Archive | 1960s Music — State of Sound | News, Reviews, Essays, Interviews & More

1960s

ARCHIVE

NICK DRAKE

THE REMAKING OF NICK DRAKE: Is the complex artist finally stepping out from behind the ‘doomed genius’?

The new box set The Making of Five Leaves Left illuminates a focused and forthright artist at his genesis, and further undermines the idea he was an isolated, haunted romantic.

by David Rea

25 October 2025

BOB DYLAN

DYLAN AT THE CROSSROADS: How Bob Dylan's first single almost changed everything

Dylan's latest Bootleg Series instalment, Through the Open Window, traces his arc from teenage rock 'n' roller to folk star. But had his first single ‘Mixed-Up Confusion’ been a hit, things could have been very different. David Rea tells the story of what might have been.

by David Rea

22 November 2025

MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘It took a unique kind of courage’: how Son House beat the odds to make a masterpiece

On the 60th anniversary of its original release, we look at how Son House made Father of Folk Blues for white America.

By David Rea

18 October 2025

ESSAY

‘The Sixties are our heritage’: How the Jam invented Britpop’s ethos

Critics couldn't take the Jam seriously at first, claiming they were just a bunch of gimmicks. But their ‘hail your heroes’ ethos was entirely authentic, setting the blueprint for Britpop two decades later.

by David Rea

20 September 2025