We come up with a name for a rock band and talk about the Patriarch's history as a Parrot Head. Also, we discuss
The Two Towers, the Enlightenment, dehumanizing language, Islamic terrorism, WWI and cultural disintegration, what
The Lord of the Rings has to say about foreign policy, multiculturalism, and the true nature of patriotism
.
While acknowledging that our musical tastes may be the equivalent of night and day, I respectfully disagree about the 1970s being a musical wasteland. There was an explosion of artists and product as the music industry tried on a new business model. FM stations grew exponentially from a niche market to total dominance to meet the need for great stereo to play the products that incorporated the stereo effects and every car now had an FM band on the radio. We had a constant stream of all genres of music. There is really nothing like it today. If we could only keep the music from a single decade while discarding that from all the others, I think you might find the people might vote for the 1970s. Here are some examples of the songs--
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/top100_1970s.htm
http://www.alaskajim.com/polls/2002topsongs1970s_results.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_singles_of_the_1970s
Now, let me suggest a few of my favorites. The Moody Blues incorporate, in my opinion, various concepts from LOTR and Tolkien in their work. Listen for them. Always go to studio albums rather than live performances for the full effect. Wear good headphones if your speakers aren't adequate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_9Ui5WlivA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9piiahsxV8U
Now just couple other examples of 1970s music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvsHkyqzy9M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP94PlEtsEQ
Darrell is quite right to defend the virtues of 1970s music. (He is also, by the way, quite right to provide a link to Long Cool Woman, which is a great song.) Just last evening, as I was driving to a concert, WMJI, the local "Oldies" radio station, did a top five of songs from the 1970s, and they were all good and of varied styles. Many of the survivors of the '60s and no small number of previous decades were continuing to make good music, and the '70s also gave birth to some new and enduring acts. A good portion of my record collection is firmly rooted in the 1970s, and thus it should be.
ReplyDeleteNow, I was rather wishing that you would have said a bit more about the film The Two Towers, as it would have given me a clear opportunity to relate another anecdote. Nevertheless, I shall relate it anyway. When The Two Towers was released, I was in Athens, and my cousin Charalambos and I went to see it (and we both quite enjoyed it, by the way). As I have already confessed, I have virtually no acquaintance with Tolkien's writings, but I think I can confidently say that I hold the following distinction: I suspect none other among us has seen Elvish translated with Greek subtitles.
P.S.: Ramblin' Man is by the Allman Brothers Band. Another great song.
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