#35 Bob Dylan "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan"

Disclaimer: Can't stand Bob Dylan. That being said, I can -appreciate- Dylan. His voice drives me nuts and every time I hear that damned harmonica, I want to rip it out of his hand and stomp on it. This doesn't mean I think he's bad, I just don't enjoy his music. That all being said, it was a really interesting contrast to put this album with the Beatles, back to back. Very different aesthetics coming out at the same time. I can certainly see why this is considered a classic. At 22, he managed to achieve quite a bit. Looking ahead, I can also see why people went crazy when he picked up an electric guitar. I'm not going to convert but I can see why this album is on the list.

#34 The Beatles "With the Beatles"

Ok, I told myself I wasn't going to listen to any Beatles records in this list. Why? Because I've heard them all before SO many times. I don't think there is any other band that is more overplayed than the Beatles. But. But...I threw on "Meet the Beatles" because it was next on the list and I was instantly tapping my fingers and whistling along. Even if you don't like the Beatles, there is just something that grabs me from the beginning. Not every track is a winner here, but damn, compared to the other things I'm listening to from the same era, you can tell there's a certain sound, a certain GRAB that's going on here that is going to make people sit up and take notice. Even weaker tracks like "Don't Bother Me" are better than some other bands' A tracks. Sure, there are a lot of covers in their early days, but their versions tend to be the ones people remember. IF there's any crit here, it's that some songs are too short and the sound fades out too soon. And... 'Til There was You" is not their song. All those nights spent playing in Germany really paid off for these kids. I'm sure you've heard of them.

#33 Ray Price "Night Life"

Gah. I really don't like C+W. And this guy, to me, sounds too much like a rich, white guy trying to sing the blues right from the start. Then that damned steel guitar shows up and I really just needed to turn this off. Not fair, perhaps, as he's likely a very good musician and singer, I just can't STAND that twang and drawl. Not my thing. Might have been influential. Just not for me. At all.

#32 Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd "Jazz Samba"

This isn't 'serious' jazz but it is fun. This is more an album I would have on in the background of a good party or when discussing art or something similar. It's not so heavy in the southern american rhythms as to overwhelm like the Cuban craze did in the 50s but it is a good time. Another bit of music history I'm glad I came across. Don't know that vocals would have made a difference or not, unlike the last album. This one stands on its own, is a good deal more enjoyable.

#31 Bookr T and the MGs "Green Onions"

This is an instrumental album and as such, I had a little trouble connecting with it. Unlike jazz, this stuff feels like there's supposed to be lyrics and, in some cases, there were. "Green Onions," the title track is one of those songs that you don't realize you know. It was apparently totally improvised and is easily the strongest track on the album. A lot of the rest of this feels more like knock-offs of 'real' songs. The organ, in major keys just sounds kind of cheesy to me, some of it sounding like fake rock music from 60s sitcoms. "Mo' Onions" is perhaps the second strongest track but really just feels like more of the same from track #1. "Lonely Avenue" is a good one but really, the rest of this one left me flat. A really top end Blues singer, I think could have made this better. Otherwise, it feels like something's missing.

#30, missing: Ray Charles "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music"

This album wasn't in Apple Music so I had to skip it. Pity. I don't like C+W music AT ALL, but this is Charles and that might have made a difference.

#29 Bill Evans "Sunday at the Village Vanguard"

Ok, it seems I'm learning to like jazz. Especially this late 50s early 60s stuff. This is a really good album, full of that cool blue vibe that likely got all the beatniks going. Or hepcats. Whatever. Another live album, this one had different takes for some tracks, at least the version I heard on iTunes did. The audience sounded kind of tired in their response on some of them, which is a shame as this was a hell of an album. Seems, because of this list, I'm going to have to start listening to jazz. Maybe a lot. Never heard of Evans before but now I'm glad I did. Very well worth a listen and likely more than one. Thanks, list.

