Now, I will not lie to you and say that I am familiar with all these songs, the artists, yes, but the songs, no. But this does not stop me from marvelling at the stellar talent that this band has.

They are able to remake, and in some cases improve ("Space Oddity" and "Bad Moon Rising"), songs with such precision and never forget the genre that they are paying respect to. They excell on the motown vibe of "I Want You Back" and well as skanking it up with "Natural Mystic".

The stand out tracks on this album are "Space Oddity" and "Bad Moon Rising". Not only do they stay true, but they improve. The intesity and vocals in "Space Oddity" give the song a stronger push, while the lightness and breathy vocals on "Bad Moon Rising" give the song a fun, poppy feeling.

Steel Train does not overtly try to make the song their own. Many times that falls, as in the case of "London Calling" (the Clash cover album) and "From the Screen to the Stereo" (New Found Glory's movie song cover album). Instead, by showcasing their ability and talent, they add their own touches by staying true to the songs and respecting the artists. "1969" is an amazing ep and deserves great praise.


Completely amazing   November 19, 2003
Greg (Danbury, CT)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Steel Train is one of those rare bands that you see now a days with actual talent. In a music world dominated by manufactured
"pretty" people, Steel Train brings raw talent to the table and this EP proves that. The cd starts off strong with the cover of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" and ends with the classic song "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Scott Ranniar has an amazing voice and the guitar work of Jack Antonoff is stellar. This is cd has probably the best covers of all time and shows you the true roots of music now a days with the covers of Jackson 5, Crosby Stills Nash, Bob Marley, David Bowie, The Beatles, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Steel Train are amazing musicians and you should also pick up their debut EP "For You My Dear" which is just as powerful as this album.


Outstanding   April 18, 2004
A. Bubul (PA)
1969- Arguably the best year of music in the 20th century.
These six songs- Arguably the best covers of the 20th century.
Steel Train- Arguably the best...heh, no I won't say it.
They are awesome though, and these six covers attest to their skill and proficiency. These aren't the easiest tunes to play, but they cover each track flawlessly, some even a little bit better than the originals. I Want You Back is just phenomenal. It's my favorite number on 1969, and no offense to Michael Jackson, but I think the guys from Steel Train sound a lot better than his prepubescent screeching. Helplessly Hoping is the second and my second favorite track. I won't even dare to criticize Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young...they're some of the greatest harmonizers of all time. I will say this though, my dad heard Steel Train's cover of Helplessly Hoping and said he thought it was better than the CSNY archetype. Coming from a guy who knows a heck of a lot about music, I think that statement at least shows that these guys are indeed talented way beyond their years. I don't care too much for the next song, Natural Mystic. I thought this was a pretty poor choice for a song to cover, as I don't really like the original, but they did play it accurately and as passionately as Bob did with the original. Space Oddity is great, I was thrilled when I saw that they did this song. Bowie was a huge part of the 60s and 70s glamrock scene, as the inside cover of this ep mentions, and they definitely do the track justice. She's So Heavy was not the best pick for The Beatles, they have so many better tracks, but again, The Train does a fine job emulating the greatest rock n roll group of all time, and they even spice the track up a bit with some Latin sounding flourishes. Creedence's Bad Moon Rising is a great way to wrap things up. Warm and carefree, the cover picks up the exact mood of the song as it had in 1969. All in all, this is a spectacular ep, and I definitely recommend it.


Took me a while   January 17, 2004
Nancy (Boring New Jersey)
While I was so happy to open up 1969 I was a little sad. At first my brother and I thought the songs were a little to whiny. But then after listening to it again I found that Steel Train has a classic sound that i was to dazed to hear at first. Steel train is proboley the only adult sounding band on Drive Thru Records, so if you can relate to good classic songs this cd is for you.


So Far ahead and Before their Time   December 11, 2003
Abraham (Phoenix, AZ)
Many bands deperately try to make it into the mainstream, and become boys of summer and it ends up destroying what they worked so hard to accomplish. Steel Train is the type of band that will do what their artistic intuition tells them and not give in to what is popular, or to what people expect them to do. Their first album was a glimpse into what is to come, showing us that soulful vocals and heartfelt lyrics can still exist in a scene that is slowly losing credentials. Their second EP gives us insight into the minds that make up this band. Showing us that even though the past is behind us it can direct and change the future. Each song on this record is its own trinket of Gold that never fades or tarnishes, you will always find something new, every time you listen to Steel Train. I have for the last 2 years.