The two hundred and eighty-sixth song: Is It Because I’m Black? - Syl Johnson
It feels difficult on a song with such a specific message, because the lyrics have such a specific message you don't want to undercut. Here, it's a slow blues song that during the extended musical riffs fail to inspire, more often boring me. They're the ponts where I keep waiting to return to the lyrics, where a more powerful point is made on how society isn't allowing him to move on. It's even more powerful considering his own history, with some of the most sampled songs that generally don't get credited.
The two hundred and eighty-seventh song: I Want to Take You Higher - Sly & The Family Stone
Although we supposedly stay in the same genre, this song has a lot more energy and body to it. It swings along and even though it relies on repetition, there are more changes in the music, several performers and a sound that comes together better. Sure, it's shallow, but it's a better listen.
The two hundred and eighty-eighth song: The Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
Moving to the other side of the pond, we get a larger rock number, from one of the bands that seemed to have taking inspiration from the Beatles and Brian Wilson in this era (it is hard to escape them). Prog rock is moving on here, in a song that creates a fantasy setting and tells a strange story and basically creates its own world. But even without these lyrics, the song creates its own scene. We get the big musical sections, dominated by the keyboard, and the acoustics where the lyrics come in. It flows into each other and alternates quite nicely, with an interlude dominated by the flute breaking up the pattern and a two minute coda at the end that fits thematically but at the same time seems to be its own song. It's an amazing performance and feat and I'm looking forward to covering this album in the future.
The two hundred and eighty-ninth song: Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
The improvised, middle section of this song feels like it dominates here, and while they may have considered it necessary, it feels unneeded here. The song for me only kicks off after this section, three and a half minutes in, when the riff has a chance to push ahead and sound good, while the start seems sloppier and doesn't work as well. It's that end where the music actually starts to sound good and cohesive, as well as more polished.
The two hundred and ninetieth song: I Wanna Be Your Dog - The Stooges
Remember how we started off this set with funk? I barely do, rock music dominates so much at the moment. There are hints of punk and hard rock coming in again, and the lyrics of this song follow that too - a dirtier feel that feels so much less elevated than where prog rock is going. It's also loud and heavily distorted in places - made to sound, clearly, like the equipment couldn't handle any of it. It works, but lacks a bit of energy sometimes. But still, the sleigh bells are there.
The two hundred and ninety-first song: Kick Out the Jams - The MC5
A live recording with swearing and a loud crowd, something has changed again. We've got more hard rock, more punk, and as much anger as before, but this time following a more melodic direction than I feel other loud songs have done. You can feel showmanship in the loudness, still trying to tell its story. It's counter culture expressed in music, following the mood of its time. Musically, it's a direction I'm okay with anyway, but it really sounds good for me here.
The two hundred and ninety-second song: I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
Time for a mood whiplash. We're getting a sweet love song sang by an eleven year old Michael Jackson, whose voice does draw the attention, while the music sounds good but is in service to his voice. It sounds good and makes for a decent soundtrack, but can come across as a bit forgetable as well. The many vocal gymnastics don't necessarily mean much, even if they are impressive.
The two hundred and ninety-third song: The Thrill Is Gone- B.B. King
So we end the sixties, the decade of the rise of rock and the fall of its first strands and icons, with a slow blues number. Blues has been our reliable companion since near the start of the list, a gentle sound guiding us through as we have this end-of-love song here. Here it's buoyed by a larger string section and more impressive instruments, creating more than just a blues song and creating something larger to listen to. As an older performer - his previous list song was in 1953 - it's calmer and clearly with less anger than the younger bands of the time. It still has wall of sound larger orchestraction elements, but everything feels nicely constrained here.