Elephant Mountain

This was pretty cool. Interesting mix of '60s psychedelic rock and roll with folky elements too. It didn't blow my mind but it works, I don't regret listening to it, now I know it exists I guess. It's very aggressively 1969. It kind of has a country twang to it too? And kind of sounds like The Byrds? Then it gets into actual jazz territory?? I don't know. It sounds like every style that played at Woodstock at once, but in a way that doesn't feel derivative. It's done well. Just not really my thing, save a few songs.

This is one I’ve repeated multiple times over the last week of discovering it. It’s great! A folky, yet still seemingly edgy rock, with Allman Brothers vibes. There’s definitely some of the hippy 60s sounds, but also pushing into the guitar rock of the 70s. Catchy, melodic, and especially love the so go with no vocals. I’m a guitar fan! Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: yes Favourite Song: so many actually it’s hard to pick. Trillium?

Ok

Stream of Consciousness: - Starts off strong with Darkness, Darkness. - Reminiscent of The Grateful Dead. - Not super fond of Country music, but maybe that opinion is restricted to more recent Country music? - On Sir Francis Drake bassline reminds me of Keyboard Cat. - I am really enjoying the pronounced bass on some of these tracks. - Kazoo?? - There were some trumpets that sounded like some Cake songs I am familiar with. - Last song 'Ride the Wind' reminds me of elevator music. The chimes, (maybe a xylophone) are fitting for a song about riding the wind.

Ganska schysst album som är och nosar på olika genrer.

Really liked this album!

Really good album, New band to discover.

I really enjoyed this. A blues rock backbone with folk flavoring and some country and bluegrass elements on the fringes doesn’t sound like something I would enjoy until I listened to it. I heard traces of some of my favorite acts and wouldn’t be surprised if they listed The Youngbloods as an influence.

I thought this album was fine, good for a 60's Greenwich folk rock album, but I don't really see how it sets itself apart enough to be part of this list. Nothing really stood out to me on the album, and, again, I didn't dislike it, but I've already heard better representatives of that particular time and place.

Perfectly pleasant floaty pop. Not sure it’s an album I HAD to hear before I die, but then there is a lot on this list like that. Won’t be rushing back to it, but it was nice enough.

This album really started off pretty good! But then it just was like ok and went from like a bluegrass folky album into some jazz type thing haha it wasn't the worst album but just meh

Folk/Country Rock with a bit of psychadelic. It's OK. Definitely got some strong Mickey Dolenz/Monkees vibes or maybe the Monkees had strong Youngbloods vibes, I don't know. The fact that we get a Youngbloods' album without Get Together on it tells me there's probably at least one more Youngbloods' album on this list. Can't wait.

Yeah, the first couple songs were good, and solid folk record. But there was nothing that was like holy smokes, what a record. And spotify autoplayed to their best song after, and it just trumped everything here, so solid 2.

Felt like background music to some Hippie B-Movie.

Nice Irish intro in first song Darkenss Darkness and thats my all from my highlight.

this was super cool! definitely pretty psychedelic at times but never overboard and pretty good range of vibes throughout

Super

Solid classic rock sound

First time I read the reviews of an album to understand why it made the list. I get that in context it helped bridge between psychedelic and the country-folk movements...but as a standalone without that context in 2025, it was kind of just...there. Nothing really to note. I think the B side picks it up from a 1 to a 2 star for me, but barely.

Good album. A nice blend of late 60s rock and country. I like the lead singers voice and harmonies. Nice to put on in the background while doing chores or cooking.

No thank you.

What do they do that stands out or is memorable? What is special about them? Am I missing something?

Þetta er lúmsk plata og barasta ansi skemmtileg. Smá barokkpopp, smá köntrí, smá psycadelíugítar, og örlítið fönkskotið á köflum. Lagasmíðarnar mismerkilegar kannski, en þetta er aldrei leiðinlegt og oftar en ekki algjörlega þess virði að hlusta.

5.5/10. Probably not as bad as Happy Trails, which I listened to the same day. It had the advantage of being a little lighter with some catchier riffs and motifs. Still didn't fascinate me and felt like more of the same of some of the other stuff I'd heard. Nothing to get majorly excited about id say. .

The jangly bright poppy stuff is pretty annoying in that naive 60s sunshine hippy way, but the spacier jams like the fuzzy 'darkness, darkness' and the jazzy outro to 'Francis Drake' (not the over composed fussy intro) are more exciting. The Motown via garage psych 'Sham' goes hard. You can see how this (the noodly 'Trillium' especially) might've nudged their Marin County comparisons the Dead towards the jazzy Americana they'd get start playing by 1972 when they got a pianist. A pretty mixed album and part of the massive over representation on the list of every niche iteration of the psych-folk continuum of late 60s. Favorites: darkness darkness, sham

Some nice guitar riffs, but that was about the only positive for me.

loved it

Sehr knapp drei, eigentlich zwei

A bit of jazzy pop. I found the poppy bits a bit generic, but I enjoyed the more jazzy numbers. Just about a four, would definitely listen to again.

What a diamond of an album. Never heard of The Youngbloods, but I was completely blown away. I was expecting some more pop rock from 66-73 that I've heard 50 times by now, but this was so much more. It's a beautiful album with excellent instrumentation that made me want to stay in the vibes. Ride the Wind was such an amazing ending of the album that I'm having trouble remembering my thoughts from earlier in the album. Darkness, Darkness, Smug, and Don't Let the Rain Get You Down were all great as well. But i just can't get past the funky finale, with its chimes, piano, and xylophone. Such a positive sounding song.

a very fun listen

I had heard of The Youngbloods from one song before, and it was their only chart-topping hit "Get Together", a Chet Baker cover. Needless to say, I had almost no expectations going into this album of theirs, and I ended up being neatly surprised. Elephant Mountain was a nice blend of folk, country rock, and psychedelia. There were a fair amount of decent guitar licks from Lowell Levinger, starting right out of the gate from "Darkness, Darkness" and "Smug" as bonafide rockers. Alongside him was a well-kept rhythm section and Jesse Colin Young's emphatic vocals as he sang with some visual imagery on relationships and life lived. Songs like "Darkness, Darkness", "Sunlight", and "Ride the Wind" work immaculate vibes, aided by solid production from Mr. "Devil Went Down to Georgia" himself, Charlie Daniels. Honestly, my only complaint is that some of the instrumentals on this album don't offer much meaningful impact. Three are short interludes that don't last a minute and could have been reworked into one pleasant jam. Another is "On Sir Francis Drake" which peters off into the second half and doesn't give that final lasting impression that I would have yearned for in a longer instrumental. As it is, Elephant Mountain is a solid and at times pleasant outing from a group that I only knew of one hit prior.

