Kevan Furbank - 1967: A Year In Psychedelic Rock

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 5 / 10 / 2022

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Article

Kevan Furbank has been a journalist for forty years. He’s also a music enthusiast and musician. Furbank has already written two paperbacks for the publisher of ‘1967 : A Year In Psychedelic Rock’ , one covering Fairport Convention, the other concerning Gong. Furbank is also the Managing Editor of the ‘Irish Daily Mirror’. So he has the credentials for authoring this book. Except Furbank’s opening line in his introduction states “I was six in 1967. Some may say I’m too young to be writing this book”. Yep, with you there, Sir. I’ve always found it difficult to understand this nostalgia for a past that was never real for some = How someone can relate and be knowledgeable about an era when they were too young or simply didn’t live through it. especially during the period covered by this book. It wasn’t just about the music which admittedly lives on even gaining more attention and kudos as the years roll on. It was the year when the lights were finally switched on, when the world was full of colour. It was the Summer Of Love. Could a six-year-old really appreciate and understand that at the time? Or is this 155 A5 paperback just hearsay that the author has reshaped into his own words? 1967, musically at least, really started in 1966 ( ‘Revolver’, ‘Pet Sounds’, ‘A Quick One While He’s Away’ are just some of the albums that paved the way for the explosion that reached its peak in ’67) Furbank acknowledges this and therefore is off to a good start. As soon as the last word of his one-page introduction. all thoughts of Furbank recycling old stories and not having his own view have disappeared. Maybe a six-year-old noticed and took in more than we initially thought. Fourteen pages follow that introduction which serve to explain the actual chapters to come. Why those bands/artists featured were given more space than others ; these pages set the scene for what is to follow and are essential reading. They give a greater understanding of what is to come. The Beatles are the first group to be featured ; initial thoughts are that the artists are to be covered alphabetically but that’s not the case. The Beatles were probably chosen as they, well, they are The Beatles. The same format is used for all the key artists. Personnel, a short history, key releases in 1967 then the author’s own thoughts interspersed with extracts from various other sources, interviews and quotes. It’s all well-thought out and impressive. It’s good to see both UK and USA releases listed; newcomers to The Beatles probably didn’t realise that ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ was only ever issued in the US as an album to begin with (it was a double EP in the UK) and also released a little earlier in the US. Release dates, label, track listings all appear to be accurate, even overseas chart positions are listed. Some hours of research have gone into this book. It’s impressive; the section on Cream lists ‘Fresh Cream’ as being released in January 1967 but Furbank notes that it was issued late ’66 in the UK so lists the US version track details. It’s little facts like this which make reading the book pleasurable ; knowing that the author really has taken the time to dig deep. While not taking up as many pages as The Beatles, the piece on The Beach Boys during the year that the real follow-up to ‘Pet Sounds’ was due to be released, ( ‘Smile’, it wasn’t until 44 years later that we were allowed an official release) makes for good-reading even to those who have probably read every book on The Beach Boys. Thankfully Furbank doesn’t ignore those artists who only made small but significant contributions to the music of 1967. While disappointed that The Small Faces are only given a short mention at the back of the book along with other artists, Furbank wisely notes that their psych classic ‘Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake’ was issued in 1968 so sits outside the remit of this book. Nice to see the original Nirvana getting a mention for ‘The Story Of Simon Simopath’ though, a true psych classic. Complete with centre pages displaying some artists and album covers (most in colour) this paperback will not only have you digging back in your collection enjoy some classics once more, it also manages to capture the spirit and times of ’67. No mean feat and a book that comes highly recommended.