Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. Battling my demons, as you well know. Things (today) are looking OK.
Anyway, I wanted to comment on the Johnny Thunders. His is an excellent rendition. Nothing wrong with it. However, the entire issue of hippies versus punkers doing it is very interesting to me. I saw a guy on Hardball (in a panel with Joan Walsh of Salon and this TOTAL nerd from The Weekly Standard) that made a very interesting comment about the schism between "baby boomers" and "Gen X or Y" as relates to views and opinions of Viet Nam. Gen-Xers want to distance themselves from their "old-school" hippie forebears. They can be anti-war, but not in what they perceive to be the weepy whiny, flower-power, birkenstock kind of way. Not surprisingly, there is a certain condescending attitude on the part of the "Gen-Xers" ... which I find unfortunate.
Having grown up smack in the middle of three dug-in-deep hippie sisters and a proto-hippie/pre-punk brother (born early 50's) and a hyper-yuppie/hipster Gen-X/Y sister (born 1970), I have to admit I'm torn on this issue. My fall-back position tends to be that the hippies had an innocense about them that has gone entirely missing. It's that innocense that endears me to them and their music.
As relates to Eve of Destruction, however, I will say (surprise, surprise) that I prefer Barry McGuire's version over Johnny Thunders. Maybe it's the U-Tbe clip, but I'm missing the urgency and despair that needs to be in the song. I quickly checked to see if the Byrds did a version, and I didn't see that they did. I may be wrong. But theirs' (if they did one) would definitely have been the quintessential version.
Glad to read that you have re-connected with Kelso Jr.!! Hope you two young men are enjoying yourselves !!
I find no fault in your argument whatsoever. Aside from the political, I found Gennaro's version had more urgency because he KNEW he personally was on the eve of his own destruction -- would come 3+ years after this was taped, hence his little pun substituting "seduction" for "destruction" in alternate verses. "Seduction", boy, sure fits today's environement, no?
My political exposure as a youth was much like yours and I find ABSOULTELY NOTHING WRONG with the 60s earnestness. That was then. Ass-kicking is what's needed now. And somehow Johnnny's junkie's lament underlying this cover has more bite than the orignal, especially as this cover was performed long INTO the "war on drugs," McGuire's no.
In some ways, isn't saying "I'm a junkie, so what? Fuck you," somewhat more radical than carrying a "Lick Bush" placard?
At least for me,the problem with re-enacting the patchouli thing today is that it has an ersatz Starbucks feel to it. Today's protests have to be just a little sui generis to be effective, no?
I see you've been enjoying "Barry Switzer's" comments over in righty land.
(1) "At one time, I thought you were slightly intelligent, though too dumb to know that you bore the fuck out of people...I don’t give a damn about KU. I like the people, not their sports teams. There’s a difference, ya know. Either study some business, finance, law, and interntioanl politics…You’re a fool Kelso.With this statement, you said it yourself. Learn to read before flapping your gums. You are empty wind, with a foul smell.Where I come from, we have a name for that..."
[PROP NOTE: AFTER THE RESULT OF THE 2008 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, THE ABOVE STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTED IN RED HAD TO BE ONE OF THE ALL -TIME CLASSICS. MIND YOU THIS WAS WRITTEN BEFORE KU HAD EVEN HELD OFF NC. WHOEVER WROTE THOSE WORD IS THE CONTRA-INDICATOR OF ALL TIME. TRY TO GET HIS OPINION ON ENERGY FUTURES.]
(2) "...Peerhaps (sic) it was that fabrication was your specialty in your study of business, finance, and law..."
(3) "What I love most is the way you sum up your opinion so succinctly.Regards,Tengrain"
AN AWARD FROM "FAIRLANE"
"'Meme/Award,' in honor of those who are not afraid to Be Honest, to Speak Out (With words, pictures or both), and who are even willing to Lose “Friends” if keeping them means Compromising what They Believe."
3 comments:
Hi Kelso,
Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. Battling my demons, as you well know. Things (today) are looking OK.
Anyway, I wanted to comment on the Johnny Thunders. His is an excellent rendition. Nothing wrong with it. However, the entire issue of hippies versus punkers doing it is very interesting to me. I saw a guy on Hardball (in a panel with Joan Walsh of Salon and this TOTAL nerd from The Weekly Standard) that made a very interesting comment about the schism between "baby boomers" and "Gen X or Y" as relates to views and opinions of Viet Nam. Gen-Xers want to distance themselves from their "old-school" hippie forebears. They can be anti-war, but not in what they perceive to be the weepy whiny, flower-power, birkenstock kind of way. Not surprisingly, there is a certain condescending attitude on the part of the "Gen-Xers" ... which I find unfortunate.
Having grown up smack in the middle of three dug-in-deep hippie sisters and a proto-hippie/pre-punk brother (born early 50's) and a hyper-yuppie/hipster Gen-X/Y sister (born 1970), I have to admit I'm torn on this issue. My fall-back position tends to be that the hippies had an innocense about them that has gone entirely missing. It's that innocense that endears me to them and their music.
As relates to Eve of Destruction, however, I will say (surprise, surprise) that I prefer Barry McGuire's version over Johnny Thunders. Maybe it's the U-Tbe clip, but I'm missing the urgency and despair that needs to be in the song. I quickly checked to see if the Byrds did a version, and I didn't see that they did. I may be wrong. But theirs' (if they did one) would definitely have been the quintessential version.
Glad to read that you have re-connected with Kelso Jr.!! Hope you two young men are enjoying yourselves !!
I'm off to Brooklyn to register for my new class.
Cheers.
A.
ANITA!!!! BIENVENIDO A LOS HUEVOS!!!
I find no fault in your argument whatsoever. Aside from the political, I found Gennaro's version had more urgency because he KNEW he personally was on the eve of his own destruction -- would come 3+ years after this was taped, hence his little pun substituting "seduction" for "destruction" in alternate verses. "Seduction", boy, sure fits today's environement, no?
My political exposure as a youth was much like yours and I find ABSOULTELY NOTHING WRONG with the 60s earnestness. That was then. Ass-kicking is what's needed now. And somehow Johnnny's junkie's lament underlying this cover has more bite than the orignal, especially as this cover was performed long INTO the "war on drugs," McGuire's no.
In some ways, isn't saying "I'm a junkie, so what? Fuck you," somewhat more radical than carrying a "Lick Bush" placard?
At least for me,the problem with re-enacting the patchouli thing today is that it has an ersatz Starbucks feel to it. Today's protests have to be just a little sui generis to be effective, no?
I see you've been enjoying "Barry Switzer's" comments over in righty land.
You're always welcome here.
A paean to your point of view on this, Anita, with inclusion of "What Did Your Learn In School Today?" (Tom Paxton, 1965)
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