because of that similarity, but it’s not a bad album by any means. It’s a perfectly fine listen, but nothing that stuck in my mind. One of the most 3y 3s you’ll ever find.
This was a perfectly enjoyable album to listen to - though it didn't feel particularly innovative or original. It's 60s psychedelic-tinged folk rock, which was the style at the time. The songs I enjoyed best were the more jazz influenced tracks like 'Sunlight', 'Trillium' and album closer 'Ride the Wind'.
Because I generally really like this sort of 60s folky/country/psychedelic music I did enjoy this album. That said, it’s mostly perfectly pleasant but pretty lightweight stuff. The positives: ‘Darkness, Darkness’ was a cool, bluesy opener and probably the best track, ‘Beautiful’ was a refreshing change of pace for being a bit more lively, ‘Rain Song’ was a nice jazzy track (with slide whistle), and ‘Sham’ had some cool guitar work. However, ‘On Sir Francis Drake’ and ‘Ride the Wind’ weren’t interesting enough to justify their long durations, and ‘Trillium’ similarly felt a bit superfluous. Enough for 3 stars.
I was worried at first when it said there was a bit of country rock. However, turned out fine. Folky like other albums of its time.
Solid folk rock album
2.8 2x
This was a little bit funky, a little bit psychedelic, a little bit country, and a little bit guitar solo. And I liked it a little bit, maybe even more than a little bit, but nothing particularly struck me enough that I think I would ever go back to it. Like so many others it was enjoyable in the moment but not that impressionable overall.
Some great tracks & a bunch of filler. 3.5
This was an interesting listen. Starts out as folk/country, but branches out into more jazz, psychedelia, and electric piano solos at points. Very fitting for 1969 I guess! But just another "huh, neat" album at the end of the day.
Cool album. Liked the beginning but then the rest just kinda turned into background noise
Weirdly enjoyable - a mix between psychedelic and east coast mellow rock. I like it
Surprisingly refreshing and funky with bluesy undertones. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would!
It took me a second to get this album, but I ended up enjoying this album solidly enough!
There was nothing really special about this, but it was an enjoyable listen.
Good
6.5/10
Much better than I expected but still nothing special
Behageligt og let plimmene lyt. ikke noget jeg husker imorgen dog.
A group I have never heard of before. Did enjoy this, would certainly investigate more of The Youngbloods
just about enjoyable. maybe cool 70's rock is saturated for me right now but it wasn't a standout. the keyboard jam sessions were a bit excessive. favorite song is Smug or Sham
Pretty nice 60s rock with enough original ideas to keep me happy. I liked the first half of the album a little more in general, but overall a good 6.6/10
Tämäkin bändi/albumi oli ennestään tuntematon. Ensimmäinen kappale nosti odotuksia, mutta lopulta kokonaisuus jäi vähän keskinkertaiseksi. Monet muut saman aikakauden artisteista (esim. The Doors ja Neil Young) osaavat tehdä samantyylistä musaa paljon paremmin. Ei kuitenkaan yhtään huono levy, mutta ei välttämättä kuulu tälle listalle.
I can imagine listening to this back in the day and having my mind blown, kinda like that tweet about Sabrina carpenter, men used to see one woman this beautiful in their lifetime and carpet bomb each other in her name, now you see 20 step sisters stuck in dryers before breakfast.
Little Bitta this little Bitta that ah record. The outro was quite nice
Some of this is really good. Some of it is just 60s/70s instrumental noodling (but good). I wish the album was more cohesive, but it’s a showcase of different sounds. It’s a 3.
6/10
Good, but not great
This was all over the place. Nothing awful, nothing great. Blues heavy to my ear, which is a good thing normally.
sometimes fun, sometimes cringe, sometimes pleasant.
This is genuinely a fun album. There are so many sounds and parts that I really like. My biggest critique is that I'm not exactly sure the Youngbloods themselves knew what they were going for. It's all over the place, sometimes to its detriment. But I really enjoyed the goofiness of it while also maintaining really beautiful chords. Feels like a forefather of yacht rock at times. Highlights: On Sir Francis Drake, Quicksand
This is not terrible by any means but I can't see that it's a must-listen.
ok
I enjoyed some of the jams, while others meandered aimlessly about, and some tracks were just a bit tiresome. Overall it had potential but didn’t reach it. Nothing memorable to take away. 3.0
Less stupid pointless noise making than usual for a late 60s psych rock album
Very reminiscent of the Beatles and their willingness to experiment with sound. Enjoyed it fairly well.
I know this band from the excellent (cover) Get Together which adorns most soundtracks for 60s films. It is interesting that this album seemed so fresh, almost like it was recorded yesterday. Really liked it.
Love the bass walking in On Sir Francis Drake
Saw that “Country” category and got a little worried. More of a splash of blue grass and hints of country rock mixed with classic rock & psych. Was kind of giving me America vibes. I dug it. Trillium was my favorite track, but I also enjoyed the xylophone on Ride The Wind. 3.5⭐️
If you like CSN but don’t care for their harmonies, then this is the band for you! Seriously, the music is good, but I can see why they did not reach the popularity of some of their contemporaries.
I applaud the idea but not the performance, which was often hollow. Even the jazzy bits were good, but weren’t quite enough.
