Old enough to remember a time.
 

When The United States I feel was at it's zenith.


For you'all maybe not but 1969 was a high water mark for the us I feel. We landed a man on the moon, in a hot war along with a cold one. Still the country was running along.

The rich paid a much higher tax rate. Still gave to improve society. Most worked for the same company their whole career with a retirement at the end. Unions were a good thing to be in. The schools were public and considered good, didn't need silly testing to prove themselves.

Then came Tricky Dick and the GOP and their plan to improve things........



http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1969.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Reform_Act_of_1969

http://www.1960sflashback.com/1969/Economy.asp

http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/1969

Barney

Music was great in '72 - '73. Then along came disco. :(

They would never let us in a Disco club, stupid no blue jeans rule. Like I would of went anyway.

Music was great in 69 too! I will always remember my cousins rubbing it in I was not allowed to spend the summer that year in Mass. They all went to a little outdoor concert that August. While I stayed home bailing hay and feeding live stock.:mad:



Barney

I used to go to Revere Massachusetts to visit my grandparents as a kid....loved Boston and the subway. Loved my Nana and Gramps also. Now I am just 10 years younger than my grandfather was when I was born.

My older brothers took off in the family VW microbus for that three days in NY while I stood there in the street pissed as hell. Pop said, "No way are you going!" I was 12. I finally forgave him sometime in the late '90s.

Funny how some memories are clear as a bell. The night when the astronauts walked on the moon is one of those. After the live broadcast I went outside and sat there in the dark looking up at the moon for a couple of hours trying to imagine what it must've felt like.

My cousins live in the Berkshires at the other end of the state. But been to Bean Town. Wish I could afford to live in Salem or Puberty (Peabody).



Barney

We were camping and everyone was around the radio in the truck listening looking up at times.


Back then people seemed to care more of others plight. Not like it is now.

Hell men wanted women to be on BC's!!!


Companies invested in capital equipment and training. Sure they got a tax break but there was more to it then just that. Kids today feel they will be rich someday. Most of the ones I know born in the nineties anyway. Have a hard time with manual labor for some reason. Look down on physical labor jobs.


Barney

Dick was bad. Reagan killed the American Dream. Why should I have to pay? We went to hell after that.

I know! There is talk of naming a new bridge after St Ron here in the Derby. People I swear, he was a two bit actor after all. But hey they are the same ones who gave W two terms. Then block any movement forward.

Nixon was the beginning of the decline IMO!

Barney

"No jobs bill!!!"

And then...

"Where are the jobs!!!???"

And then when the jobs are there...

"We're bankrupt!!!"

Ass holes.

Let's not forget the 401K and how it killed the company funded retirement. It was only suppose to be a supplemental income after all!


I seen my job go out of the county. Was GTE and Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Worked for a main line carrier when Ronny Ray Gun broke the controllers union. Deregulation of the phone company and airlines all FKd things up.

Barney

I was 39 going on 40 and watching my first marriage starting to fall apart. Sat up and watched Armstrong take those first steps. Hell I even had my camera set up and filmed it. Did not realize that I was probably the only one near Montreal with those photos. Could have sold them to the press for big money.

I was five years old and remember the moon landing, what my Dad said about it, ("It's a shame JFK isn't here to see it."), and how proud everyone was.

However, I recall reading an article once that claimed Americas highest point economically was 1968. But, no matter, the point is it's been nothing but downhill ever since.

Dave

I had though of 68 but then two big assignations, Tet and Riots figure it was not so good of a year after all.



http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/1968




Barney

"economically"

Dave

I turned 22 in 1969.

Graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelors Degree in Geography. I was immediately reclassified 1-A and with that on my resume the best job I could find was as an $85 dollar a week convenience store clerk. That didn't last long though because on the 3rd of November I received my notice to report for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States in the mail. So I beat it down to my local Air Force Recruiter and signed up in order to avoid having to go to Nam as a grunt.

Best song of 1969?

I think I'll go with this one;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpGEeneO-t0

I know I'm going against the grain with that.

Most people would probably say Proud Mary by CCR, which was a great one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpqz3cdVPLM

Give Peace a Chance of all the great ones from 69 I think will be the one with the longest life.


I turned eighteen and watched them draw a three for me in January IIRC. Had till I graduated to sweat. My Father a Viet Vet said wait till you get the letter to do anything. Gave up waiting on it long ago. Never figured out why with others getting theirs or going ahead and joining up I somehow missed all the fun.

Could not get into the guard at that time so it was the Navy if the letter did show.




Barney

The following are songs from 1969 that I think are MUCH MUCH better than "Crimson and Clover." But if you like it that's cool, enjoy, it's doing what a song should for you, so that's a wonderful thing I'm sure.

Any one on this list could be my favorite song of 1969. It's ridiculous to single one out.

"Touch Me" The Doors
"Son of a Preacher Man" Dusty Springfield
"Everyday People" Sly and the Family Stone
"Proud Mary" Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Time of the Season" The Zombies
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" The 5th Dimension
"Rock Me" Steppenwolf
"The Boxer" Simon & Garfunkel
"Get Back" The Beatles with Billy Preston
"Bad Moon Rising" Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Honky Tonk Women" The Rolling Stones
"Green River" Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Get Together" The Youngbloods
"I Can't Get Next to You" The Temptations
"Everybody's Talkin'" Nilsson
"Wedding Bell Blues" The 5th Dimension
"Come Together" / "Something" The Beatles
"And When I Die" Blood, Sweat & Tears
"Leaving on a Jet Plane" Peter, Paul and Mary
"Down on the Corner" / "Fortunate Son" Creedence Clearwater Revival

There are no doubt more that could make this list. This is just what I found on the Billboard hot 100.

I turned 17 in 1969.

I agree. I just happened to be in a Crimson and Clover mood.

My favorite song is whichever one I'm thinking about at the time.

If you like the Zombies get Supernova out right now by Ray LaMantagne.

Honky Tonk Woman and Get Back are the greatest of that group of songs. Honky Tonk is the the greatest 3 minute song ever, and Get Back uses all the Beatles so distinctively...John on lead guitar, George on that chug-chug rhythm and Ringo with his drums playing off of Preston and of course Paul.

Of course do not forget Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake

Rolling On The River was a huge hit....I even remember it. Was the CCR version a hit first or the Ike and Tina one? One of you older guys tell me lol I was just a kid then

Ike and Tina Turner, IIRC.

Rolling on the River is PROUD MARY. Written by John Fogerty. Creedence.

Ike and Tina's cover was two years later.

Some guy came through here and stole two Nick Drake CDs off me. It's one of the worst things that ever happened.

Hey when you are six years old and hearing it on CKLW it is Rolling On The River lol.

Well, you can't really blame someone for stealing some Nick Drake cds, can you?

"We haven't had that spirit here since 1969"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0G1Ucw5HDg#t=11

Blame them? Irresistible temptation is no excuse! I damn them to the deepest pit of hell!

I don't have to have much of a reason to remind all of this classic scene.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=-JlmvtAHhnc



Barney

That movie had some great scenes.

I really like Jeff Bridges and was a big fan of his dad, but John Goodman was great in that movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_TdCs9GA4w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N4GAJ32jv0