Looking back through various months in music history generally reveals several outstanding albums that have stood the test of time. But September 1969 has to rank among the best ever 30-day periods in the music world.
We’re talking about all-time great rock, Americana, singer/songwriter, and soul albums all released within a tight time frame. Something was clearly in the air 55 years ago this month, and here are five albums to prove it.
Abbey Road by The Beatles
Did those who dropped Abbey Road on the turntable all those years ago have any idea that they were hearing the last recorded output of the Fab Four? Probably not, because the four men weren’t 100% sure themselves. In any case, give credit to Paul McCartney for orchestrating a closing suite of songs majestic enough to send the group off in appropriate style. Don’t forget to include George Harrison for his towering songwriting peaks (“Something” and “Here Comes the Sun.”) And try not to choke up hearing the vocal harmonies in “Because,” or when McCartney signs off with the most moving equation in music history: And in the end / The love you take / Is equal to the love you make.
The Band by The Band
Improving upon their 1968 debut (Music from Big Pink) was no small task, as that album had caused an incredible stir among their musical peers. But The Band went and did it. It’s funny to think this album that details the vexing tribulations and tender triumphs of everyday folk was recorded in a California bungalow previously owned by Tinseltown luminaries Judy Garland and Sammy Davis Jr. The privacy afforded by the location allowed the five men the time and space to find every moving nuance in Robbie Robertson’s songs. As wonderful an evocation of this beautiful and heartbreaking country of ours as ever recorded, courtesy of a group that was four-fifths Canadian.
Hot Buttered Soul by Isaac Hayes
After his 1968 solo debut album failed to find an audience, it appeared Hayes might be restricted to a career behind the scenes as a producer and player. But when Stax Records left its former partner Atlantic Records behind, they needed material in a hurry. Hayes took advantage with an album that set the tone for what soul music would be in the years to come: Inventive, lush, and deeply moving. Hayes and the expert players assembled take on chestnuts like “Walk on By” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” stretching them into unrecognizable yet alluring shapes before bringing them home in ecstasy. Those tracks are 12 and 18 minutes, respectively, and you never want them to end.
Townes Van Zandt by Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt the songwriter was often let down by Townes Van Zandt the recording artist. Or maybe Van Zandt was just getting bad advice in the studio when making his records. In any case, his self-titled album is the one that gets it just right, in large part because everything is kept relatively simple. Why wouldn’t that be the approach, since that strategy shone the most light on his subtly affecting melodies and effortless poetry. On this record, Van Zandt rescued four songs that had been over-recorded on his first album, and debuts six more gems. From the trippingly eloquent opener “For the Sake of the Song” to the mournful closer “None but the Rain,” every single moment of this record is transfixing.
Then Play On by Fleetwood Mac
Of the five albums on this list, this one is the least-celebrated by far. That’s only because Fleetwood Mac’s pre-Rumours history sometimes gets lumped into one indistinguishable blob, when it’s actually a fascinating story of incredible virtuosic players with volatile personalities making ambitious music. Then Play On stands out for the way Peter Green, who was at that time the group’s chief songwriter and artistic force, gives enough room for new member Danny Kirwan to shine as well. The album gets dreamy (“Closing My Eyes”) and then gets gritty (“Rattlesnake Shake”), and the chemistry of the players (which also included stalwarts John McVie and Mick Fleetwood) renders even tossed-off instrumentals utterly thrilling.
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