Monday, May 21, 2012

Sixties Versus Seventies


      Summer of Love  vs.  

            Lookin' for
                Love!   




The passing of Donna Summer and Robin Gibb remind those of us who tend to prefer the 60's that things weren't all as bad in the 70's as we often like to say they were.

There was unquestionably some good entertainment and some good times, even if we didn't like the clothes we were wearing, the conversations we were making, and many of the songs we couldn't help ourselves from humming. 

Truth to tell, I wasn't really ready for the 1960's.  I wasn't political enough, certainly wasn't daring enough, and I was never quite able to keep a decent curl in my never quite shoulder length hair.  Not only didn't I get to Woodstock, I'm not sure I even ever saw the movie all the way through. 

But the 1970's were different. 

All you needed to make your way was a flowery shirt, an elemental sense of rhythm, and a friend who had a somewhat ready supply of Quaaludes.  And steady access to a shady individual who had seemingly put forth the considerable effort to graduate medical school for the express purpose of ministering bogus scripts to a scrufty waiting room full of manic 20-somethings was enough to make you into something of a minor league Travolta! 

So did the 70's did have its virtues?  Yes, indeed, Ms. Summer and the Bee Gees being high among them. 

The 60's vs. the 70's?   I dunno.  

You decide.

60's:  This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
70's:  This is the dawning in some odd person's bedroom ...

60's:  One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small ...
70's:  One pill makes you larger. (Not the same pill as in the 2,000's.)

60's:  Long hair.
70's:  Chest hair.

60's:  Cream.
70's:  Bread.

60's:  Political Platforms.
70's:  Platform Shoes.

60's:  The New Left.
70's:  "Left, right, kick, turn, left, right, kick, turn ...."

60's:  Counterculture.
70's:  Counter culture.

60's:  The Lizard King.
70's:  Lounge Lizard.

60's:  Summer of Love.
70's:  Lookin' for Love! 

60's:  Jefferson Airplane.
70's:  Air Supply.

60's:  Sugar Magnolia.
70's:  Sugar, Sugar.

60's:  Steal this Book.
70's:  Book?

60's:  "It's 1, 2, 3, what are we fighting for?" 
70's:  "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 .... Instant Replay!"

60's:  Power to the People!
70's:  Village People.

60's:  "What's your sign?"
70's:  "What's her story?"

60's:  "He ain't heavy, he's my brother ..."
70's:   The Me Decade.

60's:  "The answer, my friend, is Blowin' in the Wind."
70's:  "The answer, my friend, is Blowin' in the Wind
             And now, my friend, lemme tell you 'bout my newest friend - Jesus!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 comments:

Winonah said...

I think this might be your best article yet, and I was born too late to remember any of this!

Perry Block said...

Love you, Winonah!

Although that second comment was certainly unnecessary ...

Marcia said...

Hilarious, Perry! Glad you found me and Kathy on twitter. Thanks for stopping by my blog too.

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Marcia.

Now the crusade is all in our hands: the word "senior" dies before it's ever applied to us!

(I'm not too keen on "geezer" either.)

See you in the trenches!