Mr. Cat's Nostalgia Corner

[jcat]

Originally posted by Mr. Cat

Tulip2454, I can appreciate your dislike of a song which (at your location) was overplayed. Believe me, I've a list of such songs as well! And, ironically in this case, my list topper is "Dock Of The Bay"--closely followed by "Stairway To Heaven" and "Free Bird." When I was in the Republic of Viet Nam, Armed Forces Viet Nam radio played "Dock Of The Bay" at least once every hour for a year. Mind, I wasn't able to listen to the radio all that often; but when I did, there was Otis for the millionth time. Alas! [/b]

Those songs always remind me of my childhood (born in May, 1957). The song that evokes Vietnam for me is "White Rabbit" (I think that's the name) by Jefferson Airplane. I'm hearing-impaired, so not at all reliable about titles, lyrics, etc.. This is going to sound weird, but for some reason I remember Malcolm X far more clearly than MLK, although I'm more or less "white bread" (primarily, though not completely, white, Anglo-Saxon, middle class, and a "Yankee"). Wasn't it Peter, Paul and Mary who performed "I'm leaving, on a jet plane..."? This brings back memories. Our neighbor (stepped on a mine and came home in a body bag) and my uncle (survived several tours of duty; career Marine; now retired, but still reckless and cynical) were in Vietnam in the early stages of the war. I was a little kid, and despite the fact that I spoke Spanish fairly fluently, the reports of "guerilla" fighters on TV left me with the impression that our troops were fighting gorillas (I had no idea at the time that there were no gorillas in SE Asia). After all this time, on rainy, misty spring mornings I still think of Ronnie (our neighbor), because it was on just such a morning that we learned he'd been killed. That was about forty years ago. He would probably have been a grandfather, looking forward to retirement, if he had survived. The invasion of Iraq has forced me to remember too many bad things about the Vietnam War; every day there are reports of deaths, and I question whether they were "absolutely necessary". Involvement in WWII was essential, but I can't apply those criteria to the war in Iraq. Afghanistan, yes, Iraq, no. Sorry, I'm not out to get this thread moved to the IMO forum. I just feel that many of our politicians really aren't aware of the price tag atached to their decisions.

 

[mr. cat]

Anybody who doesn't think of politics and/or war when reminded of Peter, Paul and Mary must have been either too young or too stoned during the 1960s. So if this thread ends up being moved, jcat, let's just chalk it up to reality!

In the event, I'm sorry to learn your neighbor was killed whilst in Viet Nam. Such tragedies as you describe are part and parcel of what happens when governments choose to avoid intelligent diplomacy as a long-term policy. Alas, those with the least to gain from war are the ones who die.

Well, it makes sense to me that you'd remember Malcolm X more readily than Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. After all, you'd have been a toddler when Dr. King rose to international prominence in the civil-rights movement; and by the late 1960s, when you'd have been old enough to better appreciate current events, Malcolm had become the deceased icon of militant black America and thus was sanctified by both academe and the media of communication. Both men were brilliant, but their strategies (as you know) were light years apart until toward the end of Malcolm's life; and Malcolm's change of heart regarding tactics and strategy--wherein he eschewed his previously-militant line--is no doubt what got him killed.

You're right: It was Peter, Paul and Mary whose recording of "Leaving On A Jet Plane" made the song well known. Those of us in military service at the time liked that tune, in no small measure because the line "Don't know when I'll be back again" was quite a reality check.

=^..^=

 

[threeleggedkat]

Joe; I did not find this thread until today but you can TRUST I read it all. I was 20 and in college at The Univ. of MO. (Columbia) in 1968. I was one who strummed and sang every PP&M song and hitched my way to WoodStock in '69. In 1971 I moved to Wash. D.C. and attended every march and rally as I waited for my fiance' (D. Craig Walker) who never returned (alive) from Viet Nam. . . .
Years later I sang Puff the Magic Dragon to my 2 nieces (now 26 & 19) many times along with other Donovan Leach hits ("Sunshine came softly thru my window today. . . . ." "Superman or Green Lantern ain't got nothin' on me. . . ")

Just yesterday I entertained Aidan and Zoie (great nephew and great niece ages 3 & 2) with those beautiful Collins, Baez, and Melanie lyrics, (Sweet Sir Gallahad, Candles in the Rain "lay down, lay down; lay them all down. . . ." "You and I travel to the beat of a different drum")

I was a regular at D.C.'s clubs The CellarDoor (in Georgetown); where we heard John Denver open for David Letterman and The Childe Harold (Dupont Circle); where EmiLou Harris was coaxed up on stage with just an accoustic guitar or a fiddle.

So, Joe, thanks for spurring the memories.

To all you "Youngsters", in your 30's and under. It has been proven that music is one of the best memory triggers. A few years from now I wish all of you "floods of recollection" when you hear your favorite U-2, Train, Hootie & The BlowFish, or Bjork lyric.

Hugs of Warm Nostalgia,
Darlene

 

[hissy]

Darlene!

