A Time Machine Of Sorts

It's a daunting task but one I've set my mind to...to recreate my vinyl music collection on CD. After acquiring Emerson, Lake And Palmer I began to realize that the music of the 1970s was unbelievable. A cornucopia, a treasure chest of awesome music that impresses me to this day. Soon after that decade ended it was fashionable to bash it as puerile and vapid. Stupid beyond words. Of course, we were at our ultimate in cynicism being in our late twenties. That's the best time to be alive but it is also a time when one is at their worst as far as attitude is concerned. We were such know-it-alls, we thought we knew everything with our fancy college educations so we bashed away at the pop culture of the time. Disco made it easy. It came along for the last three years of that decade and couldn't go away quickly enough. I was not a fan of disco but seen from the vantage point of 2005 it seems rather charming and quaint right now.

But before the horror of disco invaded our lives we had music, oh baby did we ever have music. We had YES, we had Jethro Tull, Joni Mitchell, Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Electric Light Orchestra, Genesis, Supertramp, Elton John,...and the list could go on and on. I love this music and I played it loud and long on my car stereo. The music became the symbol of my life and times, a touchstone that will never fade for me. It defined a decade, a time in my life that was the most memorable of my now middle-aged life. It recalls the early part of the decade when I got my first car. I know exactly what was playing on the radio as it also occupied a spot in my music collection. When I hear this music I am transported back in space and time to a better, safer and gentler time. I can see, touch, hear and taste my past. I can see myself driving every day to my nearby college, car stereo blaring as I tried to educate myself, find myself. I can recall President Carter asking us to sacrifice by lowering our thermostats as the Arab oil embargo started to hurt. I can see the long lines for gas, Archie Bunker and Benson on Soap.

But it all ended. The 1980s were coming and with it a new musical sound, a revolution of sorts, New Wave. How apropos. In addition to music a new political mood was brewing as well, a new kind of conservatism and in 1980 it took the form of Ronald Reagan. As the 70s faded and the 80s debuted it was as if we were glad to be rid of that old, friendly and reliable dog that you grew up with. He wasn't much to look at but you were kind of glad to get rid of him because this new dog was a purebred and so much better looking. But in hindsight you missed that old dog. He loved you like no other, the new one couldn't touch him in that department. But you were now stuck with the new one. It didn't make you feel good, it just made you lonely for your old friend. We were stuck with the 1980s...but I'll take the 70s any day.