If you wonder why my generation (Gen X) is so damn jaded and cynical look no further than children's records. Way before kids had things like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to keep them entertained (and thirsty for violence), the children of the world actually used to set a record on a turntable and listen for 45 minutes. Often, these records had a comic or picture book to read along to.
Oh, isn't this precious? (There's that jaded cynicism again, sorry) So Dear To My Heart (1948) was idylic glimpse of boyhood in the good ol' days - sort of like Tom Sawyer, but more Disney-fied and saccharine. Nothing against wholesomeness (God knows, it's in short supply these days), but every single kid's record from these days seemed more sweet and tender than the next!
And then there was the 1970's.... Who loves ya, baby?
And then there was the 1970's.... Who loves ya, baby?
I had this Kojak record as kid (and still do). It's a far cry from So Dear To My Heart, that's for sure. Not that this is incredibly offensive or anything - I mean, it's not a Midnight Cowboy or A Clockwork Orange children's record. However, the wholesomeness has gone bye bye.
In this panel from the comic book that came with the album we find the a couple of criminals in a heated discussion in a high rise apartment. The woman learns that Harry has murdered their accomplice, Marty. She wants out of the whole shady business, and threatens to go to the cops. That's when Harry straight up murders her ass. "You'll tell them nothing.... BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!" Four slugs at close range as she begged for mercy. That's cold. And it's on my children's Kojak record. Take a listen to a little bit of the record if you have the time.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not preaching about how bad the violence was in children's records. I'm just pointed out a striking contrast with the wholesome sweetness of the records from just 15-20 years prior.
To be totally honest, I'm not sure what the difference is. I've talked about it with my spouse and came up empty. Obviously, there's a degree of wholesomeness that's been lost.... but it's something more. Really, there's nothing particularly offensive in records about Kojak, The Bionic Woman, Welcome Back, Kotter etc... pretty harmless, actually.
I think it boils down to this (and this is kind of deep, so get ready): Times were not necessarily more wholesome in the 1950's, but the images that were allowed to filter down to children via TV, movies, comics (after the Comics Code was implemented), and music were way more sheltered. "Sheltered" was a dirty word for "enlightened" parents of the 1970's, but in the 1950's it was all Beaver Cleaver and Mickey Mouse Club, if you get my drift. Maybe that's why the Boomers rebelled so much.... just a thought.
Can you guess when the Disney album above was released? Was it 1960 or 1980? If the busty chick in skimpy clothing clued you in that it's 1980, you are correct.
And while I'm at it, I'll mention that Disney sucked in the 1970's. Prior to the 70's, you had the early greats like Snow White and the later greats like The Jungle Book. However, in the 70's we got crap like The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Black Hole. Disney wasn't revived until The Little Mermaid, and by then I was in college. (insert sad violin music here)
Certainly, Escape to Witch Mountain doesn't stack up against something like Cinderella, but hey it was a part of my childhood, and for that I have nothing but love for this film and its accompanying record. And yeah, maybe Kojak and The Bionic Woman were less wholesome than the childhood records of the Baby Boomers, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Give me Kojak over So Dear To My Heart anyday.
