This Ain't the Summer of Love

Hiatus

As you may have noticed, this project seems to have run out of steam. I’m hoping that this is merely a temporary pause in the action; but the truth of that matter is that I’m experiencing a bit of a block. For various reasons, I just can’t seem to write at the moment. My experience is that these things come and go. When it will go, however, is unpredictable.

My collaborators, as always, are free to post when they’ve got something. I’ll be doing the same. And hey, if you think you might like to take a whack at it, email me.

In the meantime, I’d like to point to toward a couple of sites that might be of interest. If you’re at all into early electronics, psych, or prog, I highly recommend checking out Mutant Sounds. I’ve found a lot of really interesting and obscure things there – along with a few duds, of course, but that’s to be expected.

On the soul side of the scale, there’s, um, soul sides; top-notch commentary and history, plus some great music. In a similar vein, Funky 16 Corners is also worth a visit.

I hope to have some new content here soon. We’ll see what happens, I guess.

Intermission

Sorry for the lack of posting this week. I’ve been dealing with some ongoing health issues, the treatment for which is currently kicking my ass up one side and down the other. I’m hoping things will settle down a bit next week.

In the meantime, let me steer you back over to jefitoblog, where he’s featuring a King Crimson boot, circa 1973. I haven’t had a chance to listen to all of it, but what I’ve heard was top-notch angry-sounding prog. So yay for that.

Speaking as a child of the seventies

The 1970s are the Rodney Dangerfield of recent history; they get no respect, no respect at all. The eighties are fast becoming the runner-up in the go-to joke decade category, but the seventies are still way out in front. In some ways, deservedly so; there were some truly awful crimes committed in the name of fashion, although that’s one area in which the 80s may actually surpass them. Also, there were a lot of ideas about race, gender and culture which seemed pretty progressive at the time that now tend to induce heavy-duty wincing, however well-intended they may have been.

I think the seventies often get a bad rap, though. It was an awkward time – people were trying to process all that went on during the sixties, dealing with the fallout of all the cultural and political upheaval and getting on with their lives. Choices were made – some of them good, some less so.

Honestly now, has there ever been a time in which that last sentence wouldn’t be true?

More than you ever wanted to know about writing for This Ain't The Summer Of Love

In the interest of clarity, here are a few thoughts I've had regarding how I'd like things to run at This Ain't The Summer Of Love: