69 for '69
A Compilation of Music by Henry Doerr
Here’s my contribution for our HR 50th Reunion - something that tries to recognise and to celebrate our shared years in Cambridge. I hope you like it and I hope it brings back more than a few memories.
You’ll no doubt agree that music provided the soundtrack or (as Keith Richard so aptly described it) “the furniture” of those shared HR69 experiences, so I have decided to compile a list of the most indelible or influential songs from that era, even though it is tainted by my obviously biased opinion and experiences. You’ll also no doubt agree that, after all, only a couple of notes, (sometimes even a single note), from one of these records will release torrents of vibrant memories (or perhaps even a drug-free flashback), allowing us not just to wallow in good ol’ nostalgia but often to touch something much deeper. Initially I entitled my idiosyncratic list “50 for the 50th” but quickly discovered that too many great songs missed the cut. So, instead, I have re-titled this soundtrack of our collective HR experiences “69 for ’69” and offer it as my Reunion contribution. Don’t expect a profound learned monograph - one of my classmates once described me as “deep down, he’s really superficial;” nevertheless, I hope you’ll enjoy it.
I have arranged this compilation approximately but not obsessively in chronological order rather than by Billboard rank, record sales, air time or some other quasi-quantifiable method. So, may I invite you to “cast your memory back” and enjoy the journey: reminiscing, reliving and reflecting.
Download here: 69 for '69