Did Hippies Hurt or Help American Music?

admin · Post by **b0b** » 28 Feb 2008 11:04 pm

One of the odd things about hippie music was that people with no vocal chops at all had the audacity to sing. It really drove our parents nuts.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 28 Feb 2008 11:51 pm

b0b wrote:It really drove our parents nuts.

Wasn't THAT part of the idea?

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 29 Feb 2008 8:42 am

b0b wrote:One of the odd things about hippie music was that people with no vocal chops at all had the audacity to sing. It really drove our parents nuts.

True, and this no-vocal-chops tradition is still alive and well among singer-songwriters and college radio. However, the hippies did inherit some respect for playing instruments from early rock'n'roll, country, bluegrass, R&B, the beat jazzers, and folkies. Most were not old enough to be real masters, but you were expected to be able to play at least up to the standards of a late teen who practiced for a few years. It took anti-hippie punkers of the '70s to bring instrument chops down to beginner and drunk-junkie level. Not that I'm complaining. The raw energy of punk was refreshing at first. Thirty years later, not so much.

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 29 Feb 2008 9:13 am

I remember reading somewhere that Jimi Hendrix figured he'd try singing after he heard Bob Dylan. Glad he did.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 4 Mar 2008 2:43 pm

I don't care for Bob Dylan's voice!

Mat Rhodes · Post by **Mat Rhodes** » 4 Mar 2008 3:48 pm

I don't care for Bob Dylan's voice!

Ditto for my feelings about Neil Young's voice. He's the Hippie equivalent of a cat when its tail is pulled.

But Jimi was definitely a triple threat. Not many could/can both sing AND play at his level. But everyone knows that.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 4 Mar 2008 6:07 pm

I was a hippie, but this topic is getting old. JMO

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 4 Mar 2008 8:44 pm

YOU were a hippy, Theresa? We want photographic proof! C'mon, let's see 'em!

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 4 Mar 2008 9:06 pm

Theresa, if you were really a hippie, you would have posted 3 of these

.

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 5 Mar 2008 6:42 am

Thanks for all the recommendations on the Dead stuff guys. I appreciate it.

I went down to the local library and got "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty" to check out.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 5 Mar 2008 6:57 am

Good call, enjoy.
Give them both some time, they grow on you.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 5 Mar 2008 9:23 am

Knock, knock. Who is it? Its me Dave. Open up man,I got the stuff (whispered). Who? Its me Dave! Open the door. (Long pause). Dave's not home!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 5 Mar 2008 10:37 am

Open the door. I think the cops saw me come in.
Who? Dave! Dave's not here.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 5 Mar 2008 10:53 am

No, you idiot! Its me Dave. Open the #@$$! door. I got the stuff. Who? Dave! (Long pause). Dave's not here.

Webb Kline · Post by **Webb Kline** » 5 Mar 2008 11:23 am

And here all along I thought it was some dull Indian movie!

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 5 Mar 2008 12:08 pm

Ha! I saw Cheech and Chong back in 1972, at the Inglewood Forum in Los Angeles, with Santana and the Stones. Pretty sure it was a benefit for the Nicaragua earthquake...back when Mick was married to Bianca.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 5 Mar 2008 6:11 pm

Mike Winter wrote:...back when Mick was married to Bianca.

The pliestioceane age then?

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 5 Mar 2008 6:37 pm

No, that was too far back. It actually was during the Nixonian Age, before the Watergate Flood...

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 5 Mar 2008 6:53 pm

Mike Winter wrote: the Nixonian Age, before the Watergate Flood...

Speaking of which, the Watergate comedy "DICK" starring Kirsten Dunst is an absolute laugh riot. You have to remember Watergate to appreciate it, and the under 30 crowd didn't support the movie when it first came out, but it's on cable now.

The premise of the film is that "deep throat" was 2 clueless 15 year old girls who set the whole scandal in motion when they snuck out of the hotel to mail a fan letter to Bobby Sherman.

With such comic actors as Will Farrell, Harry Shearer and Dan Hedaya as Nixon, the film manages to mention every known fact about Watergate (at the time it was made,) and still be absolutely hilarious.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 5 Mar 2008 7:05 pm

Yeah DICK is a hoot.
The music is of course perfect time and place too.

Mike Winter · Post by **Mike Winter** » 5 Mar 2008 7:10 pm

Aw man, ya done burst my bubble...I thought Forrest Gump blew the whistle.

To keep it on track, the Forrest Gump soundtrack is pretty cool.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 7 Mar 2008 5:48 pm

Damn hippies ('specially that one second from left; he's nuthin' but trubble)...

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 7 Mar 2008 6:18 pm

Vince Gill, you hippie!

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 7 Mar 2008 6:25 pm

Jimbeaux that looks post hippie, pre-hair metal.

The Final Net sales have yet to go up.

Except 1 or 2 of The Statler Brothers snuck into the pic!