Reviews (page 6 of 8)
I don't know whether I like it or not... It's not bad, but it's not good either. It has some folk elements, some rock, blues and a bit of country. I am going to give it 3 stars because I am just confused.
just average 2.5/5
Nice and easy to listen to songs. However, there were not really any standouts.
An unexpected journey. The inclusion of band members' voices at the beginning of several tracks is a lovely addition, making me feel like I'm in the studio with them. "Smug" is a short fun bop that's lyrically quite cutting. Thoroughly enjoyable psychedelic folk-rock.
First listen, I did not finish. Felt it was such blah tripe. Second listen, after reading a bit about it, was a bit better. There is no one song that is a chest grabbing cracker No#1 hit. But there is something there. Third listen, and forth fourth, it gelled a little better me it's not country, it's something more playful. There is a lot of joy here. Quiet understated joyful play. I'm on the sixth listen now, very happy with the find. I'll put the this into my regular listen playlist. There's a little off fun here that's not on one style of music, it's a bit prog-rock, bit 60' psychedelia, a bit classical rock, a bit folk, a bit country, a bit R&B. It's quite the mix. I'm going to give it a good rating because I can see myself listening and relistening to this, enjoyably, with a range of environments. Driving, dishwashing, art-ing, gardening, just being. It fits with a lot of my lifestyle activities. It's good. 5 stars. (I never would have thought that at first listen, I was going to do a 'did not listen' - but here we are)
Why were these guys never huge? I think it’s because they sounded like not only a different group on every song here but even a different sub-genre! They never embraced a style. If it were me I would’ve told them to go with that funky almost Chili Peppers vibe they hit on ‘Beautiful’. Guy almost sounded like Janis Joplin on that tune too. As a listener trying to id the band it would be near impossible when any other song from the album came up. ‘Sunlight’ for example, great song but sounds like an acoustic Doobie Bros tune. Then doing a rag time tune. Then a country folk tune. They could’ve been great if they did them, whatever that was. Instead I think someone was convincing them to fit into the time. They turned out to be a poor man’s Lovin Spoonful unfortunately. But I saved the album to my library regardless. A rare thing for me these days.
Not really my thing
Not a fan - too much xylophone
Fine but nothing to really write home about.
What a joyful listen. I'm certainly keen to listen to this again. Darkness, Darkness really sets the scene and such a lovely closing vibe in Ride the Wind
A lovely discovery! These guys weren't on my radar at all. It's that classic late 60s rock sound, but they like dabbling in other genres and playing little games - right up my street! This is like a 4.4. Fave tracks - "Darkness, Darkness" is a great opener - loved that segue from bluegrass into rock. Liked the experimentation of "On Sir Frances Drake", and the elevator muzak diversion of "Ride the Wind"
mediocre, nothing very interesting here but its all fine i guess. low 6/10
a really mellow album where nothing really stands out, but it's also quite pleasant. 2.5
I had never heard of this band and saw that they were just kind of a straight American folk rock band from the 60s. Figured it'd be pretty meh, and it was slightly better than that. Some good songs for sure. Nothing to write home about though.
Good and chill folk/country/psychedelic rock from the late 1960s but nothing particularly stands out, none of the songs are very memorable. Not sure if I'll ever remember any of the songs on this album even though overall it was a pleasant listen.
1969? Yes it's quite dated but......there's just something about this. Never heard of them or this album. Mellow country-rock or Psychedelic orientated it's well put together and meanders from track to track with a variety of other styles (even some Jazz in there). They disappeared as quickly as they had arrived it seems but this is well worth the listen.
I listened 20 hours ago and can’t remember a thing about it.
I see the appeal. It’s just not my type of music. Very calming.
Un folk doux et affirmé, qui a quelque chose d'apaisant. Ne sonne pas trop daté.
Elephant Mountain was a fine if bland album. The music was generally well done with decent rhythms and nice usage of all the instruments but were either rather bland or were missing something they really could have benefitted from. The main song I'm talking about from the latter complaint is On Sir Francis Drake which i feel really could have benefitted from having lyrics so that it wouldn't become so boring. This album isn't bad but it is really boring in a lot of areas which is why it gets a 2.5. Best Song: Beautiful Worst Song: Trillium
Eclectic mix of folk, rock, psych, country, blues, with some jazzier moments. Their sound is blended well, with none of these elements standing out as not fitting. Respectable musicianship throughout and a few enjoyable instrumental breaks with occasionally ripping guitar and bass (On Sir Francis Duke, Beautiful). pretty consistent quality throughout, though few songs jump out as majorly memorable (except Darkness, Darkness). Solid listen overall.
I only know Get Together by Youngbloods and that song isn’t on this album. This is as average as average gets. It “bridges the gap” between psychedelia and country rock, but is that a gap that needs bridging?
Perfectly listenable, but not exciting or particularly interesting.
Odd album, jazz songs every now and then?
Ok. Folksy. Forgettable.
Ein cooles, melodisches Rock Folk Jazz Album. Zeitlos und sehr unterhaltsam.
Just a cute lil 60's rock album. Nothing ground breaking but just some nice average jams throughout.
Agradable. Folk rock, psychedelic rock del 69.
Just about what i expected. Psyfolkpopnonsense
Very nice to listen to. My husband even asked who this was because he liked the music.
