70's

<p>Somebody emailed me this… it’s absolutely hilarious. The sad thing is, I actually remember some of these styles of the 70’s, but my memories were so hazy- it wasn’t until I actually SAW the real pictures that I realized how god-awful the clothing was.
[15</a> Minute Lunch: Strap in, shut up and hold on. We’re going back.](<a href=“http://15minutelunch.blogspot.com/2007/10/strap-in-shut-up-and-hold-on-were-going.html]15”>15 Minute Lunch: Strap in, shut up and hold on. We're going back.)</p>

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<p>I’m particularly fond of a recording I have of Charles Munch conducting the Boston Symphony playing Beethoven’s Symphony #5.</p>

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<p>My greatest contribution to radio station KUCI (“FM 89 point 9, KUCI in Irvine, 24 million rockin’ microwatts of power coming at you 24 hours a day from an antenna high atop the physics building”) was a special version of Stairway. You have to remember that when you play requests for a radio station broadcasting in a college community that most of the requests come from people who are seriously affected by mind-altering chemicals. I would play “Stairway” on my show and have a request – while it was still playing – that amounted to “play Stairway again, man.” It’s a fine song, but there was no need, even then, to play it more than once or twice a day.</p>

<p>I noticed that the first phrase of the song is the same as the last. So, I taped the first minute of the song, and the last minute, spliced the intro instrumental and “There’s a lady who’s sure that all that glitters is gold” onto the final “and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.” I put it onto a tape cartridge and labeled it “Special version, Stairway to Heaven, :45” and put it on the rack. It was the best 45-second version of Stairway ever edited, and (quite modestly) made me a hero on the staff. You had to be there.</p>

<p>And “Immigrant Song” is better.</p>

<p>I get annoyed at how the music of my youth never seems to go away. I was having lunch with some of my co-workers last week, and the muzak in the restaurant was 100% radio hits of the early '70s. For a few years, my office was only a block and a half from the transmitter for the most powerful classic rock radio station in town, and my computer speakers often picked up its signal no matter how I positioned them. I swear that I never want to hear “Kashmir” again. They must have played it once an hour.</p>

<p>Each of my kids has gone through some sort of classic-rock period. For my daughter, it was first The Beatles and Joni Mitchell, natch, then The Velvet Underground, etc., then, interestingly, Bob Dylan. She also sometimes listens to Bruce Springsteen – mainly “Thunder Road” – in private (in private because Bruce Springsteen is the epitome of not-cool for her set). London Calling is my son’s single favorite record (I gave it to him years ago to give him some perspective on where Blink-182 came from), and he bought himself Led Zepplin IV and a Rolling Stones Greatest Hits this past summer.</p>

<p>There is so much music around that sounds just like classic rock, that there’s no need to live in the past.</p>

<p>(I’ll take “When The Levee Breaks” over “Stairway” AND “Immigrant Song”. And everything else they did, for that matter.)</p>

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<p>SACRILEGE!</p>

<p>Also, the early-mid-70s were a great period for African-American popular music, too. You had the really great mature work that Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye were doing, James Brown’s long-song period, the absolutely classic Parliament-Funkadelic records, the Sound of Philadelphia (O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, etc.), Rufus, Donald Byrd, and of course disco, some of which was and remains absolutely terrific. The Trampps, Donna Summer, Barry White, “Do The Hustle”, and, yes, the Bee Gees’ SNF songs. Also my favorite cult group, Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band.</p>

<p>My daughter thought I was really cool when I told her I saw Aerosmith in 77. But they weren’t really considered all that great back then (Rolling Stones wannabes).</p>

<p>Going to college in central Texas I was more aware of the progressive country scene, but I do remember friends talking about concerts with the B-52s and The Police.</p>

<p>On different occassions in the middle and late 60’s I saw Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan (the first electric tour with the BAND) at the basketball arena at SMU in Dallas within spitting distance of where the proposed Bush Presidential Library is to be built. Also the Troggs and Iron Butterfly, but who’s counting!</p>

<p>Boz Scaggs and Steve Miller in their HS band the Marksmen playing the Studio Club. </p>

<p>James Brown was a Dallas staple AND Ike and Tina Turner Review (boys grew into men watching Tina and the Ike-ettes on stage— Britney isn’t the first to go sans in public) played at large dance venues (Market Hall). Eric Burton and the Animals playing at the Box in Fort Worth. Buffalo Springfied at Memorial Auditorium for HEAVEN’s sake!!! The Who and the Stones (they had a little trouble in San Antonio, but hey we were all young)</p>

<p>Then I go to college at Emory in 1968 and Chicago Transit Authority plays on campus in the gym! The Allmon Bros. Band in the park, small riot but nothing TOO serious.</p>

<p>Then summer of 1969 the (Lewisville) Texas International Pop Festival with Led Zep, Janis, B.B. King et al. Woodstock in Texas with 100 degree+ weather!!! Everything ( and everyone) got fried! Nazz with Todd Rundgren at the End of Cole.</p>

<p>I get to UT-Austin in 1970 and -----I can’t remember!! Oh, Santana in San Antonio (UNBELIEVABLE!!) and front row seats for Elton John when he was skinny and had hair.</p>

<p>Saw ZZ Top at the Armadillo World Headquarters when the band was still called “Texas.” Taj Mahal and Freddie King, too. In a converted rollerskate rink. Chambers Brothers, Pacific Gas & Electric, It’s a Beautiful Day on campus. Life was GOOD. </p>

