Gasp!

On Collecting Rock and Psychedelic Music Posters

I've never thought of collecting psychedelic rock posters. It sounds cool, though. Like pulp fiction cover artists, I wonder if these creators knew that their work would be featured in museums like the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Glen Trosch from Psychedelic Art Exchange explains why some people are just now getting involved with collecting posters: "Most of the new players are educated professionals that are highly successful in their chosen field. They are sick and tired of seeing their net worth wildly swing up and down on a weekly basis. They are very excited to discover affordable high-end art that is ultra rare and historically important."

Read the rest of the interview on his site.

Book Review - Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector

Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector
by Mick Brown
Alfred A. Knopf, 2007, 464 pages. 2007.

For those of us born several decades later, Phil Spector might be a has-been and a "who again?" wrapped in an enigma. But anybody familiar with music from the '50s and '60s will tell you that Spector created a new technique of record production called "The Wall of Sound." It's lush sound was created through using layers of instrumentals in such a way that listeners would get happily lost in the music. Think of "Good Vibrations" sung by the Beach Boys or "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" from the Righteous Brothers. Both were produced by Spector using his Wall of Sound techniques.

Spector's version of that Righteous Brothers hit was declared the "most played song of the 20th Century" by BMI, Inc. It's hard to reconcile the 20th Century Phil Spector with the 21st version. It's not the same man. Or is it?

It's a question that Mick Brown considers in his book, "Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector."

Book Review: The Day We Lost the H-Bomb by Barbara Moran

The Day We Lost the H-Bomb: Cold War, Hot Nukes, and the Worst Nuclear Weapons Disaster in History by Barbara Moran
Ballantine Books, 336 pages, $26.00. Release date: April 28, 2009

On January 17, 1966, an American B-52 bomber carrying four unarmed thermonuclear weapons exploded during an airborne refueling operation. Three bombs landed in Palomares, a farming village on the southern tip of Spain, but where was the fourth? Barbara Moran's new book, "The Day We Lost the H-Bomb: Cold War, Hot Nukes, and the Worst Nuclear Weapons Disaster in History" deftly describes a military operation fraught with terrifying consequences.

Out of the three top-secret H-Bombs that fell on land, only one was found in relatively good condition. The two others had cratered the earth, spreading pieces of the weapon along with contamination for hundreds of yards. "The SAC's final report of the accident said that most of the weapon was so mangled 'that you couldn't tell what is was or where it came from.'"

Authorities expected fury from the Spanish villagers. Instead, they were greeted with concern. Men from the village helped recovery body parts from the seven airmen who died in the explosion. Others, like Pepe Lopez, found one of the bombs near a small brush fire and stomped it out with his foot. Francisco Simo Orts, a fisherman, witnessed the explosion and tried to help the military recover the fourth bomb.

The Spanish government, under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, worked with the U.S. military to cover-up the incident. They never wanted to see the word "nuclear" in connection with the accident, lest it call into question why Americans were flying over Spanish airspace in planes loaded with nukes. As Moran explains, the Strategic Air Command performed flyovers to deter a sneak attack by the Soviets. Both the military and the public agreed that peaceful coexistence with the Communists could only be achieved through strength.

The international press, however, knew a cover-up when they saw it. News leaked out about the flyovers, a missing bomb and men in radiation suits testing the soil. The military continued plodding along, despite the attention. Engineers tried to calculate the location of the device by running formulas through an IBM 7090 computer.

This Week in Death

It's been almost a week since Dick Martin died. Best remembered for Laugh-In, he was also a frequent guest in Match Game. 

One of the most fascinating aspects of 1968 is the culture's ability to laugh at itself. The humor - broad, absurd and chaotic - gave people the freedom to laugh at the unexpected.

Despite the horror of the assassinations, riots, poverty and brutality of war and violence, society had the ability to laugh at itself. The humor - broad, absurd and chaotic - gave people permission to laugh at the unexpected. 

