Lost hippie idealism and prog appreciation

[Homburg]

Is a yearning for hippie idealism an aspect of your appreciation of progressive rock? If so, how?

[Brian Griffin]

Heaven and Earth scratched that itch pretty well

JD can pen some words

BG

[EJD]

None whatsoever. I've always had a thing for elaborate music (classical, jazz), but also grew up on the energy of rock and roll, punk and hardcore.

When it's "on", prog bridges those worlds nicely.

The hippie-dippy lyrics featured in some of it are actually a big negative for me, which is why I gravitate towards the more instrumental Canterbury and Kraut stuff, or the playful silliness of Gabriel-era Genesis and Belew-era KC.

[trurl]

Nope. Get a hair cut.

[chalkpie]

You can take the patchouli out of prog, but can you take the prog out of patchouli? What?

[ThomasKDye]

Oh hell yeah. I think prog's adventurous nature reminds me of my youthful idealism, that people take their art where they want to take it as opposed to where the Powers That Be want you to take it.

[progeezer]

Not at all!

Christmas of 2012 my kids gave me a hoodie that said:

"Almost 70 And Still Waiting To Grow Up"

"Stuck In The 60s And Can't Get Out"

"Life Is Good"

My kids know their old man well.

[arabicadabra]

That is awesome...

Not at all!

Christmas of 2012 my kids gave me a hoodie that said:

"Almost 70 And Still Waiting To Grow Up"

"Stuck In The 60s And Can't Get Out"

"Life Is Good"

My kids know their old man well.

[Trane]

Oh hell yeah. I think prog's adventurous nature reminds me of my youthful idealism, that people take their art where they want to take it as opposed to where the Powers That Be want you to take it.

oh yeah, I was born 10 years too late... I'm definitely a hippie-psych-prog dude that missed the best years of the counter-culture

Unfortunately too young to have lived 67, I had to settle for 77, and it wasn't the same thing.
I don't regret it much ... though I kinda wish I was 10 years closer to pension when thinking of the grim days ahead of us.

[Digital_Man]

Is a yearning for hippie idealism an aspect of your appreciation of progressive rock? If so, how?

In a word no. I appreciate the sixties hippie idealism but I don't have to hear it in my music nor do I expect to hear it in my music unless I'm listening to Jimi Hendrix or Iron Butterfly or something. It is nice that some prog such as the Flower Kings or Kansas or YES or whoever have spiritual or peace and love kind of lyrics since a lot of that is missing from today's music (and you certainly won't hear it in 99 percent of heavy metal) but it is far from essential.

[ThomasKDye]

I think people are taking "hippie idealism" too literally. I took it to mean a metaphoric sense of "all can be well if we want it to be" as opposed to the concrete flower-power imagery of, say, Roine Stolt.

[Digital_Man]

^ And the thing is Roine Stolt was kind of rude to me when I met him or at least not very friendly. I was expecting someone who might be more positive and appreciative of his fans like his music might suggest but no. This is why I try not to meet my heroes.

[ThomasKDye]

^ And the thing is Roine Stolt was kind of rude to me when I met him or at least not very friendly. I was expecting someone who might be more positive and appreciative of his fans like his music might suggest but no. This is why I try not to meet my heroes.

You might have gotten him on a bad day. I've had varying meetings with the members of Spock's Beard, though Ryo has always been a massive ball of fun. But NDV seemed really preoccupied when I met him, so I cut him some slack. In general, you're right, though, keep them at arm's length. All they need to do is make music.

Anyway, back on topic…

[Digital_Man]

Well could be. It was at Rosfest and he was apparently under the weather but still. Yeah back on topic......

[N_Singh]

Is this a back door Tales thread? Four part "shastric" structures piggybacked on a footnote, as, ahem, "relayed" by a soon to be monastary bound avant guard percussionist to a pre "Janeeeeeeee-wooooot!" Singer?

[chalkpie]

Is this a back door Tales thread? Four part "shastric" structures piggybacked on a footnote, as, ahem, "relayed" by a soon to be monastary bound avant guard percussionist to a pre "Janeeeeeeee-wooooot!" Singer?

Yes, no, no, no, no, maybe, yes, and probably. The new singer is simply known as Vomit-Cheddar and his 1968 mellotron is midi'ed to his rectum.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

No.

[Yodelgoat]

Never got into the Hippy thing - that was about 5 years ahead of me, but I sure dig prog rock.

