Reviews (page 6 of 8)
To me this is a good, but not great disc. There are elements of country-rock that many bands were exploring at the time. In addition, there are rock and jazz flourishes as well that add interest to solid, but not exceptional songwriting.
This was good but not particularly special. I guess it had some influence on early country-rock, like the Eagles, Jackson Browne, etc.
I quite liked this nice late 60s singer/songwriter vibe. The album was a fun listen but it didn't exactly majorly excite me I think I've heard a lot of its kind from other bands I know and love maybe too much so to really get into this.
It was fiiiiine, a bit nothingy but not bad.
Favourite song: Sunlight
Folk rock prosjek
Never heard of The Youngbloods before. It struck me as pretty generic 60s music to me, and those jazz noodling tracks are awful. Darkness, Darkness is good though, and rescues this from a 2 rating
First track had me thinking I was about to discover my new favorite album. Still overall pleasant but the opener is def the highlight for me. It's still psychedelic country rock so just about my favorite genre, just not to the dizzying heights of a Neil Young or a Little Feat.
It was good , it just felt lethargic. A decent record.
Ok.
Not really my thing.
This wasn't bad. The musicians were proficient enough. The singer was a bit anemic, but not overly so. The tunes were pleasant, if a bit on the forgettable side. There was just nothing about it that made me feel like I should care.
His voice is not for me
A bit too much of everything, unfortunately succeeded only at being rather average. I liked “Darkness Darkness”, but it being at the beginning makes you expect something that you don’t get from the rest of the album
This album started with me wondering if it was more of the same, but trust an American Rock group to try and diversify their songs. I enjoyed this album for what it was, some type of folk rock with hints of jazz too On Sir Francis Drake and Black Mountain Breakdown. Very similar to Dave Brubeck. Based on some of the things we have gotten recently, I'm glad this album is wrapping up the week.
Pretty nice! One of the hundreds of rock albums we get on here, but this one has some nice long jams and grooves, those were the ones that stuck with me. The singer has a good voice too. Nothing too special, but enough cool songs on here that I'd say it's pretty good and a step above most of the generics we've had. Favorite tracks: On Sir Francis Drake, Sham, Ride the Wind. Album art: Really like this art style, reminds me of a Mad Magazine or something. A jam band down by the river, brick wall in the foreground with a jam sandwich? What's the weird lump of good in the front? I like an album cover that leaves me with questions. 3.5/5
Boomer rock. It's fine. Some nice groovy tracks, solid musicianship going on. Was nice to have on as background while I was working.
Easy listening oldies
Instrumental tracks > tracks with vocals.
Actually enjoyed this album. Great background music. 3.5 stars
I did nottt dig this
First listen
pretty cool but generic late-60s rock. interesting use of effects on this album. cool stuff
Really enjoyed the old time feeling of this album. Didn’t mind it.
I had this on vinyl many years ago. It's got some nice tunes on it, but it's not a keeper I don't think.
not bad
Escuche este disco con expectativas bastante bajas ya que no es el tipo de musica que escucho ni estoy acostumbrado, y la verdad que me sorprendio para bien, con algunas canciones y algunos pasajes que me parecieron bastante buenos. 5/10
Perfectly pleasent, totally forgettable country/rock
This was good. Mostly happy enjoyable stuff.
p182. 1969. 3 stars. Jazz influenced CSN&Y/Love clones. Very much a mixed bag - a couple of tracks are over 6 minutes long, which sets the pointless late 60's noodling alarms off, and a couple are less than a minute, so it's a bit pointless having them on. Bit of shame, because when it's good it's not bad at all.
Some good, some booring, mostly alright
Decent albeit unspectacular album that is quickly forgotten
Never heard of these lads before. This record is quite decent, some songs that were enjoyable but nothing too special. This record has been done better by lots of other groups in this era. I have to compliment pianist Lowell Levinger, he's pretty good! This lyric caught my eye though. Ride the wind heaven whisper low You can feel all you need to know Be open eyed and open wide and ride the wind Key tracks: Darkness, Darkness, On Sir Francis Drake, Sunlight, Beautiful, Quicksand, Ride The Wind 7 out of 10
Pretty nice record. The songs are bluesy and fun. Do I think that this deserves a spot or has left a large enough impact to be on 1001 greatest records ever... Probably the answer is no.
Fun time! Cool jazzy folk vibes with a lot of personality. Enjoyable listen.
Pleasant
Inoffensive.
Eh it’s a bit boring to be honest but not horrible
I wanted to like this album more than I do, mostly on account of the perfect album cover. But the music is just a sort of TheBandMeetsTheGratefulDead kinda thing, with no standout tracks.
Helt kiva men inget speciellt
Helt chill
Jammy and cool. Feels like sunlight and meadows and laying in the grass. Favorite tracks: darkness darkness and sunlight
I really enjoyed this album but don't remember one song between Friday (when I first listened to it) and this morning (listening to it again to remember if I liked it or not.) I didn't grow up listening to the Youngbloods so I'm guessing it's a lack of familiarity. Very '60s production with vocal harmonies, catchy gimmicks, groovy beats, and electric piano. I need to listen to them more for that extra star but typical 60s band gets a 3 star rating from me.