Um excuse me why have I not been playing The Youngbloods on repeat my whole life. I love this so much, even more so because the sound is the opposite of what I was expecting.

Fascinating to find an obscure American 1960s band whose discography has been reissued on Sundazed Records. Elephant Mountain was recorded at a time when co-founder Jimmy Corbitt left the band, leaving Jesse Colin Young as the primary songwriter. Elephant Mountain has a surprising amount of instrumental interludes that at times resemble Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Psychedelic rock mixed with country jug band, but all the tracks do not add up to a cohesive album. Beautiful and Sham are worth revisiting.

The band name sounds like they'd be country. The album art looks like it's country. The Wikipedia page lists the genres as folk rock and country rock. Everything was pointing towards me hating this album. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I would classify this album as blues rock with vocals that often lean towards folksy. It was alright, for something totally not for me. Probably won't listen again.

Now I'm mad I'd never listened to them. This rocked.

Obsessed with “Darkness, Darkness” Extremely pleasant but just a touch bland as it went on

60's slop, Alan's psychedelic leftovers

Pleasantly surprised with this one!

I enjoyed more than I thought I would

On par with the Beatles

An album I had no idea existed. The Youngbloods' biggest hit isn't on "Elephant Mountain". The jazz sections weren't that good. I don't get why "Elephant Mountain" is on this list. At least half the songs were rather cool. 3 stars for "Elephant Mountain".

Sounded okay, but I don’t think I’ll listen again

first listen groovy and cool

After getting stuck with U2 for 2 straight days, I was ready for ALMOST anything. I think my suffering made this album more palatable than it normally would. I’m not a fan of psych rock or country, but this isn’t that bad as it never goes too far in either direction.

Produced by Charlie Daniels - that's his devil-trouncing fiddle on "Darkness, Darkness." It's an affable progressive folk-rock record, wide in its stylistic reach and expertly played and produced, but it doesn't really feel like even the band are that excited about it, which makes me wonder if they were on it or was this done by CD and session musicians. The "come on people now, smile on your brother" debut album is better and sounds like a band. I think you can safely die without hearing this one. "Ride the Wind" is lounge magic, though.

TIL The Youngbloods wrote "Darkness, Darkness," which is an excellent song (though truth be told, there are cover versions of it that I prefer to the original). But after that leadoff track, I quickly grew bored, and I am picking up a serious "OK Boomer" stench to this entire exercise.

Another good lesson not to judge an album by its cover: I was expecting something very good-ol'-boys country, and instead got something that had a bit of soul, a bit of blues, a bit of folk, a bit of everything really. Exceeded expectations, not bad.

Almost turned it off after that dreadful opening track, but I didn't, and this album grew on me.

A pastiche of different sounds that failed to come together into a coherent whole. I want to love an album that's a little psych, kinda jazzy, country rock-ish, but this isn't the one. This would be a mid-tier mixtape.

I don't love this guy's voice, but I didn't hate this. A few cringy hippie rhymes. I've already forgotten about this record a few hours after hearing it.

This is what I was hoping to get out of this 1001 list...finding albums I either didn't know of, or knew of, but never really paid attention to. I found a copy of this on vinyl years and years ago back when you could still find interesting records for a dollar in a Goodwill bin. Probably played it once and forgot about it. So today it got a second spin. And...it's nice. I like it. Nothing profound or out of the ordinary, but a perfectly fine late 60s psych/rock/folk mashup. And even though everything seems to fit into that mashup of a genre, there's quite a bit of variety on here as well. Pleasantly surprised. They also seem to be having fun on here. Not taking these compositions all that seriously and allowing some silliness in. Also, TIL one of the band members was named "Banana" and played most of the instruments on this. All of that said, I'm not entirely sure why this is on the list. I had to track down a copy of the book and found that it's mainly because the author liked a few of the songs? I guess is the author's prerogative. I do agree with the author that the last track on this album is particularly good (I am also a sucker for the vibraphone). Also noticed while flipping through the actual book: holy crap there are a shit-ton of albums on this list from 1969! Anyways, that's my review. An OK album that somehow caused me to write the longest review yet. So there's that. PS: What is that supposed to be on the cover in the foreground? A pile of elephant dung?

Когда играла первая песня, я думал, что это внезапный бэнгер. Когда играла четвертая песня, я чувствовал страшнейшую тревогу, закручивающуюся в моей голове. Лучшая песня - Darkness, Darkness.

An alright album, I liked Trillium the most.

interesting. one hit wonder but not on this album

fine

Pleasant but unmemorable

I really liked it. Very interesting

Never heard of this band before and likely never will hear them again but I enjoyed this album.

Would listen again; an incredibly pleasant surprise; just real nice tunes; favorites: darkness darkness, smug, sham.

4.0

Caught some Dead vibes, some long and boring blues jam energy. I dig the xylophone. I didn't hate it, I think the diversity of the song style didn't create any sort of cohesion to the album so I just couldn't stay interested. I don't even know if that makes sense but .. neither did this album.

alright. not crazy. honestly a 2 for me

Pre-listening thoughts: idk anything about this Post/during listening thoughts: this is not what I expected at all. This combines psychedelic rock with folk? Country? Jazz??? and it is interesting. It’s almost the kick that psychedelic rock needs bc it tends to drone. But here, there’s structure and intent and different instrumentation that what you would normally get from either folk/country or jazz or psychedelic rock. It’s quite the fusion. Consider my horizons broadened. 7.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: this was interesting but maybe not an essential listen? Idk Fav tracks: Smug, Sunlight, Beautiful, Don’t Let the Rain Bring You Down Least fav tracks: On Sir Francis Drake, Ride the Wind

There were a few good tracks. Not going out of my way for it though.

