60's Music--How it changed your life

[guitarbro]

Being that I started playing guitar at an young age, Hearing the early surf music had it's influence. Fender Stratocasters (the real ones) immersed in reverb certainly caught my ear. Beach Boy harmonies that were taken to another leval. Then late 1963, and it was like watching a flower bloom, hearing a song called "Please Please me" Hearing so many parts of this one song, knowing that it was based on Carl Perkins guitar mastery, Everly Brothers harmonies, and a simple surf like drum beat. However it was so different then what was out there on American radio.
A change had begun. Music in the 60's was all together a montage of great talents, it was diverse. It was a time when every groups sound was different, totally different, no one sounded the same. Like once when I saw Albert Collins, Creedence, Iron Butterfly, and a young Lee Michaels on one bill. But every concert was like that. Originality and being creative was the formula.There were no labels put on music,no one was really critical of any artist, it was all about the music.something I have carried with me and believe in highly to this day. "It's about the music" It was never said nor thought of that guitar player X or drummer Y was better then guitar player Z or drummer Q. Who really cared. For me all I cared about was hearing great music. Sure I had my favorite guitar players, but they were not better then anyone else, just different.
Music in the 60's helped me to understand all aspects of what music really is. "A Gift" without predjudice,without barriers,without bigotry.

[Lonesomedave]

In a word, lyrics.
In the '60's the music was more than music, it was the forefront of a massive social change.
Like you Bro, I loved surf music (After I moved to Arizona...) as it was infectious and fun. Full of energy and a reflection of the California style that Arizona adopted as theirs as well. And because money was scarce, I bought a lot of the Del-fi surf records and they were full of that twang and reverb. Even Bobby Fuller moved to Cali to get into the surf music scene and his instrumental, Our Favorite Martian is totally drenched with reverb.
The first city to chart a Beach Boys song at number one was Phoenix.
But then I started listening to the words. Simon And Garfunkel and the Beatles. Dylan didn't speak to me as much and I don't know why.
Buffalo Springfield was a big influence. Really big.
But the one song that changed my life forever was, Blind Man by Big Brother.
I had no idea if the lead singer was a man or a woman but I knew I had to get out to San Fransisco. And I did.
I still loved the Beach Boys and the Monkees. I still loved great guitar and drums as did you, but songs were never the same after I got into the lyrics.
I admit that the psychedelic vibe in the Bay Area led me into a downward spiral of drugs, but I was young and stupid and paid a high price for my stupidity. But the Airplane, Country Joe, Quicksilver et al, were extolling the virtues of freeing your mind through drugs. But even now after all these years of being straight, I find their music still holds up well.

Great thread. Interested in how others will reply.

[woogie]

Sorry Dave I dont remember much about the 60s, Not because I took drugs cos I never did.It's just that it's faded in the memory.Personally I never liked the Beatles, yeah I know that they wrote some great songs, I just never liked them.
I guess everyone has their favourite time for music, I was into the 50s stuff personally.
Elvis, Everlys, etc.
It's funny how us brits are into the American bands and the Americans seem to be into the Beatles and other Brit bands,singers etc.
Personally I am into Country rock and the blues.Just love the sound of a strat, but my absolute favourite is the Gibson Les Paul, man that thing just does it for me.
I also like the Gretsch White Falcon, that is excellento as well.
And of course the main man Rusty on that PSG, man he makes that thing sing like nobody else.

[Lonesomedave]

The things I read about the British groups pre-Beatles was their love for the American blues and country. They just imparted their own spin and brought it right back to us. And in most cases, they reached more young Americans with music that we ignored, for the most part.

I love the sound of the Les Paul and the Gibson SG's. I think Cippolina was the master of the SG but he tweaked his amps a lot and in that respect, he was way ahead of his time. A true artist and technician. IMO, only Billy Gibbons puts as much into his his set up as Big John did. And then backs it up with style.

(I agree. Few make the PSG jump like Rusty. Al Perkins is very good but his style is different. I doubt if anyone could stay with Rusty when he's in his, "Deliverin" mode.)

[woogie]

What ever happened to them aint heard of ZZtop for ages.I agree Billy Gibbons's got it.
That reminds me I must get my eliminator cd out again.
BY the way Dave so glad to see you posting regularly again.

[Karlarado]

60's music made me who i am today. rock on

[DrMichaelGalvin]

The Beatles & Dylan set the standard for the music I still listen to today.

Dr. Galvin

[Straycat]

Seattle was already a hotbed of great local music when I first started listening to KJR radio on my little pocket transistor about 1960. The Wailers, Kingsmen, Ventures, Sonics, Dynamics, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Viceroys all hailed from the NW and got as much airplay as the national acts.

"Werewolf" by the Frantics captivated me immediately and my 50 year rock 'n roll journey began:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKhmH0qZ3Xw

(The Frantics, by the way, would later morph into Moby Grape).

As soon as my parents allowed it, I began going to live shows and teen dances to see these great bands in person. Seattle used to have events called Teen Spectaculars where as many as 10 bands would perform. I was lucky enough to see early incarnations of groups such as the Animals, Beau Brummels, Buckinghams, Byrds, Hermans Hermits, Dave Clark Five, Outsiders, Kinks, Music Machine, Sam the Sham, Yardbirds, Them, Young Rascals, and the Who all by 1966.

I then got into British blues/rock, listening to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Ten Years After, and Fleetwood Mac, followed by the period of great music coming from San Francisco & LA:

Moby Grape, Quicksilver, Country Joe & the Fish, Jefferson Airplane, Charlatans, Dan Hicks, CCR, It's a Beautiful Day, Love, Buffalo Springfield, Seeds, Zappa, and the early Doors.

After hearing the sweet steel guitar intro by Lloyd Green on "You Ain't Going Nowhere" from Sweetheart of the Rodeo, I was now hopelessly hooked on country rock. Luckily, the Burrito Brothers, Dillard & Clark, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Poco began putting out incredible music to close out the '60's.

Simply put, a great decade of music, a wonderful time to grow up. We'll never see such a diverse era and evolution in such a short time again.

I'm glad I was there!!

[MartinG]

60s music didn't change my life, at least not at the time - I was only 12 in 1970.

But Rose of Cimarron did !

[MartinG]

.Personally I never liked the Beatles, yeah I know that they wrote some great songs, I just never liked them.

I didn't like them either Roger - they were way TOO popular !