40 Years Ago Today

[drpaisley]

My family moved to Topeka, Kansas in 1965, when my father got a job as VP for Promotions for the White Lakes Mall there. I learned many things in Topeka, few of them positive. Among them were such revelations as Tornados Suck (a massive one that took out a huge swath of the western part of the city and actually chipped some of the verdigris off the Capitol dome missed our house by four blocks); some people are obnoxious, violent assholes (many of my classmates from 4th-6th grade); and some people are psychopaths (Richard Speck [I remember reading and hearing about the case, and how totally freaked out by it I was at the time, to the point of nightmares for months, if not years]).

But it was the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and, a month and a half later, Robert Kennedy, that had the biggest influence on my emerging worldview. The obvious conclusion to be drawn was that if a person tried to stand up and change the world, they were likely to be killed for it. Welcome to the real world, kid.

And on that happy note, some songs:

1) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise), The Beatles

2) His Holy Modal Majesty, AL Kooper & Mike Bloomfield

3) Delirious (Original Extended 12 Inch Dance Version), Prince

4) Adonais, The Cure

5) Wondering, Neil Young (live 12/5/70)

6) Harlan's Bounce, Richard Thompson*

7) The Punks Are Writing Love Songs, Tullycraft

8) A Few Hours After This..., The Cure

9) At Last, Neko Case

10) Back of a Cab, Spaceways, Inc.

and beyoud!

11) Dinosaur Act, Matthew Sweet

12) Happy Christmas Birthday, Fongo Bongo Productions

13) Dollars & Cents, Radiohead


So off we go to the weeked, which features First Friday tonight with Jimmy Hollaman, the Royals (the only undefeated team in baseball!?!?!) taking on the Twinkies, and, of course, the Final Four. Rock Chalk!

*From "Dreams with Sharp Teeth," a documentary on Harlan that I really want to see when it finally comes out (ideally, before LDV).