Were the sixties really that great?

Any older people here who would care to enlighten me? Only, I'm wondering if the sixties have been romanticised a bit through time. I mean, only 0.2% of the American population defined themselves as a hippy at the time, and whilst that probably adds up to quite a lot overall, that's not a great deal. I remember seeing an interview with George Harrison where he said that "Haight-Ashbury was a load of spotty teenagers drinking tea (smoking dope)". Also, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Pink Floyd said they were surprised at how tame it was compared to London. Sure, there would have been a great vibe and it would have been exciting, but there was a lot more prejuduce back then (against gays, blacks, women etc.) That's not to say that there isn't any around today (there's still a lot) but overall, from a wider perspective, isn't 2007 better than 1967?

Or am I just kidding myself?

 

better? there is still hunger,racism,war,....

 

I know that there are still a hell of a lot of problems in the world, but I think that we have improved as a society since then. There isn't as much blatant racism to blacks, gays, women etc. There are laws in place to protect them, and there weren't in the sixties. Take Jimi Hendrix for example. The blacks shunned him for playing 'white music' and having white people in his band, and a lot of white people didn't like him becuse he was black. That doesn't happen anymore. The sixties was a time of change, and a lot of that is because of hippies, but I think that the sixties have been romanticised. Just because it was a time of change it doesn't mean that it was as great as a lot of people say it was.

 

i agree

 

Haight and ashbury did seem to me very lame the times that I went there,but maybe was my state of mind then. Once I was tripping and in great company , and it was amazing for lack of the proper words. I guess your state of mind is everything.
The Village(NY) on the other hand (or coast) always held exitement for me, wether I was frightened or at peace.

Both the west village or the east village had always something going on, and streets were loaded with unlimited number of people whom you could not tell if they were locals or visitors,, the Haigh & Ashbury on the west coast was more intimate and personal, and you could walk through it in 5 minutes or less.

What I mean is that for me, how I saw both sides was that in the west things were very well defined (Hippy-not hippy) but in the east nothing was defined, A person could change overnight. or even be a hippy for a weekend, who would care or notice in a city of 10 million people?

The Village was from Houston st. to 14 st, up and down, and Avenue D to 9th ave across, with 5th ave being the dividing ave, and Washigton park the begginning of 5th ave. That park was like the center of everything, or so it felt being there. No matter how long you lived in athat area, you always could feel like a tourist, and every visitor could feel like they were or have been part of the wholle scene. Who could memorise so many faces?

 

San Francisco in the 60s was great-The music-the drugs- the music-all very good-very cheap and easy access-Now-That being said' to have to sleep on the streets or in a park would not be fun but many did.The best times to be in the Haight Ashbury was in the years from 65-67-thats it-then it was over-as far as the East Coast goes I don't know-I'm a native San Franciscan and yes it was all that and MUCH MORE!-(and then along come idiots like Manson)-party is over!

 

Cool...

 

african american had a huge ass stuggle during this time and i dont think they were givin enough credit during this time period

 

Any person with long hair and anti-war ideas was in a minority also-We were yelled at' cussed out and beatup-Any place outside San Francisco or New York was a dangerous place in the early to mid 60s for a long hair-Times now are laot better as far as that goes-It's now safe to travel through the South without much trouble-At one time you were just askin for a good old boy ass whoopin if you got caught down there lookin like we did-lol

 

i think your life is what you make of it in any era. to have to define yourself by a time period is kind of sad.

 

You are very right about that. I happen to be tripping when I was told about manson (never touched the papers) and the dude(also tripping) was writing with red paint on the walls (not a hippie but a rapper) of his room, about Manson. From there on it was downhill.

Some wacko red neck, obsessed with weapons with long hair, and manipulating other lost souls stains the name of the hippies for good.

What woodstock had done to clean the image of hippiedom, Manson ruins it forever. He was not a hippie but the opposite.

Hippies don't wear swastikas on their forehead and claim racial supremacy. Manson was a nazi with long hair, but everyone felt that hippies were like manson. The same as some foolish radical moslems blowing up buildings and airplanes and makin it hard for others who are totally non-violent.

The media.

 

What people who weren't there missed out on was the feeling...an electricity in the air. It was a magical time.

 

Both of you guys are right and just by listening to you I think we were at the "same party"-Manson was a con man- a loser-not a musician and certainly not someone to admire or respect.-Crazy Charlie spent 80% of his life behind bars for violent offences. I believe his last home before the Haight was up here in Washington at Mc Neil Island Pen-This guy gets out' then comes to the Haight Ashbury and finds some kids' girls to follow him-he grows long hair 'feeds them acid and then gets them to start his race war for him-Thank God it did not work and this should be a lesson to any young people. There are no gurus to follow and there is noone more enlightened than yourself. If anyone says they have inside information from God-Run the other way! Anyone that follows the tv preachers are being led conned IMO-We all have the power within ourselves to talk to God-there is no need for a middle man at all-Crazy Charlie was a very sick man and should be put down as the dog he is-

 

Manson.......if anyone would be nominated the most opposite to being a Hippie, he would win by default second only by Hitler and the most notorious dictators in power like Bush and his clan.

A power-tripper at heart with no concern for life, well grown or unborn, manipulating others to extremes by fear, and sending them to his dirty work, and at the same claiming to be some kind of prince of peace.

 

The 60's were amazing, although I wasn't there, I would have loved to live in that time period as a teenager. I wish they would make a time portal so I could go back to lets say 1965 and live out the 5 years of all the awesome stuff that happend and then live the whole 70's out, now that, would be kool. But if I had to pick, I would pick the 60's instead of now, I cant stand the times now.

>.>

 

Tame is good, no?

 

So, does "What a long strange trip its been" really identify the 60's? I think there was more to the 60's than just the drugs. Alot of people made a lot of changes for this world rather than just sit back and get stoned and watch the world go by. I can't begin to tell all the improvements. I love the fact that music was one of the major changes, I hope some new band comes along and takes us right back where these 60's musicians left off. I didn't know what to expect when I read this post as I didn't want to kill the idea or thought in my head of what the 60's were. haha...everythings okay, they still live on the way I imagine them! Great post by the way.

 

Yes, I remember that feeling. On the other hand, for every Woodstock there was an Altamont. Some of us expanded our minds with drugs while others lost theirs. Those who spread the message of free love often came face to face with those who would take advantage of it.

There was talk of freedom, equality and social change, but there was also a Vietnam war and a cold war.

Still, I'm glad I was there and was a part of it. It's my good old days.

 

In 65 and 6 you could walk from the Grateful Deads house in the Haight down to the house on Page St. where Janis Joplin and Big Brother nd the Holding Co, lived and practiced in the basement-Then you could walk over by the park and check out the Jefferson Airplanes mansion-All walking distance from one another and all in the Haight Ashbury-(Wow-I could have made money as a tour guide!darn-another missed opportunity!)I had a friend knock on the Airplanes door one day and ask for a guitar as his had been stolen-They gave him one-an acoustic!-I was blown away!

 

Lots of people sit around analyzing previous fads and times and wishing that time was now. Well, why don't you start your own damn fad or movement?