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    In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea
    In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea
    In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea
    Audiobook8 hours

    In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea

    Written by Danny Goldberg

    Narrated by Johnny Heller

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Danny Goldberg's new book is a subjective history of 1967, the year he graduated from high school. It is, he writes in the introduction, "an attempt at trying to remember the culture that mesmerized me, to visit the places and conversations I was not cool enough to have been a part of." It is also a refreshing and new analysis of the era; by looking at not only the political causes, but also the spiritual, musical, and psychedelic movements, Goldberg provides a unique perspective on how and why the legacy of 1967 lives on today.

    1967 was the year of the release of the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and of debut albums from the Doors, the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, among many others.

    In addition to the thriving music scene, 1967 was also the year of the Summer of Love; the year that millions of now-illegal LSD tabs flooded America; Muhammad Ali was convicted of avoiding the draft; Martin Luther King, Jr., publicly opposed the war in Vietnam; Stokely Carmichael championed Black Power; Israel won the Six-Day War; and Che Guevara was murdered. It was the year that hundreds of thousands of protesters vainly attempted to levitate the Pentagon. It was the year the word "hippie" peaked and died, and the Yippies were born.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJun 6, 2017
    ISBN9781541475991
    In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea
    Author

    Danny Goldberg

    Danny Goldberg is president and owner of Gold Village Entertainment, an artist management company; former CEO and founder of Gold Mountain Entertainment; former chairman and CEO of both Mercury Records and Artemis Records; former CEO of Air America; and frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, Huffington Post, Dissent, Billboard, and many other outlets. He is the author of In Search of the Lost Chord, Bumping into Geniuses, and How the Left Lost Teen Spirit, and coeditor of It’s a Free Country. He lives in Pound Ridge, New York.

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    Reviews for In Search of the Lost Chord

