That 70s Show

Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends.

• It’s funny how perceptions change as you age. I was corresponding with the Red Scourge (my former B of A colleague, not the lovable but loutish fellow in Appleton) and we were talking about music. I mentioned that, of the 70s bands with geographic names, I find that I don’t much like most of them (Kansas, Chicago, Boston, etc.) but the one I do like these days is the Ohio Players. Don’t remember listening to too much funk back when it was recorded, but I sure do now.
• Can we even escape the 70s, anyway? The music of that decade remains all over the radio. I’m old enough to remember the 70s themselves and we sure didn’t hear a lot of Kay Starr or the Mills Brothers or other 1940s-type artists in those days. In fact, it’s easier to find music from the 1940s now than it was 30 years ago.
• It makes me wonder – what music from today will still be popular in 30 years? Since I’ve essentially detached myself from pop culture, I don’t even know who’s popular these days, although it seems like most records on the Billboard charts these days are one hip-hopper featuring another hip-hopper, rapping over a sample from a song from 30 years ago.
• Meanwhile, back in Washington, we see a hostile Congress itching to micromanage a war and undermine the president. This is something we last saw over 30 years ago.