Top 10 Albums of Each Year Part 9 - 1968

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The Beatles [White Album] - The Beatles

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Number 1 for 1968. Number 44 overall.
In general I prefer The Beatles' longer songs, because I feel as though they are able to explore ideas in more depth and in more interesting ways in them. This album is no exception, with 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', 'Yer Blues' and 'Helter Skelter' being standout tracks, and among the longest on the album. Attention must also be given to Revolution 9, a lengthy, insane collage of sounds, and I assume a real achievement of the time. It's also unbelievable that the most popular band in the world made this crazy song. It's interesting, but not something I'd listen to again.

This is an incredibly eclectic album, with 30 songs of varying experimentation and rock stylings, from blues to proto-punk (just look at all those secondary genres)! You have to admire the ambition here. The eclectic nature of the album means there's a lot of variation in song quality but overall the album is a pleasure to listen to. Side note: Side C is by far the best, nearly every song is incredible.
My Rating: 8/10
RYM Rating: 4.16 from 30,877 ratings.
Genre: Pop Rock, Rock, (Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock, Art Rock, Hard Rock, Folk Rock)

Electric Ladyland - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

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Number 2 for 1968. Number 78 overall.
Electric Ladyland includes Hendrix's masterpieces Voodoo Chile (and Slight Return) as well as his iconic cover of Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower, an incredible reimagining of an already fantastic Dylan song. 1983 is criminally undervalued, it is also incredible and easily one of Hendrix's best.
My Rating: 9/10
RYM Rating: 4.15 from 16,704 ratings.
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock, Acid Rock, (Hard Rock)

White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground

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Number 3 for 1968. Number 84 overall.
The Velvet Underground & Nico wasn't my absolute favourite album, despite its creativity and oddness, and I feel a similar way here, although this is even more experimental. It starts with the bouncy title track which I really enjoy before it proceeds into the weird The Gift, a combo between spoken word and instrumental music. It's a darkly comedic tale about a man getting himself killed by mailing himself to a woman. The whole album has this darkly comedic vibe with odd things included here and there and it is quite enjoyable. As mentioned, this album is very experimental, with 3 very strange songs, with the aforementioned "The Gift, and two of the first noise rock songs ever(?) in "I Heard Her Call My Name" (very noisy) and the chaotic highligh "Sister Ray". Potentially the weirdest album I've listened to in this series so far.
My Rating: 8/10
RYM Rating: 4.04 from 20,956 ratings.
Genre: Experimental Rock, Noise Rock, Proto-Punk, Art Rock, (Spoken Word, Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock)

Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies

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Number 4 for 1968. Number 109 overall.
Odessey and Oracle has a similar vibe to Pet Sounds, and is just as good. With sublime vocal perfomances and harmonies (although not on Beach Boys level of course) and beautiful piano melodies, Odessey and Oracle is a bittersweet, melancholic masterpiece. Just when you think it could become repetitive you get the excellent reverb-y Beechwood Park, the overwhelming beauty of Hung Up on a Dream and the organ-filled Butcher's Tale. With a consistently amazing first half and a slightly weaker second half, I may just prefer this to Pet Sounds.
My Rating: 9/10
RYM Rating: 4.09 from 13,591 ratings.
Genre: Psychedelic Pop, Baroque Pop, (Sunshine Pop)

Astral Weeks - Van Morrison

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Number 5 for 1968. Number 152 overall.
Right off the bat, the opening title track is beautiful. It actually just has such a powerful sense of beauty, it's unbelievable. I wasn't really expecting to like this that much (Singer/Songwriter folk? I liked Leonard Cohen but I'm not big on Bob Dylan) but this album is so so beautiful and it has such an immersive atmosphere. Van Morrison's voice is a little odd but I like it a lot, however the real star of the show is the instrumentation. There's so many background instruments that flow perfectly and complement the guitar so well. Sweet Thing is my favourite song and has these beautiful arrangements and the jazzy Young Lovers Do was a lovely surprise. It's quite hard to describe how I feel listening to this album. It's so viscerally emotional; happiness, sadness, nostalgia, it's all there. More than the sum of its parts, I'm in love with this album.
My Rating: 10/10
RYM Rating: 4.01 from 12,713 ratings.
Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Chamber Folk, (Blue-Eyed Soul, Jazz, Celtic Folk Music)

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society - The Kinks

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Number 6 for 1968. Number 182 overall.
A great, creative, Beatles-esque record. Having said that, it very much has its own identity. Although I much prefer side A the whole thing is solid. I especially love Picture Book and Last of the Steam Powered Trains.
My Rating: 8/10
RYM Rating: 4.08 from 11,119 ratings.
Genre: Pop Rock, (Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Sunshine Pop)

Beggars Banquet - The Rolling Stones

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Number 7 for 1968. Number 244 overall.
Starting off with the incredible 'Sympathy for the Devil' gave me lofty expectations for the rest of the album that were unfortunately not delivered. I'm not a fan of country and this is quite a country-focused album. It's some of the best country-adjacent stuff I've heard but those songs aren't really my thing. However songs like the touching, slow paced 'No Expectations', 'Parachute Woman' with its wonderful arrangements and the rocking 'Stray Cat Blues' help boost this album to greatness.
My Rating: 8/10
RYM Rating: 3.98 from 11,649 ratings.
Genre: Rock, Roots Rock, (Blues Rock, Country Rock, Roots Rock)

C'era una volta il West - Ennio Morricone

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Number 8 for 1968. Number 434 overall.
Not as quite as good of a soundtrack as The Good, The Bad and the Ugly but still pretty fantastic, with 'Man With the Harmonica' a clear highlight. RIP Ennio Morricone :(
My Rating: 8/10
RYM Rating: 4.05 from 2,172 ratings.
Genre: Film Score, Spaghetti Western, (Cinematic Classical, Modern Classical)

Lady Soul - Aretha Franklin

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Number 9 for 1968. Number 600 overall.
She's got a great voice but this doesn't click with me. It's good, but I don't love it.
My Rating: 6/10
RYM Rating: 3.94 from 3,213 ratings.
Genre: Southern Soul, (Rhythm & Blues, Deep Soul)

We're Only in It for the Money - The Mothers of Invention

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Number 10 for 1968. Number 642 overall.
I much prefer Freak Out! I think it's more fun and enjoyable than this one. This album comes across as irritating sometimes, it doesn't impress me musically at all and I really don't like the intermission tracks. Quite disappointing after Freak Out!
My Rating: 6/10
RYM Rating: 3.81 from 8,068 ratings.
Genre: Experimental Rock, Satire, (Psychedelic Rock, Musique concrete, Doo-Wop, Musical Parody, Tape Music)



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