    4/5

    36 ratings13 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I found parts of the book interesting, but it did at times seem to ramble. The author lived through these times. I did think the epilogue and the comparison to today at the end nicely summarized everything. Although I was alive during this time, I'm too young to remember it. His discussion of the different people and groups involved in the hippie movement were interesting.
    • 3/5
      Liked the book. As someone who was alive but too young to remember this moment in time, it gives a great account of what it was really like. Not the cartoonist accounts, or the " they're all just druggies". He shows the real hippie era
    • 4/5
      Danny Goldberg's In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea is a "subjective history" of that year as it marked the full flowering of the counterculture revolution. The book is quite wide in its expansive view of the influences on the hippie culture and its key players, although on certain subjects (most notably musical influences, the civil rights movement, and the political climate) I thought a bit more depth was needed. Nevertheless, the writing is breezy and engaging, and Goldberg has provided a compelling look back at a unique year in American history.
    • 4/5
      I was only 10 years old in 1967, the focus of this book. But I love the sixties! This book is very well researched on top of the author being there for much of it's contents. I learned about quite a few things such as how many "In"s there were (like the Be-In) and sub cultures such as The Diggers. It's quite interesting to realize how much really happened in 1967. I liked the fact that he touched on such a wide variety of people, places and things relevant that year. There were a few spots where it was just a bit slow for me but overall it was a very enjoyable and informative work.
    • 5/5
      In Search of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie Idea by Danny Goldberg is a contextualized snapshot of 1967 and from that snapshot a statement of what the "Hippie Idea" is, was, or might be. While music plays a large role in the book this is, as the title states, about the Hippie Idea and not just another book about the music of the time, so read the entire title before mistakenly buying a book about just music. That said, the hippie idea is so entwined with the music that this will lead to a better understanding of the music.In presenting 1967 as the apex of the hippie moment Goldberg does a good job of going back and showing what ideas came before this moment. Those ideas were important for they both influenced the hippie idea as well as represent what the idea was trying to counter. The first couple of chapters present a broad background while each chapter presents a smaller, more focused, contextualization as it pertains to each topic.The personal narrative that weaves through the book serves as a wonderful way to show that any sweeping statements about the period are bound to be flawed. Events and ideas were sweeping the country, no doubt, but at different speeds and with different manifestations. By highlighting his own experiences Goldberg illustrates just some of the ways that those ideas were taken in or resisted. For those of us with our own experiences of the period it provides yet another dimension to what we know (or think we know) about the time.The strength of this book is less about any new information you might not have known and more about connecting the dots. Taking both what we already knew (which Goldberg expresses succinctly) and the new information we might not have known, then constructing a fabric of the country rather than simply a music snapshot or a political snapshot, or any other narrowly defined snapshot. When we see the commonalities between social, cultural, and political events and movements we get a better glimpse at what the Hippie Idea might have been.I would recommend this to anyone interested in the history of the period, especially cultural history. It is also a wonderful trip down memory lane for many of us, reminding us of what we might have believed and hoped for at one time and maybe still do.Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
    • 4/5
      In Search of the Lost Chord by Danny GoldbergDanny Goldberg presents a well-researched compendium of events that occurred in The United States during what he considered a momentous time in American History.Inspired by his own individual memories and life changing influences Goldberg goes back in time to chronicle many of the key players and events of that year. Focusing on both political and cultural aspects he swings back and forth between the two coasts of the US. Much of the action he chronicles occurred in either San Francisco where the Diggers and Haight Ashbury held court or in New York City where the Easy Village, The Fugs, Allen Ginsberg and many others influenced the young of America to act.Additionally, the role played by enlightenment, rather through drugs, agape, spiritual exploration and political awareness are highlighted. Martin Luther King, Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), Bobby Kennedy and so many others are mentioned for their contributions. Another major focus are musicians: Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles and others are part of this story.An overall quick read, in the end it lacks depth, insight and overall historical and cultural significance. In some way it reads like a long Wikipedia article. Despite its limitations it is a fun read of a unique time in our cultural and political times, which in many ways still influence the arc of American history.
    • 3/5
      As years go, 1967 was indeed a significant one for the American culture. This book, however, does not consider enough aspects of the cultural, political, etc. changes to be comprehensive history. It does track the history of the hippie movement during that year, but I'm not much interested in that.
    • 4/5
      In Search of the Lost Chord1967 is a year Danny Goldberg considers pivotal.His research details the musical, political, spiritual, cultural landscape of '67.The lost chord of the title "in 1967 was the result of dozens of separate sometimes contradictory "notes" from an assortmentof political, spiritual, chemical, demographic, historical and media influence that collectively created a unique energy." (pg 16-17)This is an in depth study that may be a recall of those intimately familiar with the times or a chance for others to gain deeper understanding.The American Bohemian can be an intricate critter and this book effectively captures the hippie movement.Danny Goldberg leaves no stone unturned.He includes an extensive bibliography and a 1967 timeline.This is definitely a well researched trip to the past.
    • 4/5
      Goldberg provides a thorough “I was there” look into the height of the hippie movement, 1967 with a mostly unbiased eye. He covers all of the major aspects—music, drugs, politics, violence, and the people behind it.
    • 4/5
      I graduated high school a year after the author. It brought back a lot of memories for me. Ah, those were the days. Anyone that appreciated that time of our lives, or that would like to learn about that time, should read this book. There was a lot going on, and some of it wasn't so good, but so it is for muh of our lives. I received this book through LT for my honest review.
    • 4/5