A three-star review seems a little harsh, this band has lots going for it. Good musicianship — the drummer was having a ball — an impressive mix of styles, and an earnest optimism that seemed to gush forth in everything they play and sing. There are a couple of unfortunate production choices that just don't hold up — the delay effect in "Smug" chief among them — which don't help strengthen the album. But I think what ultimately keeps this from climbing into 4-5-star territory is the material. It's well-written, certainly not simple in construction, but it's just so darned peppy. It's well crafted, super-pleasant, and utterly wholesome, and somehow that seems to be a strike against them. I've never listened to an Osmonds album, but I'd imagine I might feel the same. Maybe that's unfair, but sometimes life's a bitch.
I'm kind of surprised I never checked out this album before this, given my predilection for this kind of music. I dug this, though I wasn't sure I would from that first track. (I've been a huge fan of the Mott the Hoople cover of "Darkness Darkness," and thought this original was just kind or weird.) But after that, I got into it. Tight band. Catchy tunes. Not sure how soon I'll be revisiting, but I'm glad I got to hear it.
Man these cats are cookin’! Good instrumental, weaker on the vocal side. Southern rock with a side of jazz.
Never heard of them. Tempted to skip but I listened. Musically accomplished, an interesting mix of genres that immediately faded into the background, in a not displeasing way. I won't revisit, but it was not time wasted.
started listening, forgot i was listening, then it was over. does this make in inoffensive yet underwhelming?
Not bad, but I’m not dying to give it another listen anytime soon. Sounded a lot like Janis Joplin, CCR, or Ozark Mountain Daredevils in some songs. Others are more either like early-1960s pop bands (ex: The Archie’s, Byrds, Herman’s Hermits, etc) or seemingly ahead of their time with sound more like 1970s/80s pop (ex: Harry Nilsson, Todd Rundgren, etc). A cpl songs even feel like possible precursors to ‘yacht rock’. I dug the eclectic aspects & really using instruments, but no songs really stood out. All listenable. None remarkable.
I think I liked it? The record was over and I didn't really have thoughts either way 3/5
I had no idea what to expect going in but this was quite fun
Some tracks were great, but some were just a little bit too ditzy
Another pleasant surprise -- never heard of them, looked them up figuring they were the first band of someone famous, but nope. Just a good band I'd never heard of.
Cool sound. I enjoyed it
It's a hootenanny.
Nunca había escuchado a esta banda. Solo los conocía de nombre y, teniendo en cuenta la época del disco, me gustó, no me sorprendió pero esos toques de jazz lo hacen elegante.
Solid older album, not exactly standout to me
High 3
I quite liked this. An enjoyable listen. I didn’t fall in love or anything, though.
Enjoyed
Honest folk rock
No track really stands out but its a very solid album. Its has some rather lovely instrumental numbers and I did really enjoy it. It doesnt really get in to my 4/5 when I compare it to the other albums in 4/5 but it was not bad at all
uhhh. ya, it's kewt?
First listen.
I hadn't heard of this band before, and I can kind of see why. It's a pleasant enough album to listen to, but none of the songs were particularly memorable or standouts. It was probably lost in the sea of other folk rock albums coming out of America in the 60s.
Love folk rock; solid Album
music for elevators
Surprisingly hard album to define. On the outside it looks like another psychedelic rock band from sixties, and it is absolutely correct, but the album itself is diverse enough to sligthly escape that label. You can have a trio of songs, one by one: first instrumental, guitar solo-frenzy, or as one would say, epic song, then a transition to a sort of country piece, and finally an almost pop song made for radio with a very toned down instruments and a classic verse-chorus system. In general, the longer the song is, the most likely that it's going to be a classic psychedelic experience. And truth to be told, those tracks are actually highlights of the album (together with couple of the transition pieces). "On Sir Francis Drake" and "Ride The Wind" are nothing new, but they are very nice pieces, which will be enjoyed by every fan of psychedelic culture from 60s and 70s. The rest of the album falls flat, it doesn't fit with other parts and when listened on its own, is pretty average, especially the tracks with a traditional design. I will give it a three stars as an appreciation of the better parts of album, but as a whole it's not on par with other positions from this list.
Fine
OK hippies.
One song sounded like the American beatles before English beatles!
A pretty unknown band with a wide range of stylings in this album. Felt like this band made more of a compilation album of songs. There are instrumental tracks, folk, blues, psychedelic rock, and classic rock sounds on this album. Not saying it’s bad but some were definitely better than others and it would’ve been better if they built on the strengths. This was a very average album overall though. It had the 60s sound but was a bit faded into irrelevance. 5.9/10
Not bad
pretty cool album
Good vibes, good background music with not many lyrics
Lots to like. Certainly worth digging into if (like me) you hadn’t heard anything other than Get Together.
gezellig!
Toffe geluiden, toffe listen
Decent album, not my thing. Trillium is a good track though.
Normally this would be too laid back for my taste, but it caught me at a good time.
