What was it like in the 60's and 70's?

 

Funny that you should mention that story ... my biggest complaint against the "New Age" folks were that they were more plastic than plasticine, and had no idea what they were talking about, and on top of it, did not even believe half the stuff they said.

 

It was not "progressive" thinking at all ... it was very facile and romantic, and after the hour meditation or fun is over, they went home back to their families that they did not like!

 

I think, in the end, it is not so much about the details of what happened, and to whom, but what you learn and can relate to in the information and events around you. Remember that the fear and the hatred is your greatest adversary!

 

There is a certain aspect of the population that believes that "believing" in something is enough ... and they read the books, and memorize this and that and so on. There is another aspect that "knows" it, and they seem to live it through and through. And then there are the total skeptics and that are not sure.

 

I'm not an expert in that area and would not conceive to think or opine in those situations, despite my extensive reading and appreciation for the novels and literary work done with the subject matter and what not. I enjoyed reading Dennis Wheatley. I enjoyed reading Moonchild or Diary of a Drug Fiend, so by the time I read Castaneda, a lot of these things were not totally invisible and unclear to me. And I already knew for myself, that the only option that was valuable for this stuff -- to me -- was an artistic expression and that from the histories and the stories, there were hundred and hundreds of "martyrs" out there that thought they were doing this or that ... and the application of a lot of these things, which was also quite visible in Santa Barbara, just had no appeal and sometimes felt like a good reason to have a really nice orgy, and everyone have fun!

 

It was the same thing for the musicians around me. It was the same thing for all the "academicos" around me. It's not hard to tell who "is" into it, and who "knows" ... and being into it is not the same thing. Eventually that person can learn and pick it up along the way ... but it does not mean they know and understand the soul of it all.  I may not have that sould within, to perfection, but I don't think you will ever find another person that speaks so lovingly about the arts that we helped create in those days, that are still not  appreciated and treated as such ... and specially by this board and its membership!

 

I am not the art. The art is not "me". But the art is much bigger than us all and it lived! ... if we had opened our eyes and ears, not just turn on and tune in and then go get laid and forget about it in the morning!

 

Just so we're all clear ... the "scene" did not start in 1969 or 1970!

 

The whole scene has its roots in a lot more other arts that we are willing to give them credit for. Don't forget where the Beatles fell apart if you are still blaming Yoko and her art shows! (How sad!) ... or the beat poets being all around and all over London and a lot of PF/Gong/SM folks were all over it and some of them living in the same house! And we refuse to see a connection.

 

The 60's were massive in film, theater, and the arts in general, and it took our generation's open-ness to help a lot of things get out there and appreciated. And Ravi Shakar, for example, had already been doing "East meets West" with Yehudi Menuhin and making massive waves and I can tell you stuupid stories of my "intelectual" family's parents and professors discussing it, and thinking ... how wonderful the music is ... but they would not even put on a Ravi Shankar album at all ... and also hear folks saying things like ... that can't be classical music ... look at all that improvisation ... sound familiar?

 

The same feelings were already in theater as there were a lot of experimental groups ... I got to see "The Living Theater" and "ETC La Mamma" and Joseph Chaikan ... and it would be really difficult for folks here that were too stoned and could only go see Black Sabbath or the like, to even appreciate where some of those bands got their kitch, or their own cliche! And BS, did not have anything to say ... it was all a "show" ... and still is! ... one song or another might resonate inside some, but not in an important way, other than ... a memory down the lane of yesterday, when you were stoned and your girlfriend was cool, and the drugs made the sex seem better than now or any other time!

 

Geeee ... has anything changed?

 

Film was the same. Jean Luc Godard was already tearing down the film conventions ... but no one here is capable of seeing a couple of those films and see the perspective. And in many ways, film was far more progressive than music ever was ... but somehow we only think of 2001, as a great stoney film, and nothing else! Both Fellini, Bergman and Antonioni and Bunuel had already busted open the whole thing in the 50's ... but no ... we think that rock music came first and the chicken came second.

 

And this was my biggest problem with most of the "rock'n'roll" audience ... they had never seen anything else and were too ripped to find out that there WAS something else out there. Likewise, I saw that Europe, Japan and other places had a lot more to offer than England or America in the 70's for music, both of the latter countries that were so damn stuck up on the commercialism, what with the big names buying out everything ... sorry Ertegun, I happen to not think you were good for the music over all ... maybe a couple of names , but not music in general ... and Giorgio Gomelsky is still not mentioned and discussed here ... as a man with a vision ... and on top of it, one fo the first men to give Jimmy Page a job! Guess who the visionary and dreamer was?

 

Dance was another scene that was getting massive with the free dance movement ... you had Bob Fosse here, what's her name over there, and then Misha had defected and was mixing free dance with his ballet. Guess what the music we love was also doing? ... instead of a new tutu, it was using a different chord or time scheme ... big fudging deal ... and it was the time and place that made it.