Comparing 1968 to the current year, it's disappointing to see how much of a demoralized society we've become. Terrified and plagued with free-floating guilt, the underlying themes are ones of escape and revenge. Everything is literal and people are just waiting to be offended. 

So here's to happier times... 

Ted Kennedy

I'm breaking my blog silence to note the news on Ted Kennedy. Out of all the Kennedys, I think Ted has had the most difficult journey. It has always astonished me how people could literally seethe with hatred for the man, without considering what has happened to him throughout his life.

By most accounts, growing up Kennedy was stressful. Coupled with pressure to succeed, the assassination of two of brothers, public scrutiny, and other assorted issues, it's amazing that Kennedy remained a cohesive force in American politics.

I found it particularly stunning that there was pressure for him to step into his brother's shoes after Bobby was murdered. Can you imagine what it felt like to even deal with that?

You can look at the facts of someone's life without ever grasping what they might've gone through. History without context or emotion is dead.

Regardless of your political persuasion, I hope you can at least have some compassion and look at the totality of his life.

April 8, 1968: Top Story

From Project 1968:

Cities Keep A Fragile Peace

"Racial violence unleashed by the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has struck more than four-score American cities in a destructive orgy of staggering proportions. Since King's assassination in Memphis Thursday night, including the Palm Sunday national day of mourning proclaimed by President Johnson in honor of the fallen civil rights leader, at least 85 cities were visited by violence."

There are 19,900 federal troops and 30,109 National Guard on patrol throughout America. More than 2,000 are injured, 8,879 arrested and 29 people are dead. Chicago, Baltimore and Washington are the hardest hit.

(United Press International. Appeared in the Kingsport Times - Kingsport, Tennessee)

Bill Buckley is dead

Fox News is reporting that William F. Buckley Jr. died. I have no doubt that this post will annoy some people. But let's go beyond politics for a moment, and allow me to tell you why this is sad.

1) As an author, Buckley treated his readers with respect. His books on conservatism lacked the crassness of the current crop of writers. You may not have agreed with him, but he didn't indulge in gratuitous insults and pointless rants.

2) As a television host, he had style. His classic interviews with such people as Noam Chomsky are still worth watching. Two intellects battling it out without yelling, spitting and exclamation points. Buckley, Dick Cavett and others could never find a home in today's environment, where saying it loud beats out saying it well.

3) Again, you may not have agreed with him, but people of his generation were well-schooled in the classics. It makes me green with envy when I consider his education. While I was not as fortunate to have his social class and background, I always felt that I could achieve his level of mental acuity by following the Walt Whitman method of education. Reading, studying the classics, and thinking things through makes one a better person. I have a feeling that Bill Buckley would've agreed.

Here's the classic Chomsky/Buckley interview off of YouTube.

Project 1968, my blog docu-novel

Long-time readers will remember a play I wrote that I talked about back in 2006 to early 2007 called: War is Kind: The 1968 Democratic Convention. It was the story of two young women in 1968 - a campaign worker for Senator Eugene McCarthy and a peace activist. The first act of the play followed the events from January to July of that year. The second act was the convention itself, including the riots.

I spent just about 18 months in Austin, Texas researching the play at the LBJ Presidential Library. I also went to the Chicago Historical Society, as well as the National Archives in Chicago to conduct research. I dug through many used books, collected ephemera, and made every attempt to bring an historically accurate version of events to the stage.

This story is important because the perspective of women from that time period has been largely ignored. This is due to the rampant sexism of that period. There was a reason, after all, that the women's movement gained momentum - just after 1968. McCarthy's story has also been ignored. He hasn't been given the credit he truly deserves for the role he played that year.

I was not alive back then. This is an advantage. I'm not plagued by the nostaligic baggage of those who are still invested in memories of their youth. I will publicly admit, for the first time, that I'm a political agnostic. For me, the question isn't who I will support in 2008 - it's whether or not I'll vote. After all, the last time I voted in a presidential election was in 1992. There are a number of reasons for that, which is just one of the reasons I chose to write this story.