Few notes: You can't judge an album by its overture. The song "Darkness, Darkness" is filled with intention, giving a rock emotion. And that's the whole point: the overture has an actual powerful riff that promises a rock album, but it is not. It's something else. Of course, it's a well-played album. Some instrumental parts are brilliant, filled with groove, old country-style harmony, and some tasteful piano. However, even with those parts, the album isn't communicating enough emotions to me: it's coming "flat". I can't feel the "magic". I'm sorry, it's not a crush for me. "Sunlight" and "Ride the Wind" By the way, there are two exceptions. Here is where the magic happens. But those two songs are not from a country background; they come from a very different key. Are those musicians giving their best when evading from the country background? I doubt I will check for more. I'm rating it 3/5: - It's well-played, so it's not boring. Country music can easily go too dull for me, and I appreciate the effort they put into being intelligent. **** - It's not outstanding. It's not extraordinary nor remarkable. *** - The voices. I cannot appreciate the "naivety" of that style. The effort they put into the instruments is not sustaining on the vocals too. And that was a deliberate choice. It's a flaw. **
Quite nice in the sense that this record draws from both country/bluegrass and soul music, two styles that are clearly apart, and yet often bridge the gap in quite elegant ways. Jazzy interludes and arrangement keep things lively and lighthearted, and the three singles and " are excellent. "Darkness, Darkness" 's fiddle or violin is close to hypnotic, "Sunlight" 's delicate ballade is interesting. and "Quicksand" reaches the level of emotions displayed in the best Otis Redding songs. Too bad that the rest is a little predictable, drawing from the meat-and-potatoes level of songwriting Creedence Clearwater Revival would use when they were not busy writing memorable singles themselves as well. One exception, though, is that "Rain Song" opening side 2 with its playful chords played on the higher part of the guitar frets. But such nice touches are too far apart in the album to make it an ultimate and downright memorable success, as good as it sounds on first listens. But with more time, who knows what may heppen? Go ask the mountain... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 812 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 103 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 47 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 41
Sounds very good for its time but not my kinda thing
Def 1960s, was cool at times.
this album is too early to be considered yacht rock but i'm definitely feeling some yacht rock vibes. it was a mellow, easy album that definitely touched on a few genres. folk (the fiddle!) and rock and a touch of country but that sixties sound is still prominent. the lyrics were quite nice and could be rather emotional. "on sir francis drake" was quite the beautiful instrumental, though.
Pretty cool. Liked the jazzy elevator music moments
Started strong but…
It's a decent album from the late 60s. Not great, not bad, but satisfactory. No song on it is a burning orphanage, but likewise no song on it is a field of ambrosia. Nothing stands out from this album, neither positively nor negatively. I'm flummoxed as to what to write about it. Guess I'll pad. The Youngbloods were an East Coast country rock band who, discontented with the New York scene, found California much more amenable to their sensibilities. By sensibilities, I mean utterly moderate rock: no freaky-deaky wah-wahs here, matey. Yes, sometimes the album slips into jazz on occasion, but always meagrely and tastefully. And yes, we've stumbled on the album's heroic flaw. The Wikipedia page says Rolling Stone called this album a bridge between the dregs of psychedelia and the emergent country rock. What they don't mention that this is a fairly weak bridge between fairly weak psychedelia and fairly weak country rock. Again, this is a good album, in a boiled-potatoes way, But where's the flavour, the razzmatazz? Where's the rock 'n' roll? These are the nice boys who'd never light a doobie or have a prostitute urinate into their mouths, and if they desire such a wipe-clean life, then that's their perogative and I hope they're content. But who becomes a fan of a band whose hairstyles were chosen by their mums?
That was wholly unexpected and so BROAD. Country fried to psychedelic to jazzy to proto-R&B. And produced by Charlie Daniels! Weird….
Folksy and chilled with psychedelic and bluesy elements. The first time I listened this blended nicely into the background, but on a second more active listen revealed a lot more going on. Nice, Neil Young-esque, vocals. A nice album. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Darkness, Darkness Date listened: 15/07/22
Eh.
Not sure
country fine
Fair
Good easy listening rock
I really enjoyed this album and The Youngbloods' style of music and vocals. I'll definitely be adding them into my rotation of background music!
This album got erased from my memory as soon as I listened to it. I think it just blended into the background so much and I really don't have anything negative or positive to say about it. It exists, I listened to it. Middle of the road.
In some ways this album is brilliant because every song is a different genre of music and it’s done well. But I also found it a confusing mixture rather than a cohesive album.
yungblud innit. doncasters finest. gone in a different direction with this album but whatever, these kids these days can't make their mind up on anything. for some unknown reason i didn't hate this. it was quite nice background music to work to. must be getting old.
Slit a pig's throat and drink the blood. My ears feel like they've been seduced by an elderly man with a powerful whistle. Lick my fuckin' bum.
I listened to this. It was fine.
What a cute forgotten psychedelic record with folk, jazz, country, and baroque influences, by the guys who wrote the psychedelic staple "Get Together." It's a groovy and silly album, much in the same vein as the Small Faces. It's fine, fairly inoffensive to the point where not much can be said, whether compliments or criticisms. I didn't care much for the uninspired jazz all over. "Quicksand" was an interesting clash between jazz and baroque instrumentation styles overlayed with that typical 60s garage rock vocal style. The vibraphone jazz makes it sound like elevator music here and there, but the vibraphone was prominent in folk-rock in the era. Favorites: Smug, Sunlight, Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down, Quicksand, Ride the Wind
This album was so folk, it should have named itself Moonchild
Country-rock with some jazz flourishes, which are refreshing. Definitely a product of its time.