I’m pretty sure I’ve heard of the Youngbloods but I sure never heard any of these songs before! And this is very much my jam. Kinda like the Turtles or Lovin Spoonful. Quirky little tunes, good harmonies and plucky instrumentals. Songs added to Spotify: 4
Lots of different styles here, there was blues, folk, soul and a few others. Some attempts were better than others but I think it was bit too all over the place to really enjoy. Decent enough vocals, no absolute clangers but I think you'd be better off listening to better artists from the numerous attempted genres. 2.5 but closer to 2.
I didn't mind this at all. Quicksand, Sham, and Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down (I know the intro from somewhere) were the best songs. I enjoyed the wide range of styles employed. Folky, psychadelic-y, thought it was pretty good actually.
I liked parts of this but it was just on in the background. I hadn't even realised the album had finished as YouTube Music was playing such similar sounding stuff. Highlights: Darkness, Darkness Quicksand
Hmm. I'm not sure about this. Some of it was really pretty good, but then a lot of it just passed me by. I feel like the style changed quite a lot too. Wasn't liking the more jazzy stuff so much. The opening track set the bar pretty high though, and I don't think anything else lived up to it 2.5
The Youngbloods could be called a "one hit wonder" from 60's folk rock. Their version of "Come Together" is their most famous effort by a significant margin. It is a great example of the band's folk/rock, centered on rich, vocal harmonies. The Youngbloods seem like a step between 60's psychedelia and 70's country rock Elephant Mountain does not include their "one hit, but it does include a strong collection of melodic, interesting songs. While the Youngbloods did not achieve considerable success, this is an album that could (should?) have been much more famous.
An honestly very jam band-y album, which while not unheard of in 1969 by any means, feels oddly out of place in an album format during a period of tight, condensed rock masterpieces. Instead, The Youngbloods seem to go in a different direction of something a bit more messy, with lots of influences from country, jazz, and psychedelia, and while it struggles to make it work for a good chunk of the album, it is commendable. Songs containing more laid out, predictable song structures seem to run away with my heart pretty easily, to the point where I wish it was mainly that, as they are often very pretty, with soft vocals and instrumentals while still having a tiny kick to them to ensure the listener doesn't fall asleep. However, nearly every song that doesn't follow this ideology is often iffy at best. Long, drawn out periods of seemingly random instruments playing with no cohesion or thought, stretched out sections that add nothing to the album, or at best you get a dull folk rock track that leaves far too much to be desired to be a true tip. Sunlight and Ride the Wind are easily my favorites, but the other thirty minutes can have you tuning out and just like that four songs have gone by with nothing to grab the listeners interest. Its an album of potential, but considering they seemed to do very little like this album before or after, mainly reaching for that blues rock crowd, I imagine this faded mainly into obscurity until being included on the 1001 Album list, and I can find very little to say otherwise.
Such an underrated vocalist good alt folk tunes
classy
I liked this! Good driving music for a summer day. 3.5.
Kinda good, kinda corny. Very mixed, so gets a 3.
I liked the folkier parts than the jazzy parts. Weird album.
This may have been mood-dependent, but this was nice
This is an actual great psychedelic-yet-very melodic album that sounds not too hard like other psychedelic stuff - and that is its secret strength. Love it.
Tastefull.. hyvää musiikkia...
This is such a groovy record, I am loving it. I'm certain I've heard some of these songs before but never knew the band. I probably assumed they were just some Eagles or Animals deep cuts. I can see myself, a passenger in my dad's '79 Oldsmobile, watching the world roll by as we cruise the backroads on a sunny summer day. Maybe we’re going to get ice cream. Maybe we’re going to get groceries. It doesn’t really matter where we’re going, I just love that we’re together and the radio is playing such great tunes. This record helps me prolong this sweet reverie, it’s an unexpected conduit to happy memories, and I still miss my dad so much since he passed away last spring, so I’m going to keep idling in this one for a while.
good and unique old sound
Shockingly good
Sort straddles the end of the psychedelic era and the coming of more country rock. It’s sort of the worst of both really. I found it to be pretty bland…
Classic sounds, catchy bit. Surprised I haven't even heard of them.
Interesting at times but descended into meandering white boy blues
Darkness, Darkness Sunlight Ride the Wind
There's some really good instrumental moments in this album, including "Trillium". I enjoy the folk/country/rock vibes, but the psychedelic moments are not quite as enjoyable. A good album that isn't a major hit, but also avoids missing, for the most part
4.5/5
this was incredibly boring. Favorite track: Sunlight
It was fine, I guess, but it just didn't really click for me.
I wish this website would show the curator's rationale for including a given selection. I found this album unremarkable. Maybe it's historically important - just a guess, because otherwise I don't get its appearance here. Not a bad record by any means, but not remotely as interesting as other country/folk-psych bands like The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service or even The Byrds.
I'm not familiar with The Youngbloods, so this seemed like a good introduction to them. It also seemed like an interesting mix of other late 1960s bands and their own style, although I didn't find it all that distinctive. I was disappointed to read that the instrumental "On Sir Francis Drake" was not in fact some sort of historical reference, but much more mundanely about a road near where they moved to California. I guess that was expecting a bit too much from the Youngbloods, but I still enjoyed listening to their album (mostly).
