It's 1975. The last hurrah of the Hippies. Krishna Consciousness is on the way out after George Harrison is savaged in the press for his Dark Horse album, released in December 1974, and the accompanying calamitous tour with Ravi Shankar. Fortunately for the Hippies at the same time George and Ravi are crashing and burning the boys in Lynyrd Skynyrd are flying high. When I saw this performance of "Free Bird" last winter, after checking out from my branch library a DVD of the Old Grey Whistle Test, I was catapulted back to the days of rugby shirts, puka shell necklaces, adidas Viennas and drawstring pants. Note the athleticism of the band; these Southern boys are dripping with testosterone:
But Skynyrd Hippieness is merely formal. As soon as those locks are shorn the Hippie is gone. The end is fast approaching. The Punks are coming.
No comments:
Post a Comment