In Praise of 60's Rock

I find myself in an awkward position. I have been obviously, writing what "I" thought that YOU, the readers, wanted to read. Not so. I toured every hub that I have written, and NOT one comment--bad or good. And that's not your fault, but mine. I take all the responsibility of writing what "I" thought was quality material.

So now, I have started afresh with my photo to show you that a Kenneth Avery, P.O. Box 201, Hamilton, AL. 35570 truly exists. I also include my email address: kennethavery5376@yahoo.com to further cement the fact that "I" am who I say that I am.

Now onward and, uh, onward. Another interesting fact by the HubMasters was to write what "I" know about. And I am very sure that they meant what I know WELL. Nobody wants to read my self-described articles about foods--(See, I love to eat). And nobody wants to be lured into my hub, my new hub to read about comic books that I once owned. Yes. At one time, when I was 13, I owned the original Avengers by Marvel Comics; Submariner also by Marvel Comics as well as Iron Man, Spiderman and his various identity crises, and the first X-Men with mutants-turned-hero, Beast, Angel, and QuickSilver. I kept my treasured comics in a Chiquita banana box that a grocer friend of mine gave me. When I married in 1975, I made a stupid mistake of letting my then-young brother-in-law, just have them. I will never understand why I did such a thing.

Okay, per the HubMasters guidelines. This story is about the Rock and Roll Era of The 1960's, my generation, and how much I grew to love them as I grew into my teenage world of adventure.

No other album, to me, was better than Electric Ladyland by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Songs like: Crosstown Traffic, Voodoo Child and the impromptu version of Voodoo Chile with Jack Cassidy of The Jefferson Airplane and Steve Winwood appearing with Jimi, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding--this was a masterpiece of a master guitarist jamming with his good friends and not worrying about tourdates, money, or more fame. I still own that album to this day. These songs literally took me away from my high school trauma's

Steppenwolf really kept me occupied at various times in my teen life. When I had friends over, I'd slam the Wolf album on my parent's stereo and if they were gone out for awhile, we were in sheer Rock Paradise--kicking back and getting into: Born to Be Wild; Sookie, Sookie; Hey Lawdy Mama and Monster. Canadian, John Kay, was Steppenwolf in his behind-the-scenes direction and music genius as well as a gifted promoter of the band. Kay, you could tell, had a deep love and devotion to his music and even drew waves of controversy (even for the 60's) with the mega-hit, The Pusher, written by Hoyt Axton. This song kept a lot of conservatives at battle with new-wave thinkers from places like Haight-Ashbury and Berkeley and still, some were amazed at why "some" underground FM rock stations wouldn't touch The Pusher. I had a date with a girl named Patti one time and had to explain the philosophical basis for The Pusher. She liked my theories. I liked her makeup and lipstick. We both loved Steppenwolf even if for one night.

There was a brief appearance by a true Hard Rock band called Blue Cheer, not the detergent, but three guys with shoulder-length hair and a knack for loud, distorted rock music the way it should be played with 12 Marshall amps at peak volume and put Cheer into any open-air arena, add some illegal controlled substances, and man alive, you had yourself a rock scene. Summertime Blues was Blue Cheer's only true hit if you call it a hit. Most AM stations who's owners were not narrow-minded or short-sighted, would pay this song late in the day. I know. I listened to my local AM station in Hamilton, Alabama, WERH, who back then, DID have a shell of a rock format mixed with a dominant country format that was the money-maker for the station. The leader of Blue Cheer was Roger Pederson. I didn't know the names of the other two guys.

Three-member bands also gave you and I, a genuine supergroup, Cream from England. Members: Eric Clapton, guitar; Jack Bruce, bass and Ginger Baker, drums were so talented that it was literally impossible for them to NOT score with every song they recorded. Their debut album, Disreali Gears, featured their monster hit, Sunshine of Your Love, Tales of Brave Ulyeses, and more. Clapton's almost-Swiss-clock perfection on guitar was the middle layer between the heavy bass of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, who's wide-open drumming blended perfectly to give us several memories and lyrics that kept us singing in our teenage homage in the high school hallways and bathrooms. Baker had double-bass drums, a first for rock bands in this era. Clapton's hair was actually an early Afro. Fans cried the day Cream did a Farewell Concert (also the name of their last album) in the Royal Albert Hall, England. That album even in 2011, is downloaded daily from YouTube and diehard Cream fans like yours truly, groove out on Crossroads and Clapton's bluesy singing. I miss Cream. And no matter who or what or where it is tried, there will NEVER be an equal to Cream.

These are but a few facts I have about Rock Music of The 60's. I suddenly get very depressed whenever I attempt to write any story about 60's Rock Music due to the fact that when 60's Rock Music faded away and died an honorable death, something in me also died.

This story is sincerely dedicated to the memories of: JIMI HENDRIX, JANIS JOPLIN AND JIM MORRISON.

Peace . . .!