Hey, brain dead members of this forum

[Sardondi]

What's with all the jewelry.  Holy fuck.

"I hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do..."

...

The "free form" era of FM Radio...

Nowdays, if you hear Spirit on the radio, it just means somebody in the band died and since 40% of the original band has passed...well, the odds have lessened. 

I do hate the "Oh, wow, the old days were just kickin'!" stuff, particularly since so many kids seem to buy into it and live in a constant state of impossible longing for something that never existed. Don't let anyone tell you the 60's (64-75) were some magic Camelot time - they sucked like no other similar chunk of years since WWII. The "love" stuff was sheer p.r. froth: the actual vibe was vicious and aggressive. There were way too many people who literally wanted the destruction of western civilization...in many ways like the Occupy/Anarchy crowd, who are the philosophical heirs of the 60's avatars, insofar as they have an articulable philosophy other than soundbites and slogans.

The 60's were baaaad, man. From 65-70 there were something like 15 riots in virtually every major city in which scores of persons were killed...and most not by the police. Revolutionaries like Angela Davis, who still inexplicably walks the streets, assassinated elected officials, invaded courtrooms, kidnapped and killed judges, took over buildings and murdered hostages. It was as close to anarchy as we've had in the US, and you really don't want it.

But as far as music goes, the time was unique, without a template. Anything was possible. Spirit's musical fusion was groundbreaking, just like their, uh, unusual familial and band relations/connections. And to think that Randy California was old enough to have been a grandfather at the time Spirit was touring with Led Zep. Hell, he would have been 90 next year. 90! The mind boggles.

[Marc.Knight]

You seem nice and I never had an issue with you, but you barely post! I don't see how the spirit affects your posting here. This is just like the real world... there are all kinds of attitudes.

[but you barely post!]  ... recently.  But old SS is one of the originals from GNS with a long history of supplying us with entertaining posts about drool mouth.  I notice when the Noory commentary gets a little boring some of the low brows start poking at others in the forum to entertain their simple, uneducated minds.  It does nothing but accentuate the fact that you are indeed simple and uneducated.

[b_dubb]

the sixties were mostly a time of civil unrest. the Boomers gave us President Ronald Reagan. fucking jerks.

[Juan]

Actually, Randy California was born in 1951, so he was a teen when Spirit formed.  His step-father, Ed Cassidy, played drums and was a founding member.  I believe that Ed is still alive and is getting close to 90.  He also played with Cannonball Adderly and the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk.  Now Kirk would have been a great guest for Art to interview.

[Eddie Coyle]

Revolutionaries like Angela Davis, who still inexplicably walks the streets, assassinated elected officials, invaded courtrooms, kidnapped and killed judges, took over buildings and murdered hostages. It was as close to anarchy as we've had in the US, and you really don't want it.

Don't even give them the prestige of "revolutionaries", the majority of these "movements"(pun intended) were run by screwballs like Jerry Rubin or recividist thugs like George Jackson or informant agent provocateurs like Timothy Leary, Ron Karenga or good old "Cinque" from the SLA. The tragedy of the August, 1970 Marin Courthouse Massacre is that Angela Davis didn't get her afro blasted off as well. Then a Limie half -wit who now rubs shoulders with CFR members writes a paean to her for Exile On Main Street. And Lennon's concurrent song for her, imaginitvely titled "Angela". was equally atrocious.

       Bob Dylan's "George Jackson" was an irresponsible piece of shit, likely ghost written by Howard Alk, that thankfully was out of date immediately-and dropped down the memory hole. But it was a pre-cursor to the even more egregious "Hurricane".

[Eddie Coyle]

Actually, Randy California was born in 1951, so he was a teen when Spirit formed.  His step-father, Ed Cassidy, played drums and was a founding member.  I believe that Ed is still alive and is getting close to 90.  He also played with Cannonball Adderly and the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk.  Now Kirk would have been a great guest for Art to interview.

        Legend has it that Jimi wanted the 15 year old Randy Wolfe to fly to London in '66 and be second guitarist for his fledgling outfit...but Randy's mother wasn't big on the idea. About a year later, Spirit began recording their debut-so it worked out and ironically, Mitch Mitchell would be on Randy's 1972 solo album. I think "Cass" is 88 now.

[Sardondi]

Actually, Randy California was born in 1951, so he was a teen when Spirit formed.  His step-father, Ed Cassidy, played drums and was a founding member.  I believe that Ed is still alive and is getting close to 90.  He also played with Cannonball Adderly and the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk.  Now Kirk would have been a great guest for Art to interview.

        Legend has it that Jimi wanted the 15 year old Randy Wolfe to fly to London in '66 and be second guitarist for his fledgling outfit...but Randy's mother wasn't big on the idea. About a year later, Spirit began recording their debut-so it worked out and ironically, Mitch Mitchell would be on Randy's 1972 solo album. I think "Cass" is 88 now.

*sigh* One of the vagaries of incipient old age is that saying things you don't mean are extended to keyboarding them also. I did indeed mean "Mr. Skin", Ed Cassidy. He's still alive?

Randy did indeed play with "Jimmy James and The Blue Flames" in the year before Hendrix hit.