Safe In My Garden: American Pop In The Shadows 1967-1972 (Vinyl 2LP)

The 1960s are famous for “peace and love,” but of course, the other side of the coin was fear and insecurity about the sociopolitical situation in late 60s America. As we well know, music is a solace in these times of confusion and darkness in the world. Bob Stanley’s latest historical compilation explores pop music of the late 60s and early 70s that offered escape and safety. Safe In My Garden contains songs of hope, “The sound of young America in the late 60s, keeping its fingers crossed.” So cozy up and feel the comfort of music, a comfort that transcends space and time. - Flying Out

Peace and love in late 60s America did not come without parallel feelings of fear and confusion about the social situation – specifically about Vietnam. Safe In My Garden is the latest Ace compilation in an acclaimed series compiled by Bob Stanley – it’s a companion piece to the much-praised State Of The Union (The American Dream In Crisis 1967 – 1973) Ace CDCHD 1533/XXQLP2 057 2018.

The music on Safe In My Garden is harmony-laden, beautifully produced soft rock. Sunshine pop, even - a melodic, innovative style of American music that grew in the mid-60s out of the folk and surf scenes, exemplified by the Beach Boys and the Mamas and Papas. You will hear orchestral arrangements, and soft boy-girl vocals. But it wasn’t made in isolation from what was going on in the outside world. There are clouds and minor chords, plenty of melancholy in those harmonies.

Safe In My Garden includes songs of escape (Mark Eric’s Move With The Dawn, the Groop’s A Famous Myth), loss (the Eighth Day’s How Can I Stop Loving You, the New Colony Six’s Prairie Grey), dreamscapes (Tommy James and the Shondells’ She, Nancy Priddy’s Christina's World), rebirth (Smokey and his Sister’s Creators Of Rain), a simpler world (the Free Design’s My Brother Woody) and a philosophically sounder future (Chad & Jeremy’s The Ark, Best of Friends’ Summer Sound).

It contains some surprisingly dark messages paired with beautiful melodies, as well as songs of hope. Thousands of young musicians in cities, suburbs and small towns across the States from the mid to late 60s spent their mornings hiding from the mailman, dreading the draft. This is the Sound of Young America in the late 60s, keeping its fingers crossed.

Tracklist:

1. Always You – The Sundowners
2. Move With the Dawn – Mark Eric
3. She – Tommy James & The Shondells
4. A Famous Myth – The Groop
5. Dreamin' in the Shade (Down in L.A.) – Brewer & Shipley
6. I Don't Think I Know Her – Tee & Cara
7. Knock on Wood – Harpers Bizarre
8. The Visit (She Was Here) – The Cyrkle
9. I See It Now – Fargo
10. Summer Sound – Best of Friends
11. A Moment of Being With You – The Critters
12. Blight – The Millennium
13. Jill – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
14. I Can See Only You – Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends
15. Little Dreams – The New Wave
16. My Brother Woody – The Free Design
17. Christina's World – Nancy Priddy
18. The Ark – Chad & Jeremy
19. Creators of Rain – Smokey & His Sister
20. How Can I Stop Loving You – The Eighth Day
21. Love Is a Rainy Sunday – Love Generation
22. Springtime Meadows – The Sunshine Company
23. The Word Is Love – Thomas & Richard Frost
24. Prairie Grey – New Colony Six