There are some interesting moments on this album that incorporate jazz elements, but on the whole, this album is not doing anything new. It’s neither the best country rock statement of the late 60s nor the best jam/psychedelic record. Having said that, this record is perfectly pleasant to listen to, but lacks the ingenuity that would place it higher.
Has some pretty good songs but overall more enjoyable as background music.
Darkness Darkness and Smug is a solid 1-2. The middle is pretty meh with the exceptional line "If the world was peanut butter/We'd be sticking by each other".
Breezy with a couple of cool grooves (Trillium and Beautiful). Pleasant enough, but not special.
Some very good songs, some well .... i don´t know and didn´t either
Album started off okay, but then descends into what seemed to me like a practice session with no clear focus.
Mostly uninspiring despite oodles of one of my favourite things: Wurlitzer electric piano. They pull a great save with final track Ride The Wind, though...
Enjoyable from the start, with a few falters. Falls into some hippie cliches but at other times defies expectations and really engaging. Great vocalist. Found out after the fact that this group is a one-hit wonder - a song not on the album but that I definitely know, famously quoted/sampled by Kurt Cobain.
could take it or leave it really
Very diverse, relaxed collection of tunes. The album contains pieces of country, rock, and soul among others. Nothing breathtaking, but nice enough to listen to in the background. 3/5
Genre defying, in a good way! I wasn't sure when this was from, and surprised to find out it was a 60s album. Not my favourite on this list, but interesting and experimental.
3/31/2022 Today's Album: "Elephant Mountain" by The Youngbloods - This album is actually pretty great. The production throughout feels very warm and real, with a consideration of where to put different instruments and sounds in the mix. There's also a great flow to this record, with short intermission tracks breaking up the longer ones, which all seem to vary in style. There's some great folky tunes like Darkness, Darkness, a detour into some renaissance type music with On Sir Francis Drake, some softer acoustic cuts like Sunlight and beautiful, and some more pop-centered tracks like Quicksand. The vocals are nice and remind me of Cat Stephens or Steely Dan. There's some great guitar work throughout this record, the bass really shines at moments, the synths and keys sound great, and the drums are solid. There are some duds in the track list, but the real heart of this record is extremely enjoyable and nice to listen to. Listen to this album if you like music. It's good. That's it I don't have much else to say it's just a solid album Score: 7/10 Solid and Varied Highlights: 'Darkness, Darkness', On Sir Francis Drake, Sunlight, Double Sunlight, Beautiful, Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down, Quicksand
Interesting funny a lot of shapes I will give it a second chance
Good album, probably not a regular listen though
reminds me of Crosby Stills Nash and Young. ok album, but lacks something compelling. first song best song.
Extremely pleasant throughout. In the grand scheme of things though it feels like a 3
Mjög kósí plata.
The album starts out with a touch of country, rock and psychedelic. Then after the jam session double track 'On Sir Francis Drake' the band moves on to a considerably more mellow mix of songs and instrumental tracks. Stand out tracks for me are 'Smug', 'On Sir Francis Drake', 'Trillium', and 'Sham'.
Low-key and was better than I expected. Actually, I didn't know what to expect, I was always curious how the Youngbloods sounded and they are mellowed than I thought they'd be, but it has a nice groove to it. An interesting listen, for sure.
Background music with nothing special. Why is this list like 50% folk rock and 50% all other genres? Also that mountain looks nothing like an elephant.
It's rural rock 'n roll and I kind of like it. But maybe this is not my jam.
I didn't know of this album - nice discovery, although I don't mind if I never hear it again.
really quite chill psych rock and folk, but leaving very little impression on me. Its pleasant to listen to and has a lot of warm, soothing textures but some of the songwriting here is meandering.
Thus was a pretty decent album. Some really fine playing throughout and some pretty fine songwriting as well. Nothing particularly groundbreaking or unique, just some good folk rock 60s style. 3.5
Unoffensive and uninteresting. Decent enough for background listening when your focus is elsewhere, but really it's nothing more special than that.
I like the general sound of this album but somehow nothing ever seems to stick even after repeated listens. It loses its momentum whenever they wander into a looser instrumental jam section. Cute album cover though.
Competent folk-rock, but just sort of there for me. It's nice though.
Quite a nice album, no brilliant songs, but nothing harsh or unpleasant either. Happy to have on as background music.
kannte ich nicht, hat mir ganz gut gefallen aber es war nicht sehr einprägsam
I did like the music and vocals grew on me after a couple of songs. I need to listen to this again, but I feel like it builds energy and gets better as it goes on. Solid 3
Okay, I think I get this. At first I thought "we JUST heard a late 60s folk/rock band!" Yeah, I vibed a little bit. Def better than the Incredible String Band.
nothing was good or bad it was alright overall. completely average.
