In A Musical Mood, Part One
May. 20th, 2001 01:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penpusherI wrote liner notes for the "soundtrack" of 175 songs that is the companion of "The Isolation Generation". Of course, I didn't even THINK about the issues of royalties and such, because I knew I would never consider actually producing this collection for sale. I was content in simply presenting a neat little box to friends and having them open it to find 6 audio cassettes, each filled with the pop music of that era.
But recently, there's been a clamor about possibly doing this FOR REAL. It's an intriguing concept, as it would definitely help push the book and possibly help make the film. I know it's going to be a real legal struggle, tracking down the owners of the royalties, getting permission, and getting a label to agree to promote and press this thing (Hello, Rhino?...) But, I've bet on longer shots and came up a winner.
Here is the opening bit of the liner notes for the Soundtrack.
Overview
In my book, “The Isolation Generation,” I put forth a provocative theory: Each generation is ‘born’ after a very special, and usually emotionally charged happening, which I dubbed a “Magna-Event.” For the Baby Boomers, that event was the Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima – August 6, 1945.
If you are an aficionado of astrology, then you know that this would make the Baby Boomers a group of collective Leos. If behavioral patterns are any indication, how can you not agree? The entire generation radiates all of the traits of a typical Leo personality: strength, desire, regality, power / selfishness, vanity, egoism, pettiness.
There were a lot of demands of “I want my way!” by this group of people. And, they got it. Their stories are reflected in the music of the day.
The generation that followed the Boomers came into being on the launch date of Sputnik I – October 4, 1957. Continuing the comparison, that would make the Space-Agers a group of Libras. Again, the stars seem to support the theory. We examined the generations before us, indecisively. Should we be rebellious or please our parents? In many cases, we decided to wait for an answer to become clear. In most of those cases, one never did.
We looked for assistance, advice, aid. We sought direction. We got little or none. Instead, everyone’s focus was on our big siblings, the Boomers, who were putting on an amazing show, all over the world.
In the accompanying soundtrack, we will explore the pop music of the time, and how it both reflected on and related to our lives.
The first three tapes in the series are from the 1960’s. They deal with the "Manic/Depressive" nature of that decade and with the selling of both culture and counterculture using "Commercials and Psychedelics."
The final three tapes in the series focus on 1970 and beyond: The dramatic shift in popular music, creating the "Sugar Sweet Seventies," and the less meaningful music of the disco era and soft rock during our "Coming of Age."
Please note: none of this is intended to be a criticism against any group, person or movement. Rather, it’s more of a rummage through the attic of our past, looking at what is there, straightening things up, making some sense of it, and, in fact, fondly remembering most of it.
I would never presume to say that this is the definitive explanation for what happened to our lives. But, I ask you to have a look at these observations, then, hold them up, like a template, to your own life’s experiences and decide for yourself. How much of this is true for you?
But recently, there's been a clamor about possibly doing this FOR REAL. It's an intriguing concept, as it would definitely help push the book and possibly help make the film. I know it's going to be a real legal struggle, tracking down the owners of the royalties, getting permission, and getting a label to agree to promote and press this thing (Hello, Rhino?...) But, I've bet on longer shots and came up a winner.
Here is the opening bit of the liner notes for the Soundtrack.
In my book, “The Isolation Generation,” I put forth a provocative theory: Each generation is ‘born’ after a very special, and usually emotionally charged happening, which I dubbed a “Magna-Event.” For the Baby Boomers, that event was the Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima – August 6, 1945.
If you are an aficionado of astrology, then you know that this would make the Baby Boomers a group of collective Leos. If behavioral patterns are any indication, how can you not agree? The entire generation radiates all of the traits of a typical Leo personality: strength, desire, regality, power / selfishness, vanity, egoism, pettiness.
There were a lot of demands of “I want my way!” by this group of people. And, they got it. Their stories are reflected in the music of the day.
The generation that followed the Boomers came into being on the launch date of Sputnik I – October 4, 1957. Continuing the comparison, that would make the Space-Agers a group of Libras. Again, the stars seem to support the theory. We examined the generations before us, indecisively. Should we be rebellious or please our parents? In many cases, we decided to wait for an answer to become clear. In most of those cases, one never did.
We looked for assistance, advice, aid. We sought direction. We got little or none. Instead, everyone’s focus was on our big siblings, the Boomers, who were putting on an amazing show, all over the world.
In the accompanying soundtrack, we will explore the pop music of the time, and how it both reflected on and related to our lives.
The first three tapes in the series are from the 1960’s. They deal with the "Manic/Depressive" nature of that decade and with the selling of both culture and counterculture using "Commercials and Psychedelics."
The final three tapes in the series focus on 1970 and beyond: The dramatic shift in popular music, creating the "Sugar Sweet Seventies," and the less meaningful music of the disco era and soft rock during our "Coming of Age."
Please note: none of this is intended to be a criticism against any group, person or movement. Rather, it’s more of a rummage through the attic of our past, looking at what is there, straightening things up, making some sense of it, and, in fact, fondly remembering most of it.
I would never presume to say that this is the definitive explanation for what happened to our lives. But, I ask you to have a look at these observations, then, hold them up, like a template, to your own life’s experiences and decide for yourself. How much of this is true for you?