The Youngbloods - The Get Together/Elephant Mountain

At a time when bands like The Byrds and The Jefferson Airplane were trying to find a balance between folk, rock, blues, country, and psychedelia, The Youngbloods cut a masterpiece of a debut that made it all look easy. The melodies poured out, and the members' relaxed, laid-back approach to playing across the genres, from blues to country to folk, gave the music an accessibility that was extraordinary. The group is often compared to The Lovin' Spoonful, but the playing and singing, and just about everything else about this album have a degree of spontaneity that was usually lacking in the Spoonful's work -- a lot like comparing the Band to The Beatles. Read More