[Trane]

I think people are taking "hippie idealism" too literally. I took it to mean a metaphoric sense of "all can be well if we want it to be" as opposed to the concrete flower-power imagery of, say, Roine Stolt.

Been reading over the last three or four years a few books about the hippie movement, lthe latest about Frisco before 66 and making the links between the beatpoets and general counter-culture and how the baton was passed between the different tribes and the two generations... Tribes were the Beats, Hell's Angels, Merry Pranksters , Leary's tribe upstate NY (League for Spiritual Discovery), Owsley's Beat Research group), Diggers Mime troops, Berkeley student militants (Free Speech Movement and Berkeley Liberation Program), Civil Right Movement, Gay and Women's Lib movements, End of Vietnam War Committees, Red Power Movement (Amerindians) and everything.... plus the myriad of kling-ons squatting the streets in Haight-Ashbury or the hills of Laurel Canyon, who consisted of runaways out there mostly for the free dope and food distribution... it left very few people out with the real "love, peace, fresh air, bio agriculture and alternative living accomodations" lifestyles that most nowadays imagine hippies had back then.

The UK hippy scene was totally different than the US scene or even the French scene... London hippies were about dressing up in expensive designer clothes and going to clubs to do drugs and be part of the music excitement... It was very much an upper middle class thing... Musical fads tend to catch in London if there is a dressing code and some kind of trip-inducing or reality escaping substances to accompany the movement... I'd even say that that the real hippy spirit didn't really happen in the UK, because AFAIK, there were very few communes. Part of the reason is probably UK's rainy weather, which didn't really attract potential candidates to live outdoors of love and fresh water

The French hippy scene was a result of the student upheaval in May 68 and somewhat more political than musical or artistic... There was much left-wing and libertarian spirits and many communes decided to live in emptying mountain villages. While music did play a role, big festivals were banned by De Gaule, in fear of huge youths meetings after the May 68 thingie. French had to resort to organising smaller events, sometimes just across the border (Amougies in Belgium) to catch the music of the times.

[notallwhowander]

Unfortunately too young to have lived 67, I had to settle for 77, and it wasn't the same thing.
I don't regret it much ... though I kinda wish I was 10 years closer to pension when thinking of the grim days ahead of us.

I had to settle for '87. The '60s counterculture seemed much more interesting than the '80s did. So I ate a large portion of scraps and vapors, and saw a lot of 20th Anniversary shows. Still, I think there is something beautiful and important in championing peace over war, love over hate, and understanding over ignorance. And while that can come from sources other than hippies, they were important piece of the puzzle for me. I suppose they still are.

Pass the granola please.

[cavgator]

Not in the least. For me, it is all about the music.

[calyx]

big festivals were banned by De Gaule, in fear of huge youths meetings after the May 68 thingie.

Probably of little interest to most here, but for accuracy's sake you mean Pompidou. De Gaulle left power in May '69 before any of the big festivals happened, which was under Pompidou's rule (1969-74), with the fondly remembered Raymond Marcellin as minister of the Interior.

[Trane]

Probably of little interest to most here, but for accuracy's sake you mean Pompidou. De Gaulle left power in May '69 before any of the big festivals happened, which was under Pompidou's rule (1969-74), with the fondly remembered Raymond Marcellin as minister of the Interior.

Yup, George Pompidou was the one... or indeed Marcelin...

[calyx]

It was Pompidou, however, who famously called pop/rock'n'roll "music for degenerates" ("musique pour dégénérés"), prompting the creation in 1971 of an organisation called "Rock Pas Dégénéré" spearheaded by Jacques Pasquier (then-manager of Crium Delirium) with Bob Bénamou (then-manager of Gong) and Giorgio Gomelsky (then-manager of Magma) who pioneered the youth club circuit in France which, in spite of the lack of major festivals, was hugely important in the "golden age" of the French "prog" scene. (The organisation soon changed names to "Rock Pas Gaga", then morphed into "Réso Zéro" and under this guise lasted until the mid-1970s)

[Trane]

Yup, the creation of the Youth Cultural Centre circuit (or whatever one could call it) was so important... and only allowed small to medium (and mostly local) crowds management

The return of bigger festivals around 74 or 75 (thinking of the Orange festival in 75 & 76) must've felt a real relief for some
(not to mention Punk's founding debut in Mont De Marsan in Sept 76)