Starts strong with "Darkness, Darkness", got kinda bored until "Sham" which had that 60s rock sound I love. "Ride the Wind" closer was nice. Enjoyed the piano and xylophone pieces. Correction: Ride the Wind was def the best song on the album. Thought some of the songs sounded similar to the Grateful Dead... turns out they were in San Francisco at the same time! And the Dead covers "CC Rider" which i didn't even know was a cover.

Could hear some history here and enjoyed some of it but probs wouldn’t go back

It was average

Loved the first song, but didn't care much for the rest of the album. It wasn't bad, but nothing great either. 2.7

I am a fan of this record, but I will need more time to fully appreciate it.

I'm not sure I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I guess I was thinking like the Fabulous Thunderbirds, this was a pleasant surprise. First off the opening track: "Darkness Darkness" I had heard Robert Plant's cover. His cover is a lot darker and more contemplative than the original. It was interesting to hear the original, it sounded a lot... peppier. "On Sir Francis Drake" is a weird kinda jam. It felt like a few songs stitched together. The short instrumental were kinda cool, too. I like "Turn It Over," signifying you had to turn the record over. All in all, it was pretty good. Would not mind hearing it again, which is a plus. Top tracks: "Darkness Darkness," "Smug,""Ride The Wind"

I was not aware of this band before listening to this album. I really enjoyed the opening track Darkness, Darkness. The violin gave it an extra depth of sound and Jesse Colin Young's vocals fit it so well. It felt a lot like a good Neil Young, Byrds, or CSNY song. I'm not sure the rest of the album held up as well. Smug and Sunlight weren't bad, while Beautiful was actually pretty captivating (Young's vocals reminded me of Tim Buckley or Janis Joplin). The instrumentals were okay - On Sir Francis Drake was ambitious but lost its way and went on too long, while Double Sunlight didn't go on long enough. Trillium might have been the right length but it was the least interesting instrumental to me. Side one was better than side two but I didn't mind the album overall. If it is reflective of the sound that occurred between psychedelic rock and country folk rock, it's a nice segue. Probably not going back for more though.

While I definitely didn't need to hear this before I die, it did grow on me over multiple listens. My initial reaction was "relatively boring country-rock." Relistens revealed some good soul elements in the songs. Won't seek it out again, but it was ok. Favorite tracks: Beautiful (sort of Black Crowes-ish - yes, I know this was decades before The Black Crowes), Rain Song, Sham. Didn't like Ride the Wind, which felt like I was going to hear "Attention K-Mart shoppers" over the bland elevator music style. A real letdown because Sham was a rollicking track.

Dips a little in the middle, but this had some great tracks.

Grand bonheur instantané à la première chanson, mais cela s’intensifie au deuxième titre « Smug »;« Beautiful » avec ses guitares, ses percussions et sa basse vraiment cool et « Don’t Let The Rain Bring You Down » et ses sifflements et sifflets.

Listened Before? N This was really great! Started out sounding like a typical piece of psychadelica, but really ramped up into something funky and wild by the end. I really grooved on the second half of this album especially. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Beautiful, Sham

As I’m sure you know. Ken Chutney knows a thing or two about eclectic electric piano playing! Well played! 4.2

That wasn't bad, some kind of mix between jazz rock and folk with some interesting interplay. But at the same time most of it sounds rather generic and this is way too soft for my taste.

The most inoffensive album on this list.

Imagine having the year 1969 at your fingertips and being able to almost fill 100 albums of your challenge with that, only to finally stop at The Youngbloods' Elephant Mountain. This is pure madness.

This was really vibey. Made my mood better for the day.

Pretty neat. I’m starting to really love the intersection of psych and country from the late 60s. Also cool to hear the original “Darkness Darkness.” I’d call this a must-listen. #54

A fun little nugget of 60s nonsense.

Fun but nothing to write home about. As good an example of a 3* you're likely to find. Right in the middle.

Thoughts before listening: I don't know anything about this album. I was thinking probably some sort of forgotten 70s rock band, but its interesting that I have no associations for this. I am typically pretty knowledgeable about those bands. Review: Well it seems I somehow missed these guys. This is definitely a sound I enjoy being similar to something like America or other 60s/70s post-hippie scene bands. This is perfectly pleasant, jazzy folk rock with catchy melodies and some cool jams that gets dragged down a bit by some saccharine cheesy moments. There is nothing groundbreaking here, and I am surprised to see these guys on this list since there are better examples of this era of rock. 3-stars

I hadn’t heard of The Youngbloods before, so I assume it’s Yungblud’s parents. Makes sense, right? Anyway, this is pretty much as dad-rock as it gets. There’s twangy guitars all over the album, and that generic 70’s rock sound. Admittedly, it was released in 1969 so perhaps this sound hadn’t yet taken over the mainstream music scene, but with today’s ears it sounds fine. Not amazing, not bad, but fine.

I have heard much worse on this list - so I’ll give it a 2. But no way will I ever listen to this again on purpose. Pretty damn boring. I’m

An unexpected 5... good energy throughout, mixing folk-rock with touches of jazz and country. Beautiful is a pick-me-up jam. Decided to listen through the album two times in a row, because it was working for me.

More like the Yawnbloods.

Pleasant and upbeat, but sounds a bit unpolished. I like Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down and Ride the Wind. Perfectly nice even though it's not remarkable. I enjoyed it! 3

Imagine you’re 83, on your deathbed, you finally get to the last album of 1001 Albums You Must Listen To Before You Die, and it’s this. You pass away listening to this. That scenario should serve as a litmus test for whether items are worthy of being included into these lists by listmakers. That is after all what the title suggests. Needless to say, this does does not pass said (imaginative) test.

I really enjoyed the music on this album but the mixing and added effects on the vocals of the various singers was rather off-putting on many of the songs.

I feel lukewarm about this album. While it was a chill and easy listen, that's all it felt like.

This was great background music to listen to while working. Not quite a 4 to me, but a strong 3.

A solid 60's rock album. Very chill with a great rhythm and groove. A new one for me that I enjoyed all the way through.

