tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post2786827186733382282..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: The Music of our ParentsDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-79596055258864512542013-06-22T05:51:51.658-05:002013-06-22T05:51:51.658-05:00Just watched that clip now. A very odd pairing ind...Just watched that clip now. A very odd pairing indeed. I like both of their voices, but they really don't go together well - at least not when they're actually singing at the same time. Jones' booming sound kind of drowns out Cash.<br />And I agree with HB, that orchesta is a bit overpowering at times as well. All in all, yet another odd relic of the '70s-era variety shows.Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-31306429528460894592013-06-21T10:09:03.024-05:002013-06-21T10:09:03.024-05:00HB, I'm not the teacher around here! Ha! Now I...HB, I'm not the teacher around here! Ha! Now I know what my partner feels like. But I am impressed with your thorough analysis of the clip. It's an odd one, that's for sure. I had to watch it twice when I came across it, it was just such a bizarre pairing. And Jones looks like a midget next to Cash. <br /><br />For your diligence and hard work, you are here-by awarded the esteemed BAB No-Prize! Wear it with pride!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-63481327093020887472013-06-21T10:08:07.754-05:002013-06-21T10:08:07.754-05:00TOO FUNNY, I just caught a moment to watch it as w...TOO FUNNY, I just caught a moment to watch it as well.<br /><br />For years (before the Internet..), I thought 'Workin' in a Coal Mine' was just a DEVO song. Very ODD to hear Jones sing it with an orchestra. <br /><br />Preferring DEVO's version..<br /><br />Johnny Cash always had such a laidback show, with the Who, Kristoferson, Monkees, just a boatload of non-trad or non-country artists. You can see the easy banter from Jones.<br /><br />I never liked the Spector 'Wall of Sound'. I grew up with it on some tracks off 'Let It Be' (which weren't all that bad..) and 'All Things Must Pass', but even George Harrison said several times he wanted to remix his entire ATMP release prior to his death.. <br /><br />Oh well.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-43154552812667387842013-06-21T09:51:17.255-05:002013-06-21T09:51:17.255-05:00Watched the clip just now, Karen (boy, yer crackin...Watched the clip just now, Karen (boy, yer crackin' the whip-!)-- and there are a lot of noteworthy little tidbits that come to mind:<br /><br />-- NOT what I'd call a naturally-paired duo, by any stretch-! Tight-pantsed, swivel-hipped, bouncy Jones vs. stoic, staid, "man-in-black" Cash. Big, booming, wide-open, steady clear Jones (man, what a GREAT vocal instrument!) vs. the wonderfully, intense, gravelly, growling, pitch-approximate Cash. Pretty boy, twinkley Jones vs. prematurely craggy Cash. Their singing styles clearly are at odds in the clip--- Jones certainly wants to move more, Cash would like to move less. . . if at all.<br /><br />--Love the singing from both fellas. Feels a bit under-rehearsed, though (not unusual back in those variety-show days). I think Johnny, in particular, was relying on cue cards downstage left. Pretty sure Jones was referring to the down-right, as well.<br /><br />--Man, the orchestra's arrangement could have been cut 'WAAAAY back! Trying too hard to support the medly, and these guys were good enough not to need it. I daresay the music director didn't "get" what was essential to these folk tunes, and decided to go the Phil Spectre "wall of sound" route.<br /><br />--Am I the only person who was under the impression that Tom Jones was tall? It would appear that's not the case!<br /><br />*Whew*-- okay, Karen-- did I get the assignment in on time? Still get full credit? Man, I DO NOT want to be stuck in summer school!<br /><br />HBhumanbellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-53242226522267504402013-06-21T01:13:12.489-05:002013-06-21T01:13:12.489-05:00All of this talk about parents into country music ...All of this talk about parents into country music is eye-opening. Not only did my parents ignore country music, but I never met anyone (parents or kids) who listened to it until I was in my late teens. Sure, it was around all the time on TV, so we knew who all those country dudes and dudettes were. But Monterey, Ca must have been too urban for the Hee-Haw crowd. The Urban Cowboy movie in '79 or '80 created a small country sub-culture in our high school. But since they'd all been disco dancing a year before, we put it down to blind Travolta worship.<br /><br />My dad is a life-long audiophile. He always had the most complicated, expensive stereo with the loudest speakers on the block. He still has a Macintosh tube preamp. He loved western soundtracks (Magnificent 7, any John Wayne movie) and orchestral works like Aaron Copeland. Big, loud, and dramatic. Much as he loves westerns, he hates country music. There's just no correlation to him.