This was an interesting album and kind of all over the place. So The Youngbloods are the band that sang "Get Together". That classic hippie song "Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together try to love one another right now." etc etc.....but that song isn't on this album. This song kinda goes from rock to country to jazz, spanning several different genres. The Rolling Stone said retroactively that this album is basically "the missing link" that is the segue between psychedelic and country rock, which I can hear it and it makes it more tolerable. It's very chill and melodic. It's a solid album, but it's not a super exciting one. There's no super hits that blow your socks off, but each song is good. I recognize that album is in an interesting place between genres, but I'm also thinking "Who cares?" but it's also not a bad album.
Some pretty good spots on this one, and some "kinda want this to move on" moments. Overall a pretty decent jam album. Finishes pretty strong.
sympa mais pas un truc fou
Unexpectedly brilliant - would listen again.
3.5/5
Клевая обложка, клевый первый трек. Но потом ничего не поняла. Какая-то мешанина из всего разного. Во второй половине уже не была уверена, тот ли альбом я до сих пор слушаю.
Проходняк
предки yungbludа не запомнились...
Pretty cool album.
This is the sort of thing I like to find on the list. Never heard it before. It’s a right mashup of genres….Country, Rock, Prog. Was worried it was going to be too country for my tastes, but then it gets going and is much more my kind of thing. Amazing that I’ve never even heard of it. 3
Not really ground-breaking, but nice enough.
It was fine. Nothing special from my viewpoint.
interesting an enjoyable.
Elephant Mountain - The Youngbloods Darkness darkness starts off exactly as you’d expect with that title, dark and stormy. Somehow getting a dark sound out of clearly very tinny guitar. Probably something to do with the constant drone in the background. High strained vocals only add to the eeriness on this track. Double-stopped guitar solo? I really like how the solo blended into the vocals at the end with the rhythm change. Wow. Completely shocked with that change going into Smug. Much more upbeat. Picking up a bit of a bluegrassy feel to some of the guitar. Only vaguely. WEIRD fade-out on the lead guitar towards the end of its bars. Kind of interesting though? Love the outtake at the start of On Sir Francis Drake, less of a fan of the synthetic organ in the intro. Just a complete sectional change halfway through this into something a LOT more bluesy. Fully thought this was a new song if not for the continued synth. Sunlight isn’t the most interesting song musically, feels a bit derivative. But. Really love the lyrics to this one, chorus hook is great. Ah I really like Beautiful. Something jazz-bluesy about it. Very very funky guitar with the striked octaves under the lead. Love it. Insanely good use of atmospherics in this. Again jazzy blues. This is a great album so far. I don’t know why but there’s a real stormy New Orleans feel to it. Some whimsical wee noises in this one though, not the biggest fan of them on the track. Trillium to Black Mountain Breakdown felt like a bit of filler, kind of blended together. But got jolted back into the album with Sham. Phenomenal guitar intro. Really harsh compared to anything else on the album. Ride the Wind returns to the feel of the album at the start. A nice calm finisher for the record. Overall a pretty decent record, would give it 3.5/5 if I could but I’ll settle for 3. I think my favourite on this was Sham.
There's something about 60s psychedelic rock that I really like. Okay, most of the bands sound the same, but maybe that's a good thing. You can out a whole bunch of albums on and just leave them playhing in the background without it becoming a bother. The Youngbloods are one of those bands I've not really heard before, and if I'm being honest, while they're not terrible, they're not really high on my list of bands to learn more about. This album iks okay, so I'm gonna give it three stars.
I mean it was fine. Nothing spectacular. Another album I woulda been fine never hearing, but not mad I heard it now.
Really good album very relaxing and enjoyable. Dont think its a best album material or even for the list but very cool and breeze
170226 14:14 3.5
This actually doesn’t suck.
Pretty melodic tunes and cool instrumentals. A lot better than expected.
Unextraordinary easy-listening. Totally inoffensive, excellent music for a coffeeshop
The first songs I didn’t not like but as it went on I kinda adapted to the style I guess
It was a 50/50 album for me - also interesting this was considered pop
Easy listening
3/5. Nice guitar work and rhythms but the lyrics and singing didn't do anything. Beautiful was a standout track.
Some strong songs and beautifully played (talented musicianship in this trio format) makes for an enjoyable listen. Not ambitious enough for consideration as a top album of all time though.
3,5
Nice balance of folk and rock, with a variety of tones throughout the album. Some standout bass work too.
Fun. A lot of good variety.
Psychy folky
Great stuff, will come back to this one
Very interesting
The middle drags a bit, and I don't like the jazz songs, but it's overall pretty interesting. I love the experimentation of the late 60s.
Funky, soulful stuff
Nice ambient 60s listen of one of those psychadelic american bands that nobody cares about anymore. Liked the Francis Drake track
Enjoyed some of the songs on here, but felt it was a bit patchy overall
Bunch of songs I really enjoyed but some filler as well.
Great simple short album. Super folk rock from the 60s, I enjoyed the album and its song that very jam rock-ish
This album was so unremarkable that I already forgot about it
It was good! I was nervous at first that I wasn't going to like it, but that changed the further I got into it.
