Two unrelated musical thoughts:
1. She Who Shall Not Be Named sometimes falls asleep in the car when I'm driving her home in the afternoon. To facilitate nap time, I'll occasionally switch to the easy listening station on Sirius (Movin EZ). Today, I caught Olivia Newton-John's "Please Mister Please," and I had occasion once again to thank the Great Old Ones I didn't spend my formative years in the 1970s. I don't know how anybody survived that shit.
I mean, I delude myself into thinking that - were I a '70s teen - I'd be really into the Stooges, Ramones, the Clash, and Big Star, but I know I'd be sporting the white boy afro and listening to Kansas and Styx in Peenman's Good Times Van, and I hate myself for it.
2. Also today, and possibly on the same station, I heard that John Mayer song "Waiting on the World to Change." With insipid lines like, "It's not that we don't care/We just know that the fight ain't fair" to justify his inaction, I was reminded Of that equally lame Jesus Jones song, "Right Here, Right Now." Remember that video? Here, let me refresh your memory:
The most striking thing, aside from that goofy bastard playing keyboards, is how Mike Edwards celebrates the fall of Communism and the exciting changes in the world by watching fucking TV. You couldn't illustrate narcissistic apathy better if Paris Hilton made an appearance. No wonder David Lowery sang about hating his generation.
I so want a Good Times Van.
Yeah, well, we may have had prog rock and country crossover, but you had hair bands, so suck it.
While Styx wasn’t always perfect (see any number of limp ballads by Dennis DeYoung), they are favorites of your blog hosts.
A.k.a. Smile when you say that, old son…
Have you ever been mellow?
I never even tried/to find a comfort from inside me, whatever the hell that means.
I so want a Good Times Van.
Would it also end up painted purple?
Yeah, well, we may have had prog rock and country crossover, but you had hair bands, so suck it.
Yeah, but with hair bands I can always half-convincingly claim “ironic detachment.”
A.k.a. Smile when you say that, old son…
Did I say Styx? I meant Loggins and Messina.
As far as prog rock goes, the primary audience is teenagers, who are so unsophisticated that the insights of “Song for America” and its ilk, so jejune to experienced adults, can be genuinely revelatory. Nyah, that’s at least as good as excuse as “ironic detachment”.
Being one who did grow up in the “Dazed and Confused” era, I hope I can offer some odd comfort with the notion that you still had to be a little younger than me to appreciate the Ramones, Stooges, etc. My younger brother was into that stuff and got turned onto the Sex Pistols while visiting G’ma in Scotland one mid 70’s summer.) I, on the other hand, maintained my stalwart support for the Allman Brothers, Skynard, Pink Floyd, Santana, Robin Trower, and Jethro Tull, and dare I say it on your site, Nugent. No denials, no apologies. It would all lead to a fascination with the Blues and all manner of stuff later - you need to grow, eh? Pete, I have faith in you and I know you would have enjoyed better than Styx and Kansas ( i never understood the popularity, oh the cover bands I’ve seen!), …ONJ was popular among my Dad’s friends….Have you ever been mellow?