You were at Woodstock? Do share some of your memories from that event! I would love to hear about them. (The ones you can talk about on this board anyway)

Mr. Cat enjoy your collection- nothing better to bring peaceful thoughts then to listen to Peter Paul & Mary-

 

[adymarie]

I should have been a child of the sixties - I am a peacenik at heart. Although I was born in 1971, I have seen Peter, Paul and Mary live in concert 3 times. Eave time is more amazing then the last. I just wish I had been around during the height of their popularity. I think that the messages in Peter, Paul and Mary music are just as appropriate today as they were then!

 

[threeleggedkat]

Hissy; WOODSTOCK ! Where do I begin. . . . ? The people (a sea of people everywhere we looked), the rain, the mud, the cold, but THEY did NOT outshine the love, the sharing, the music, the weed, the acid, the hashish, the meth. . . . . .There was not enough space for the 6 times the expected number of people who showed up. Fresh water, potties, food, camping space, electricity; forget it. Everyone shared. There was many a pot of "Stone Soup" prepared and shared. There were First Aide tents and Dr.'s and nurses who were provided or just showed up as participants and pitched in where needed. I know of at least 2 births that took place in our area !

Traffic came to a total STOP about 3 miles from the entrance gate. Those without tickets were turned away and commenced about a mile down the fence and made their own entrance. Those in charge realized early on that there was SO MUCH MORE than a concert weekend happening here !!!

Oh, I forgot to tell you that my friend and I were given a ride about 20 miles from the farm by 3 nice guys in a Rockin' Van who just happened to be The Allman Brothers. More on that later. They were not scheduled preformers, but it was an "Instant Admissions Ticket" for all of us in the van.

We were in and had a camping spot with other musicians and the inside of the van was like a Giant Hoopa. . . . .Can you say CONTACT HIGH ?

(to be continued)

 

[mr. cat]

Darlene, it's great to see you again! Well, let me say this right up front: I DID NOT GO TO WOODSTOCK. Alas, I missed my chance to meet you.

But I'm very glad to know you were there! And I'm happy to learn you, too, are a PP&M fan. Those other musicians you mentioned were great in their own way, but none of them (in my view) made music which rose to PP&M's level of excellence in delivery.

Sadly, I never saw PP&M in person. But I did see Pete Seeger in concert, which was a wonderful experience. (Factoid warning! In the early 1960s we sometimes referred to PP&M as "Peter, Paul and Mounds." Sorry.)

Anyway, here are a few linkies which might interest the membership:

Peter Paul & Mary Website

Peter Yarrow Aviv Productions, Ltd.
[Note: Peter doesn't appear to have his own official web site. This is merely his booking agency.]

Noel Paul Stookey

Mary Travers
[Note: Mary doesn't appear to have her own official web site.]

=^..^=

 

[tulip2454]

I just wondered if any of you who were in Vietnam - Mr.Cat? - have been back for whatever reasons. I dont know if it has changed but one would think so after all this time. I am going over again in August for 3 weeks. This time I will get out of Saigon into the Delta and travel a bit (the bits you are allowed to travel in!) They do say that time hasnt changed that part of the country one little bit. Last time I was there I met a few Australians who fought at Vung Tau (dont think thats the correct spelling but...) who were very interesting.
They did say though that the bars in Saigon were still the same as they remembered! A lot a Americans who just didnt leave who now hang out there still.

 

[mr. cat]

I've not been back to Viet Nam, tulip2454. It would be interesting to go there, after all these years, but I'm afraid the Social Security Administration isn't sufficiently generous in its dole to allow for global travel on my part. (Besides, my Rich Uncle would probably contend he'd already paid for my year-long stay in the Republic of Viet Nam back in 1968-69).

Kristin, a friend of mine whose father was killed in the Viet Nam War, went to Southeast Asia last year at this time. Her focus was also the delta region; and she was fortunate in that she met the Viet Minh officer ("Viet Cong" being a term created by the former Saigon regime and promulgated by U.S. media of communication) who was in command of the ambush in which Kristin's father died.

Now, according to her, nothing--or very nearly nothing--constructed by the U.S. during that war remains visible. The jungle has reclaimed almost all that wasn't carried off for peaceful purposes after the war. However, Kristin told me the Vietnamese people are very friendly--northerners and southerners alike--so it's possible with their assistance to discover sites of old airfields, camps, fire bases, et cetera. But don't expect to find much in the way of artifacts, as little remains.

Also, since it's been 30 years, land use has changed in many places. What was once a rice paddy might now be something else entirely. Kristin also told me Saigon (nobody outside the government calls it Ho Chi Minh City) remains a very lively place, if somewhat run down; and Hanoi, though much "cleaner" than Saigon, is a rather boring place activity-wise.

=^..^=

 

[tulip2454]

Originally posted by Mr. Cat
[

However, Kristin told me the Vietnamese people are very friendly--northerners and southerners alike

=^..^= [/b]

Only the southerners are friendly, if you listen to my Vietnamese brother in law.

I think thats more to do with what happened after the American war than during it. He was born during the tail end of that war but was of age to serve in the Cambodian War.

I wonder if there is ANYONE alive today that has not had war touch them in some way. Some actually there, others who had people they knew killed or maimed. Uncles, cousins etc. My father was in WWII and now my brother in law in Cambodia. My other sisters husband was caught up in the 'Troubles' as we call the 1970's uprising in Ireland.
Very sad.
Its good that the music from our past can evoke happy memories.