This was pretty good, a lot of variety in the album; more than I was expecting. I might try to listen to this one again
good
A pleasant surprise for me. Very much a product of its time, but with elements that feel like they belong to later decades. Folksy, rocky, country-y, jazzy - there were some electric piano moments that reminded me of Steely Dan. The instrumentalists are excellent, vocals and harmonies are smooth. Occasionally things get a little sloppy or silly, but these are clearly people who are having fun in the studio.
Interesting album. Not really my style, but I enjoyed it. There is a timelessness to it that feels almost like some on the current indie stuff I am hearing on the radio. Enjoyed it.
Very sixties folk rock, if you like that. It’s just ok to me.
Tougher sounding name than this band probably needs.
Definitely worth a relisten - some good tracks. On Sir Francis Drake is a standout
3.5
A very solid opening track, but hhen goes in directions I don't care too much for. 3 stars
I thought this album started off pretty well, but after a couple of tracks went off in some directions that I wasn't wild about. Some of the jazzier tracks almost have a proto-Yacht Rock feel that doesn't quite work for me. Still there are a few tracks I like, especially "Darkness Darkess". 3 stars.
By the ranks or single file Over every folky mile Oh we stamp and crush Through the jazziness *harumph!* In a San Francisco style In a San Francisco style Hup, 2, 3, 3.5 stars Keep it up! 2, 3, 3.5.
Not too bad, does feel a little long however.
6/10
3.5! enjoyed this disproportionally for what it is
Enjoyable....also pretty forgettable
pretty good. Don't have much to say
Very psychedelic from the first jump, blended with folk rock as well. There are some jazz influences in their instrumental breaks. Lyrically, my favorite song is beautiful. Their most popular songs seem to be Darkness, Darkness and Sunlight.
2.7 - almost a 3. For their musicality they probably deserve a 3 star. For my listening pleasure, it just wasn’t there. Maybe another day
I mean, it's alright.
Not terrible but not memorable either
Fun Fact - this is the second day in a row I've had "mountain" in my album title. Yesterday was Felt Mountain. Elephant Mountain didn't stick out as much though. Normally 60s pop and rock is right in my wheelhouse. It has the right ingredients and the right era vibe, but nothing really jumped out and grabbed me. There are some pleasant moments and the album flows well enough, it just never fully stands out from everything else from that time period.
cool
175 Piola. Buena música de fondo, es como un lo fi pero de los 60s
This album feels like at any moment, a classic song is about to come on, something that you remember listening to in the car with your parents. Then it never does. It's all build-up and no release.
Nice, pastoral, and earthy 60s folk and psychedelic rock. I can’t say I got really into it, but I can appreciate it for what it is. It definitely explores a range of different textures and moods, and because of that it didn’t always feel as cohesive as it could have been. That said, I do have to give it credit for the studio work, mixing, and production, which sound pretty clear and crisp for its time.
Passable. Kinda seems like a slightly-above average psychedelic folk album of the day. Some parts were nice, but asides from maybe "Quicksand", the other tracks were either fine enough instrumentals or songs that had parts and pieces with the potential to be really good, but never committed to any of them. Nonetheless, decent.
The Youngbloods: Elephant Mountain On Elephant Mountain, The Youngbloods transition from New York folk-rockers to California pastoralists, delivering a project defined by its genre-blurring fluidity. The album’s core strength lies in its sophisticated fusion of jazz sensibilities with a rural rock foundation. Instrumental highlights like "Trillium" and "On Sir Francis Drake" showcase the trio’s technical synergy, allowing Joe Bauer’s jazz-inflected drumming to breathe within "Banana’s" nimble piano arrangements. However, the project isn't without its points of friction. At times, Jesse Colin Young’s folk-leaning vocal delivery feels slightly at odds with the complex, instrumental spectrum the band explores, creating a tonal disconnect that may require multiple listens to fully reconcile. While the album occasionally wanders, its commitment to a mellow, "jam-band" atmosphere makes for a pleasant, if sometimes challenging, sonic journey. It is a grower of a record—one that prioritizes mood and musicianship over immediate pop gratification.
Gøy musikk! Liker det godt, minner om YES og litt andre ting fra samme år. Noen blinkskudd innimellom.
Ganske bra, sterk 3. Minnet meg om bandet Love som jeg liker ganske godt og ikke har funnet noe tilsvarende for.
I enjoyed elements of this. Some of the songs in the first half went down a "rock-jazz" direction, which I am not keen on, while the latter half was a bit more folksy-rock and was nice to have in the background
Psychedelia and country rock On sir francis drake Beautiful
This is a "nice" album. But nothing more. And certainly one of those albums, where you wonder why it is on this list.
Has some similarities to the Beatles which works given the time period. I preferred the instrumental songs over the singing ones. There's some good tracks though that I enjoyed more than I expected to. 7/10
Given my general aversion to late sixties psych rock, I was surprised by how listenable I found this. It's not bad at all. A reasonably solid three.
5/10
This kinda took some interesting turns I wasn’t expecting. A lot of instrumental. All pretty good, nothing that is too obscure or weird. Just nice music. 3.5 goin down.
