{"product_id":"cant-seem-to-come-down-the-american-sounds-of-1968","title":"Can't Seem To Come Down - The American Sounds of 1968","description":"\u003cp\u003eFollow-up to Grapefruit's hugely popular US 1967 anthology \u003cem\u003eMarch Of The Flower Children\u003c\/em\u003e. Hit singles, cult classics, and tracks from 1968's key albums as the American music scene moved on from the Summer of Love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile psychedelia had been the dominant musical force in 1967, the scene fragmented the following year. Although many acts remained immersed in garage-punk and psychedelic pop, a growing number of heavily-amplified, blues-based hard rock bands like \u003cstrong\u003eBlue Cheer\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSteppenwolf\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eIron Butterfly\u003c\/strong\u003e – all of whom enjoyed sizeable hit singles in 1968 – emerged to pave the way for what would develop into heavy metal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eManufactured pop in the form of bubblegum dominated the singles chart, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Byrds\u003c\/strong\u003e and other easy riders developed a country\/rock hybrid, a phalanx of folk-based singer\/songwriters came to the fore, while \u003cstrong\u003eBob Dylan\u003c\/strong\u003e and his occasional playmates \u003cstrong\u003eThe Band\u003c\/strong\u003e pioneered a more organic, rustic sound that would come to be known as Americana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver four hours and 3 CDs, \u003cem\u003eCan't Seem To Come Down: The American Sounds Of 1968\u003c\/em\u003e weaves together these various strands to provide a fascinating overview of the year. The set encompasses national and regional hit singles, unexpected flops (\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grateful Dead\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Left Banke\u003c\/strong\u003e), subsequently influential mavericks (\u003cstrong\u003eVelvet Underground\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eBeefheart\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSilver Apples\u003c\/strong\u003e), and vital cuts from many of the year's most keenly-awaited albums (\u003cstrong\u003eDylan\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Band\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMothers of Invention\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Byrds\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eBeach Boys\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eBuffalo Springfield\u003c\/strong\u003e, etc).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt also features a number of hugely collectable one-off singles from young provincial bands, who visited local studios to preserve their sound for posterity before the real world – and possibly the increasing conflict in Vietnam - intervened. Including a 48-page booklet filled with biographical details, rare photos, and quotes, \u003cem\u003eCan't Seem To Come Down\u003c\/em\u003e is another essential Grapefruit purchase.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grapefruit","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50445169623371,"sku":"2198115","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Screenshot_2024-05-02_at_10.12.06_e2ec2919_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727033593","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/products\/cant-seem-to-come-down-the-american-sounds-of-1968","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}