<p>Where has all this gone?!? OK-- I did take my S and friends to Lollapalooza in 2003 and Jane’s Addiction, Audioslave and Incubus were great.</p>

<p>On XM Channel 7 (70s on 7), they play complete recordings of Casey Kasem’s American Top 40, each week for the same week of a year in the 70s. LOVE IT! In the office we try to guess which song was number one, and we all almost got fired bopping around to Ike & Tina Turner’s version of Proud Mary.</p>

<p>And yes, 30 years later I STILL have a crush on Lindsey Buckingham</p>

<p>doubleplay, I laughed until tears were running down my face. Thank you. I’m pretty sure I ordered some stuff out of that catalogue.</p>

<p>Saw Beatles live. Dylan many times. Doors and Joplin four times each, plus many, many others.</p>

<p>Played the single of “I Am the Walrus” forty times in a row.</p>

<p>But obviously I am older than most of you.</p>

<p>Lived in the same house as Sterling Morrison from Velvet Underground, and got propositioned by minor starts at Woodstock. Of course I was above all that.</p>

<p>JHS: Maybe it’s the curse of the middle-aged, but I don’t really think the current stuff sounds like “my” stuff.</p>

<p>DS loves Beatles, Dylan and mostly Bach.</p>

<p>DD loves Stones and Mozart and a lot of alternative music.</p>

<p>Strange to say, The Band gave the best concert I ever saw except for Dylan. Dylan makes new music each time he plays. Some of his experiments are failures, but it never sounds like a studio set.</p>

<p>How about this: First concert I ever saw without parents at 15: Simon and Garfunkel. Warm-up group, wait for it, The Doors! I had never heard of them before, but then I didn’t want to see S & G.</p>

<p>Moment of shame. I had a choice of Beatles (1st American tour) and Dave Clark Five tickets. Yep—Dave Clark Five. </p>

<p>Momma and the Pappas several times, Moody Blues original performers.</p>

<p>mythmom – Did you every see Nico and the Velvet Underground perfom? I was in NYC in summer 1970 when the James Gang was to play in a club but we couldn’t cause there was a bombing. Remember anything like that?</p>

<p>I saw Peter, Paul and Mary so often I can’t remember.</p>

<p>Yeah, I lived NYC so those things were routine. Saw Velvet Underground, but before that Dylan in his natural habitat. Saw the Cream at Cafe a Go Go (oh my God, remember names like that during the Hootenany stage? White go go boots? I had 'em.)</p>

<p>Saw Frank Zappa with Tim Buckley at small theater in tiny town, not a major venue at all. Who remembers Suzie Creamcheese?</p>

<p>S loves my old Tim Buckley album.</p>

<p>H and I have two complete sets of Beatles albums, except that he has British versions of early albums, and I have the American releases.</p>

<p>Kids want us to sell one set on ebay, but H wants to keep them in case we get divorced (we both were, me once, he twice.)</p>

<p>I just want to keep them so kids don’t fight over them. Each can have his/her own.</p>

<p>I even have the John and Yoko Wedding Album with a picture of a piece of wedding cake. Saw someone offering $1000.00 for it once; don’t know why I kept it.</p>

<p>The Moody Blues are playing right up the street this spring. Is it a good show nowadays? Anyone know?
I was in love with Cat Stevens back when- Just absolutely in love.</p>

<p>Alright- if people are tossing around some of that reeeally old stuff they like-- I’ll throw in my two cents as well: The Moldau, and Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto.</p>

<p>And Eddie Cochran :)</p>

<p>Oh - and Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn.</p>

<p>As for Led Zeppelin, I’ll go with Black Dog.</p>

<p>And now for a brief trip to the 80’s…
My s and his girlfriend went to hear the Smiths (with Morrisey) tonight. Her sis and mo were supposed to go, but cancelled at the last minute. So, our s asked us if we wanted to go! I said yes (a rare opportuntiy to do something social with our s). Two conditions— we were not to talk to him or be seen with him! :frowning: Unfortunately, when he found out they were assigned seats, all 4 together, (not first come, first served or some big mosh pit or something) we got “uninvited” :frowning: :(</p>

<p>my sympathies, jym! I didn’t know the Smiths were still around. At least with a group like that there’d probably be plenty of people ‘our age’ in the crowd. </p>

<p>FWIW, I like Green Day a lot, but will leave the newer band concert tours to their own generation…</p>

<p>Older D and I try to catch the the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s ‘Christmas Extravaganza’ every year they’re in town. Great music, and good for all ages.</p>

<p>Thanks, lspf,
He just got back a little while ago. I don’t think it was exactly his kind of music. His GF has the more ecclectic taste in music. However, if you ask him wht he likes, he usually says “anything but country”.</p>

<p>Rolling Stone wannabes? Aerosmith? Not no way, not no how! </p>

<p>Sorry, I love my Steven Tyler! :)</p>

<p>Oh, and thanks for that doubleplay. I just emailed it to everyone I know!</p>

<p>yeah thats what I was thinking maysixx
I never have cared for the Stones other than a few tunes- Brown Sugar and Wild Horses for example- but I paid money to see Aerosmith twice in the 70s- once at a mega Ted Nugent /Kiss /Aerosmith show- with fire and everything! :D</p>

<p>I admit that I could do without seeing Rock Bottom played twice in one night- but [I go to see these guys every year](<a href=“Featured Content on Myspace”>Featured Content on Myspace; )</p>

<p>Yes thanks doubleplay that was hilarious :)</p>