Quite nice but I felt like a lot of filler in the middle. Kinda loved the last track. 3.4/5
The overall sound is very soft, folksy, and easy listening, but can be dull in parts. The songs seem to run together. Sunlight stood out. Kind of the definition of a 3 score: nothing bad, nothing great. 3/5
Suit for driving through mountains
A soothing combination of jazzy folk-rock
With Elephant Mountain it was easy to see why The Youngbloods didn't enjoy greater success but equally easy to see why many thought they would be the next big thing. They would go on to enjoy limited success. Their one hit (Get Together) was not a hit until a couple years after its release (1967) in 1969. It's a fun album. Jesse Colin Young is in top form with solid if not earth-shattering vocals. The whole band are tight (and wonderfully loose often in the same song) with the crazed calm of a jug band. A few members of The Youngbloods would go on to form the dreadful mess of a group named Pablo Cruise (soft, MOR crap that makes The Eagles sound like punk rock) try to not their lameness keep you from a fun album whose charms might be limited but fully present. No, the hit single 'Get Together' is not on this album. It's on their self-titled largely enjoyable debut album.
very chill, only a few of the songs stuck out but it’s overall good background music. easy listening, if you will
I hadn't heard of this group at all that I know of though once I looked it up I recognized their hit "Get Together". Seems like an OK album that doesn't deserve to be forgotten but mostly because it is of a time and seems to capture that well.
Meh. This one wasn't for me. Good parts throughout, but it didn't catch my ears.
Very nice jazzy, folky thing!
Starts very strong with Darkness, Darkness and Smug which made me think I was in for a really good time. It unfortunately descended into the mostly just okay. I can see the very clear influence on Neil Young, though, and that’s very worthwhile.
Pretty good but forgettable
Die US-amerikanischen Youngbloods nahmen das Album 1969 im RCA Studio in Hollywood auf. Die Band verknüpft hier Folk-Rock mit leichten psychedelischen und jazzigen Einflüssen. Songs wie „Darkness, Darkness“, „Sunlight“ und das instrumentale „On Sir Francis Drake“ zeigen die stilistische Spannweite und den ruhigen, unaufgeregten Charakter der Aufnahme. Die Arrangements wirken durchdacht, die Instrumente greifen sauber ineinander, ohne sich gegenseitig zu überlagern. Insgesamt entsteht ein konzentriertes, musikalisch rundes Album, das die Stärken der Band klar hervorhebt und in sich stimmig bleibt.
Mid hippy dip.
3.5
Solid 3.5. Really enjoyable glad to be introduced to it
Decent - Not earth shattering
Dated but not bad. A bit like me.
That was a strange collection of sounds, but they were all recognizable as music, so that's a plus.
Not a fan of the first half of the album, but the the second half had a couple of boppers. Tough rate.
The Youngbloods are giving us some good folk-rock on Elephant Mountain. It opens very promisingly with Darkness, Darkness which takes a fun turn into some rambling jamming. Beautiful and Sham are a couple other standouts. It’s a perfectly pleasant album. I would have enjoyed it a bit more if they opened it up a touch more and really went for it because when they did, they were quite good at it. I understand the need for balance as well though. It was good, just didn’t blow me away. 3 stars
A lot of heart in this one, flows really well, melodies are gripping and take you on a ride. Mastering is beautiful, pleasure to listen to.
Eclectic. A bit rocky, a bit folky, a bit psychedelic, a bit county. A pleasant listen. I guess they were one of those 'unknown' bands that never made it for whatever reason. Sad.
I think Quicksand alone has been enough to earn this album a positive review, that's not to say any of it was particularly bad, but there wasn't a lot that stood out to me. I may have to revisit. 3 Stars.
That's not my taste in music - But some pleasant songs
Quite interesting, but not quite memorable
Interesting album cover. Looks like I'm in for a pop rock affair. I've never heard of The Youngbloods before. Guess I'll just have to wait and see whether I'm curious to know more once this album is through. Ah, something folky. I shoulda known. This album was a pretty good time. An admirable spread of stylistic influences with some pleasing, mellow instrumentals. What more could you want, really? Truth be told, none of this music hooked me all that deeply, though as something I casually listened along to, I though it was pretty alright. I'll have to give this one a second go sometime down the line. "On Sir Francis Drake" is pretty cool. The bluesy influence works well, and I like the weightlessness that the percussion adds to the song. That track length is something else, but for what the song is it's decent. "Sunlight" is another good cut. Those acoustic guitars are pretty good, and I like the fluttering vocals. There's a bit of a bossa nova influence with the backing instruments, which is pretty interesting. The song comes together quite nicely. "Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down" is more of a strait-laced pop rock offering, though it's quite good. The songwriting is pretty solid, particularly around the chorus. I quite like the layabout energy in the instrumental, too. Book time. Nothing much in there. Wikipedia reveals that this album charted okay and had a hushed, yet positive reception among critics. I'd snub this album if I listened to it under less favourable circumstances, though I quite liked this one and it's offerings are decently varied, so I'm more inclined to save it. I gotta ration my replacement albums for the ones which really deserve to be culled, after all. I cosign this inclusion.
Had a couple good songs but nothing especially noteworthy.
I came into this very negatively. Just looked at the date, the vibes & thought this would be annoying and bad. It was very pleasant tho! Maybe the best of this genre yet?