      The book attempts to describe the hippie ideal of love and peace as it suddenly blossomed forth early in 1967 in Haight-Ashbury and elsewhere. The historical and cultural events which led to the ideal, the manifestation of the ideal itself (including the music) and its rapid decline into crime, violence, hard drugs, and conservative reaction are all covered in detail in a thoughtful, informed way. Finally, the author speculates on the meaning of it all half a century later. The author's career was as a producer in the music business. He knew or knows most of the people he writes about. In the end, he emphasizes the centrality of LSD in producing the 1967 vibe. Perhaps one reason some of this fails to reverberate with me (although I was born in 1947 and lived through the events described here) is that I never (knowingly) took LSD.Love and peace are great ideals, but they must be accompanied by political action. That, in turn, means compromise. For me, the last presidential election made that point.Read the book! It is full of insight and information. (Note the sophisticated works in the bibliography.) Think hard about what Goldberg says!
    • 5/5
      I have thoroughly enjoyed my ‘Advance Reading Copy’ of IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD: 1967 AND THE HIPPIE IDEA from Akashic Books. I jokingly told my husband the book could be our own memoirs!IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD: 1967 AND THE HIPPIE IDEA by Danny Goldberg is a social and cultural and personal history of the year 1967.It is certainly concise, well-written and well-documented with just the right amount of personal thoughts and anecdotes.The book contains a Table of Contents; an Introduction; 9 chapters; an Epilogue; a 1967 Timeline; Sources and Acknowledgements.Danny Goldberg’s Introduction tries to define and describe the 1960’s. He graduated from Fieldston High School in New York City in 1967 and “the sixties had a lasting influence on me and many of my closest friends from that time.” (I would totally agree with that statement.)There were many ‘shadowy’ elements to the 1960’s and 1967, in particular - the black cloud of a military draft; the loss of faith in authority; civil rights’ changes and tensions; the Vietnam War; the “communal sweetness and tribal intimacy” of the hippie movement.There were so many significant events in 1967 (see the 1967 Timeline). The Human-Be In in Haight-Ashbury; musical milestones - Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is released - the Monterey Pop Festival; the Summer of Love; anti-war protests; race riots; Muhammad Ali refuses the draft; debut of Rolling Stone magazine; drugs. It is mind-boggling that 1967 was such a busy social, political, musical, cultural year of changes!My reactions and favorite bits:p. 20 the Che Guevara reference “Forces in the government and corporate America conspired to crush the cultural rebellions, but they were aided by infighting on the political left, a syndrome which, legend has it, led Che Guevara to quip that if you asked American leftists to form a firing squad, they’d get into a circle. (I love that!)p. 21 “As the decades passed, the music of the period would prove to be the most resilient trigger of authentic memories.” (That is certainly true for me.)I liked Chapter 2 - Before the Deluge 1954-1966I liked the tv and entertainment references - Rowen & Martin’s Laugh-In, Firesign Theatre, the musical HAIR, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Beatles, Grace Slick (I could go on and on - all triggers for me)The references to Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy.The term ‘made out’ - one doesn’t hear that expression much anymore.The Epilogue with its references to The Whole Earth Catalog and Tom Hayden.Environmentalism, vegetarianism, health foods, pot, LSD, yoga, Eastern mysticism, free love, alternative media choices - making their way into the mainstream of cultural life.An excellent book. I think it’s time to listen to my Sgt. Pepper album!
    • 4/5
      I was born in 1971, so the hippies of 1967 were my parents' generation, not mine (although neither of my parents were actually counted among their number). I've always found it kind of interesting to look back on this particular part of history, though. Interesting and confusing, because I inevitably find that my feelings towards these members of the 60s counterculture consist of equal parts admiration and disdain. The admiration is for their belief in many causes I think were absolutely right, for their ability to speak with sincere earnestness about subjects like peace and love that we can't seem to approach today without ironic cynicism and an almost reflexive desire to cringe way from anything "corny," and for their dedication to being the change they wanted to see in the world. Not to mention the fact that they produced some darned good music. The disdain is for their often painful naivete, for their embracing of New Age gobbledygook and other forms of irrationality, for what often seems to be a baby-with-the-bathwater approach to the rejection of mainstream society, and for their downright unhealthy obsession with drugs. After reading this book, I think I still feel pretty much all the same things, only maybe a little more so. It's basically an overview of the hippie movement, focusing primarily on 1967, the year the counterculture wave seems to have crested. The author, Danny Goldberg, graduated from high school that year, and is thus describing the world he came of age into and considered himself a part of. He also happens to to have had a number of connections to significant people in the hippie scene, directly or indirectly. He calls this a "subjective history" of the subject, interspersing straightforward reporting about the events of '67 with occasional comments about his own thoughts and experiences. In theory, this sounds like a good idea, avoiding creating the misleading impression of distance and complete objectivity and adding a little bit of an immediate, personal touch. In practice, I'm not sure it works all that well, as Goldberg's interjections about his own life sometimes seem out of place, grafted awkwardly onto more journalistic writing. And, while I doubt it was deliberate, I couldn't help feeling like it consisted largely of a lot of authorial name-dropping.That aside, though, this was generally well-researched and informative, and given its ostensibly narrow focus on one particular year, it actually covers quite a lot of ground. I will say that I found some sections a lot more interesting than others. The discussion of the relationship between the hippie movement and the civil rights and Black Power movements, for instance, I found illuminating and engaging. Long summations of what festivals were held where and who organized them and who said what from the stage, however, were much less so, and there were times, especially in the early chapters, where my mind started wandering slightly.But even if my feelings on the book were a little bit mixed, I did find it worth reading. If nothing else, it's useful to be reminded, in times like these, that social turmoil and political divisiveness are nothing new. I'm not sure whether it's a thought that's comforting or frightening, to be honest, but it is definitely one we ought to keep in mind.Rating: I'm calling this one 3.5/5, just because it was a bit uneven for me, but I do feel a little stingy doing so, and I strongly suspect that anyone with more of a personal connection to the subject matter, or a stronger personal interest in it, is likely to appreciate it more thoroughly than I did.