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Isaac's Musical Thoughts

Albums reviews focusing on 1960s and 1970s rock, early country, early folk music, and the blues. Click on "About" to see how to make the most out of this blog as a resource and "Grades" to see what the letter grades mean. Then, check out "Artists with Reviews," a comprehensive list of all the artists whom I've reviewed.

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Ragtime Artists

on May 18, 2024

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Donovan Discography

on May 17, 2024

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B.B. King Discography

on May 03, 2024

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Anthology of American Folk Music

on April 10, 2024

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The Pretty Things Discography

on April 01, 2024

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Woody Guthrie Discography

on February 19, 2024

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Muddy Waters Discography

on February 19, 2024

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Howlin' Wolf Discography

on February 16, 2024

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2023: My Year in Review

on January 03, 2024

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2023: My Top Albums of the Year

on January 02, 2024

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Popular Posts

Dave Van Ronk Discography

I began listening to Dave Van Ronk in November 2023. I often referenced a listener's guide to Van Ronk's discography written by Elijah Wald, a music journalist who has written extensively on the subject. I quit his discography after being disappointed with Just Dave . Sings Ballads, Blues, and a Spiritual (1959): B Van Ronk Sings (1961): B+ Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger (1962): A In the Tradition (1963): C+ Dave Van Ronk and the Ragtime Jug Stompers (1964): C+ Inside Dave Van Ronk (1964): B Just Dave Van Ronk (1964): C+ Sings Ballads, Blues, and a Spiritual (1959): Longtime resident of New York City, Van Ronk was an early figure of the folk scene in Greenwich Village. Influenced by the blues and folk music, he sang with the stylings of African American blues singers while also recording from the folk canon established by Pete Seeger. Although his vocal imitation of African Americans was controversial enough for Van Ronk to address and defend it in his debut's li

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Discography

I listened to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band from September to October 2023. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1967): B Ricochet (1967): C+ Rare Junk (1968): B- Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy (1970): B- All the Good Times (1972): C+ Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972): A- The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1967): This is a country-rock, jug band revival group with something like seven members. I haven't learned who any of them are but, like the Holy Modal Rounders, their mission is to seamlessly combine early 20th century folk music with modern-day aesthetics. They're not as faithful to early 20th century stylings as the Rounders and--without a personality to latch onto yet--they're not as enjoyable either. Nevertheless, they are talented and much more commercially viable. B Ricochet (1967): There are a few decent songs--"Shadow Dream Song," "Put a Bar in My Car," and "Truly Right"--but with their sophomore album, they have cemented themselves as a

Miscellaneous American 60s Rock Artists

I listened to most of these artists in 2023 when I attempted to cover the last gasps of 60s rock music I had missed. As of March 2024, this page is effectively complete and no longer has regular additions. Of the genres represented, most fall under garage rock, psychedelic rock, or folk rock. Only a few of the albums below are compilations. Although going through these artists wasn’t disappointing, it was disheartening to see overwhelming critical praise for these albums only discover that most were pretty mixed in terms of results. The albums I recommend from this page is limited to Nuggets , The Best of the Kingsmen , Moby Grape , What a Way to Die , Time Peace , The Remains , Back Door Men , Oar , Here Are the Sonics , Boom , Dirty Water , Walk Don't Run , and The Turtles' Greatest Hits (I would also recommend The Fugs First Album and Black Monk Time for those with an open mind and a great propensity for dissonance). However, there is an incredible wealth of great si

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