I enjoyed it but it didn't grab my attention too often. If it came on the radio, I would have listened to it, wondered who it was, thought fondly of it, and then probably never listened again.
Meh
An average 70’s vibe. Not bad but also not spectacular. I liked it because I like 70’s music but I would never listen to it again.
This did very little for me. It's fine but way too 60s jam band for me
Yeah I mean it's alright, decent enough. I wouldn't rush it to someone's deathbed, though.
the first song was perfectly nice and pleasant, the rest was a complete drag of 60s folk rock pleasantries. not a bad album per se, it's perfectly nice even, but why the hell was this included on the 1001 albums list? it's like including [tries to come up with a milquetoast album from my early teens] fun.'s Some Nights in the 2010s category because people were listening to that type of music i guess. docking a point just because it pissed me off.
Nice to listen to.
This was nice. I don't particularly see anything special with it but these albums aren't bad in fact it is something I would happily listen to again I just don't think much stood out. There were a few parts where I thought they were just trying to be Jazzy for the sake of it but I guess they somewhat added to the album they just weren't as impressive as I have heard from other bands. All being said I loved the sound they are going for, it felt soft but upbeat enough to still be fun. Because I don't feel it stood out massively I think 3 is fine but probably the upper part of 3 and could be one I go back to. Stand out songs Darkness, Darkness Beautiful Quicksand
- Unfortunately, the "We have the Beatles at home" of bands. The Youngbloods are trying things, but it is all fairly uninspired. Album is all over the place, but not in a captivating way. More just confusing and jarring. - "Sunlight" is a genuinely touching song. Very heart-warming. - Also found "Ride the Wind" interesting; apparently I find the more "easy listening" tracks to be a better direction for the Youngbloods. - Found some of the more gimmicky tracks ("Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down") downright annoying.
Really unique and cool psychedelic folk. The production value lacks at times, but they hit some serious grooves throughout.
Mostly bland, and when it wasn't bland it was annoying. Did not need to hear this aimless guitar noodling.
first two songs are great.. rest is eh
Ну так вроде ничего. Ровный альбом, приятная музыка.
Kind of fun to listen to. I liked a few of the songs, but won't return to this one. Sounded cool for coming out in 1969.
Psychedelic folk rock with some jazzy elements. It's like both halves start out really strong, and then kind of lose momentum towards the end. Great piano throughout the album, and vocals and guitars all sounded great. The opening track was killer, that pretty much makes the whole album worth it. I think this album might need further listens to truly understand. Somewhat classic for now. Will have to revisit.
It's an album that is too late to be unique. Just sounds like your run of the mill early 60s album.
Really liked this one, and it hadn't been on my radar before. Soft / hippie rock vibes with a little country thrown in. I'm looking forward to giving this a second listen when I have time.
Album was okay. Had some decent songs but in the end nothing that was really great. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
Ça passe trénquille
This is something I am going to listen to for the next 15 years
Beautiful!
I'm surprised by how easy it is to listen to despite being from 1969. Kinda boring but not bad
was between a 2 or a 3 for me but I couldnt really get into it, too many songs were just boring. Pleasant to listen to but really boring
Interesting mix of rock and country but nothing that particularly stands out.
was worried I was in for a snoozefest, and then they started throwing instrumentals in! with interesting arrangements & jamming!
VERY FORK LORE FEELING HMM
Pretty good, nice morning listening imo
Nice folk & blues
Not horrible, but definitely not my cup of tea. A bit too whimsical for me with all the vaudevillian like flourishes.
Mellow
Takie plumkanko w tle. 3/5
3.5
Summer Of Love! Erinnert an America! Viel besser als so manches hier vorgestellte Album! Wieder was entdeckt. 4/5
Easy listening, soothing. I wish they did some stuff with J. Joplin.
Not bad as background music but nothing memorable. Interesting mix of country/rock/jazz/psychedelic.
It's a fun little old rock album, but kind of breezes past me. The two longer songs felt like they dragged on, but the rest were pretty nice. Doubt i'll return to it in the future, about as 3/5 as an album can get.
A sweet blend of psychedelia, pop, good vibes with a pinch of Celtic flavor. Great atmosphere for a quiet afternoon.
Fun little album. Hadn't heard them apart from "Get Together". Nice music to have on in the background. A mix of rock, blues, jazz. Some of it sounds a bit too elevator music. I ended up also listening to their second album, which features "Get Together", and I think I like that one a bit more than this one.
Eingängige Melodien, tiefgründige Texte und experimentelle Klänge. Ganz gut zu hören.
Thought it was going to be bland at the start but really got into it toward the end.
Based on the opening track, I enjoyed this far more than I thought - Darkness, Darkness' opening was just not to my taste. It's funny to read the other reviews who don't get the folks-rock-jazz *thing* that was happening in the 50s and 60s. Rock was ascending, but the folk scene was also happening, and jazz had had a grip on the counterculture for a couple of generations at this point. It's like a modern rock group having bits of metal, electronic, pop, and country: it just *happens*, living in the crockpot of modern music.
I listened to this one twice. Enjoyed it. Never heard of them before.
It was worth a listen, but probably not again.
Very chill. Loved it.
I've not heard of the youngbloods before but I was pleasantly surprised, great album
Quickly became background and never returned. One and done.
