5 thoughts on “Night Music: Loggins and Messina, “Vahevella”

  1. You asked for it;) Every girl in Pelham, NY had this album. I probably missed getting laid a few times because I couldn’t hide my hostility. They thought I was weird but I did not give an inch. I always think of L&M paired with Cat Stevens, another menace of the time.

  2. The harsh reality is that drugs make things seem better or different or more intense, but, sigh, it is just being stoned, and in essence, nothing changes.

    I’m with Gene (try Grieg’s “Piano Concert in A Minor” on ‘shrooms sometime for a real mindbender).

  3. How drugs make music sound is an interesting topic. I don’t think it’s quite as simple as “in essence, nothing changes,” but damn if I can articulate why not. It’s been a long time for any drugs other than pot, but I distinctly remember a “hangover effect” with certain songs – being stoned caused an enhanced appreciation of the song, but the appreciation carried over when not stoned. Correct me if I’m wrong, Peter, but I think that’s what you’re saying with “Vahevella.” I do know that the connection between music and drugs is as old as music and alcohol themselves.

    In the early days of LSD some people thought it could help cure alcoholism. The thinking was that some alcoholics were drinking to recapture an early transcendent experience that happened under the influence, and that LSD could help do that. The idea was discredited but perhaps not entirely wrong.

    Anyway, everybody I know who did LSD or ‘shrooms had experiences like Peter’s with Vahevella or Lawr’s with Grieg. Here is one I distinctly remember. A couple of friends and I were at the Academy of Music one night, I do not remember who the headliner was, possibly Spooky Tooth. The opening act was a band called Montrose, whose first album had just been released. They opened with this song and all three of us were completely floored as the acid kicked in. The music still floors me, with that low slide guitar, and the way they kick into the speed metal tempo that was brand new to us at that time. No, this is not a great song, but it’s good and the acid only enhanced what was already there. And BTW, I doubt that Led Zeppelin was ever as tight live as Montrose.Their lyrics were no better than these moderately dumb ones either. We ran out and bought the album and enjoyed it straight.

  4. Drugs change the playing field. You can’t say, oh, this show was great, if you were tripping, without noting that you were tripping. Which doesn’t mean it wasn’t great for the straights.

    Context matters.

    Us east coast boys thought Montrose were dumb when this music was coming out, but how stupid is that? We liked the Allmans, who mined a different sound but similar vibe..

    Clearly Ricky and crew knew when the orange would be peaking.

    Funny how much he looks like Springsteen soloing, apart from the hair of course.

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