Have this album already and like it (4)

Inoffensive but unsubstantial 60’s pop. 3/5

- Oooo MMMMM GGGG das hat mir seehr gut gefallen - Kannte die Youngbloods nur über "Get Together", welches Teil des immer mal wieder von mir angesprochenen Forrest Gump Soundtracks ist. Das Lied habe ich wirklich unzählige Male gehört, ein Meisterwerk. Sonst wusste ich nix, habe mich aber auf das Album gefreut. - Ging direkt mal richtig bombig los mit "Darkness Darkness" - Alles eine schöne Mischung aus 60s Psychadelic- und 70s Folk- und Country-Rock. Hier und da auch proggy. - Habe nicht erwartet, dass das Album so super klingt! Und soweit ich weiß, ist das keine Remastered Version. Also fast 60 Jahre später so crisp und ausgewogen zu klingen - hut ab. Auch schöne Stereospielereien drin, aber sie haben zum Glück nicht so übertrieben, wie andere Zeitgenossen. - Seeeehr vielfältiges Album. Neben den oben benannten Genres, die bedient werden, hast du dann zwischendurch mit "On Sir Francis Drake" basically einen fast 7-minütigen reinen instrumental Jazz Track drin, danach mit "Sunlight" einen Song, als würde Neil Young plötzlich Bossanova machen. "Beautiful" ist dann wiederum Doobie Brothers-artig groovy-soulig. Und "Don't Let The Rain Bring You Down"? Wohl am ehesten mit "Die Beatles im Heartland von Texas" zu beschreiben. "Quicksand" ein super viby feel-good Ohrwurm mit Bläsersektion. - Finde auch diese kurzen Instrumental-Skits zwischen den Songs super. - Wenn man sich die Zahlen anschaut (leider) ein Geheimtipp. Der typische Fall einer Band, die zu ihrer Zeit absolut keinen Credit bekommen hat (weder kommerziell, noch kritisch) und erst im Nachhinein Anerkennung erhalten hat. Das dann aber absolut zurecht!!! - Bin wirklich komplett begeistert und freue mich gerade echt dieses Album hier entdeckt haben zu dürfen. Wird früher oder später safe seinen Weg in meine Plattensammlung finden. Rating: 4,5/5

- zum Start dachte ich .. meh, aber es wurde im Laufe des Albums dann glücklicherweise besser - wieder mal kein Song herausgestochen, aber als Ganzes war es (vor allem) ganz geile Hintergrundmusik - Was ist das vorne im Cover?! -> Wir haben uns geeinigt: Elefantendarm-mit-Inhalt-(hatte-vorher-Würstchen) - insgesamt mochte ich es.. denke ich..

jo men det här var väl ganska kul. hade nog t.om kunnat växa lite.

I really enjoyed this one.

The curator of this list REALLY music like Folk Rock, because a ton of these albums I've listened to are folk rock-related or 60's group finding their country rock roots or vibes. Whatever, I'm OK with it as long as it's enjoyable to listen to. Let's see how this one is... Starts out with a banger, Darkness, Darkness which grows in tempo and power as it goes on. Love the guitar work on it. And I knew it wouldn't take long, an instrumental on the third song in. It's decent, but runs a bit long. Same old pattern with these 60's folk rock groups. On and on... OK, I've made it through and I thought it was a decent album. Pretty solid and definitely doesn't sound like it came out in 1969, maybe more like a 70's folk act. I enjoyed the guitar work on this a lot. 2.75/5 stars which is a 3/5 on this scale.

Tearing paper in half would be more exciting that listening to this album 1001 album worthy: No - 11/22

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. 2⭐️

This was an interesting stew of genres. Some psychedelia, country rock, folk rock and even a samba beat on the last song. There's nothing here that really stands out or that is memorable but it was an enjoyable listen.

This was really cool and I definitely want to give it another listen.

Well this is obviously right up my alley - 60s folk rock/pop/psychedelia. Beautiful voice, nice instrumentals. Best track - Sunlight, Darkness Darkness

I think the album art says it all, don't you? The opening of the opener made me think of the TV show Firefly, +1 star for that.

Maybe I don't have the tolerance for this, but by gollie I do not enjoy 6 minute ambient songs.

Started off rough for me but ended up having a really good time with this.

Really liked it even though I had never heard of the band or any of the songs. Fun 70s rock.

Nothing special, cool tho

The first track had potential (“Darkness, Darkness”), but the rest passed over without leaving an impression. Thoroughly mediocre. 2.5

Solid album. Dug the funky guitars and the melodies. Not quite a 4 but pretty close

Where is the elephant mountain? Just ok, nice variety of instruments. Early rock is quite tame

Darkness Darkness is a monster song, the rest of the album doesn't really maintain that high standard, but has enough interesting moments to make worthwhile listen. 3 pairs of hiking boots out of 5

country jazz, molto carino

A truly exceptionally average album. Some cool sounds, but nothing really wowed me.

Had never heard of The Youngbloods and after a couple of listens, I still can't really figure out what this is. It's not really typical late-60s psych rock although it veers that way at times. It has some country leanings but then it also feels a bit yachty and soft rock, with a handful of instrumental interludes. There are some nice moments here but I couldn't quite get into it as an LP. It's good to challenge one's perception of genre, especially in an album that is over 50 years old. So I respect that about it and I will give it some more play in the future. I also absolutely love that cover art. Not sure why but it really appealed to me as an aesthetic.

iwie random aber ganz cool so als hintergrundmusik

Not bad and not good. Just an average rock record. But to be fair the first song was awesome!

Nice.

Not terribly impressive- just kinda meh

A hit and some fluffy filler. The hit is decent, and the fluff doesn’t suck.

4/5. This is a perfect balance of psychedelic rock and country rock, as the wiki page stated. They are well written and unique while taking influence from good sources. Stands the test of time because if an artist today released this, I can see that as it feels like a tribute with new music. Not every song is a masterpiece but it is a good album front to back. The bass is the standout here, bringing it closer to the front is always a plus for me. Best Song: Darkness Darkness, Beautiful, Quicksand

Better than Abbey Road

What is this? It's not something you absolutely "MUST Hear" before you die, I can tell you that. I guarantee that as soon as I'm done with this review and rating I will never think about this album again in my life.

This is cool!!

Forgetable 4/10

Defining music of the era. There's nothing that comes close today even though we are again in remarkably challenging times.

Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Some good ole rock akin to CCR.

Låter som indiepop innan indiepop riktigt fanns

Pretty easy listen, pleasant and enjoyable but that's about all. 3.5

This is a pretty good album. Its not full of tracks that you're going to put on repeat or make a playlist with, but its pretty good. There's nothing that you might skip, its just a solid dose of the 60s folk rock. That said, I'm not likely to listen to it again anytime soon. 3/5

More psychedelic rock from the 60s. Yawn. This one had a bit of a country sound to it in certain spots, and those were the bright spots.

Wow, solid music fusing a variety of styles, sometimes within the same song. You've got to love an album that has at least three bass solos! I hadn't heard any of these songs before and overall, I really enjoyed Elephant Mountain. Liked Songs Added: On Sir Francis Drake Beautiful Trillium Sham

A whole mountain made of an elephant? Or is the elephant walking around with mountains around him and whatnot? This sounds like a job for AI artists. Mostly because I’m cheap, not because I hate art. Folk-influenced is the word of the day. Yes, it’s a word if it’s hyphenated. This song is alright. Really liking the tones and overall instrumental. Not loving the vocals so far. They’re not terrible and willing to let it breathe. Getting real good after the solo. The vocals stepped it up. Smug eh? Hmmm. Interesting. It would seem that this song is uhhh not very good. That was me being smug as a joke. Not very easy to portray via text. Whatever. Picture a chubby white man smirking at an assertion that one form of media is superior. Medieval instrumental track. Jazz breakdown in the middle. I can’t say I hate this. Pretty fun. Loving the bass. Excellent jazz half. Sunlight. Nourishing rays settle over our earth as a blanket covers a newborn. Grass grows, in turn, nourishing the life it harbours. From nothing, sunlight creates. Peace. This song is nice. DOUBLE SUNLIGHT. THE SECOND SUN IRRADIATES A DECAYED SPHERE. FIRES SCRATCH AT THE ONCE BRIGHT EYES OF EARTH. SCREAMING HUMANS HURLED INTO LAKES OF MOLTEN DEATH. CHAOS. AND YET, THROUGH THE DEVASTATION, PEACE. Uhhh, This was just an interlude. We’re back from poetry corner. Good song here too. Nothing too crazy. Interlude and into “When I’m 64” by Americans. This one is somehow a little too normal. Nice waterfall finish. But not the best. There are so many interludes and whatnot. If a song floated by, hell, I can’t say. I have destroyed my integrity as the world’s worst music reviewer. NOW that is a tragedy. It’s not the 1000 typos in these stream of consciousness reviews, but my missing of songs on Elephant Mountain. Quicksand was fine. Sham is a 4 letter S word. So is Shit. I kid of course. Now I’ve wasted that fucking zinger on a good song. Ah well. Live and let die. Riding the wind to a close. Not something I’m loving. It’s a little long and repetitive and not necessarily doing enough for me. This was a cool one. Nothing mind-altering although I did break out into poetry halfway through. Mostly as an alternative to some shitty DouBlE rAiNbOW joke. Good to have artistic inspiration shot like a bolt as a direct rebellion to bad, millennial humour. The album itself didn’t do enough to blast into the 4 territory, but it was a nice time. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: Darkness, Darkness, On Sir Francis Drake, Sunlight

When I saw this come up and read it was 60's folk music, I genuinely groaned. Really not a fan of folk. I was shocked listening through this. It was like a mix of jazz, rock, folk, experimental, and whatever else. This album was like a bag of party mix lollies, fuck me. I think this album really shines when there was no vocals, and the band just played. You can tell what songs they've made to be the hit singles (Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down, Quicksand, etc.) On Sir Francis Drake, Trillium, Quicksand, and Sham were certain highlights for me. Really really enjoyed this one. No better feeling than going into an album expecting it to be shit but then falling in love with it. What a great fucking album.

I expected something really dull from the genres listed. Was pleasantly surprised with how varied it ended up being. reminded me a little bit of The Band/Music From Big Pink. Though I would say I liked that album more

What a pleasant listen. Never heard of these fellas and I can’t say I have any glaring criticisms. I would say my only issue was that I don’t think anything massively jumped out to me on this album but it was enjoyable nonetheless as an album.

Sounds like just about everything that came out of this era, feels to me like clone of other shit. Liked a few of the more stripped back quieter tracks The most innovative part of this album is its awesome cover which admitted is ahead of its time 5/10 Fav tracks - On Sir Francis Drake, Trillium Least Fav - none really

Part of the musical bridge between the 60s and 70s sound, I think this band is included not because they are particularly influential but for the same reason as an artist like Nick Drake. It seems these guys were overshadowed by the bigger acts of the time and the authors of the book wanted to bring attention to them. In terms of an album, it works well as a whole piece. It's understated and very well-performed. There are no bad tracks on here but also no tracks that blow your hair back. Tracks like Ride the Wind overstay their welcome but whatever it's the last track on the album that doesn't count. Overall, a fun little album that is pretty frontloaded and would be perfect to give a spin on a lazy Sunday afternoon but not something I'm dying to return to. Biggest critique here is the goofy fuckin slide whistle in Don't Let The Rain Bring You Down Highlights: Darkness, Darkness, On Sir Francis Drake

This was a very good album and I was surprised to find out Charlie Daniels produced it. He probably made more money on The Devil Went Down to Georgia but this album is a worthy piece of art as well.

The singing go over each other was quite entertaining sounded like the vocalists were having an arguement 😂 but overall a decent jazzy country album

Interesting Album, some really good songs : Sham is a real banger for me ! Nice coffee bar atmosphere, ideal when your working, or drinking a foooking old brandy while smoking a Cohiba.

This is quintessential coffee shop music. I can see how this band could be important in that there are sounds in this album that may have inspired greater things from others, but I see no such great things in this music alone.

If King Crimson is the elder child, Pink Floyd is the middle child, then this is the bratty younger child

It sounds nice

Ok I suppose. Wouldn’t rush to listen again.

Started off Ok but quite dull.

70s vibe

Feels like something from the 70’s

10/30/24. Really enjoyed the instrumentals and jams on this album! It's been fun discovering more of the 60s psychedelic-like music outside the very popular bands. A lot of guitar influences I can personally work on.