Cowboy yiha
Sympa
Not bad, but a little all over the place stylistically. I don't think I'd seek this one out again, but I didn't dislike it either.
Pretty great. Hard to believe I never even heard of the Youngbloods. Certainly now I want to dig deeper.
This one had highs and lows which is more than I can say about a lot of comparable time/place/genre albums. The more countrified stuff was pretty nice a lot of the time!
"Elephant Mountain" is the third studio album by American rock band the Youngbloods. Folk rock, country rock and psychedelia are the Wiki-listed genres. Their style has also been described as "blending affective pop rock melodies and lyrics with good time jug band roots." Jesse Colin Young (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, bass) became the primary songwriter after the departure of co-founder Jerry Corbett. Other core bandmembers included Lowell "Banana" Levinger (guitar, backing vocals, electric piano) and Joe Bauer (drums). The album was produced by Charlie Daniels (yes, that Charlie Daniels), Bob Cullen and the band. Commercially, the album reached #118 on the Billboard Album Chart. The album opens with "Darkness, Darkness." Acoustic guitar. Young's high tenor voice. The great David Lindley on violin Echoing vocals as Young sings about despair and, maybe in particular, about the terrors and horrors experienced by soldiers in the Vietnam War. A pyschedelic guitar jam and handclaps. A wonderful song. The instrumental "On Sir Francis Drake" was named after a boulevard in Marin County California where they had moved to from their native New York. The first part is an electric piano-led waltz. We needed a waltz. The second part is a bluesy jam led by a jazzy guitar. The band is showing their musical chops! David Lindley appears again on the fiddle in "Quicksand." Bass, subtle piano, and an electric guitar riff. Uplifting with the horns and a sax solo. Young with emotional and passionate vocals as things are closing in around him. Great song. The closing song "Ride the Wind" has a bossa nova beat and a vibraphone. The song wanders along and gets dreamy. Young wants to ride the wind and let his dreams go. Ahhh, the late 60's. The highlight of this album are the songs "Darkness, Darkness" and "Quicksand;" both are great songs. Otherwise, it was a hodgepodge of styles and songs: pyschedelia, jazz, blues, bossa nova, Beatle-esque pop. (I guess hodgepodge is my word of the week. I've used it twice.) There are three instrumentals, all under 40 seconds, using one or two instruments. Why? Besides the two highlighted songs, the lyrics are pretty simple...happiness, love, sunshine. Young does have a nice tenor voice and the band can play so.... Overall, the album is worth a listen for two songs. The rest of the album is not bad just not worth making an effort for me.
Folk, nothing special. Did not hate it
Darkness, Darkness 3.5 Smug 3.4 On Sir Francis Drake 3.4 Sunlight 3.3 Double Sunlight 3 Beautiful 3.7 Turn It Over n/a Rain Song (Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down) 3.6 Trillium 3.4 Quicksand 3.5 Black Mountain Breakdown 3.3 Sham 3.6 Ride the Wind 3.3 3.416666667
Temu beatles are still pretty decent.
This album starts off great with "Darkness, Darkness"...but much of the rest just wafts by like an old fart in a closed up room. Too much meandering aimlessly on the jazzy songs and the folk rock ones are fine but don't stand out. Still, some really good playing and vocals here and the late 60's freedom rock vibes are strong.
I liked it but not as much as I've liked similar music from different artists around the same time. Was pleasant music to have on while working but I'm not sure I needed to hear it before I die. Favourite song: Smug Least: On Sir Frances Drake
Ahead of it's time in that it sounds like generic early 70's Boomer jamming instead of late 60's generic Boomer jamming.
Huh i randomly enjoyed this more than anticipated. fun album. like the early country rock type vibe
Pretty inoffensive, well-produced. Cool guitar on Sham. Type of music I'd have on in the background.
Elephant Mountain feels like a snapshot of late-60s mellow experimentation. There are some genuinely beautiful, laid-back grooves and a few standout tracks that capture a warm, drifting vibe. But for me, the album sometimes drags and loses focus, making it more of a background listen than a front-to-back experience. I like it, but I don’t love it.
It’s ok, who cares
I quite enjoyed it, it was a nice enough genre, but I wouldn't seek it out again.
Excellent folk rock. Great mix of traditional influences and 60s rock. There are some nice instrumentals too. This would make for a great, easy Sunday listen. 3.5
I did listen but I don’t remember it much so it was probably a 3
It turns out the only Youngbloods song that I know is not on this album. Fairly interesting the album with their biggest hit isn't here. I had not heard that album ever, so I don't have any context on whether their debut album sucks or not. I get the feeling this was a bit of a transitional album, because one of the founding members left the band. I am perhaps ignorant because this sounds like many of the other late 60's bands that are in this book. It does feel like a bridge between the late 60's and the early 70's and I guess that means something. I'm bored of asking why albums are in this book, because there is always a good reason even if I don't see it. Out of the 11 songs, 4 of them are instrumentals, which I guess makes sense back when bands put out 3-4 albums every two years. No time to think of lyrics, so the listener just gets a backing track. Some of my favorite tracks are: Darkness, Darkness Smug Sunlight Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down Quicksand
This is one of those albums that is pleasant to listen to but doesn't really stick with you. The blend a handful of genres in an intriguing way and manage to prevent them from clashing with each other. That being said, it's really easy to let Elephant Mountain fade into background music.
