Thursday 13 - #13!

Not too long ago I did a TT on what was happening 30 years ago, during the summer of 1977 when Punk Rock ruled in the US and UK. Well, let's go back a little further still, say 40 years to 1967 and the Summer of Love!

1. San Francisco
2. Haight-Ashbury - been here recently and, while I wasn't there back in during its heigh day, I have a feeling it's much more commercial now. However, there is a lovely cafe called The Pork Shop - a must try if you can handle the lines to get in.
3. Monterey Pop Festival
4. Himi Hendrix - the best rendition of the US national anthem EVER!
5. Janis Joplin
6. Free Love
7. Flower Power
8. Timothy Leary - oddly enough, there's a spot in my hometown where rumor has it he set up a couple of teepees and people went out there to drop out [take LSD]. Don't know if it really happened, but everytime I drive around the big bend in the canyon I look over to that spot and wonder about this.
9. Drugs
10. Hippies
11. Long hair
12. Jesus shoes
13. Peace

An interesting period of time in the US - and how odd this period and the summer Punk ruled were exactly ten years apart. These two periods couldn't be more different from each other, but I have to wonder, if ten years separated these two, what will be happening in 2017?

Thursday 13 - #11!

30 years ago this summer Punk Rock ruled in the US and UK. Here are 13 things from this wild time.

1. Sex Pistols
2. The Clash - a timeless band!
3. Ramones
4. Buzzcocks
5. Vivienne Westwood's bondage pants - hmmm, I'm thinking these should show up in one of my stories - maybe somewhere in the 'A Fashion for Passion and Bondage' series!
6. The Mohawk
7. Piercings
8. "God Save the Queen"
9. Dr Marten Boots - have the shoes but no steel caps [the cutie does and if he forgets and wears them to the airport, the bells are ringing!]
10. Safety Pins
11. Tartan
12. British Flag - did you know there is a right side up to this flag? If it's upside down, you're in distress, but what if you don't know which way is up?
13. Anarchy


Not too long ago I listed my singles collection, filled with obscure punkers, but this one is in the album collection. Alvin is cool!

Thursday 13 - #6!

The cutie and I have been doing our annual, do I still want to keep this book because real estate for the tomes is at a premium. One entire shelf hold our albums - yes, albums! - and we keep asking ourselves, should we keep them? We have no player that will work in this country, and the one we had for the other has been boxed in the attic for a few years now. So, I went through my singles, see if anything shook loose and there were exactly 13...here they are in no particular order:

1. Joe Jackson (a) Real Men and (b) Chinatown
1982 - still love Joe Jackson, he's on my ipod and I remember all the words - okay, most.

2. The Untouchables (a) The General (b) Tropical Bird
1983 - have to keep this one, every Thursday we used go watch them play. I even remember the shop I found this one in, got some lovely second hand sweaters at the same time.

3. The Untouchables (a) Dance Beat (b) Twist and Shake
1982 - this one, says its a "First Edition" [thought that only related to books], was had at one of their concerts.

4. The Clash (a) Gates of the West (b) Groovy Times
1979 - this one is marked "Demonstration Not For Sale", don't remember where I got it.

5. The Queer Pills [more commonly known as The Angry Samoans] (a) Stupid Jerk, Time to Fuck and The Todd Killings (b) They Saved Hitler's Cock
1981 - my punk phase, and I was a very tidy punker - only my earrings were out there :-)

6. Dead Kennedys (a) Moral Majority (b) Nazi Punks - Fuck Off
No year but I paid $1.49 at Tower Records for it - on sale from $2.49, bargain.

7. NastyFacts (a) Gotta Get To You/Crazy 'Bout You (b) Drive My Car
1981 - hmmm, don't really remember this one either but from the cover I'm think it was slightly punkish.

8. The Fun Boy Three (a) Summer Time (b) Summer of '82
1982 - I was a huge fan of The Specials, and still adore Terry Hall, my only excuse for this one.

9. Madness (a) Guns (b) One Better Day
1984 - am an even bigger fan of Madness, have every single one of the cassettes, albums, CD's, everything and have even bought their more recent offerings played out as Dangermen Sessions.

10. Madness (a) Driving in My Car (b) Animal Farm: Tomorrow's Dream Warp Mix
1982 - they still tour and give a racous concert.

11. Madness (a) Cardiac Arrest (b) In the City
1981 - another Tower Records find, paid $3.99

12. Madness (a) Memories (b) Grey Day
1981 - Graham McPherson, Suggs, has a radio show on Virgin Radio every day at tea time [9:00am est]

13. Madness (a) It Must Be Love (b) Shadow on the House
1981 - It Must Be Love, recently used by Levi for a commercial, was the inspiration for "Extreme Speed, Total Control".

So, should I get rid of them because we can't listen to them, or keep them for the memories?