There is/was absolutely more to this than meets the eye. ...or...ear. I did not think I'd like this at all...some notes of country rock which prejudiced me before I heard it but it was way more complex musically than calling it country rock (which i don't like). Some really advanced progressions and diversions that are unpredictable. I kind of had a tough time rating this though.... it's never going to be a favourite but there is some deep musicianship and songwriting here that probably will make me put this on again - definitely lacking a killer track or two which is likely what makes me give it a strong 3 rather than a 4. (Also...I am curious as to why this is on the list? The band was a one hit wonder in US, but the hit isn't even on this album.) 7/10 3 stars - Interesting to be sure and may eventually rate higher.
Pretty good.
This album is really interesting, with neat instrumentals that are sort of reminiscent of the Grateful Dead but if those guys did way more coke. 6/10.
Ok, interesting. This album varies considerably from track to track.
nista posebno, 3
Rock suave, sureño, sesentero
A decent album. Just some solid folk rock. Added a few songs to my playlist from it.
pleasant
Nice listening, although I don’t see myself coming back to this.
not bad
Красивая обложка, отличная музыка, одна сохраненная песня. Подводит качество звучания.(
Enjoyable, but I don't remember much about it. Both of these things may have been affected by where my head was at :)
Good album, but not real stand out songs.
Solid, enjoyable poppy listen. Certainly going in my regular rotation now.
A bit of an obscure pick by the 1001 crew. This didn’t sell much or get good reviews. That said the sound is different and hard to categorize, sometimes jazzy or folky or country. A handful of songs start beautifully, like Darkness Darkness, but sound more like run of the mill late 60s rock as they build. Jesse Colin Young is a good singer and listenable for a full album. The electric piano diversions are interesting.
I’m only familiar with their Woodstock era hit All together, so this record was a pleasant surprise for me. It’s really well written and performed, especially the drumming. I especially like the musical numbers that flit from psychedelic folk to prog to jazz such as Francis Drake and Trillium. I think if I was exposed more to this back in 1969 I would have really dug it man.
But of a weird one this - not a commercial or critical success either in 1969 or subsequently so not sure who would authorise it's admittance! No big hits a la Buffalo Springfield or Little Feat. Very basic Byrds, bang average.
Cool cover—nice fidelity—good vibes—dug the jams—good for road trips—nothing stood out.
3/5 eventually it didn't make the cut
Feels like a precursor of what was to come in the '70s which given the release date isn't a surprise, I found it pleasant to listen to and fairly inoffensive
Never heard this before. Enjoyable late 60s vibe with a couple of gems
Nothing wrong with this but equally nothing great either. The very definition of three stars
If I were in my 70's this would've been my era, and I would be listening to their record regularly. But I'm not.
I hadn't heard of this. No immediate standout tracks, but overall I enjoyed it on in the background. Pleasant album.
Nice mid album break
Added!
lekker atmosfeertje goeie vocals
Pretty good, but not quite my cup of joe
Some decent folk rock here - and some limp folk rock as well. Inconsistent - seems like a good track / bad track album with some dreary attempts at goofy humour a real strain on the ear (Don’t Let The Rain Get You Down) but some nice highlights with the opener Darkness, Darkness and the closer Ride the Wind.
I enjoyed this more than most 60's albums on this list. Not saying much as I can't stretch to more than a 3. Satisfactory.
Started out strong but left me wanting after the A side. I’d listen again, but my expectations are a lot lower now.
Very late sixties/hippy indulgence. Not terrible, just not what grabs me. Main grip was they can't really decide what kind of style they are and sound enough like other bands of their era that I would rather delve deeper into those artists.
File under 60s rock
A pleasant enough album that feels very transitionary. You can hear late stage Beatles here as well as mid stage Zeppelin. Pseudo Psychadelic and Pseudo Folky.
Bit of a curate’s egg this one. Like the country/bluegrass/blues. Could live without the light jazz/soul.
Elephant Mountain sounds way ahead of it's time, and some tracks have aged impressively. Darkness, Darkness is exactly the type of psychedelic rock that I appreciate (sharp guitars, no duck sounds), and Sunlight is delightfully mellow. The rest is decent, not worth puting on many more times than once.
3.7 - A fusion of genres that feels airy and unforced. Sunny California folk country that sounds like a blend of the Doors, Byrds and Van Morrison. Some excellent electric piano work on here as well.
This was pretty good. I wasn’t familiar with the Youngbloods other than their one big hit song. Surprised they didn’t have more success. Some of this is a bit mellow and sounds a bit dated, but overall a solid effort. 3 stars.
I’ve never heard of The Youngbloods. And seeing as their Top 8 songs is the same Get Together I doubt I would of stumbled across them. This album is fun, some of the songs trail off to become all over the place. Darkness Darkness is my favourite.
doesn't feel special in any way, I don't know.
The beginning was a bit meh, but the end was much better.
A lot of variety in the songs. 0RS
Simple, cozy little folk songs with the band. You can tell there was some cross-influence with The Doors here, what with the jazzy drums and electric organ freestyle. Nothing too crazy, just nice songs played well.
fine
An interesting mix of influences leads to an LP with a surprise around every corner. Though the instrumentals shuffle on well past their end-by date, each track still blossoms with its own unique sense of adventure.
1st Listen. Mostly liked it.
This is a weird little album, but good to sit around a fire to. Some of the tracks are great (Darkness, Darkness and Trillium) and others are just weird. In a not sexy way, haha.
cool
i find this stuff so boring
Ok - nothing mind blowing. Will not be purchasing.