OK
It’s interesting but never lands on a memorable tune
ok iguerss
Interesting listen!
Pleasant folk-rock with a handful of decent tunes. Nothing groundbreaking but surprisingly enjoyable.
Fun times in ‘69.
Ouviria novamente umas duas músicas no máximo, não é um álbum ruim, é bom tecnicamente, mas não me cativa o suficiente, talvez por não gostar tanto das batidas de country que ouvi, longe de ser um álbum ruim, uma nota 3 sólida.
Decent album, sounds 60s and not so 60s at the same time. I love the psychedelic, the folk rock and jazz influences. The lead singer sounds so much like Arthur Lee. The tracks flow together but most of the tracks didn't really stand out for me. I did enjoy Quicksand and ride the wind was nice and mellow! (3/5)
Non vocal songs sounded the best as their instrument play I felt like was their strength. Decent album overall.
the plain instrumentals are stronger than ones with vocals. was ok, but not memorable & wouldn't seek it out again
I had never heard this before. I don't plan on hearing it again.
I enjoyed it
(56/100)
Je suis un peu indécis, face à cet album. Il y a de belles pièces instrumentales, de bonnes chansons, mais aussi d’autres plus ordinaires et au moins une que je n’aime pas.
Good album. 60s folk rock with hints of bluegrass.
Nice music.
I'd written off the Youngbloods, because "Get Together" is such an overplayed Boomer anthem, and because the one time I saw Jesse Colin Young live, I was bored to tears. But this was really lovely to listen to on an early Saturday morning, and I will be revisiting it.
Fun album! I think the instrumental tracks stood out the most
started and ended and i suppose i heard it. i do agree with nick about the instrumental trax... they were sick
Yeah, it’s all right. I probably need more time with it. At the moment I’d rate it 2½, but since that’s not an option, and 2 seems too stingy, I’ll go for 3. Quicksand is a great song, by the way.
American Rock from the 70's.
It was decent. Most likely not something I’m going to be returning to.
A weird one to rate really It was pleasant and I enjoyed it. But it was also pretty boring and was just background noise Not sure how it can be both, but somehow it is 3 ⭐️
I am aggressively indifferent about this one. It was pleasant enough but I don’t need to hear it ever again
This a weird album, some of it sounds brand new and some sounds really dated, I wouldn't have guessed it was made in 1969 for the most part, but that is also biased by the band name which sounds quite modern. It's interesting, but I didn't exactly love it.
7 I like it
run of the mill country/folk/rock stuff from the 60s. nice jams.
This was cooler than I thought it would be. Part jam band, part folky, part yacht rock - I can picture some of these songs as part of a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. Not bad at all.
It's fine, but I felt nothing
An sich ganz gut, die Instrumentals nervten aber.
3.5
That was fine, not remarkable.
This is a nice one! And it stands out for having a good amount of variance in styles and approaches, and all done pretty well. 3.5 rounded down.
Pretty bland album. An ok mix of country, jazz and physchadelic. Nothing really stood out but it was an ok album to have on in the background while working.
Nice sounding but not that interesting
I think Get Together is the only Young Bloods tune I'm familiar with and this album sounds nothing like that song. I really kinda liked this album. Some Alt country on the first track? Then funky folk music? And then the jam lounge jazz vibes with the last track? It was all over the place style-wise but it all seemed to work cohesively.
Je trouve ça poche de donner un 3. Mais je ne crois pas que ce soit un 4 pour moi. Il n'y a aucune chance que je ré-écoute cet album même si c'était pas mauvais.
Presque 4 étoiles. Très écoutable.
Pas pire moyen.
Calming
It's pretty decent for 60's folk
Didn’t mind it!
not bad
An album that starts out strong as a lost Buffalo Springfield or Neil Young record with “Darkness, Darkness”, but then jumps from there and springs out into several disconnected directions from pop to bluegrass to country to lounge jazz. The musicians are talented, but few of the songs are truly memorable, creating a sometimes interesting and diverse musical journey but one that is inconsistently executed. In the end this is a perfectly fine record that that isn’t party noteworthy.
You know what? I'm going to be brief on a review for once. This album's good. It's not outstanding in any way, but it's also not underwhelming. Elephant Mountain is a fairly standard late 60s psychedelic folk rock affair. It kind of reminds me of Neil Young a bit, which is not a bad thing. The opener "Darkness, Darkness" is pretty cool. None of the songs are bad, but that's really the only stand-out. The style is cool. The singing is solid. Elephant Mountain isn't a super interesting album and it's probably not a must-listen, but I also don't have any reason to dislike it. Good stuff. High 3/5.
Completely average
This was actually pretty good! The title track was the clear standout, but I found this to be really easy listening on a busy day. ✨
It’s a really good album if also a hit unremarkable. I’d never be disappointed if someone said they loved it and played it whilst not naturally wanting to play it. I don’t know where it stands. Needs a few hits I guess.
Pretty good! The generic stuff is generic, but the weird stuff works - opener and closer are incredible
Some of these tracks slap and some of them are well-performed elevator music.