Boring and nothing new or inspiring

Starts off really poorly, but gains much from the smooth instrumentals. Love how muted the drums sound and its really fun when the pianist takes off, but I didn't really like the lead vocalist. Best Song: Ride the Wind Worst Song: Smug

This is fine, unremarkable. As another reviewer put it, this list fucking loves the 60s and puts in here anything that isn't the Beatles from that decade. This album, from any other decade, is a nothingburger.

3.5

I didn't find this very interesting. It was a bit all over the place. It was fine to listen to in the background.

Folk Rock des 60s. Not my stuff

I'd honestly never heard of these guys, which surprised me as a certified Knower of Things and enjoyer of rootsy folk-rock music, so thanks for making me learn, I guess, since this is really good? Like, it suffers (like so many albums) from frontloading the best track, so the rest of the album's not quite as good, but still, this is I think what I want Steely Dan to sound like every time I'm disappointed by Steely Dan.

This is OK, but I kinda think if I wanted this sort of light country folk, America and Crosby, Stills and Nash are right there. Not quite sure what it's doing on this list. On Sir Frances Drake starts off well and then goes into the self-indulgent noodling that I hate. Ride The Wind - the worst kid of elevator music. So...no, it's not OK, it's mostly shit.

This is perfectly good background music - a bit folky, a bit bluesy, but not particularly engaging for the most part. I feel like it starts really strong with 'Darkness, Darkness' and 'Smug', but gets a little lost in psychedelic noodling as it goes on - but ultimately a fun listen that doesn't hang around too long. Faves: Darkness, Darkness; Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down

Never heard or heard of this band or album so was surprised that it wasn’t too far away in sound from music of the same era that I like. There’s a lot to like on this album, and I enjoyed listening to it. That said, it feels like it’s just after the high point of the late '60s, Woodstock era. The album touches on a lot of different styles, but nothing here really blew me away. They do the country/rock crossover thing well, kind of similar to what The Beatles were experimenting with at the time. "On Sir Francis Drake" stood out. I liked it, but I’m not sure I’ll be revisiting it anytime soon.

Inoffensive but did nothing for me

What a treat to listen to for the first time! Tasteful playing, lovely laid-back grooves and cool songwriting, I'll definitely be replaying this album. On Sir Francis Drake, Rain Song and Ride The Wind were particular favourites.

Fairly unremarkable album with some nice toe-tapping numbers. Just doesn’t feel spectacular or significant.

old rock with occasional very short jazz breaks

I’m glad this is on the list. I don’t care for it at all, but I can tell these guys need a win.

Good enough for a 3 at least.

Really enjoyed it. They reminded me of an American version of the kinks. I’ll definitely gonna come back to this one Rating: 4.6

hmm like it somehow

60’s

This is what I wanted the Beatles to be.

What take is this, Dennis? I wasn't familiar with this group but I thought this was pretty good. Consistently enjoyable and has a nice variety in its songs, including some good instrumentals (like "On Sir Francis Drake"). It does some quirky things here and there (like the fifteen second track or the sound effects in "Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down") but nothing that feels like too much. I like "Quicksand."

Nice 60s folksy vibes

This was an interesting album. I can here the influence they had on other bands that came later. The first half was much more enjoyable than the second.

Is this a parody of the Folksmen?

Yeah. Nah.

Why is this here? It's so ..... blousey.? That's not it. No. It's diaphanous. It could blow away in a light breeze.

Oh my god, the supply of late sixties 'cult' bands on this list is endless! This is more folk-rock than some, but is really just more of the same. Nothing here to convince me that this is an under-appreciated masterpiece. I am bored to death of these types of albums. Not truly heinous, but inessential.

interesting album was good background noise but cannot recall a single song, nothing stands out

As a whole this album is good, but doesn't really have any standout tracks to me. It was great to have on in the background.

I really like this sound. It's like .... Jazzy soft rock. The lyrics (when present) are very good. I'm not finished with the album yet and already multiple tracks have grabbed my attention.

60's psychedelic rock is where it's at. I've never listened to a Youngbloods album. This has been a pleasant surprise Elephant Mountain is a way above average album and I've enjoyed every aspect. I think the opening track is great. I'll be listening to this all day.

Wat een goede muziek, normaal gesproken niet echt mijn genre, maar nu geweldig.

It was pretty sweet tho I didn't star any one song

This sounded more like it was recorded in the 80s or 90s than the 60s. Unusual to find a folk album of that era that isn't cloying or cheesy.

This one went down smooth, and almost entirely in the background of my brain. Also: kinda funny that the cover art of this 1969 album looks so much like the low-res pixel art of computer games that would come out decades later.

Track 1 is really good, most of the rest just 'meh.

Jazzed up sort of Folk Rock with esprit, great feeling, soul, superb songwriting. Oh, I am so happy having been nuged towards this gem.

It's okay I suppose. 2.5/5

A band and album previously unfamiliar. I dug it. Can’t say that it left a mark but was pretty fun.

I liked the musical blend.

Some grooves and some snoozers, pleasant background noise. Was a fun mixture of genres for sure. Much stronger finish than the start Worst song: Darkness Darkness/Sir Francis Drake Best song: Sunlight/Beautiful

I remember not objecting to this, but it didn't exactly stand out beyond the initial moderate surprise of "oh, this isn't what I was expecting"

country

4 out of 5, really dug the instrumental tracks on this one.

Sounded good, nice vibe, but probably wouldn’t seek it out.

Nice, okay.

Cool

A bit all over the place. I enjoyed some of it a lot.

Really enjoyed this whole album! On Sir Francis Drake is a fun instrumental but I enjoyed many of the songs on this album (Smug, Don't let the Rain Bring you Down, Ride the Wind). I'd happily listen to this album again.

Another group I'd never heard of before. Nothing super standout, but overall very enjoyable, great background music.

2,5

Not sure why this is on the list?

Po pire marché au puce

This is a pretty cool album. I had t heard of these guys before. I hear Appalachia, Britain, California, and more. They stay in their lane and don’t get too ambitious. There’s folk, soul, and jam. Nice smooth ride with a heavy dose of 60s textures.

fun and fresh

First listen Saved 1/13 Top track: Darkness, Darkness

I wanted Get Together on this album. This is just ok. Get a little too jazzy in the middle, but gets a pass.