<br /><br />My mom liked folk music straight out of A Mighty Wind until they divorced in 1970. Then she discovered Simon & Garfunkel and Creedence Clearwater Revival. That was our morning soundtrack in the early 70's until I saw the Jackson 5 cartoon. Then we added Motown, and later the Beatles to the stereo. My sister never did get any say in the music as far as I recall.<br /><br />I knew plenty of people who had 8-tracks, but we never did. Probably due to my father's influence. He had a wicked looking reel-to-reel. I'm sure he spent too much for it.<br /><br />James ChattertonUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15576083934906136102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-28600421712929117482013-06-20T20:28:38.636-05:002013-06-20T20:28:38.636-05:00What, no remarks on the surreal Johnny Cash-Tom Jo...What, no remarks on the surreal Johnny Cash-Tom Jones clip??Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-14677387182449375312013-06-20T16:07:10.952-05:002013-06-20T16:07:10.952-05:00Couple of items..
1) Must be the '50' hit...Couple of items..<br /><br />1) Must be the '50' hittin' me, but I cannot track down who commented on Aparo making everything so dense in his panel work. A splendid way to summarize his work and why I'm not a fan of him as others are. Sal's still 'my guy'.<br /><br />2) 8-tracks..? I just caught on to 8-tracks as they were phasing out in the late 70s. Again, my mom picked up great deals like AM/FM/8-track players for $10 or something at rummage sales, 8-tracks for a buck each. Actually collected nearly all the 70s George Harrison issues for $3 a piece or something. My older brother had (like most) those big 8-track cases, with the felt inside (I know.., 'ooooo, felt-lining'......). Anyways, I inherited a couple dozen Beatles and Stones tapes from him so it was a very cheap way to listen to all the tracks, even had some recordable 8-Tracks, which weren't all that common. I liked 'em, and played them well into the mid-80s at college. Hey, a cheap portable player, and every record store practically dumpin' them into garbage bins to make room for cassette..? Still love the points where some songs were cut in half to be continued on the next track. Elton's 'Yellow Brick Road' was an awesome album to have on 8-track. <br /><br />I'm sure somewhere, SOMEWHERE, there's a 'Frampton Comes Alive' or Cheap Trick 8-Track buried somewhere in my stuff. I believe they were required purchases for all Bronze Age teenagers at some point.<br /><br />I didn't know why if there were only 4 programs to play with a couple of songs each, why was it called an 8-track..? According to wikipedia, 'Stereo-8 Cartridges' were named such for the technology used in recording, so I answered my own question.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-71670312639069638012013-06-20T06:43:16.240-05:002013-06-20T06:43:16.240-05:00As far as music is concerned my mother loved to pl...As far as music is concerned my mother loved to play Herb Alpert and the Tia wanna Brass. We had and still have all his records. I loved to listen to the soundtrack to the Batman and Man from U.N.C.L.E. TV shows. <br /><br />We had a Hi-Fi console with a record player and in the 70's I had a Sharp Stereo System with a record player, AM/FM radio and 8-Track tape deck. I must have played the original Saturday Night Fever and Star Wars until they couldn't play anymore. Any time I hear the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack I remember being in my room, listening to this while drawing cartoonsfantastic four fan forevernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-51908939120680079062013-06-20T05:34:46.630-05:002013-06-20T05:34:46.630-05:00Kind of a funny story...I used to work for this gu...Kind of a funny story...I used to work for this guy when I was a teenager...he had his own restaurant, I mostly washed dishes, cut onions, peeled shrimp...sometimes walk his damn dogs. Anyway, he'd send me to the local supermarket to pick up lettuce or whatever. His car,that thing was a Lincoln towncar, an enormous piece of machinery that handled like a dead buffalo...it was like steering the Millenium falcon or whatever it was. You could dislocate your shoulder tryng to turn a corner. It was huge, that thing, a real pimp-mobile, and I was only 16. Anyway, he had an 8-track player in it and one of the tapes he had was Sly and the Family Stone. <br />It puzzled me because I always took him for a Sinatra kind of guy, middle-aged, paunchy, with a comb-over. Weird.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-66783808053016269632013-06-20T03:27:26.842-05:002013-06-20T03:27:26.842-05:00Ah, 8-tracks. Our family's stereo had an 8-tra...Ah, 8-tracks. Our family's stereo had an 8-track deck as well, but I think we had a whopping five 8-tracks (three bought by my brother, one of which was a Doobie Brothers greatest hits album, and two given to us by someone - all I remember is that one was a Savoy Brown album). Yes, pretty useless. And Anonymous above, yes cassettes weren't objectively much better in terms of sound quality, but they weren't as clunky, and they took up much less space.