A bit southern, some Beatles-like sounds, and a few things all over the map. Interesting enough for another listen through.
Overall pretty good 3.5
One of the many 1960s albums on the list that does not leave a strong impression on me. It's fine, not good or great.
Decent folky rock from the 60s. Loved the opener. The rest was fine.
From the psychedelia of “Darkness Darkness” to the gentle, soulful “Quicksand,” this shows Jesse Colin Young at his songwriting best. (His later solo work would flutter away into lightweight fluff.) Elephant Mountain would be an outstanding mix of the Youngbloods’ blend of experimental rock and jugband folk if it weren’t for the pointless (and pointlessly long) blues-based instrumental jam “On Sir Francis Drake.” Clearly, the drugs had taken hold when they decided to plop this bore into the sweet space between the jangly “Smug” and the gorgeous “Sunlight.” Sigh.
The band and the music are new to me. Some of the music remined me of Van Morrison. I could tell that the album comes from the late 60s, but I'm not quite sure how to categorize the music. "Trillium" and "On Sir Francis Drake" caught my attention, and are potential repeats. I enjoyed listening to something new. I would be curious to hear additional tracks from the band, but I don't imagine returning to this album for a second listen any time soon.
mellow and chill, but forgettable.
Decent album, with good difference 3/5
Je ne me souviens déjà plus de ce que j'ai écouté
Darkness Darkness is the only decent track
Solid tunes on this one, a little blues-y guitar and folk elements that work really well. "Darkness, Darkness" is a great track, and enjoyed it overall.
At the cusp of psychedelic and country rock lies Elephant Mountain. It feels like a curio the straddles the line between Woodstock and the disillusioned singer-songwriter diaspora that would arise in its wake. Favourite song: Darkness, Darkness
Fine. Never heard of it. Some nice bits. Would not say it's one of the greatest albums of all time though!
I liked this. Darker Darker is a very solid song. As is Sir Frances Drake. I will revisit this album and possibly some of their earlier work
I liked the general feel of this album, it veered between Doors-style instrumental jamming to CSN/America folk rock to a more straightforward folk/roots vibe. Overall not much jumped out as much as the lead track, though "Sunlight" is a nice listen.
Fine. I dont really remember it?
Very fun for background music, but can't say I paid much more attention to it than that. Not sure if that says more about the album or my mindset these past couple days, but a 3 feels fair
much better than expected.
Enjoyable, bit too twee and naff in places but good overall
good one 7.
Nooit gehoord van deze vast inmiddels niet meer zulke Jongebloedjes, maar dat maakt hun muziek niet minder goed; behoorlijk vermakelijke nummers!
Niet heel speciaal maar ook zeker niet vervelend.
This was a good record. Not my favorite, but I didn’t dislike it. Probably wouldn’t listen again, but I can see the influence it has on a lot of artists of that time.
FT: Don't let the rain get you down
3/5
5
average
Very nice surprise!
I appreciate that it was groovy and short but I didn't think too much of it. I think Elephant Mountain should be a location in Breath of the Wild 2.
Not familiar with this band very much at all. The lead track was quite good and I was very surprised to see they from NYC. Solid
Un bon album qu’on a aime ecoute marie et moi. 3.5*
pretty cool. OEM 1969 trippiness meets folksy jangly fun
Decent 60's American rock. Has an early "Ramblin Man" vibe.
Suuuuuper chill and jazzy.
Solid record.
A couple good songs
Good stuff
Never heard of this group. But nice to listen to.
Not my type of music
A little too jammy for me
nice folk sound - very Neil Young-ish at times
2.7
I didn’t look up anything on this album, just listened. I like the variety of sound.
Fine
Didn't notice it
Surprised I’d never heard of these guys before, album was decent enough
The interludes were my favorite part.
Not bad
Its fine, but I dont think im gonna come back to it, and I question its placement on the list a bit. The opening and closing tracks are pretty great though
good chill tunes, 3 stars
Folk music is always nice, overall peacefully enjoyable album
Not a album listen for me. Just decent stuff to listen to, has that hopeful folk lyrics, some psychedelic rock elements. Nothing to through beef with it, it does play it by the ideal theme and gives an interpretation of this said theme that are just everpopulated on any other folk song. It's an ok for me. I guess I can choose sham, and Ride the Wind.
This record was lucky to escape 1 territory. Not my cup of tea. “On Sir Francis Drake” might be one of my least favorite songs from this album journey so far; “Trillium” sucked too. The more mellifluous, albeit inoffensive tracks that surrounded these tracks protected this album’s score from reaching rock bottom, but not by much. I just didn’t really care about these songs. Very 60s, psychedelic, organ-heavy, Doors-adjacent groovy rock. I think I’m just tired of the abundance of albums in this list that share this album’s style, which could be biasing me against it. Weak two. STAND-OUT SONG: “Sunshine” HONORABLE MENTIONS: “Quicksand”, “Darkness, Darkness”
Track 1: Fiddles. Track 2: Twang. This did not get off to a great start. Fuzz organ on track 3 had me holding out hope though even if it did just lead to a standard 12-bar blues jam. Beautiful was a competent attempt at soul, complete with a li'l funk. Sure, it seemed based more on the swing of the metronome than feeling any vibes, but I think that really might be where this album peaked. The rest continues on as if they just wanted to challenge themselves to play a different style of music for each song. This mostly stinks.