Maso

‘69 sweet groovy songs

A day isn't really long enough to work out how much you like some albums. Maybe I would give it more given a week or maybe I'd still be thinking you could give its 'obscure US 60s' slot to The Fugs or Pearls Before Swine.

An interesting album. Rock, but with influences from country, jazz, others. I liked it a lot.

A bore. Disjointed. Wants to be deep but it's just shlock.

Just ok

Great musicians but the songs themselves fail to land for me.

Fairly unexceptional compared to their peers

Its ok. Feels like the guess who sometimes

The Youngbloods were voted the band least likely to stand out while still being good for their year. Not bad for some laid back, late Sixties vibes — the music is not too psychedelic, nor is it too bluesy. It's kind of a "just right" blend of the sounds of the era but where that also means it's a bit mid. I can hear why I had never heard of them on the one hand, but was pleasantly surprised on the other.

-This is pretty nice! Wasn’t expecting folk rock combined with some cool elevator-music-type instrumentals. It’s very unique and feels timeless -Favorites are Darkness, Darkness, Sunlight, and Quicksand

What a refreshing album, the definition of background music, but not in a bad way. It just flows from start to finish

Good album - felt i was in a movie

Considering my dislike for the song “Get Together” I did not have much hope for an album from The Youngbloods. This is another instance on this list where I was glad to be proved wrong! “Darkness, Darkness” is a fantastic opener, and arguably the best song on the album, and it sets a tone for what’s to come. There honestly isn’t a bad song on this album, and besides the opening track my favorites are “Smug,” “Sunlight,” and “Quicksand.” The instrumentals are fantastic too, and on albums like this they tend to be hit or miss, but they were definitely a hit here. There are so many great albums from the 60s, and this manages to stand high amongst the competition. Truly just a fantastic record.

Really good, folky, interesting, exciting

Honestly just kind of forgettable. I liked the start of 'Darkness, Darkness', and it is the song that stands out the most to me, but then it flows in to the same kind of sound as the rest of the album turns out to also have. Paradoxically if the music has been worse it wouldn't have been as forgettable and it may actually have gotten a higher rating Standouts Darkness, Darkness 2/5

Love the vibe of this

Taustamusiikkia, eli ei kovin mieleenjäävä tavaraa yhden kerran perusteella.

Starts Off Great. Stays Good.

On Sir Francis Drake is a fine little jammy number. Progressions on Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down sound a hell of a lot like some Dead jams I've heard (Blues for Allah period). This had some moments, but by and large passed me by without much care. I'll say its a soft 3.

Very pleasant album. Had a good amount of variety as well.

Darkness, Darkness sounded like Michael McHenry singing. This was a really good folk/blues/jazzy type of rock that I can really get into. The different singing mixed with the full instrumentals of a few of the songs was a great combination. Kind of sounded like a more jazzy Allman Brothers. This is in the very high 4 range and definitely in relisten at the beach category.

This one wet back and forth between a 3 and 4 but will give it the bump for finishing off on that vibraphone. Pretty low 4 though but just a pleasant listen on Tuesday morning. Way less folky than I expected.

1969 Folk Rock. Lots of instrumentals and small elements of prog. Not a huge fan of many but The opening track Darkness, Darkness ,Francis Drake and Sham were quite enjoyable. Felt very different for 1969.

A bit heavy on the distorted guitar in Darkness, Darkness. Straight into a Rubber Soul era song in Smug. Can hear influences from the Doors as well.

I really enjoyed a lot of the tracks on this album but felt it was let down a little by the weird 20-30 sec tracks which personally interrupted the flow of the songs. But for a band I have never listened to I feel it is good and will defo listen again.

liked it but not that much. it's quite homogeneous

Not sure what yo think about this.. its cross genre part folk/country/psych/rock. It's v pleasant but doesn't tmrock my world . Solid 3

приятный, местами импровизации, местами фолк но не навязчивый

Elephant Mountain is an album by The Youngbloods, originally released in 1969. I've always heard of The Youngbloods when researching 60s music but never gave them a listen until now. This record appears to be one of their later efforts. It was released to lukewarm and some outright bad reviews, contrary to some of their earlier releases. However, I think history has been kind to this album. 1969 was an interesting time for music. The psychedelic movement was on its way out of the pop landscape, and roots-based styles were entering. Styles such as country, folk, and Americana were being fused with rock. This album acts as a perfect representation of that musical transition. Most of these songs are country-focused but with elements of psychedelic sprinkled in quite regularly. I was also surprised at the amount of other genres represented on here. Jazz, blues, bluegrass, etc. Very impressed with how diverse this album is. Cool listen.

A couple of interesting tracks on here, but overall not exciting.

Not for me

The 'Everybody Get Together' people (from the start of Territorial Pissings, you know the one). I liked the first track. Not sure what On Sir Francis Drake was about, a meandering, sometimes jazzy number that never quite figures out what it is, not unpleasant however. What IS that suspicious red mound in the foreground? Is it elephant dung? What the hell has it been eating? Yeah this is alright. Nothing outstanding but nothing poor. Well, Beautiful is a little bit arse.

1001 60s folk albums to fall asleep to

Thought I was gonna hate this but kinda good. I wouldn’t really listen to this in real life but the bar is so low right now and this was a well made album of actual songs.

I liked this?

Nothing here for me. Not awful, but meh. 1.5 stars

I've never heard of this band before but this is great. I wish the vocals were a little bit better but honestly just a well made album. The album art perfectly summarizes how this album sounds- good, easy listening. I'm a fan. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)

An ok easy listening album

Intressant, skulle beskriva som en blandning av Bob Dylan, velvet underground, Carole King och folkmusik. Väldigt unik vibe men ändå kanske inget som kommer lyssnas på repeat. On Sir Francis Drake lämnade först höga förväntningar men blev besviken när jag insåg att introt var låten :(( Beautiful var dock en banger!! Ride the wind kändes också väldigt trevlig - Albumet passar typ som bakgrundsmusik till en riktigt bra indie film

Lite mysigt album, låtarna var väldigt hit or miss tyckte jag o det blev lite repetitivt i slutet. Bästa låt: Darkness, Darkness

chillllla vad nice 🌷mysigt och så men tyckte mest om början. Sörjde att stråket försvann 😪 Bästa: darkness, darkness och on sir francis drake

Väldigt bra album, fett najs låtar Bästa låtar: On Sir Francis Drake, Don’t let the rain bring you down

Nothing bad here. Nothing great either.