<br /><br />Funniest thing was, there were actually portable 8-track players - the equivalent of a boom box. I only found out about this in high school (my sophomore year, I think - early 1980s, long after they had become passe), when a kid brought one to school so he could play some ACDC 8-tracks that a friend of his had inherited from his older brother. I guess both of them thought this would make them look cool, but pretty much everyone just gave them funny looks as they walked around the halls with that contraption...Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-43534643452836255392013-06-19T23:38:41.374-05:002013-06-19T23:38:41.374-05:00Karen, c'mon, we all know the 8-track sucked, ...Karen, c'mon, we all know the 8-track sucked, but cassettes weren't much better, and you couldn't hardly drive around with a turn-table in your car. My older sister Peggy (who is kind of like what Galadriel would've been if she had taken the ring of Sauron) bought a used 8-track player and tapes and that's how my brother and I found out about Led Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult, Deep Purple and AC-DC. The 8-track, sucky as it was, truly brought wisdom to the masses. Those were primitive times.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-23277178771384535522013-06-19T23:24:18.028-05:002013-06-19T23:24:18.028-05:00We had a few 8 tracks. We usually got hand-me-dow...We had a few 8 tracks. We usually got hand-me-downs from some of our relatives, though. They were fun, especially when you got to the point where you could hear two songs at once on them. :\ <br /><br />I started buying cassettes in the early 70's. My folks gave me a tape recorder for my birthday and a Carpenters cassette to go with it. I ended up with hundreds of them before I finally switched to CDs in the mid 90's (one of the last holdouts, I'm sure).Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10547751537787941998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-9719183920892109662013-06-19T23:18:13.195-05:002013-06-19T23:18:13.195-05:00My old man liked Hee Haw too...that was the only t...My old man liked Hee Haw too...that was the only thing about him that made me ashamed.<br />My best memories about my Pop was watching Looney Tunes with him on Saturday morning...I mean the classic stuff. He and I used to laugh like crazy. I never saw him laugh so hard.<br />As for music, back in the 70's, my two older sisters always had their radios on...I was around 7 or 8...anyway, I grew up listening to the Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, ELO, the Spinners, Kansas...like that. I remember '76, (my favorite year) Blinded By the Light was all over the radio. I had music, my comics, my telescope...man, I had it made.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-31541185940151307472013-06-19T22:35:39.669-05:002013-06-19T22:35:39.669-05:00Our stereo had the 8-track player set right below ...Our stereo had the 8-track player set right below the turntable. I think we bought about three 8-tracks before we all realized how clunky and stupid they were. Never had one in the car.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-29181013485402209402013-06-19T21:58:02.473-05:002013-06-19T21:58:02.473-05:00Oh, that would be zero, in our case. We never eve...Oh, that would be zero, in our case. We never even got any kind of 8-track player (man, what a useless technology-!). They both eventually yielded to cassette tapes at pretty much the time CD's were taking over.<br /><br />HBhumanbellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-25052394244686461022013-06-19T21:37:42.870-05:002013-06-19T21:37:42.870-05:00My wife and I were discussing today's post on ...My wife and I were discussing today's post on our afternoon walk, and she brought up an interesting point. Several of us have written about console stereos; how much of your parents' music was listened to on 8-track tapes?<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-91722068900344974942013-06-19T21:15:40.239-05:002013-06-19T21:15:40.239-05:00Yep, the "Bronze Age Artist/Joy" questio...Yep, the "Bronze Age Artist/Joy" question could definitely be a whole separate topic, I daresay. While there may be some overlap with the Bracketology, it speaks to a whole different set of criteria. In well-considered order of preference:<br /><br />1) Herb Trimpe. (Yep-- bringer of joy to this kid during his run on INCREDIBLE HULK)<br />2) Sal Buscema (HULK, DEFENDERS)<br />3) George Perez (His run on FF in the 170's/180's, then later in the AVENGERS)<br />4) John Byrne (X-MEN, AVENGERS,MTU, and finally FF. . . bigtime)<br />5) Dave Cockrum (the initial All New X-MEN run-- left me breathless on a brutal bi-monthly schedule)<br />6) Jack Kirby (KAMANDI)<br /><br />These were the artists on runs that made me tingle whenever I picked up a brand new issue. I can still bring that sensation to mind. . . <br /><br />HBHumanbellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-58604208866658588872013-06-19T20:39:47.393-05:002013-06-19T20:39:47.393-05:00Oops - actually it's set to run on July 9th. ...Oops - actually it's set to run on July 9th. It's titled "Great Performances".