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For me it's the 60's. Not just because of the music that decade is best known for, but because of all the music recorded in that prolific, magical decade. At the same time we were under benevolent attack by the Brits we had a guy in Detroit churning out classics-to-be, and artists who's heyday had supposedly come and gone finding new life within those turbulent, changing times...
The Beatles, the Stones. Marvin Gaye, Smoky Robinson, The Temps and The Four Tops, Bob Dylan, and people like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand and Sammy Davis, Jr., all still very active and contributing to the decade that changed America.
I think each decade has its merits. My favorite era of music (though I'm a Baby Boomer) was the mid-1930's-1950's. Contrary to popular belief, it was not a "homogeneous" time, musically. What that era produced was some of the best song and lyric writing ever, the "mainstreaming" of jazz during the swing era (which changed after WW II and the advent of Rock 'n' Roll in the 50's), some of the most talented musicians and vocalists of any era, and--very importantly, especially toward the end of the era--the development of high-fidelity and stereo recording technology that allowed much of that talent to be captured and preserved.
The downfall of much of what has been produced since was also a result of that technology: Simply stated, the music increasingly was about the technology itself, rather than the artistry and talent of the musicians. Lousy musicians could be made to sound good, and in the "synthesized" environment, you might not need many musicians at all. Of course, one of the great things about that same technology is that it also makes it possible to remaster those wonderful earlier works--and eliminate the sonic defects introduced by the earlier deficiencies in recording technology. So, in some ways, maybe right now is the best of times--we can have it all.
Of course, one of the great things about that same technology is that it also makes it possible to remaster those wonderful earlier works--and eliminate the sonic defects introduced by the earlier deficiencies in recording technology. So, in some ways, maybe right now is the best of times--we can have it all.
Yeah, kids today have it made, don't they Jazz? Not only do they have their music and their parents' music, but they have virtually all music available to them via the internet.
I'll go with the 60's. Rock 'n' roll had already been introduced but the pop sounds in the early-60-s thru end-of-decade transitioned radically. The hot stuff of the 50's rock-blues (Elvis, Little Richard, Bill Haley) gave way to softer sounds, we had "surfer music", Doo-Wop gave way to the Motown, along came the British Invasion (Beatles, Stones), and then the Hippie Generation influenced psychedelic rock. The 60's started with the likes of Dion & the Belmonts, Connie Francis, Jackie Wilson, and ended with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Edwin Starr (who was Motown's efforts to go a different direction by using an unknown for the hit song 'War').
People tend to think of drugs and hippies when the 60's come to mind, but the Summer of Love didn't quite influence half of the decade. It started out as an age of innocence, clothes and hairstyles were completely different, and I'm glad that I lived through it to remember those changes.
I enjoyed your entry, Jazzlover. When I'm in the mood for it I love to crank up some Big Band music from those early eras. The music was powerful and people danced. I don't think young people really dance anymore. Also enjoy some jazz bands from the 50's and 60's.
80's was an interesting era for pop music, too, but it was pretty much the same from start to finish.
As a whole the 70s were the best, in part the late 60s were the best. It was the late 60s that defined our generation. The greatest generation ever. If the Hippy way of life only caught on what would we be today? Would there be useless undeclaired illegal wars as we have now?
Those who did not live through Woodstock can never know what it meant. Those who never walked Haight-Ashbury will never even be capable of dreaming what it felt like and what it meant to those who lived it. Peace love and rock and roll. Sex was free easy and plentyful. We seen a girl we liked and made a circle with our fingers and put out other hand's finger inside and everyone knew what that meant. A mear nod was all that was needed and a sexual act was on. We never heard of condoms
Who had money and who needed it. We all stuck together and shared. If some one made $10, rather then keep it for themselves they would buy as much food as they could for the $10 and gave food to all. We shared everything, our food, our money and our women. Notice I did not mention drugs. I never did but all around me did.
