Come Along With Me
Come along with me
on a magic carpet ride to the memories of a more innocent time. The
echoes of the Mamas and Papas, the loving embrace of Sonny and Cher,
the mystic melodies of Donovan, and all the way to Max Yasgur’s
farm which sounded the end of the innocence of our youth. I still
hear California dreaming and there is a scent of incense and
peppermint in the air to take me back.
One of my most
favorite genres of music seems to be getting lost in the definitions
of the various genres of 60’s music. Flower power music only lasted
about four years from 1965 to 1969. One of the reasons is that it was
a mixture of various music types of the 60’s It was a mixture of
light rhythm and blues and folk music and slow rock, but it
definitely was not psychedelic music. Even the instrumentals of
flower power were a little more laid back and melodic than the
psychedelic or hard rock music that was starting to emerge in the
latter part of the ’60s. Most of the stars of that type of music
were crossing boundaries from pop-rock, folk-rock, and yes even
underground rock to the music that was more about happiness, love, and
treating your fellow human being with courtesy and respect. I guess
that’s because of the movements of the antiwar and racial protests
of that particular time. Rock took a dramatic turn to the more wild
hard rock, while the folk side went on a rocky mountain high and as
the country was in turmoil, artists were echoing this in the music
that was being written and played. The best of it still remains for
us to enjoy the music, but our innocence is gone.
What got me started
thinking about my musical memories was the loss of one of the
prettiest voices in music. Her name is Nancy Griffith and she had
that folk-rock vibe to her music. She called it folk-a-billy. I
thought she had the greatest sound of any artist I have ever heard.
The types of songs she wrote reminded me of the flower power music I
loved as a teenager.
For some reason
when you look up flower power groups on the Internet they have no
clue as to which years that flower power music was made. I find
groups from the early 60’s all the way to the late 70’s pop up. It’s
not that the music that other groups and other times had isn’t
good, but it’s not what I’m looking for and is not what my soul
desires. There was an innocence and a magic to both the music and the
time. It started just as the Beatles landed in New York for the first
time but it wasn’t British rock, it was totally and absolutely
different than mainstream music. It not only fills the heart with
joy, but it also had a message of peace and respect for your fellow man. Maybe
it’s not that it’s not out there, maybe it’s that I can’t
reach out with that innocence of the first love of music that I used
to have and can no longer find. Maybe it’s me or maybe it’s that
these younger programmers and computer whiz kids that I rely on to
make the search into the inter-web for my memories have no concept of
my heart's desires.
It wasn’t just
wearing flowers in your hair or going to San Francisco. We were so
happy together in those days no matter where we were. The music of
that time emphasized the love and not knowing better than just being
happy. I need to see what condition my condition was in, maybe my
mind and heart have left youth and happiness behind as I have grown
into a man. Finding my way back to hear the music that I love isn’t
meant to be? That’s right, the songs that we heard and loved
brought us to a plane of consciousness that is impossible to find
with the cynicism of becoming an adult and realizing man’s
inhumanity to man is not just stories we read in our history books,
it was and is real and happening today.
Sadly, most of
those artists are retiring or have retired and some are no longer
with us. This is the time that they call our golden years, but if the
truth be known, it is some of my saddest years to lose those great
voices. The songs that they will never write are only brightened by
the light of the music that they left us. That is why I am searching
for the songs of my youth, the flower power music had a magic in
those days and hopefully, I may find that magic again. It’s not too
late, it’s never too late to enjoy the memories of youth and the
joy that life has brought us.
No matter what type
of music you enjoyed in your life, it has a magic that brings back
the memories and feelings of that first kiss and even finding that
one person that lit that light deep within your soul. I wish you all
the same happiness of life and the love of music that I have. When
someone tells you that there is no magic in the world today, pop-out
that 45 of their favorite song and play it and look deep
into their
eyes as they remember those special moments that only music can
unlock within our minds.
The great singer-songwriters and musicians of the past have left a legacy of memories
and love that can conquer any loneliness and misery and pain, just
give it a try. It will take you back to a long and winding road that
leads us to our past, yes, love is all you need. May God bless you
and keep you and please be safe and healthy
your friend always,
Keith L House
0. Nancy Griffith
1. Scott
McKenzie
2. Mamas and Papas
3.The
Rascals
4.The
5th Dimension
5.Strawberry
Alarm Clock
6.Melanie
7.The
Loving’
Spoonful
8.Grass
Roots
9.The
Byrds
10.The
Turtles
11.The
Cowsills
12.The
Grateful Dead
13.Donovan
Leitch
14.
Sonny and Cher
15.Arlo
Guthrie
16.The
Buffalo Springfield
17.Tommy
James and the Shondells
18.Spanky
and Our Gang
20.
Oliver Urdaneta
21.Crosby
Stills Nash and Young
I’m
sure I left out so many so put in your suggestions
in
the comments.
I have at the touch
of my keyboard more knowledge than the library of Alexander and more
power to find answers than any of the ancients could have imagined
possible. Our generation has
seen more tech knowledge and the advancement of communication and the
dispensing of Knowledge grew as fast as we grew up. The mantra of my
generation was to change the world for the better. 