3☆/5 07.06.2024

Boring. Tedious. Repetitive. How many ways can I say bad 60's folk crap that the list seems to love?

Much, much better than expected, based on the cover art and year of release!

C'est pas pour tout le monde, mais j'ai vraiment aimé l'influence jazz, la grande place laissée aux instruments et juste l'ambiance relax qu'émet l'album

Cool instrumental stuff

The Youngbloods; maybe they should have chosen a different name for themselves? In movies, the "youngblood" is always the little upstart who ends up doing great things. This band did not... why? Of all the albums I've listened to on this list, this is the first one where I was able to play the album back-to-back 3 times in a row, and almost a 4th. What an absolute gem, for me. Oddly enough, I am not able to whistle or hum a tune of the album by heart, so only for this I am limiting the rating to 4-stars, but it really should be 5!!!

The Youngbloods fuse a unique blend of ‘60s folk with an entrancing jazz rock sounds that works in almost every song on this album.

Too folk rocky for my tastes. Quite enjoyed some of the jazzier moments, but they never got adventurous enough .

A below average attempt at psychedelic.

Never heard this one before, but I loved the subtle soulfulness of it. Everything I read described this as folk rock, but it was a lot more than that. A mix of jazz, soul, and psychedelia with a small bit of folk. The recording has this airiness to it too, which gives some of the songs an added sense of beauty. Definitely interested to explore more from this band.

Pretty forgettable 60s pop. Few random genres thrown about but on the whole pretty underwhelming

Johan on: keskiaikakitaroinnista hissibassojazziin ja melkein bossa novaan. Hassuja välihengailuja ja sitten melkein Beatles-melodioita. Piti viihdytettynä ja olihan tuo taitavaa, mutta mukana oli sellaista Beck-henkistä ironiaa, joten lopulta olin iloinen, että loppui. Kaks puol?

Satunnainen rock on ihan ok vaikkakaan ei spesiaalia. Joka toinen kappale taas on merkki tarpeesta olla erilainen - tai pahempaa. 1+

First time listen for me, I enjoyed it but it didn't grab me as much as some of the other albums from that era.

2.5 - It was a pleasant listen, and it made for nice background music, but it's not something I'll probably seek out again.

It started super fuckin weird. (2star) Then it got better.(3star) Then it was a banger.(4star) The instrumentation was killer, but i didnt love his voice. Super cool type of album, almost like the entire thing is a rhapsody.

Darkness:oh what the fuck Sir francis drake:slaped Echo effects threw me off a bit but its a very fun album

I almost thought this might finally be another 5* for me but sadly it didn’t live up to the beginning as it went on. Enjoyable though, great music for its time, surprised I’ve never heard of them before.

A sixties collage of Al that was good !

Kinda whatever. I guess that's a 3?

Really chill but so lush. I love the variety of instrumentation. The vocals are super upbeat and pleasant as well. Good relaxation music!

Some pleasant moments but there was so much music in this vein that sounds a million times better.

Good band from the 60’s. Good sound.

Soft dad-rock or dad soft-rock?

The Youngbloods really don’t know which genres they would like to play. Is it folk? Is it rock? Is it jazz? Who knows. Luckily they play them all rather well. Elephant Mountain is rarely thrilling but it’s easily enjoyable and contains a few stellar tracks - the opener “Darkness, Darkness” being a prime example.

Dull, dull, dull.

I liked this more than I expected. Thought it was going to be completely generic 60's rock but some interesting folk tendencies and good playing over the whole thing.

Meh

Love the cover, with the band dwarfed by nature. Standout songs included Darkness, Darkness and Besutiful.

I had never heard of this album or band. What beautiful music! Folky, sometimes with a bluegrass feel, but also a bit psychedelic, sometimes jazzy. I think this is my favorite album that I’ve heard for the first time from this generation. Cool that it is my 100th album! Very grateful for this find!

I liked this record overall. Sort of reminds me of the dead at times. It suffers from a lack of true bangers though. Some hits to truly ground it would have helped it rise above a 3 and find a spot in the rotation.

Helt ait, for opptatt med å gjøre skole

From the first note: This sounds interesting. As soon as the weird falsetto came in, it started to lose me. Which is a shame because it has a jaunty musicality to it. The lyrics are also fairly trite. Just nothing to really engage me, but I'm feeling like giving it a pass and moving on.

Cool to see 60s music that has some more interesting influences.

Sounds more modern than 1969

Instruments very well fitted, songs very well made and performed. A beautiful album to listen to on a Wednesday afternoon while drinking tea.

Elephant Mountain is a title that belongs to the era, but the faddish psychedelic gestures feel more dutiful than desired, and the roots rock, jazzy vibes, and an odd, shockingly Broadway feel to one or two of the later tracks make this a truly weird record, and a fun one to spend a journey with. The longer instrumentals make me sad that the form was lost to fashion, which is another way for me to say I adore East-West by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Never heard of The Youngbloods and was initially impressed, but overall I think their relative obscurity is probably appropriate. Some good songs, an excellent white soul voice, a bit Buffalo Springfield, and a band member called "Banana"; unfortunately too much noodling and half-finished sketches to be a great album

This album is super cool, I love the many variations on the blues seen throughout

Psychedelic Appalachia, a little bit country, a little bit bluegrass, a little bit rock and roll, and a good ol' time.

More of a collection of songs than an album. They’d just abruptly start and stop when they felt like it. The instrumentation and vocals were all there and heartfelt, but the whole thing was a little scattered. 3/5

Enjoyed it

This was fine. Dad rock from the late 60s.

The opening sounded so promising. I was half expecting a folk rock mix album. But alas this was not developed enough. There are some great songs on this album, like Sham, but not enough to make it a top album. 3/5

this is the kind of music i'd expect margaret thatcher fans to enjoy

This one was fun. Psychadelic but a bit more upbeat