Then came the 70s with a more commerical type of rock. Still great stuff but not the real meaningfull stuff that touches your heart. But the memories of 20,000 fans all holding lit lighters in the dark as the encore was melting our hearts and souls as we all stood tall singing along. Waves of hands high above our heads moved side to side in harmony like a school of fish. Leave the concert hall and T-shirt hawkers sold those black shirts from the band for $4. And Monday morning you wore that shirt to school to show everyone you were there. Having that black concert T-shirt was a status symbol Monday mornings.
I want to compare all this with the total and complete trash they call music today but that will take away the feelings from what I just wrote. I can only feel sorry for the younger generation today who will never know what real music is. Im sure glad I was born when I was. I wouldn't trade it for the world
What were the 60s like. It was about Kent State, Vietnam, Beatles, Charley Manson, Woodstock, Berkley, The Watts riots, Ed Sullivan, LBJ and the Civil Rights Movement.
It was about our fathers who fought in Korea and maybe even WW2 who argued angrily with us about patriotism and how they fought in a real war without sissies. There was an argument every night at the dinner table, yes families ate together in those days, when our fathers would make the snide comments about getting a haircut cause we looked like a girl. (My rebellious self has not cut my hair since..... haa, so there Dad!!!!)
It was about the music. It was about high school kids as well as Ivy League college kids looking to buy "mothers little helper" so they can find a place even more far out while giving those older folks who looked at them crooked the peace sign. "Peace man". We wore tie-died shirts and the girls wore long beautiful cotton dresses with dazzling psychedelic colors and long long flowing hair sometimes contained by a head band.
The psychedelic times of "Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm clock. Jimmy Hendrix asking if "We Were Experienced". Joan Baez wanted us to know that "We Shall Overcome". Bob Dylan reminded us something we could not nor would admit, "The Times - They are a Changin". The Beatles brought us The Magical Mystery Tour and the Stones shared their haunting masterpiece about Helter Skelter reminding us what Manson rubbed on the walls with Sharon Tates blood.
Some one above mentioned The Summer of Love. Oh man....1967. That is thee moment in our generation that leaves a tear in our eyes even 40 years later. To young people that is all ancient history but to us....we know. We confronted the govt with music with anti Vietnam songs. Us peons fought the govt and they listened, we felt that the defense of liberty was a hard price to pay while today's people feel it is much easier to surrender to the big chains of govt. Despicable !
If I dont stop the nostalgia now I will have to call a publisher. So I shall turn in now but before I do I will boot up the organ and play a solo of "Whiter Shade of Pale". Beat that rappers and hippity hoppers. Call me in 40 years and see if you can repeat what I said about my generation for your generation.
As a whole the 70s were the best, in part the late 60s were the best. It was the late 60s that defined our generation. The greatest generation ever. If the Hippy way of life only caught on what would we be today? Would there be useless undeclaired illegal wars as we have now?
Those who did not live through Woodstock can never know what it meant. Those who never walked Haight-Ashbury will never even be capable of dreaming what it felt like and what it meant to those who lived it. Peace love and rock and roll. Sex was free easy and plentyful. We seen a girl we liked and made a circle with our fingers and put out other hand's finger inside and everyone knew what that meant. A mear nod was all that was needed and a sexual act was on. We never heard of condoms
Who had money and who needed it. We all stuck together and shared. If some one made $10, rather then keep it for themselves they would buy as much food as they could for the $10 and gave food to all. We shared everything, our food, our money and our women. Notice I did not mention drugs. I never did but all around me did.
Then came the 70s with a more commerical type of rock. Still great stuff but not the real meaningfull stuff that touches your heart. But the memories of 20,000 fans all holding lit lighters in the dark as the encore was melting our hearts and souls as we all stood tall singing along. Waves of hands high above our heads moved side to side in harmony like a school of fish. Leave the concert hall and T-shirt hawkers sold those black shirts from the band for $4. And Monday morning you wore that shirt to school to show everyone you were there. Having that black concert T-shirt was a status symbol Monday mornings.