Unremarkable
3/5
Pleasant surprise, gotta say. More sophisticated folk, thinking Laurel Canyon and CSN, than goofy, sixties bubblegum pop. Some nice notes being played and sung on this one.
There is nothing exceedingly amazing about this. i did not really get amazed at any one song, but there was also a nice variation of jazz, folk and rock. 3 stars
Good album. Some weird songs that don't really fit, but it still is a good experience as an album
Pretty good.
That bit at the beginning of Nirvana's Territorial Pissings with 'come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together....' is from Get Together by The Youngbloods. That isn't on this album, though, sorry. I actually like this more than a lot of other similar, folk-adjacent stuff from the same era. Also enjoyed the cover art which, if you're not zoomed in, looks like early 90s computer game graphics.
kind of messy but fun.
Better than I was expecting.
This is a very interesting album, I’d love to revisit it again when I have time. I’ve never heard of these guys before, but I love the 70 psychedelia mixed with country and a few other styles. I wonder why they never really seem to get big?
Cool
Neutrally good I guess?
I liked the songs but what was with the lengthy elevator music interludes
Jazzy and soft, but not really memorable. Enjoyable as background music, it didn’t leave a strong impression.
Darkness, Darkness really promised a lot in the first half of the song that a lot of the album couldn't deliver. Starts off with this very heavy, European-ish folk vibe, but then the vibe changes into a psychedelic feel that I just don't care much for. Really wish the rest of the album sounded like that. Sunlight is a great little folky track as well, but then it's back to the psychedelic. Quicksand is also a nice tune, kinda Beach Boys-esque, but again, just wish they kept the dark folk through the whole record. Ends on a bit of a high note in Ride the Wind, with it's California/Hawaiian beach resort vibes. I don't think they really sound similar, but this reminds me a lot of the Spirit record I got previously. When they're laser focused on a folk sound, they're great. When they're not, it's just doing nothing for me.
"The Youngbloods could not be considered one of the major groups of the 60s, but they were capable of offering some mighty pleasureable folk-rock and produced a few great tunes along the way" Nou... Als je Spotify stukje zo begint, dan blaak je in elk geval van het zelfvertrouwen! Het begint vrij standaard rockig, maar On Sir Francis Drake, dat is verdomme een jazz plaat! Zo leid je me af hoor! Ik ga meteen wat rechter zitten, want zal dit dan toch geen standaard rock album zijn? Word ik gewoon compleet de verkeerde kant hier op gestuurd? Nou niet helemaal, maar ik moet toegeven dat dit album absoluut meer jazzy was dan ik van tevoren had verwacht. Ik ben best blij verrast, maar kan me toch niet helemaal er aan onttrekken dat dit toch een matig jazz album was en geen fantastisch rock album. Waarom dit dan toch op de lijst staat? Misschien dan toch omdat het een rockband uit de jaren 60 is. Toch sterk het idee dat deze lijst daar een hele hele erge sterke voorkeur voor heeft. Maar goed, ik heb me niet zitten irriteren, het was zelfs meer dan prima te doen! Dusja, dan komen we op een lekker gemiddelde rating uit ook. FAVO: Darkness, darkness, On Sir Francis Drake
There's some interesting stuff in here. And some silliness and some boringness. Overall ok.
Su mejor canción no está ne este disco, Get together un himno elevado a clásico primero por la iglesia y luego por Forrest Gump. NO es su mejor álbum, prefiero el debut, más alegre aunque también más sencillo y plano, peor más disfrutable. Este tiene buenos temas como Quicksand ( de largo la mejor del lote). Ride the wind, otro tema con título que luego cogerían otros... no está mal pero se hace larga. Black Mountain Breakdown, también. Entre Blood sweat and tears, Qucksilver meseenger, algo de los Doors, CCR o Buffalo Springfield, pero sin la magia de ellos.
Æ vet æ hørte på det to ganger, minst, men æ huske ingenting? Veldig generisk 60-tall, ikke spesielt interessant bortsett fra at æ tror æ har hørt coverversjoner av førstelåta på albumet.
Yes, this is folk-rock. Good vibes, decent jams, great bass - enjoyable but not remarkable.
whatever
A lot more fun than I thought it would be from previous selections of this type. I might even play it again!!
A really pleasant listen, I looped it a couple of times throughout the day and great for my drive to work, but no lasting impression. Couldn't hum you a track the next morning.
Yeah this was sort of emblematic of the 60s sound without being too notable. I enjoyed a lot of it but mostly found it pretty fluffy. The stuff of one-hit wonders.
Nuevamente toca una banda que desconozco completamente pero infiero de qué puede ser teniendo en cuenta el año del álbum. Las voces y la música son muy de los sesenta. Me recuerdan a Jefferson Airplane pero más folk, tranca. Por momentos, sus guitarras me hacen acordar a bandas más de estos tiempos como Electric Octopus. Sin más para agregar, me despido hasta mañana.
Perfectly serviceable 60's background music
Liked it classi cross-genre
Enjoyed the production more than the writing
I did not expect this king of folk-rock feeling from an 1969 album. I guess that shows why listening through this list was a great choice for me. The album it self has some very good songs and some that I would rather skip. It feels really experimental as a whole while individual songs has more of a clear goal of what it wants to be.
not bad but unremarkable
It was interesting I suppose - but in a way a museum is, I feel like it just went by without having to pay too much attention and still got the gist of it
I enjoyed the start of this a lot but it kind of lost me a bit as it went on. Seemed interesting. Wish it kept it up.
