Blog | Long Player

#54 Scott Walker- Scott 2

For a brief moment, it was Scott’s world and we were just living in it… (Philips) Released: April 5 th 1968 Producer: John Franz Topped the chart: 12 th May 1968 (for 1 week) 1 week total Scoot 2 is an odd record from 1968. With psychedelia taking darker turns, all fuzz and atonal guitars, here comes one of the Walker Brothers making arch chamber pop that sounds like Mike Flowers Pop covering The Divine Comedy. Also included: songs about “Spanish bums” and gonorrhoea.

agalvin19

2 days ago4 min read

#53 Bob Dylan- John Wesley Harding

Dylan goes back to the future… (CBS) Released: February 23 rd 1968 Producer: Bob Johnston Topped the chart: 3 rd March 1968 (for 10 weeks) 19 th May 1968 (for 3 weeks) 13 weeks total John Wesley Harding was a sales behemoth in 1968, surprising considering how quiet and reflective this is in Bob Dylan’s catalogue. Filled with some of his densest and most inscrutable poetry, this is a transitional album that’s very singular in its arrangements, with only one hit (for som

agalvin19

Mar 64 min read

#52 Diana Ross And The Supremes- Greatest Hits

Supreme by name… (Tamla Motown) Released: January 1968 Producer: Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier Topped the chart: 11 th February 1968 (for 3 weeks) 3 weeks total When you look at the track listing of this greatest hits album from The Supremes, it’s wild to think that for a long time at Motown they were nicknamed “The No Hits Supremes.” But that’s what they were known as for several years in the early 60s as a string of frankly pretty rubbish singles failed to go anywhere (a

agalvin19

Feb 225 min read

#51 The Four Tops- The Four Tops Greatest Hits

The Motown machine motors on… (Tamla Motown) Released: August 1967 Producer: Various (mainly Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier) Topped the chart: 4 th February 1968 (for 1 week) 1 week total Please note: this is a review of the 16 track Greatest Hits album released in the UK in August 1967, which has a different track listing to the 12 track US version released at the same time. Tamla Motown’s late arrival to the top of the album chart is surprising looking back, but in many

agalvin19

Feb 115 min read

#50 Val Doonican- Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently

Less rock than a pillow factory… (Pye) Released: 24 th November 1967 Producer: Val Doonican (arranger: Ken Thorne) Topped the chart: 31 st December 1967 (for 3 weeks) 3 weeks total It’s a pun you see. Val Doonican performed in a rocking chair so, you know, that’s why he’s rocking… It’s a point that needs to be explained because in the 21 st century, Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently (let’s call it “Rocks” for ease going forward) might suggest a soft-focus take on The W

agalvin19

Jan 223 min read

#49 The Beatles- Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

You might have heard of this one... (Parlophone) Released: 26 th May 1967 Producer: George Martin Topped the chart: 4 th June 1967 (for 23 weeks) 19 th November 1967 (for 1 week) 17 th December 1967 (for 2 weeks) 28 th January 1968 (for 1 week) 8 th June 2017 (for 1 week) 28 weeks total Here it is then: the Big Boy of 60s music. A new level of artistic statement from a pop group, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is credited with this new fangled “rock” music bein

agalvin19

Jan 64 min read

#48 The Monkees- More of the Monkees

More can sometimes mean less… (RCA Victor) Released: 9 th January 1967 Producer: Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Carole Bayer Sager, Neil Sedaka, Michael Nesmith, Jeff Barry, Jack Keller, Gerry Goffin, Carole King Topped the chart: 7 th May 1967 (for 1 week) 21 st May 1967 (for 1 week) 2 weeks total A proper Ronseal album this one. More of the Monkees is, well, you can probably figure it out. More of the music that The Monkees recorded for the first season of their television

agalvin19

Jan 53 min read

#47 The Monkees- The Monkees

Hey hey! Who needs to play on their albums anyway? (RCA Victor) Released: 10 th October 1966 Producer: Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Jack Keller, Michael Nesmith Topped the chart: 29 th January 1967 (for 7 weeks) 7 weeks total For a shiny, happy pop band put together for a TV show, the history of The Monkees isn’t half complicated. In-fighting, rebellion, scandal and the love of the era’s luminaries all feature, but generally history remembers them with a single word: “manufactu

agalvin19

Dec 29, 20254 min read

#46 The Beatles- Revolver

Black and white on the cover, glorious Technicolour inside… (Parlophone) Released: 5 th August 1966 Producer: George Martin Topped the chart: 7 th August 1966 (for 7 weeks) 7 weeks total In the 90s, George Harrison's memory wasn’t what it used to be. As he said in the Anthology TV series, “I don’t see too much difference between Rubber Soul and Revolver . To me, they could be Volume One and Volume Two.” A strange take from our vantage point because musically there is a

agalvin19

Nov 20, 20255 min read

#45 The Rolling Stones- Aftermath

The Stones roll into their second phase… (Decca) Released: 15 th April 1966 Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham Topped the chart: 24 th April 1966 (for 8 weeks) 8 weeks total And so we arrive at the Rolling Stones’ second phase. As we’ve journeyed through their first, there has been an increasing disparity between their singles and LPs, the former becoming darker and more interesting (see high-watermarks 19 th Nervous Breakdown and Paint It, Black ), the albums continued to ha

agalvin19

Oct 28, 20254 min read

#44 The Beatles- Rubber Soul

What’s that strange herbal smell coming from the studio? (Parlophone) Released: 3 rd December 1965 Producer: George Martin Topped the chart: 19 th December 1965 (for 8 weeks) 8 weeks total Whether they were made of rubber or leather, The Beatles’ shoes were likely on their last legs by October 1965, and it’s not hard to see why—five studio albums in two-and-a-half years, multiple world tours, TV appearances and almost no time off: every day they weren’t playing live they

agalvin19

Oct 19, 20255 min read