After the third draft of the play was completed back in 2006, I began submitting it to development organizations throughout the country. I needed to hear the play out loud to get a better understanding of where I was in the writing process. Theater is an art that requires community. I was lucky enough to get a reading from Austin Scriptworks, which helped a great deal. After that, I edited the play rather mercilessly. When the fifth draft was completed, I once again attempted to get a reading of it. That's when I hit a brick wall. No development organizations would touch it, and I couldn't get a reading of the play anywhere.

Several agents looked at the fifth draft. One well-known agent said "It is original, well written and constructed with good parts and makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of the historical period." Despite that, she wasn't sure if it would be "commercially viable" in New York. But could she keep a copy of it anyway?

Another agent thought the play was a good idea, but alas, I didn't have the proper resume to have written it.

For a while after that, I tried to get readings - without luck. Finally, there came a point when I just didn't have the money to continue submitting the play. It also seemed like a losing proposition. Either I pay my bills or pay reading fees and postage. Since this project was entirely self-funded, meaning no grant money either, I had no other choice than to shelve the play.

My friends and family, however, had other ideas. They insisted that I do something with the story because it was worthwhile and needed to be told. I had gotten so much positive feedback from "audience members" that it was beginning to seem that the only people who didn't want to do something with the story were theater people.

Last year, I committed to blogging the story. Taking a play, which was a macro version of events and whittling it down to a day by day accounting required more research, more writing and more thought. Sometimes, I wasn't sure if it would be worth the effort, but I figured at the very least I would finally have a voice for my work. That alone would make it worthwhile.

And so today, on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, I'm launching Project 1968, a blog docu-novel about the lives of two young women during that turbulent year. As the sidebar says, "Janine Stephenson, an 18-year old freshman from the University of Wisconsin, took the semester off to campaign for Senator Eugene McCarthy. She is accompanied by her best friend, Becca.

Amy, an anti-war protester, works at a well-known peace group in Chicago.

Links to source notes, ephemera and commentary are located at the bottom of many entries. Comments are allowed on these back pages."

Project 1968 will be updated daily.

I had some domain-mapping issues, so for the next few days, you can reach the site by www.project1968.com. It will be a dot net very soon.

Since this is brand new territory, I'll be tweaking the site as I go. The sidebars will say different things. The comments are moderated, for the moment. We'll see how it goes. The subject matter is volatile, but the moderation may be temporary.

I'll discuss other thoughts and issues with the creation of this project periodically on this blog. Otherwise, welcome to the world of 1968, though the eyes of Janine and Amy.

More Thoughts on Mailer

Here are a few more thoughts on the death of Norman Mailer from around the net.

• James Wolcott, contributing editor of Vanity Fair, quoted my Mailer entry, along with his own thoughts.

• Wall Street Journal’s Terry Teachout didn’t like him then and hasn’t changed his mind. I don’t think he’s mean-spirited in the timing of his entry. Though I will add – respectfully – that I was under 40 when I got turned on to Mailer’s work. I’m still under 40 and I still have a more realistic appreciation for it.

• Christopher Hitchens on Mailer for Slate. Fabulous.

Jethro probably has the most succinct thought of all: "I don't have an opinion on Mailer, except that I'm sorry he's in hell right now."

If I've missed something, let me know.

Norman Mailer 1923-2007

Over the next few days you will no doubt be hearing a whole lot about Norman Mailer. His death will trigger a slew of eulogies, barring a major world catastrophe. They will all tell you what an important writer he was, his feud with Gore Vidal, and maybe they will even elaborate on his books.

The fact is that over the past few years, most critics have treated Mailer with slightly less than contempt. Sure, they acknowledged his "prime years" but then they would treat his newest offering as if it was written by a doddering old man. The fact that Mailer continued writing up until the very end says more about him as a creative being than anything that any critic could offer. They simply refused to acknowledge that Mailer could still have questions about religion, such as in The Gospel According to the Son. The subjects that authors choose to tackle often say a great deal more than what they choose to say about those subjects. Mailer was clearly as curious and alive as he was in the 60s.