 

Toddler, the only thing I would have suggested to you is ... I wish we had met, because I would have said, get on to Europe and forget America. But it's still the same thing here today ... but a lot of it has to do with who and what you are and have inside and the strength that you draw from it. Think Peter Hammill ... not rich, but he never quit ... his richness is inside and can not be measured and we still appreciate it.

 

And that is what we did not realize fast enough and acted on it, otherwise we would all still be there doing it!

 

I'm still writing after all these years, even though in a place like this, a lot of it is passed over by trollers that have nothing to say, except add some crap to it to show their intelligence, and editorial mind. They sure do not have an experience, otherwise they would mention it, you think?

No such thing as some good ol´ poly-rhythms when you´re at war. 

 

I just had to block it all out and focus on playing guitar. Shut up and play your guitar was the answer. If you spoke to anyone in the audience it often caused jealousy to develop in the majority of people's minds. If you could pull off "Thick as A Brick" or "Dance on a Volcano' in a prog band live.....and in America they would love you. The only problem was the offers night after night. It became quite over-done. I was married 3 times and often took my wife on the road with me. The corporation would give me new car which they had paid off or new instruments and clothes. The jerks in the audience would want your wife because it was vital for them to feel more important than you. They would buy you drinks all night long, yet screw your life up in a heartbeat. They were double standard in every aspect of the meaning. ...and all because you were standing up on a stage. I still don't get that? I had to work really hard from age 7 to 18 to become professional enough to work with original bands and prog cover. They were stupied and ignorant people who thought picking up the guitar to play was some kind of free-for-all. A joke! Like playing guitar is not hard work and instead it is good fun. It does not become good fun till long after you have worked really hard at it. What was so hard about that logic for the majority of audiences I played for to understand?

 

As I told you before,..the Classical audience I performed for in mansions were a Satan worshippers sect. That was very scary for me AND....although they treated me with respect....I did not trust them. As I said before...it was a mansion circuit I played for about 6 months...witnessing the same faces, same dress code, in the New England states and up state N.Y.  i'M TELLING YOU FIRST HAND....You don't know what it is like until you watch the youtube interviews with Peter Banks. I'm sure he has pockets filled with stories that he does not tell. When you are a full time traveling musician...you view the world from the outside. Everyone who approaches you is on a mission and if you don't remain in your space you could be in danger.  

Moshkito...very nice posts. Great insight on the times we were living in. Although I was a late bloomer entering the music scene around 76' ....I was fortunate to have worked with musicians who toured in the 60's and I tend to think you are more so in their age group. I was just lucky to arrive at the tail end of things. Although I did learn a lot and was coached by older players. I gave the example of Tom Evans and not that you are a Badfinger fan but....you probably knew of them when they were fresh with their Magic Christian album or No Dice. You are probably 7 or 8 years older than me so you were old enough to drive possibly I don't know? For example I bought their albums at age 13 staying at home with mom and dad while you perhaps could have been driving around noticing their name posted on a marquee and along with many other bands as well.  When I hit the scene people like Tom Evans floated about for a few years with the later version of Badfinger then committed suicide

 

. When I toured.... artists like Happy the Man, Nektar, Dixie Dregs and Steve Hackett on his Cured tour and Renaissance were the highest level I reached in the business. I was on the traveling circuit with them ....but they were already on their way out.... I think I was depressed for a long time and started to feel pathetic as if I was born at the wrong time for the high expectations I had on the inside. Some artists like Shuggie Otis age 15 when he did a different super session album with Al Kooper had a more direct connection to the industry through their parents before them. It was rare to enter the music scene at a young age unless you were Dino, Desi, and Billy and that was like bubblegum pop....where Shuggie had connections to Columbia records and the underground scene. So yea...I felt like I had missed the real deal. Apart from the underground prog scene in 76' ....regular straightt up rock music annoyed the crap out of me. I kept looking for people to play guitar like Peter Green and Mike Bloomfield and it just wasn't happening. Even Frampton on "Rockin' the Fillmore" had that beautiful rock guitar tone. When people like Robin Trower and many others in the mid 70's rock vain turned up that ugly distortion I knew I was in the wrong generation. Like I said before....you had Mahavishnu with the interesting tone of John McLaughlin's guitar in the mid 70's along with many others..but not in ROCK music. No more Jeremy Spencer's or the sweet tone of Mick Taylor on John Mayall's Crusade. Danny Kirwan was still playing with a real nice tone on Bare Trees and Sands of Time...but most guitar players in rock had the buzz saw sound in 76'.....like Boston, Foghat, and BTO. I couldn't relate to that and collected mostly European underground albums only and from that point on.....and giving up completely on straight up rock music forever.