2.7/5
This was an okay album - very chill vibe. While I enjoyed it, unlikely to listen again. I give this a 2.
I've seen The Youngbloods described as one of the forgotten bands of the 60s, and on the basis of this they deserved to be forgotten. This is nothing. I've described some albums as basically musical wallpaper, and this doesn't even fit that vibe, this is the musical equivalent of the landlord special of off-white painted walls. There's just nothing to grab on to. I can't even point out particular good or bad tracks, it's all just a bland mush of sameness. It's not one star because it's not actively bad, it's just not actively anything.
Not good. Generic.
Dull folk rock.
Interesting from a music history standpoint, but not actually enjoyable to listen to, for me at least. Mostly this is just unusual, but not in an engaging way. Too often i found myself reaching for the skip track button. The singing is not for me, the instrumentation is more it but it was mostly that it was often making me think of other bands which it sounds like or influenced. The track On Sir Francis Drake especially meanders between sounding like the Kinks, Led Zeppelin and cool jazz double bass. The jazz is really amped up in Beautiful and then the 13-second (!) Turn It Over. The B-side starts with another jazzy / blues/ country number, all very weird, but not necessarily in a good way.
I liked the first song and about 50% of the ones with lyrics but I down right hated the only musical ones. Unfortunately those seemed to come more often so this album is a thumbs down.
More 🥱 😴. Another album that just confuses me: how is this essential listening? It's at most pleasant and inoffensive.
gorgéous album opener but otherwise not super for me
Album #180 The Youngbloods: Elephant Mountain This is the album that has inspired me to reform my rating process. I’ve found myself slowly edging my way up when it comes to my standard score for a ‘decent’ album; I think that I have become too soft. My 3 stars have become filled with mediocrity, when it really should be a category for truly enjoyable albums. See Elephant Mountain is a perfect fine album, insofar that it has some enjoyable tracks and is overall inoffensive; therefore I have little qualms with it. But then again, the opposite of love isn’t hate; it’s indifference, and I’m very indifferent to this. Thus, it will rank amongst the other unnotable, but not offensive; the lowly 2s. Best Songs: Sunlight, Darkness, Darkness, Quicksand Worst Song: On Sir Francis Drake Score out of 10: 5
Highlights: Darkness Darkness, Sunlight and Quicksand. 2.7
Generic 60’s rock
Started out liking it but then as it went on I felt like it was just more of the same over and over and not that sonically different between each track.
eh, alright
It's certainly an album that exists.
Meh
Not sure why this album is considered essential - whilst pleasant enough, there is nothing that interesting or notable going on here. Slightly noodly, psychedelic folky leanings, and wibbly keyboards, but I found it hard to say anything left any mark on me after listening. File under 'Forgotten 60s artists who there is probably a reason they have been forgotten'.
Good musicianship. Songs are just ok.
I dunno, not objectionable, but kinda blah
Not sure what is exceptional about this album....
Mid
meh
Typical lost in the British Invasion mid sixties band. Good band overshadowed by their peers.
The first track started really well with the violins giving it quite an atmospheric folky vibe - I bit like the excellent Nick Cave soundtack for Jesse James. Sadly rest of the album is a bit meh and gets a bit Byrdy, jazzy and bland.
Starts strong, thinking this would be a 60s folk rock album, and then drifts all over the genres. Not sure what it is, but not the best in any category
Meh. I liked some songs, skipped through others. It’s between a 2-3 for me but I’m going to round down to 2.
Not at all familiar with this group, though I recognize one song not on this album that Nirvana quoted at the beginning of one of the Nevermind tracks. I don’t know what to make of this album -1 it sounds like a recorded identity crisis. The opening song sounds like square dancing class in gym. The second song sounds like it’s trying to be Bossa Nova but doesn’t quite get there. There are a couple of instrumental keyboard tracks that are okay like Trillium and On Sir Francis Drake. I don’t know what Don’t Let the Rain Get You Down is trying to be but I just found it irritating. Sham sounds like an attempt at the blues. And there are a couple short instrumental transitions… like they had these unfinished ideas that the didn’t know what to do with. I appreciate artists that take different styles and fuse them into something new and different — like Santana did so well on yesterday’s album. But this just seems like a hodgepodge of disparate styles in each song without any cohesion… and none of the styles done particularly well.
Unremarkable folk rock from the 60s. A couple decent tracks, but overall, not a memorable addition to the genre from an era with several.
I really had not come across Youngbloods before although heard quite a few of their contemporaries. They sound like really tight musicians and I appreciated the melodic acoustic sound on this album combined with some nice jazz and folk type influences. Have been described as very ‘laid back’ which is an apt description. And bonus I finally realized what Kurt was going on about during unplugged: ‘come on people now …’ (though, not on this album)
Agradable album, lindo de escuchar. Onda Beatlera, muy influenciado. No los conocía para nada. Me gustó
Hippie band discovers Jazz chords; blues at 11.
Not my thing.
Et virkelig rodet album der vil alt muligt. Når det bliver psych-blueset virker det rigtig fint. Men country, bossanova osv. gider jeg ikke.
