1972

In the summer of 1972 I was between my Junior and Senior years of high school. Three of us borrowed a car that summer, and planned to drive cross country. When I announced plans to do this, my parents were not happy - but being rebellious, I went anyway.  Around July 20, my two friends and I were on Mt. Hood when a snowstorm hit. We took off our jackets, sat on them, and "sledded" down to the end of the snow line.

Ah, memories.

Back home, 1972 was a year for music for me. I went to my first concert - Alice Cooper - and I was building a decent collection of albums. I had bought a nice stereo system with large speakers, and I spent hours in my room blasting music. I also got a guitar, and began playing covers and original songs.

Among the albums I listened to repeatedly were many released in 1972:

Neil Young – Harvest
America - America

Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze
Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick
Alice Cooper – School’s Out
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Lou Reed – Transformer
Pete Townshend – Who Came First

I also endlessly played some from earlier years, including many of the Beatles' albums, Dylan albums, all the Simon and Garfunkel albums plus:

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

The Who - Who’s Next and Tommy
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu

Rolf Harris - Sun Arise 

I owned many other albums, but did not listen to them as regularly. One particular song I did listen to later in the year was Elton John's "Crocodile Rock," which was sort of an unofficial song for the high school bowling team I was on.

Oddly enough, one band that I liked, but didn't own any of their albums, was Creedence Clearwater Revival.  I don't know why. I later remedied that.

When I went to college I became caught up in unhealthy activities, dropped out for a year, and rediscovered my faith.

I returned to college, but stopped listening to many of the groups I used to play incessantly, recognizing that their messages were not spiritually healthy for me (or anyone else, for that matter). Indeed, I even threw a number of albums into a dumpster, including all my Bowie albums, Lou Reed's album, and the one Rolling Stones album I owned.

I discovered new music, and developed an interest in folk music. Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie became favorites. I began to enjoy Bluegrass and old time Country, especially Johnny Cash. I listened to Christian music. I added Peter, Paul, and Mary to my playlist; ironically, I later sang with them as part of the chorus during a late '80's Christmas show at the Eastman Theater. The only "Rock" music I listened to regularly was that of Bruce Springsteen, Creedence, and U2.

I now pretty much listen exclusively to folk and Bluegrass and Celtic music: The Dady Brothers, Sarah Jarosz, John Michael Talbot, The Chieftains, Old Blind Dogs, Dougie MacLean, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Rhiannon Giddens, The Hillbilly Thomists, The Innocence Mission, The Petersons, and more, and occasionally Seals & Crofts and America. Right now, I have Alan Jackson's Precious Memories in my car's cd player and I listen to him as I drive around. And in my own playing I tend toward folk and old gospel tunes.

I simply outgrew most rock. The music doesn't move me, and the messages in too many songs don't fit in with being a Christian. And when I see old rockers performing still, frankly, they seem to be embarrassing themselves.

I'm just not the same unwise, susceptible teen I was in 1972.

Pax et bonum