<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-64082211861308132812013-06-19T20:36:08.508-05:002013-06-19T20:36:08.508-05:00Funny you should ask that question, David. We alr...Funny you should ask that question, David. We already have a post set to run on a very similar topic, in just a few days!<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-82321085356695860872013-06-19T20:01:59.136-05:002013-06-19T20:01:59.136-05:00Doug asked: "Which Bronze Age Artist Brought ...Doug asked: "Which Bronze Age Artist Brought You the Most Joy?"<br /><br />During the Bronze age, it's Mike Grell for me. My main reading period was '76-'86, and there was always a Mike Grell comic on the stands. Warlord, Starslayer, Jon Sable, Green Arrow miniseries...plus whatever other various comics he drew and wrote. It hit me at the right age too, as Warlord was more fantasy, then progressing into more gritty realism as I hit my teens--but always humour, and romance too, in every title he wrote. Grell's work was down to earth, yet imaginative... a spirit of adventure.Garettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-38572019077962979532013-06-19T20:01:38.042-05:002013-06-19T20:01:38.042-05:00When "Disco took over..."
Sounds like a...When "Disco took over..."<br /><br />Sounds like a great column idea, if it hasn't been covered already. I loved Soul Train as well - the kids dancin' all seemed to have more energy than Bandstand. <br /><br />I loved the afro hair styles. <br /><br />How about a column on music shows..? Don Kirchner's late night concert show and 'Midnight Special' come to mind.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-50379532453355642802013-06-19T18:24:40.215-05:002013-06-19T18:24:40.215-05:00Oh man, I hated Hee Haw!! I know we've all ven...Oh man, I hated Hee Haw!! I know we've all vented about being forced to watch that show before, but the pain never seems to go away. Although I do respect Roy Clark. But Jiminy Christmas, did that show drive me nuts.<br /><br />Now on the other hand, I loved watching Soul Train! I remember when I discovered it. After the blandness of American Bandstand it was like a bolt of lightning had hit me. The dancing, the clothing, the music -it was great! Until disco took over...Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-66140107471551895392013-06-19T18:14:04.668-05:002013-06-19T18:14:04.668-05:00Many great comments today; enjoying hearing about ...Many great comments today; enjoying hearing about everyone's musical origins. My parents had a big console stereo; used to love staring at the illuminated radio dial (yes, I was easily amused). Their record collection was filled with classical albums and show tunes. Dad would play Chopin on the piano, and later play "South Pacific" on the stereo. There was no pop music to be heard, the evenings on tv featured Lawrence Welk, Mitch Miller and yes, "Hee Haw". Our babysitter introduced us to American Bandstand, and school friends provided current 45,s during recess.<br /><br />As for a personal fave artist: Byrne, hands down. He made everything look good...Redartznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-42800381788298029422013-06-19T16:52:29.426-05:002013-06-19T16:52:29.426-05:00My parents listened to everything.....rock & r...My parents listened to everything.....rock & roll, country, soul, easy listening. The radio was on all the time at the house, but some days it would be on the country station, some days the rock/pop station, some days the easy listening. My dad leaned more toward country and easy listening, and I still like some of the music he liked. My mom was more into the rock and roll, and even some R&B. <br /><br />I don't think my dad listens too much anymore....every once in a while, I will make him a Sinatra, Tony Bennett, or Count Basie CD, or the occasional B.B. King CD. My mom still listens to just about everything.Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10547751537787941998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-50114189574230242302013-06-19T14:44:55.838-05:002013-06-19T14:44:55.838-05:00I pick Aparo over Sal. Batman, Spectre, even Phant...I pick Aparo over Sal. Batman, Spectre, even Phantom Stranger...great stuff. Love his compositions, action, the portraits of celebrities he'd throw in...like Neal Adams, but more down-to-earth realism and less gloss.<br /><br />My mom listened to Harry Belafonte and Nana Mouskouri...my dad Johnny Cash and the Kingston Trio.Garettnoreply@blogger.com