I like that they are all over the place with folk, jazz, rock. But the whole thing is steeped in a grooviness that only an album from 1969 could be. I feel like this is kinda what the Grateful Dead would sound like if they didn't suck. Especially liked Trillium.
Ive never heard of this album or this band. It’s a generous hippie buffet. That jazz section of On Sir Francis Drake took me by joyous surprise. Sunlight would be the perfect chill soundtrack to the sun lighting up a plant filled bedroom on a perfect spring morning. All in all, this is great weed music for a chill, no worries type of day.
This album was nice easy listening, but I found it a bit boring. Darkness, Darkness was a great start, and Smug was pretty good, but it felt like the energy dropped off after that. Also, totally forgot to give the Imagine cover by Khaled a shout out in my review yesterday, so I’m doing that now…despite my low rating on that album, that cover was sensational!
Intriguing group
This album kinda blew my mind. Love the little jazz odyssey’s through out
Good. Well produced. Smooth. Nothing jumped out. If asked, I may have thought it was Crosby Stills and Nash.
didn't quite get into this, a bit too slow for my liking, although "sham" was decent
BORING
I had no idea who this was. I lived listening to it. This was a great sounding album with that 1960's feel!
In a nutshell: lazy Byrds meets CSNY. An uninspiring and mostly bland combo psychedelic rock/folk/country rock. This could have been good. It’s not. I don’t hear anything different or new compared to other albums released in the late sixties that can be found on the 1001 Albums list. Save your time. Listen to Crosby Stills Nash and Young instead. Overall: 2/10
Sounds like if the house band at your local dive bar were actually skilled musicians. It's a little jazzy, a little country, a little rock. It still sounds very similar to a lot of the music of the time, but there's definitely a certain distinct quality to it.
Easy listening
The instrumentals were a weak point for me, but surprisingly fun songs with nice harmonies and interesting melodies. Will come back to this one!
pretty decent eclectic album, a 3.5 from me
Great music
This was lovely! A little folky, a little jazzy, a little psychedelic. The cover is fitting, as it seems the perfect type of album to put on while hanging out in nature, perhaps with a little buzz going. A wonderful little hidden gem of the late '60s.
Not come across the Youngbloods before and took a while to get into them, perhaps partly because their material was quite eclectic and hard to pigeonhole. Nevertheless this a a lovely album with all sorts of elements - pop, americana, psychedelia - all delivered concisely with strong melodies and hooks. Well worth a listen
They sound exactly like what I would think music from the 60’s should sound like. But these guys also sound like they had black friends which is cool. Like elements of soul. Undertones.
Classic rock with a bit of swag I suppose.
I've never heard of these guys but I was feeling this melodic folk/jazz/psychedelic/country/rock today
Agreeable. Pleasant. Nothing particularly special, but easy to listen to. I thought I had heard almost every song before, but turns out I had never heard any of them.
Songs sounded good
I enjoyed this album. Would listen again
not my cup of tea - some decent background music but it did not grab my attention and I'm not sure why it would be on the top 1001 albums. Quicksand was a decent track but again - not something I'd put into regular rotation. May have to check out other albums by them.
despite not achieving mainstream commercial success, the album garnered a dedicated following among fans of folk and psychedelic rock. it offered a rich tapestry of sounds and emotions. it’s one of those albums that you actually have to listen to properly to realise it’s not missable, but if i was listening to it on radio, i’d definitely be changing the channel to see if there are any other songs. it wasn’t terrible though, and was a good listen, so it’s getting a 6/10 from me ! full review on ig: @musicwithnessa
this was okay!! easy listening. my rating is maybe closer to something like 2.5 stars. easy listening, but maybe a little boring and devoid of anything particularly attention grabbing or anything worth revisiting in the future. there was a kazoo in one song!! that made me smile.
First track had me panicking with the fiddles, but it becomes a nice banger in the end. So far, this is better than most of the hippie shit on this list. There’s something sincere here, something interesting and thoughtful. Not horrible at all. Well crafted music played with clarity. This actually pretty cute. Nice range, good attitude. Can’t hate it.
Elephant Mountain has a little bit of everything, folk, psychedelic, jazz, blues, soul. It also doesn’t have a single song that stands out, Quicksand is likely my favourite. It’s a decent album, another that blends into the seeming hundreds of other 60s albums but it gets an extra because I think The Youngbloods achieved their goal of fusing together almost every genre of music that existed at the time and it’s done well 6.0/10
Enjoyed this. All over the place, but in a good way rather than 11 songs sounding very similar as they can do in this era. Lots of pointers to stuff that will come later. Ride the Wind sounds like proto Steely Dan/Yacht Rock!
Not bad at all but totally uninteresting. A bit clownish at times but quite forgettable. This last part of the list is gonna be a drag I think
Nice album. I quite like it.
Bra album. Bra jazz moments
Chill, kind of washes over you
The Youngblood’s “Elephant Mountain” is great example of an album that isn’t really in the cultural lexicon when talking about 1960’s rock, but probably should be. The musicianship here is excellent and the songs, whether traditionally structured or improvisational are engaging and exceptionally performed, moving seamlessly between psychedelic rock, jazz, blues and Americana, sometimes within the same song. As this record draws to a close, one final thing to note: It’s kind of funny how literally every band residing in northern California that released a psych album in the late sixties were better musicians and songwriters than the Grateful Dead.
