The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #17691   Message #280716
Posted By: Big Mick
19-Aug-00 - 09:29 AM
Thread Name: What are the best Vietnam era songs?
Subject: RE: What are the best Vietnam era songs?
I have been lurking on this one while I tried to sift through the memories of that time. Odd, but it all seems like a scene out of a B movie when I try to remember the music. There was so much of it, and it was central to the culture of those of us that were there. There you were in the middle of this strange place, so unlike home, a war all around you...............and the music was like you were still at home with WGRD on the radio trying to get Carol to go to the beach at Holland or Grand Haven. There was so much good music.........and a ton of bad music.........the two that keep jumping out at me though......and they are by no means the best or my fav's.....but they related to specific moments. One was "Spirit In The Sky" by ??Norman Greenbaum?? The reason it stands out is because I remember walking into the gedunk shack for the first time. I had been "in country" for less than an hour. It had one of those great old jukeboxes with the huge bass speakers. As I walked through the door, that great opening fuzz bass piece just smacked me in the face. The moment was so full of feelings.....I remember thinking..."OK, but not to soon......OK?" The other song that seems to rise out of the goulash of song memories is "Father & Son" by Cat Stevens. It was like Stevens had been hiding in my house with my Da and me. I can remember listening to that song and wondering if I would ever get the chance to make peace with him, or if I would die in this fucking place and he would never know how very much I loved him and wanted to be like him........Thanks for asking this one. It is good to resurrect these feelings once in a while. When you have kids, you need to remember when you were young........

Mick