I want to compare all this with the total and complete trash they call music today but that will take away the feelings from what I just wrote. I can only feel sorry for the younger generation today who will never know what real music is. Im sure glad I was born when I was. I wouldn't trade it for the world
70's is a mixed bag for me. Music-wise I loved the first half of that decade, but to me 'music' in general fell flat during the second half. But that second half was the lousiest period of my life all-around (as was the second half of the 90's).
I hated punk. But I suppose disco has its place in music history. I even have to admit that I enjoyed some of it. But I'm sure glad that it died out before it lasted any longer, although I can't say much for the type of 'pop' music that emerged later in the 90's. In fact, about 6 years ago I had to switch off pop stations for good. Couldn't handle it anymore. Any Baby Boomer who listens to Brittany Spears and gangsta' rap needs psychiatristic help.
Rock has certainly undergone its metamorphosis, too. Thank goodness for a few golden rocker bands like Aerosmith, and even the Stones, who can keep the 'good old stuff' alive today.
But all through these decades I was always drawn to blues, even as a little girl when I'd hear it somewhere. In the 60's it was Canned Heat who drew more of my attention towards it, and in the 80's I began to really delve into it as Portland came a 'blues city'. It's what I listen mostly to anymore.
Still, I own so many different forms of music that one never knows what to expect when they walk in. Today it was Stone Temple Pilots, tomorrow it could be Sun Ra (jazz) or The Temptations.
Some great thoughts and sentiments from Desertsun41 and Bluesbabe, I love that moniker, by the way...
The 60's were indeed a potent, heady time. I grew up just behind that curve, but you could feel it. I was a kid when the Vietnam War ended, but before it did I remember getting caught between two demonstrations in downtown Pittsburgh; the long-haired anti-war demonstrators marching up Forbes Ave, a brigade of balding, pot-bellied, uniformed VFW's marching down, the only thing that kept them from tearing each other apart a team of city cops on horseback...
Given what this country has been through recently, in Iraq, I've given some thought to why we didn't see the number of intense demonstrations we did then, and I've come to the conclusion that it is solely because there is no draft. Many young people either don't know or haven't given it enough thought to realized the distinction...
If you were an of-age male between '65 and '75, and if you didn't have the funds to buy yourself a college deferment; (there were no federal grants or loans in those days; guess what, you had an appointment in SE Asia...
Many went, many fled, many went underground and never surfaced; it was the first time that we could be sure of that our government was asking us to fight a useless war...
It took guts to go to Vietnam, as it does to go to Iraq and Afghanistan or Germany and Japan; but I'm convinced it also took guts to go to Canada To leave your family and friends, to renounce your country and start over, not knowing when you would be able to return. It wasn't until I believe the Ford administration that evaders were granted clemency; considering his pardoning of Richard Nixon it was the least he could do...
I agree Desertsun41, would we have gotten involved in an unprovoked war in Iraq, if the Hippie movement hadn't faded into memory, if the Woodstock Generation hadn't sold out and taken up ranks on Wall St. and K St.? Now, can we really blame them? Some might argue we can, but how miserable it is in this country without a pot to p*ss in? That's another consideration.
But still, and all in all, the 60's was a decade that left a profound effect on every decade since, and that's something and that's nothing to dismiss. It could be, I may even be willing to bet big that the new guy twe have in D.C. ain't foolin'. This guy means what he says, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't make an earnest attempt to get us back on track...
Just an afterthought to bring this conversation back to the question at hand, but I wonder if it was only a coincidence that just when the Vietnam War ended, when the turbulent times were quieting, that music tanked in this country? In the mid 70's disco was rearing its ugly head, and though I'm sure synthetic technology played a part, as did the corporate manipulation of our musical choices begin to get footing, but there is something about strife, about upheaval, struggle, and misery, that is good for the collective soul. No?
Believe it or not, it is the 70's. That decade saw a big musical transition and the sound changed significantly. Drum sounds changed, as well as contemporary styles of keyboards, guitars, and even brass. And I think the singers in the 70's were so much better than those of the previous decade.
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