My experience with the Youngbloods was the song Get Together, so I was quite surprised by this album. I liked the keyboards. It seemed more of a jazzy album than rock. Good to just let roll in the background while doing work.
Laaaaangweilig...
I think I liked it?
Pleasant and almost-perfectly listenable; ideal for relaxing to. However, Black Mountain Breakdown feels out of place, adds nothing, and abruptly ends. This, coupled with the fact there are no real stand-out songs on the album, takes it down to a 3.
A couple of tunes that I enjoyed, but on the whole, not really doing for me.
Not keen on this one .
Didn't hate it, works as good background music but don't think I will be listening again
Some stuff I liked, nothing I hated. It was well produced but I didn’t love it
Cheerful and energetic! Great cleaning and puttering music. Probably would enjoy duing a gentle workout!
Never heard of these guys before. I liked it. Not the kind of music I typically search out but a shame that they're not better remembered in the conversation about great bands from the era.
The album is just kind of there. Unnoteworthy. Nothing that stands out. It wasn't bad but I have no desire to listen to it again.
Nice early rock vibe. Somewhat reminiscent of The Beatles but with a unique enough sound to be their own.
A nifty chill genre blend
When it's good, it's great. When it's not it sounds like elevator music. This is one of those albums that I can't help feeling the band would have be better live. The type of band that would kick into impromptu improvisation during the set. They are obviously all talented with a wide array of musical styles under their belts.
Meh. Nothing really special.
It sounds very much late 60s. Somehow reminds me of the Monkees, but it doesn't sound very much like them for the most part. Not bad, but not at all essential. Favorite song: Sham
No ihan jees!
Positive Überraschung. In den ersten Sekunden dachte ich US-irische Folkmusik. Entwickelte sich dann langsam zu einem eher rockigen Song (Darkness, Darkness). Der dritte Titel (On Sir Francis Drake) wechselt unvermittelt vom Keyboard Trullala Walzer zum Boogie Woogie TenYearsAfter Sound und weiter ins Blues-jazzige Session Gefrickel. Sehr abwechslungsreich das Album. Etwas poppiges mit Saxophon Solo? -> Quicksand. Ein 40 Sekunden Song der anfängt sich nach 20s aufzulösen und ab 30 Sekunden in Dissonanz zerfällt? -> Black Mountain Breakdown.
Too easy listening for my taste.
Hippy dippy music. Not bad but not something I'd want to listen to again.
Was making me sleepy. Not what I'm into.
Lovely jammy alt psych country rock situation with a little swizzle of big band jazz stylings to round it all out. Big fan.
Reasonable. Glad I listened. Not earth shattering.
Not my favorite.
4-
Mellow, transitional. 2/5
Smooth sounds, not what I expected.
Hmmm it was ok
Kind of sleepy and boring. I like its genre, but I didn't connect with this. If 2.5 stars was available, that's what I'd give this.
beautiful cover art, interesting music. great intro track with interesting double vocal tracking. fav: Darkness, Darkness
Nice. Eye opener
nice
Reminds me of the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin - This is a happy American folk band that brings to mind the sight of people wearing cowboy hats, touring different small towns in rural USA, big farms, silos, a cow skull hanging on the wall of a dinner. Very American vibes. Favorite: Dont let the rain bring you down
3.5 O enjoyed this. Jazzy country rock done very well.
1969. Strong first 20 seconds leading into a disappointing, much more boring album.
Te langzaam
Relaxed, soulful, messy, and unmemorable. But I liked it well enough, so a 3 it shall be.
Not more 60s rock 😭 At least this was more mellow than some of the other ones I've had in my queue, so it wasn't too bad to listen to, if perhaps not my exact cup of tea. 3
Litt for soft
It had some calm moments and not too much psychedelic nonsense.
A nice album. Lots of interesting musical choices. Interesting arrangements. I liked most of the choices made. solid 3.5 stars
No idea why this might be considered a must-hear album. It does sound like sort of a missing link between some styles of music and also some bands I do actually like. But the link is between those bands and hotel lobby style muzak. This is basically a toned down version of some of the more boring songs by The Beatles, America, and Creedence Clearwater Revival - alternated with muzak. The parts that have potential also suffer from sounding a bit too cheerful in a way that doesn't combine well with the other influences. It just ends up sounding off.
Agradable. Folk rock, psychedelic rock del 69.
Very much enjoyed
3.5/5
I really liked this. Beatles-esque 60's pop done by jazz artists with lots of jazzy arrangements, medlies, and interludes.
I have never heard of this band before this list. The album sounded like an average psychedelic, folk album from this period. Only a few songs actually stood out to me. Favorite Song(s): "Darkness, Darkness", "Sham", "Quicksand"
Had only ever heard Get Together. This was nice.
this doesn’t offend me but i don’t think i’ll ever listen to it again
Mixed: I hit play on this album and thought to myself 'lord imma kill myself with this country music shit' but yk what I pleasantly surprised myself here. After the second song I really started digging the 60s rock with chords which fitted together so well and an overall sound which was just nice to the ears. Pleasantly surprised by this record and I will have to listen to more from this band.
