Pink Floyd "A Saucerful of Secrets" (1968)

A Saucerful of Secrets
release date: Jun. 29, 1968
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Norman Smith
label: EMI Columbia - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Let There Be More Light" - 2. "Remember a Day"

2nd studio album by Pink Floyd is almost as iconic as the debut. It's the last studio album to feature founding member Syd Barrett who took part in the initial composing and recordings but was replaced by new member David Gilmour as Barrett's behaviour became too troublesome for the band. Apparently, he was severely afflicted by heavy LSD use (reportedly as the only member of the band), and he purposely untuned his guitar while playing, or he would refuse to play at all. Waters, Wright, and Gilmour rewrote most tracks for the album, and only one composition, track #7 "Juggband Blues" is by Barrett. The album is highly experimental, which peaks on the almost 12 minutes long title track. Like its predecessor, the album withstands mostly as a musical document.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone Music Guide, The Daily Telegraph 3 / 5 stars ]

Chet Baker Quintet "Groovin' " (1966)

Groovin'
Release date: 1966
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

This is released as The Chet Baker Quintet featuring Chet Baker (trumpet), George Coleman (tenor sax), Kirk Lightsey (piano), Herman Wright (bass), Roy Brooks (drums). The album is another mighty fine Chet collection in his heydays, and again a late hard bop jazz album.

Jethro Tull "Stand Up" (1969)

Stand Up
release date: Aug. 1, 1969
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis
label: Island Records / Chrysalis (reissue) - nationality: England

Track highlights: 1. "A New Day Yesterday" - 3. "Bourée" (4 / 5) (live) - 6. "Nothing Is Easy" (3 / 5) - 9. "Reasons for Waiting" (3 / 5) - 10. "For a Thousand Mothers" (3 / 5)

2nd studio album by Jethro Tull originally released on Island Records, and reissued on Chrysalis in '73. Before this album founding guitarist and songwriter Mick Abrahams left the band due to conflicting ideas about musical direction with Ian Anderson. Abrahams was then replaced by one of the best known members, Martin Barre on guitar and flute, who is the only other member beside Anderson to be in the band from the early 1970s and throughout to modern times. The debut album This Was (1968) is blues rock and r&b-inspired, whereas this has a more progressive rock-styled blues and folk rock, which is more like the band's later albums' although, this is still much more blues rock based than any of their later albums. I have only come to know of this album within the last 10-15 years and didn't know that the album actually went as high as to number #1 on the UK albums chart list. One of the band's most famous instrumental arrangements, "Bourée" (by J.S. Bach) is found on an album that points in (too) many directions. The album starts out with "A New Day Yesterday", which clearly is inspired by blues rock by Jimi Hendrix, and continues in folk rock and psychedelic rock compositions blended with classical, celtic folk, and elements of progressive rock. All tracks are credited Ian Anderson.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Joni Mitchell "Song to a Seagull" (1968)

Song to a Seagull [debut]
release date: Mar. 1968
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: David Crosby
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "I Had a King" - 3. "Night in the City" - 5. "Nathan La Franeer" - 6. "Sisotowbell Lane" - 10. "Cactus Tree" (live)

Studio album debut by Canadian folk and singer / songwriter Joni Mitchell [aka Roberta Joan Anderson]. The original vinyl album's A-side is labelled "I Came to the City" (tracks 1-5), and the B-side: "Out of the City and Down to the Seaside" (tracks #6-10). Mitchell wrote all songs herself, and she is only accompanied by few others on just a couple of tracks. Apparently, the album was released somewhat unnoticed despite the fact that Mitchell was already well-known for having written songs for other artist including Judy Collins, Fairport Convention, and Tom Rush, and the album peaked at number #189 in the US. I find it quite interesting, a little narrow in its sound, production, and arrangements, but definitely a fine album.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]