I have not read every single book Mailer has written. Nor do I feel the need to shout what I do know from the mountaintops. I can tell you that my appreciation for his work was offset at times by his issues with women, which I wrote about here. I can tell you that I think he represents the best that mid-century culture had to offer - the intellectual prowess demanded from those times coupled with the need to entertain. He also represented the downside of the mid-century - the overriding male perspective which postured before shouting down others. There may be plenty of yelling in pop culture today, but at least Mailer has something to say.

The best part about being a dead writer is that your books and thoughts live on. Rolling Stone had an article about Mailer a few years ago, talking about how he had to keep working to support his kids and many divorces. And so maybe that's the best part about being a dead man. Rest well, Norman Mailer, you can finally let your ideas and books do the work for you.

The Mailer Meister & Motown

If I was in Manhattan, I would avoid the asbestos by hanging out at "The Mistress and The Muse: The Films of Norman Mailer." Events commence this Sunday, 4:30 p.m. at the Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center. His television appearances on the Dick Cavett Show will run Tuesday through Aug. 5 at the Paley Center. Since I (heart) Dick Cavett and Norman Mailer, I would give the left tip of my pinkie-finger to be there.

The rest of us will have to be content with reading Mailer's interview with Michael Chaiken. The Village Voice offers more thoughts on Mailer's film career.

By the way, ever read Adele Mailer's memoir of her marriage to Norman? The Last Party is a harrowing account of her union with the meister/master during his early years of fame. He also stabbed her with a penknife, putting her in ICU.

Some people claim that Adele's book was all about revenge, but I disagree. While I'm a big fan of the Mailer Meister, stories from the Silent Generation - women from the 50s and early 60s - need to be told. Adele was a talent in her own right. The Last Party provides wonderful insight into mid-century sexism among the cultured classes.

From what I understand, she's been active in the NY theater and art world. Anyone know anything about that?

While on my imaginary trip to NYC, I'd also pick up a copy of today's Wall Street Journal. An article by Julia Vitullo-Martin titled The Day the Music Died on page W11 (National Edition) features a very good story about the effects that the 1967 Detriot riots had on Motown. Did you know that Martha Reeves is a Detriot City Council member? Neither did I. Now I'll be singing "Jimmy Mack" for the rest of the day.

No free link to the WSJ story, so buy the copy or subscribe online.

Lady Bird Johnson, 1912-2007

“I look at Mrs. Johnson and I think that she is perhaps the only woman who ever lived who could have been married to him for that many years and remained a person.”
---Bess Abell, Assistant to Lady Bird
in "Lyndon, an Oral Biography" by Merle Miller

I have lots of Lyndon and Lady Bird memorabilia from my time in Austin, researching at the LBJ Presidential Library. This issue of Life Magazine is from August 13, 1965.

You can’t spend time at the LBJ without seeing Lady Bird’s influence. The ground floor of the library is a time capsule of Lyndon’s life and events from the 60s. But if you go up to the 8th floor, there’s a replica of Lyndon’s Oval Office and First Lady’s Gallery. Press a red button and Lady Bird will narrate portions of the tour.

The Reading Room was just around the corner from the Oval Office. I used to hear her voice over loudspeakers, just before I’d enter the double doors to the research library. It used to drive me a little crazy, to be honest. Her Texas twang would break my concentration as I headed in for long day of sifting through and photographing government documents.

While I was there in 2005-2006, Lady Bird was still active at the library. I remember one night when the guards and staff were nervous because of her impending arrival. It amazed me that she was still alive. Imagine what she must've lived through and how the world has changed since 1912.

Lady Bird's memories of the President Kennedy's assasination are chilling and emotional. The ground floor of the library has a short recording of her reading from her entries that day.

The following are more links to useful sites about Lady Bird:

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has created a wonderful tribute site.
Lady Bird’s Bio on the Library page
At the bottom of this page, you can see one of Lady Bird's home movies