Wanted to like this. Every song was *almost* good. A few of the songs would make nice background noise, but nothing (other than "Quicksand") really stood out on this album. Prime example is the instrumental "On Sir Francis Drake" which just kind of exists without being either offensive or compelling.
I’m not much for folk music, but this one caught me by surprise. Some pleasant acoustic that avoids becoming laconic.
Tää oli ihan snooth ja letkee! Taustalla meni mukavasti 3/5
Kiva ylläri etenkin muutamat jazzahtavat biisit. Beautiful, Don't let the rain.. ja Ride the wind meni suoraan talteen. Ei silti kokonaisuutena ihan neloseen yllä, 3.5/5.
Ok folkkistelu, mut ei sen kovempaa kolistellu. 3/5
Another of a seemingly endless series in pleasant but inessential mid/late sixties r and b/pop/country hybrids.
If "I'll Take Just One Hit" was an album. 3/5
Eh, meh.
This album was new to me, which is a little surprising, given the vintage and the style. I (of course) knew of the Youngbloods, and their hit “Get Together”. As I listened, I realized I also knew Sunlight. This is a solid album, and grew on me throughout the listening. Early country rock, in the same neighborhood as Buffalo Springfield, early Poco, Byrds (Sweetheart era), Etc. My overall rating is a bit more than the sum of the parts. No 5 star songs, but no clunkers, either. This will be one I’ll be revisiting.
Boring
Really enjoyed this. Would listen again and to more of their stuff. Very pleasant and easy to listen to.
Solid album. Fun and kind of funky at times.
6/10 interesting, with a lot of variety, but that makes it hit or miss
Quite enjoyable
Kind of enjoyable but felt very average across the board. Possibly hurt by what I've consumed that has come out after this.
cute :)
This felt like the most generic classic rock album I've ever heard. Largely forgettable, but not terrible. It kinda melted into the background and got overlooked.
It was OK. Not my taste though.
Meh. Too soggy for me.
I dig it
Good album There are probably a bit too many long periods without vocals. Good though Low 3/5
I don't know, I've gotten a wave of 60's and early 70's albums that all sound too similar at this point :-(
Nice sunny mellow 60s music, great for a quiet start to a sunny day
Pretty groovy, I liked it
Very nice but also very forgettable. Not sure how to rate that
An album that is very much of its time. Nothing too special on here, but it still provides a good listen. Just solid, folk-rock with heavy Byrds, Fleetwood Mac, Allman Brothers influences. Super bold to follow up a song called "Sunlight" with "Double Sunlight". Also, hilarious to have a record-flip song. After listening to this, I went through their debut album; it is much better.
Such a mixed bag of genres, as lots of mid/late 1960s albums were. Can't decide if they're a blues rock band, a twee jugband group, or pop music. Nothing here really sticks out. Feels like a contractually obligated album, not inspired at all.
Great sound and some cool songs. I wanted more actual songs though and less extended jam sessions. Even some of the songs with lyrics felt like they stuck to one or two lines and jammed out on that. Not hating on it, I just don’t dig long instrumentals.
A bit hit and miss. Some Beatles moments, some Bluegrass moments perhaps. Some weird jazzy easy listening moments.
I had never heard of the Youngbloods before I listened to this album and I really liked it. I probably won't remember many moments from the album but I did feel happiness whilst it played.
Darkness darkness was really good
Rock psicodélico sesentero. Está bien, pero no llega al vinilo.
Wasn't familiar with this album at all but really enjoyed the mix of folk, singer-songwriter, occasional prog-ish vibes (see the instrumental track "On Sir Francis Drake"), blues inspired guitar and bass and jazz tinged drums.
Happy-listening folk/country/psychedelic varied rock album. Nice discovery!
Fun, but a little out of control here and there
Not bad but feels a bit generic ar times
Some very enjoyable parts with some lows in between
Interesting album. Has good energy and some great bits musically. Also a bit all over the place
Very interesting album. Proggy folk music is always great imho
It was good! Sunlight was my favorite. However, the album came across as elevator music at times. Thought it had more potential. I did also like Quicksand, smug, On Sir Francis, and Darkness, Darkness.
više bi dao 3.5, al pravih 3.5, ne sad ono moglo je više, taman toliko i dosta. pa će biti vamo trojka, ali je baš između.
This is right up my alley! If you are into The Sheepdogs (my favourite band) you’ll like this. Looking to explore their library further. High 4
Really like this one. Multiple listens and want to re-listen.
This reminds me of the time when I was younger and thought I'd take a dip into jazz music. I could hear talented musicians, but I had no idea what they were trying to say. Elephant Mountain was like that.
3.5/5. Enjoyable. I've never heard of this group before, but the music was nice and pretty easy to listen to.
I liked this one a lot
As a snapshot of a moment in time in music, it's certainly interesting. Arriving at the intersection between the fading of psychedelia and the popularity of the country/folk scene, it has a foot in each camps. It's not massively remarkable in terms of the actual songs, but it's pleasant enough. Although, perhaps "pleasant" is an insult, in its own way.
These songs are stylistically all over the place. Some are okay, but as a whole it’s underwhelming. And I really dislike the soft jazz elements.