Never heard of this band. Very 1960s sound. I like the mixing. Great dynamic sound in the headphones. The jazz aspects peak my interest. On Sir Francis Drake is a cool track. This album is a real solid 3, it's just missing that something. So close to being a 4. In the right situation or especially live this would be great.
Just go with 3/5
Really solid and refreshing for the time period, folk influence
5/10
Very unremarkable.
Just ok.
Pleasant enough
A couple songs got my attention it mostly it wasn’t a strong “like” for me. The production is excellent, though.
I thought this was perfectly fine. I liked some of it, didn't like some of it, found some of it to be compelling and a little bit of it to be annoying. Maybe give it another listen in the future.
01) Darkness, Darkness - 9,0 02) Smug - 7,5 03) On Sir Francis Drake - 6,5 04) Sunlight - 8,0 05) Double Sunlight - / 06) Beautiful - 7,0 07) Turn It Over - / 08) Rain Song (Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down) - 6,5 09) Trillium - 6,5 10) Quicksand - 7,0 11) Black Mountain Breakdown - / 12) Sham - 7,0 13) Ride the Wind - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,20 (72/100) Current ranking: 317/577
Elephant Mountain by The Youngbloods is a laid-back slice of late-'60s California folk-rock with a gentle psychedelic shimmer, but for me it never really moves beyond being background music. There’s a soft, jazzy looseness to the arrangements that at times feels pleasant and easy-going, and I did enjoy the warm instrumental moments here and there. But overall, the album just sort of drifts by without anything truly grabbing hold. I kept waiting for a standout song or a spark of energy to lift it, but much of it blends together in a haze of mellow vibes. It's all very competently played, and the musicianship is clearly there, but it lacks a sense of urgency or identity. There are no real missteps either — just a gentle ride that doesn’t leave much of a mark. Not a bad album at all, but one that, for me, is more forgettable than essential.
Meh. 1960s white guy music. Kinda like the Beatles or Faces. 6/10
Quite enjoyed some of this, bit jazzy
I'd listen to this whilst raking my leaves, for sure. Very mellow.
I expect few albums still sound experimental 56 years on. I don’t want to spend more time with them but I’m glad I heard it. Odd choice to end the EP with six and a half minutes of elevator music, though.
Enjoyable sound but didn’t have any stand out songs on my first listen
Interessant album. Een cocktail van genres die de plaat wat ingewikkeld te begrijpen maakt. Maar tegelijkertijd vond ik het op de achtergrond best een vermakelijk geheel, juist omdat er vanalles inzit. Blijkbaar slaat het album een brug tussen psychedelic rock en countryrock van de jaren 70, maar er zit met jazz en pop (Smug) meer verstopt in het album. Het is niet steengoed, maar mijn interesse was gewekt. 6,5/10 Highlights Darkness, Darkness Smug
First half was good, second half was not. I enjoyed the short interludes between the songs
27/05/2025 It wasn't bad, I just couldn't get into it.
Very chill.
i listened to this first on 1.5 hours of sleep and felt it was not great but not bad. on a full nights sleep i’m giving this another go while sitting outside in the nice spring weather. the first track “darkness, darkness” is really nice, i love this one. i really like “smug” as well. some fun vocal phrasing in here. this is such a difficult album to rate as it quickly becomes background noise for me. my brain struggles to maintain the interest in it. “quicksand” is a really nice song and one that grabs my attention again. “sham” is also quite nice and would’ve been a good song to end the album on. these short instrumental interludes if you will, not sure how to feel about them. just wondering why they’re there as they feel so out of place. i think it’s going to have to be a 3/5.
This is pretty hum-drum and boring. Not sure what's so special about this in 2025, except that it's a window to the past. If so, this belongs in a museum and not on this list.
The first two minutes did not sound like it was from 1969. But then the classic late-60s hard rock sound came in with some folk and blues mixed in. And it was fine. But I’m tired of fine. When we finish the list, I think I’ll come away from it with a greater appreciation and certainly knowledge of 60s music. But I also think I’ll spend an extended time not listening to any 60s music.
Not a bad album, but definitely one that I would not have actively sought out on my own.
Quite diverse
I dreaded the idea of listening to this album upon reading its Wikipedia article. But it wasn’t that bad! There were little nuggets of quality songs here and there. A nice opener in “Darkness Darkness”, folksy and probably inspirational to Led Zep’s work on the IV album. I’m a particularly big fan of the easy “Sunlight” with those double acoustic guitars, and the “thats the way she feels about you” refrain. Another thing I liked were the strings on “Quicksand”, then how it ended with that little saxophone lick. But the one that takes the cake for me is “Ride The Wind”. That’s a Wii shop channel bear right there, they just (didn’t know it yet) embellished it. Love love love this song. Nothing felt particularly out of place, and almost everything was performed with ease. While I think this general genre and time has compressed ceiling in terms of how GREAT an album could be, this album just about scrapes that ceiling. Good stuff, worth a listen