> First of all everything as so much newer then. Second of all everything
was
> so much cheaper. Third of all we were so much younger then.
Marcel,
I have to say how much I always appreciate your historical perspective. As
much as I enjoyed those early days, I was, as Steve Dulson said the other
day "a mere child" who of course, just gladly lapped it all up at the time,
but was too young in some respects to have the perspective of you and others
who were experiencing it from a longer view. I did have a slight panic
attack the other day when Lori wrote about the 70s being the decade when it
all really came to fruition. Yes, the 70s were happening big time, but to
me, the genesis of it all started from about '63 on and was so much more
exciting than what followed in the 70s. Lori, I hope your boss will
consider the 60s more - I felt a little like a victim of "revisionist
history" when I read about his book! I know that we all hold the times when
we become young adults as the "most important" to some extent but lordy, it
is historical fact that so much was exploding in the decade that preceded
the 70s - the Kennedy years idealism (1960-1963) really helped kick it all
off, the Free Speech movement (1963), Civil Rights demonstrations (early
60s) and the Civil Rights Act (1964), the first protests against the Vietnam
war (really got going strong by 1966 by my recall), "Flower Power" - Summer
of Love '67, Woodstock '69 to name a few. The revolution in music was
happening and there are too many artists to cite in support of this except
to say there were more innovators emerging in the musical realm in the 60s
than in the 70s. Lori, I think you cited to "Sugar, Sugar" being the no. 1
hit of 1969. Well, not in my neck of the woods! Yeah, "Sugar" was popular
among some people but it was right beside the Doors, Cream, Jimi Hendrix,
Joni, Love, Jefferson Airplane and scores of other groups that were
certainly not "Bubble Gum"! ;-) I tend to think that part of the beauty of
that time was that a song like "Sugar, Sugar" could be played and enjoyed
and acheive chart status alongside the "heavyweights" of the time. Radio
was wide open, truly liberal - and everyone got a shot for awhile there.
Lori - please don't think I'm singling you out - the same day you wrote I
was comparing notes with a friend at work about seeing "Almost Famous".
Because of his age, the apex for him was the 70s, but I gasped when he said
that all the great and improtant music happened then! For what it's worth,
I have a very close friend whose apex was the 80s and he is convinced that
all the great and important music happened *then*. Interestingly, my 80s
oriented friend never knew much about Joni. I've "tutored" him a bot and he
has been extremely impressed with her and guess which album he thinks is her
greatest? DOG EAT DOG. Ha!
Kakki