Good album. It has that folk country sound that you hear in the early 70's a bit. It is probably worth buying someday. Its definitely a listen to the whole album type of play.
this was lovely, lots of influences from places I wuite enjoy. Nothing too special about the songwriting, but some really nice soundscapes
Exceedingly, and unexpectedly, strong, to such an extent that their big hit seems lame, like a different – and much lamer – band. "Sir Francis Drake" and "Quicksand" and "Sunlight" are terrific and the subtle "Ride the Wind" is a treasure and a great closer. The overall effect speaks to the full range of '60s options – from jug band vibes to jazz explorations to bubble gummy hooks to folkie think pieces.
3.5 Fun little late 60s rock record, not mind-blowing but lots of fun
I really liked a couple of songs and would’ve given them 4 stars. I liked the rest of the album OK. I liked the opening track and the solo in it and the solo a few songs later with a similar guitar tone. A solid three.
It was fine. Led with a few good ones but there was a lot of filler.
2.5
Bland, unfocused, stylistically scattered. The album certainly has its moments, and I like Jesse Colin Young's vocal. But much of this unmemorable. Fave Songs: Darkness, Darkness; Sunlight; Smug; Quicksand; Sham
Just one big shoulder shrug
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: it was ok Favourite Track - didn’t have one
Very jazzy rock album
Covers a pretty wide swath of genres. You get some southern rock, acid folk, even boogie. It's nice, if a little bit twee in spots. Favorite tracks: "Darkness, Darkness", "Trillium"
Jessie Colin Young - listened while in Hawaii
Aika siisti levy. Oli vähän folkkia, jazzia, rockia, vaikka ja mitä. Aika lepposaa kanssa. Sham oli paras
Como Folf country... La parte mas instrumental me gusto.
Considering the fact that I have always had a healthy dislike of country-rock, and have always felt a general disdain towards the psychadelic, I was really surprised by my reaction to this album. I kinda loved it? It was all the best of a music decade that has always kind of fell flat to me. A really nice melding of genres, with some truly gorgeous songs. Best tracks: Beautiful, Darkness, Darkness, Quicksand Worst track: Trillium
Thought this would just be more shit 60s folk, but it was amazing. Wonderful bass playing
The very first thing that caught my attention was the album cover. For all you Snoop Dogg fans out there, does it look familiar? Maybe a stretch, but my first thought was Doggystyle album cover, the red brick wall. As for the album, I never heard the rock or psychedelic rock in there. A little country, but mainly your basic folk sound. And what, 3-4-5 instrumentals in there? Nothing really clicked the first times I listened a couple months ago and re-listening today didn't change me feelings. I guess the best I can say is I'm convinced I've heard Sunlight at some point in my life or at least it sounded very familiar. At different parts of the album, I thought the singer sounded like Janis Joplin. Not really a Joplin fan either. I guess when you add it all up, it was one big OK. Nothing stood out and nothing too terrible. I'm going to go with a 2.5. 2 for the music and the .5 for making me think Snoop somehow thought of this album cover when he released Doggystyle, but also thought no one would notice. Well, not until today. Haha.
When it isn't hopelessly trite it's not bad. Kind of a Monkees x Led Zeppelin sound at times. The Uncharted song wasn't bad either. 3
2 Yeah, I don’t see what’s so special about this record. Supposedly these guys are an underappreciated late 60s folk group that are claimed to have bridged the gap between the genre and psychedelia, but after listening to this, I gotta say whatever amount of appreciation they have is probably enough. I don’t even hear the psychedelic aspect, instead it feels more like folk mixed with some jazz, but more in the sense each feels watered down rather than complementary. Didn’t find anything going on in the songs to be overly interesting, and after multiple times through, there’s nothing I could really point to as being worthy of a re-listen in the near future. I know there are many groups out there that never receive the acclaim they deserve due to reasons outside of their control, but I don’t think this is one of those times. Sorry Youngbloods. Clearly you have a fan somewhere if you made this list.
HL: "Rain Song (Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down)", "Darkness, Darkness", "Sunlight", "Ride the Wind" Pleasant album to listen to, lots of noodling/false starts that affected the flow. The bluesy coda on "On Sir Francis Drake" might be the low point, not because I didn't like it but because it sounds like a studio outtake that was included to make Elephant Mountain a respectable length. Celtic-sounding "Darkness" is great, "Sunlight" is pretty (reminds me a bit of "These Eyes" by the Guess Who) August 7, 2023
Started off really well, but never really lived up to the first track. It was okay in places, but I think I would have preferred if they had stuck to at least one musical style rather than chopping and changing between psych-rock, bluegrass, jazz, etc. Not amazing, but not abysmal, so 2 stars from me.
This album was really interesting. It's very much of its time, and not particularly a genre that I tend to like, but it's really good overall. Just a good vibe to it. Good music, the lyrics fit well. The mix doesn't sound amazing, since it's a bit muddy (at least the version I listened to was), but it features every instrument well 4/5
On first listen, I heard two outstanding tracks ('Darkness, Darkness' & 'Quicksand') but decidedly average 60's psychedelica for the rest. On second listen, more of the mediocre songs actually started to annoy me. Sir Francis Drake has an interesting start but mounts into a blues shuffle that really no-one needs. Many other songs feel like they're experimenting with sounds they don't fully understand. I heard someone say on this album: "They just sound like the best band from a tiny town," and that's indeed basically it. Nothing special except for the two songs mentioned at the start
That guitar is so rubbery, I like it. It's mediocre, though. generic '60s psychrock.
