Candle of life - Moody Blues (1970)

Nights in white satin is usually a no-brainer in choosing Moody's best loved song. I was also impressed with it enough to make me go and listen to everything they'd done. I find now however after a lot of years, that the words do contain an irritant, heart-on-the sleeve sort of thing which doesn't wear well over time. Most of MB's other songs fell into a category best fitting as 'Album' or 'Thematic'. But Candle of life fell out of a juke-box in a Greek island cafe for me one lazy morning. It was the B side of Question of Balance and  I played it over and over. Now its the one that survives above the others like, Tuesday Afternoon, Lovely to see you, Never comes the day and most of the Threshold of a dream album, and the others too numerous to mention.

If you could read my mind - Gordon Lightfoot (1970)

Gordon wrote hundreds of songs and I enjoyed most of them. Among my favourites were 'Saturday clothes', 'Circle of steel', 'Miguel', 'Summer side of life', 'The Watchman's Gone', and more recently 'End Of All Time'. In the end however If you could read my mind was the first I remember and with the biggest baggage. I like the way the lyrics describe the failed relationship in theatrical terms thus magnifying their personal significance: 'I'd walk away like a movie star who gets burned in a three-way script' And the outstanding acoustic guitar riffs make it worthy of a classic standard, its been covered by just about every one.

It don't matter to me - Bread (1970)

processed bread

The height of soap for yours truly, all Bread consumables were taken very personally. Take the line : It don't matter to me if you take up with some one who is better than me, cause your happiness is all I want'. Believe it or not youthful romantic love is like that, in one's mind  It is totally self-less. The songs now all sound a bit much the same but David Gates was a very accomplished song writer and this one is still enjoyable.

Riders on the storm - The Doors (1970)

This song gets into my list for the mood it creates and the words : Into this world we're thrown like a dog without a bone'. They could have expanded a little with the lyrics and maybe created a bit more of a beginning and an end. It feels a bit too improvised and could just as easily have been four or fifteen minutes long. . I like the base line best, should be listened to on a good sound system, nice and voluminously.

Rocket man - Pearls before swine (1970)

In modern parlance this is 'pretty freaky!' the boy's father the rocket man was swallowed by the sun so naturally his mother only wanted to go out on cloudy days. The stuff nightmares are made of. Tom Rapp created something special here with his quivery voice and backing vocals.

Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills & Nash (1970)

As a teenager I totally concurred with the sentiment of this song. Plainly sang with nice harmonies and a novel (for the time) sliding guitar I waited for this song to come on the radio, though it wasn't played much.

After the goldrush - Neil Young (1970)



the 1960's...buried in good times.

 The most Neil Youngish song he ever wrote this melodious plaint surpassed all others. With its smoky rings of imagery it had me turned inwards and outwards in my late teenage and felt happy to think someone else in this world felt like this. Hear this Linda Ronstadt & Dolly Parton & Emmylou Harris version. it updates the words and cleans up the arrangement. Though the rough and ready style of NY was it's initial charm, this version appeals to my more mature side.

Oh alright then, here is Neils 

Fire And Rain - James Taylor (1970)

JT's bland voice suits this depressing song perfectly and his iconical guitar style is addictive. It didn't help me much in those personally depressing times but I felt there was someone out there I identified with. But I can't say I have known anyone close who has committed suicide and that must not be very nice. This Youtube video shows the words too.

Castles in the Air - Don McLean (1970)

Another sixties drop-out from the collar-and-tie society whom is too much of a coward to tell his girlfriend he's leaving her for the life in the country. But McLean tells the story well and simply with his acoustic guitar and I have listened to it many times never tiring with it. Maybe it's because of the thought behind it harbouring in some dark corner of my mind. I never went much for his other hit American Pie, though Vincent was pretty good.