Decent
From their own Spotify page: "The Youngbloods could not be considered a major 60s band" I agree. Are there any bands that released an album in 1969 that aren't on this list? Didn't hate it. Won't listen to it again.
Rating: 4/10 Pretty boring, just kinda noodling along and nothing memorable really stuck out. Forgetting this one
Unexciting, bland, can’t imagine what makes this exemplary enough to make this list. A couple okay songs, but how does that qualify it?
Bland, boring and the tricks it was trying in 1969 already sound dated. It's like a band who just threw as much shit from 60s pop-culture and hoped some of it will stick. Bad jams, boring psychedelia, banal white boy blues, bollocks sunshine pop and laughable attempts at McCartney granny music. Genuinely have no idea why this is in here. Best Tracks: Darkness Darkness; Sunlight; Quicksand
This album felt all over the place to me, some of it sounded like children’s album? There were a few simple songs that felt like they had potential, but overall this felt like a bit of a mess.
Didn’t get this one felt really dated, a bit all over the place. Was happy for it to end mostly.
A strange blend of styles. I liked the jazzy outro of "On Sir Francis Drake".
tentei ouvir há um tempo, chato 2/10
Meh
Never heard of The Youngbloods before this one, and after listening, I’m not sure I’m any more motivated to explore them further. Track 1 (“Darkness, Darkness”) starts off promising—a moody, slightly folky atmosphere with a decent groove—but it never really goes anywhere. Unfortunately, that becomes the theme of the whole album. Everything is competent but strangely flat, like they had all the ingredients for something interesting but couldn’t quite turn it into a flavour worth remembering. The songs drift by pleasantly enough, but nothing sticks, nothing surprises, and nothing ever builds on that mildly intriguing opener. By the halfway point, it turns into background music—perfectly listenable, totally forgettable. Not bad, just… bland.
This felt very long even though it wasn't, and was way too mellow for me. Sixties noodling that never really went anywhere.
Recent polls suggest that no-one really knows why this psychedelic, country jazz album is on the list... Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆ (3/10) Total reviewed : 252 Already owned : 58 Purchased : 14 To buy list : 2 Nope : 178
Незапоминающийся альбом. Послушала по дороге и уже забыла, прочитала про историю создания, вроде ничего примечательного. Занял аж 118 позицию в чарте Биллборд в 1969. Из этой новости вынесла 2 момента: 1. Отрадно видеть островок стабильности в нашем мире и читать про чарты Биллборд пятидесятилетней давности 2. Есть надежда, что еще через 50 лет также увидим, в какой-нибудь книге про новый альбом Slayyyter
Дослушал в 3 захода. Что-то как-то никак.
Un sonido por momentos interesante, pero que no llega a atraparme del todo. Es una escucha relativamente sencilla y tranquila pero no fascinante (capaz por esto se me llegó a hacer largo por momentos).
I don't know anything about this but at 260 albums in I'm starting to get a feel for things Robert Dimery found important that I just can't care about. This gave off a vibe of a bunch of talented session musicians making an album without realizing they didn't have any songs to make. I'm one or two tracks in and already they're doing some 12 bar blues improvisation? Why commit that to tape? Why do I need to hear it before I die? I have heard some variation of that too many times to count and definitely don't put it so soon in the album it can just go at the end. It's competently made but elicits no feelings in me at all.
i would enjoy it a lot more in specific settings
I just want to give it a 2.5 so bad why cant they let me give it a 2.5
This was quite dull, felt like a washed out the Eagles. Not one I’ll revisit.
I appreciate the album. I just don’t think I enjoyed the album. Good playing. The music was good. It just was not anything mind blowing and just kind of blended into the background.
I feel like I wanted this album to stick to something for me to grab onto but it la very fluid with genre and styles that I’m really sure what to think. I’m probably rating this lower than it deserves but it didn’t really scratch an itch anywhere. Good background tunes but not my favorite sit down listen.
Not my thing. Sounds like a load of other 60s stuff on here but with worse vocals.
Groupe inconnu. Mélange de styles folk/country/jazz assez peu intéressant, sauf peut être quand le résultat est un instrumental ('On Sir Francis Drake', 'Trillium' : +1). Pas assez pour une seconde écoute. =>2/5
It's a blisteringly cold day here in central Europe, and lyrics like "like the sunshine warms the sands" make me yearn for this nasty winter to be over even more. Listening to this record, it’s hard not to drift off to warmer places. This would make a fine recommendation for listeners who are just beginning to explore the psychedelic folk sounds of the late 1960s and who have already worked their way through the classics. Songs like “Sunlight” and “Double Sunlight” sound like California set to music, all sun-bleached harmonies and gentle, drifting melodies (you can really tell that the band relocated from New York to California prior to the recording sessions). But even though the songwriting and the instrumentation are versatile, not many songs here truly stick with me. It is a record for connoisseurs who enjoy digging a little deeper, yet still a pleasant listen for everyone else — an album with few peaks and virtually no lows.
Loved the art work. The album felt like a 'demo'; with not enough to keep me engaged or enthused.
Might’ve been Youngbloods back in ‘69, but these guys are old as dirt now. And this record hasn’t aged well.