The only thing that doesn't come with this unprecedented, multi-artist 4 CD boxed set chronicling the San Francisco sound of the 1960s is the flowers for your hair! Released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the psychedelic, free-spirited Summer Of Love - that began just after the historic Monterey Pop Festival in June '67.
Four decades ago, legions of young people trekked to San Francisco and its famed Haight Asbury district, the epicenter for the youth-driven counterculture revolution that was transforming American culture. They came for peace, politics, community, love...and they came for the music, the most enduring legacy of that very special place and time. It has proven to be the element that really tells the true story of San Francisco in the 1960s.
The city, and the Bay Area overall, were exploding with spectacular talent, including pre-eminent icons the Grateful Dead, Santana and the Jefferson Airplane as well as countless other acts that brought San Francisco's expansive sonic vibe to national, and ultimately worldwide, prominence. And, just as aspiring hippies and youthful seekers of summer lovin' flocked westward to savor the Golden State's golden age, musical talent from across the country descended on the City by the Bay including Texan Janis Joplin and Chicagoan Steve Miller. They all added to the amazing stash of sounds that remains a cornerstone of contemporary music, and they're all featured here, superstars and lesser known talents alike.
The set's four discs explore this musical phenomenon from diverse vantage points for a kaleidoscopic sonic tapestry that is both vintage and timeless.
Disc 1, “Seismic Rumbles,” maps the divergent fault lines separating the tradition pop flavors of the early 1960s from San Francisco's emerging bands that were inspired by the more complex rock and roll of The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Highlights include “Can't Come Down” from Dead precursors The Warlocks, the demo for Quicksilver Messenger Service's “Who Do You Love,” the earliest incarnation of the Airplane on “It's No Secret,” “I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag” from Country Joe & The Fish and “Mr. Jones (A Ballad Of A Thin Man)” from a prehistoric Grass Roots ensemble.
Disc 2, “Suburbia,” takes a trip to the nearby burgs of Berkeley, Sausalito, Sacramento, and San Jose to explore the garage, folk-rock, and musically-hybrid psychotic reactions to San Francisco's psychedelic stew. Stand-out tracks include Teddy & His Patches “Suzy Creamcheese,” The Chocolate Watchband's “No Way Out,” and Frumious Bandersnatch's “Hearts To Cry.”
Disc 3, “Summer Of Love,” celebrates the myriad riches of that era-defining season, featuring classics from iconic artists including Jefferson Airplane's “White Rabbit,” Santana's “Soul Sacrifice,” the Dead's “The Golden Road,” and Grace Slick and The Great! Society's “Somebody To Love.” Plus Moby Grape's “Omaha,” Blue Cheer's “Summertime Blues,” Sly & The Family Stone's “Underdog,” The Charlatans' “Alabama Bound” and the Steve Miller Band's “Roll With It.”
Disc 4, “The Man Can't Bust Our Music,” charts the visionary artistry and mind-blowing evolution of the maturing San Francisco sound - an epic musical wellspring that changed the course of rock and roll and gave birth to freeform FM radio. Stand-out tracks, among the greatest in 20th century rock, include Santana's “Evil Ways,” Janis' “Mercedes Benz,” “White Bird” from It's A Beautiful Day and the Dead's “Dark Star” (Rhino).