I found passion in my dispassion towards this album.
Frankly I thought this was great. Top half was better than the bottom half other than the closing song, but I’d come back to this easily. Bonus points because I’d never heard of them other than their 1 hit song not on this album. Could be too generous, but this made me happy in the moment.
Whether you’re a Starbucks hoe or a Dunks slut, we can all agree, like The Youngbloods track “Ride The Wind”, their refreshers are some of the most aptly named products on the market. I would’ve preferred more of that sound from this album, wasn’t a fan of the “sinshiney days” type tracks. Minus 2 points for the slide whistle. Also some haters out there will see even a 4 out of 5 and think “This @sshole hates this f*cking movie”, but I’m here to continue to prove that untrue. This was an enjoyable 2, but nothing more.
C Darkness, Darkness - 2 Smug - 3 On Sir Francis Drake - 3 Sunlight - 2 Double Sunlight - 3; Beautiful - 2 Turn It Over - 3; Don’t Let the Rain Get You Down - 3 Trillium - 2 Quicksand - 3 Black Mountain Breakdown - 3; Sham - 2 Ride the Wind - 4 Better than expected, but still pretty average for 60s. I can understand why someone would really like it though. Ride the Wind to finish it was simply Chef's Kiss.
Waste of time. Only Sham is worth listen.
Alright, not sure if I'd choose to listen again
An album cover can say a lot about the album. What this album art tells me is that this is some backwater, country-rock, folk-rock. And to be honest. It’s not far off.
3/5
Refreshingly good for being unknown – groovy and fun, charming and relatable. "Ride the Wind" is wonderful, and "On Sir Francis Drake" and "Quicksand" are only very slightly less so. In contrast to the subtle and refined playing her (the vibes on the close especially), their big hit seems much less interesting, even vaguely lame. One-hit wonders have no chance, do they?
Well the album cover suggested one genre and the music delivered an interesting mix of several. Perfectly cemented in time and place. It flowed along pleasantly with nothing outstanding.
I was unfamiliar with this group. I quite liked this album, while they were a Boston group, it seems they had relocated and this sounds to me like a bridge between the Laurel Canyon folky rock singer songwriter scene and the emerging psychedelic Bay area scene. It could be a little more focused, but is very charming.
Reminds me in places of The Doors. Oh, it's finished. Forgettable. 2 / 5 stars.
A genuinely likeable album that opens with a banger
Melodic rock - some songs are a little country too. Nice album
Was on the road for this one so Spotify again but had time to listen to this twice under decent conditions. Clearly a roots influenced situation, an album I've never seen or listened to before, but a band I've heard before as background music. I liked it and suspect I'll end up listening to it again. There's a lot of music from this era that has similar sonic qualities, I thought the vocals were pretty distinctive, and it was a nice mix of blues, folk and rock.
This is one of those albums that's in a style of music I have a soft spot for. To such degrees it is that it would take a truly awful singer to make me hate it. Luckily, this passes that test reasonably enough. Folksy, gentle, homely, just the kind of pick me up I need.
Meeehhhh
Fun folk-rock album, bordering the progressive side. Not every song was a winner, but overall worth a listen.
I am finding out I am not a fan of 60s American/folk/county music. I feel. No need to keep listening and forcing myself through was a chore. 2/10
What a gem! Never heard about this band. It make me felt like a hipster in the 70s.
It’s fine I guess.I liked the piano.The vocals are fine.no stand out song.eveything is just kinda ok.it goes on a little bit too much with some songs.
Op zich wel lekker. Ik vond de wat meer rustige nummers zonder zang fijner om naar te luisteren
Had door het genre eigenlijk niet zo veel zin in dit album. Algemene noot: ik zou het heel fijn vinden als er wat weer soul, funk of eigenlijk maakt het me geen reet uit als het maar een keer geen rock of punk is. Toch viel dit album me alles mee! Best aangenaam in het zonnetje op de fiets, 2,7 afgerond naar boveeeuu
Dit is zeker één van alle albums die ooit gemaakt zijn
There's some great genre-bending on this album. It's firmly rooted into its era of late 60s rock, incorporating elements of country and jazz. It's not going to be my favorite album of all time but it's definitely worth a listen.
I dunno, it’s alright but I think I’ll have forgotten it by tomorrow.
Never taken the chance to listen to these guys, but I'm glad I did. Will have to listen again when I'm not working.
Chill vibes 3.5
Mezcla entre boomer rock y jazz que calma mi alma y acaricia el corazón.
A few bright, inspired moments, but maudlin overall.
folky rock vibes its good but not groundbreaking or anything
This was the equivalent of vanilla ice cream: good, but nothing that I'm going to crave or simply want on its own. I really liked the first half of "On Sir Francis Drake". The rest was highlighting some uninspiring keyboard playing. This was The Youngbloods transitioning into Pablo Cruise. Meh
Linda fun
Not bad. I liked how super chill this was, but also had lots of variety. A nice album to kick back to, for sure.
I thought this was just... fine. It was not bad and not good. 2.5/5
Pretty solid 60’s rock with touches of jazz and southern blues to it. I can get behind it, but would probably have dropped the interludes. B
Darkness, darkness is my favourite from this track.
maybe my life is not that bad
Some good tunes on here but nothing to really write home about.