On Sun, 25 Apr 1999, Terry A. Smith wrote:
> Yeah, it's a hoot to make fun of defenseless hippies, but lots more fun if
> a couple of 'em come roaring up beside your pickup truck, and flip you off
> when you make an off-hand comment about their hair.
Doh!
> Seriously, though, it's not nice to stereotype folks, or assume consensus
> on this notion than any guitar solo over 30 seconds is self-indulgent. As
> a former Deadhead, who now wonders what I ever saw in them, I'm not ready
> just yet to join in the ridicule. Unless I was completely clueless as a
> teen (OK, stop laughing!), there must have been something going with the
> Dead and Quicksilver and Canned Heat and the other 60s jam bands that too
> many lousy bands are emulating (along with a few good ones) these days.
Oh, I agree, actually. In fact, I still enjoy pulling out the
Dead's "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty" from time to time, and I
think Quicksilver had something to 'em, as well. Although long, meandering
jams are of course what the Grateful Dead are (in)famous for, I'd argue
that there are some good *songs* there, too--ones no longer than 4
minutes, to boot. I'd also have to say that it was groups like the Dead
and the Band and even the Buffalo Springfield who first opened my ears to
country music sounds.
No, I honestly bear no grudges against hippies, per se <g>. Truth
is, I find their booming interest in bluegrass and acoustic music to be
kind of interesting in a anthropological way. I assume the gateway from
"Dark Star" to "Rank Strangers" is all those Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
albums?...
Kip