#28 Muddy Waters "Muddy Waters at Newport 1960"

Wow. Like the Duke Ellington album from Newport, this is a hell of a disc. I've never listened to Waters, though he was a favorite of one of my previous employers. Blues isn't one of my favorite genres. That being said, this is a good, as great an entry to the Blues as I've heard. The album rocks, is exciting, soulful and elemental as it can be. The crowd can be heard to go nuts here and there, and you can tell why. Knowing nothing else about Waters, I'd say he was a master. This is definitely one of those "never would have heard it, damned glad I did" albums from this list. The 60s is going to be a tough decade as there's going to be SO much change, so much coming. Still, I'm betting when all is said and done, this is one of my favorites from the decade. A standout. Great performance.

#27 Jimmy Smith, "Back at the Chicken Shack"

Another entry in the Jazz lists, this album was a lot of fun. I've never heard of Jimmy Smith. Apparently, he's the one who made the Hammond organ 'cool,' when it was generally thought of something just used for church socials. That being said, while I can here his bending use of the instrument, to me, the star of this album, the one who really makes it fun, funky and moving is the saxophonist, Stanley Turrentine. The organ here still has some of that...squareness. It's played extremely well, and the organ will enter rock and roll very soon, likely because of Smith. Still, my favorite part is the sax. Well worth a listen.

#26 The Everly Brothers "A Date with the Everly Brothers"

The Everly Brothers are kind of hard not to know, if you're at least a certain age. That being said, I was kind of surprised by actually listening to them here. Their harmonies are kind of astounding, especially when using headphones. It really sounds more like one person harmonizing with himself. There's the one huge hit off this, "Cathy's Clown," but some of the lesser ones like "Love Hurts" are as appropriate to teen angst now as they were then. There's a lot of longing and hurt here, somewhat hidden by catchy tunes and rhythms. I'm still not a huge fan, but I'm glad I stopped to actually -listen- to them and realize why they were such a big deal. Interesting to note that records could sometimes be made a HELL of a lot faster in those days; this was apparently recorded in a March and released a little more than a month later. Gah.

#25 (oops) Elvis "Elvis is Back!"

Seems I got this one out of order; it's supposed to be #24. Ah, well, not a huge deal. This is Elvis' first album after being released from the army. Apparently the kids were going nuts waiting for his return and they rushed an album out as soon as they could. That being said, to me, this is a mixed bag. Some of his tunes sound so amazingly 50s, they're already passé. Then there's "Fever," which, I have to admit, Elvis belts out amazingly well and seductively. I bet there was a lot of teen sighing around that song. I don't generally listen to Elvis but this one was ok. Again, not his best to me, but had a few highlights that are quintessentially Elvis.

#24 Miriam Makeba "Miriam Makeba"

What a contrast between this album and the last. Makeba's music is generally a lot more fun, more energetic than Baez' and yet it has similar roots. The music comes from Africa and the Caribbean and is mixed here and there with some English updating. It also seems to predict the popularity of Calypso music to come later in the 60s. One tune in particular sounded very familiar; Mbube reminded me a LOT of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." Also, "House of the Rising Sun" was included here as it was on Baez' album though in Baez' case, it sounded more like a sunday morning chastisement while here, it retained that bluesy, wish I hadn't done that feeling which fits better, to my ear, with the song. This album goes under the 'never would have heard it otherwise, I'm glad I did' category.

#23 Joan Baez, "Joan Baez"

To be fair, I'm not finished the album as I write this but suffice to say that, before listening I didn't like Baez and I still don't. I appreciate her skill, her ability and her long road. I just can't stand her voice. There's a preachiness that starts here on her first album that will never leave. That she's been a strong advocate for human rights for many decades is something I respect. I just don't want to listen to her music. Unlike most critics, I'm strong enough to say that I don't think she's bad, I just don't like her music. From the start, she was professional, poised and polished. Moving on.