​March 22 Friday

Ralph took pictures at John Rennie, and also at Dave's (Scott, Dave, Heather, Dave Hughes, Sue, Richard and Ralph).

 

(Andy's) March 22, Friday

Well, fuck, Bennie went away this weekend with her parents.

 

I split a 26-ounce bottle of tequila with Murry and Cliff and we went up to Fairview to drink. Quite strange-sitting in Harvest House, drinking out of water glasses along with the lemon + salt. After shooting down most of the bottle, we went outside and smoked a splif. I have never gotten off so well on a toke like that before. Like going from a little drunk to quite wrecked.

 

John Wilson drove me down to Pete McKinstry's in his Austin Mini. A really amazing ride-his FM radio was playing good music and he was just zipping along. For some reason he didn't come in but I was too stoned to figure it out.

 

Pat, Sue, Heather, Louise, Terry, Scot, Dave E., Guy Riches were all at Pete's. It wasn't too bad, got into some albums of his and smoked and talked a bit.

 

Later Heather + me went to my house + watched some T.V.

 

March 23 Saturday

Ernie, Maggie, Foster, Mish, Fred, Danny and Rob were over. (photographs survive, the first ones of Danny, Fred, Ernie and Michelle).

 

(Andy's) March 23, Saturday

Tonite I went to the drop-in with Bob....Dennis smoked me up but there was really sweet fuck all to do-I was bored completely off my ass.

Shit.

 

With Foster and Mish going out, we also saw more of Fred and Ernie. Fred was one of the trio of drug dealers (Foster and Ernie were the other two). His basement room, with its wall to wall pillows, posters, pictures and low tent-like ceiling, became a place to toke once and awhile.. His favourite band was Genesis.(114)

 

Ps- I was listening to Nazareth (an album I lent to Maggie and never got back) and Bachman-Turner Overdrive....Robin Trower's 'Bridge of Sighs' is of this period also (I think).

 

 

 

114. Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, King Crimson and later (unfortunately) Supertramp were all either unknown in the rest of North America or became popular years later (e.g. Genesis). Why?

 

I believe it is two things: the different culture of Quebec, and drugs. It is always said that Quebec, and Montreal in particular, is closer to a European city in atmosphere than other cities in North America. All the bands above were British, and their followings here were by no means only among the English (even in 1994, when the English population was much smaller, Pink Floyd sold out three shows at the Olympic Stadium...this for a band well past its prime).

 

Drugs. The music of these bands was known under different names: Progressive Rock, Art Rock, Glitter Rock, Head Music. Whatever else it was, it wasn't for dancing. Here is a quote from 'The Rolling Stone History of Rock and Roll' (1980)

 

"...in particular, I remember a Halloween party at the beginning of that decade (the 1970's). Some neighborhood hippies had invited us to one of those affairs where everyone sat around the floor in stoned silence listening to Janis, the Doors, the Stones and Led Zep..."

 

This sums up much of our attitude towards this music (this is not to say we all were listening to this kind. Andy and Ralph in particular though it noise (eg. Bob Dylan and the Allman Bros, among others were more their style, though Ralph did have a passing attraction for Electric Light Orchestra). Dancing was almost unknown (try dancing to Genesis circa 1972), it was considered uncool (the anti-Disco reaction is a case in point). Though many of the bands denied their music was "drug music" (check Pink Floyd in "Live at Pompeii"), the drug experience was enhanced by this version of rock'n'roll.

 

For a different view see Appendix 1.

 

 

Dave Hughes, Richard and Scott

Heather, Dave H., Sue and Richard

Ernie, Maggie, Foster, Mish, Fred, Danny and Rob