In the early 1970s any band comprised of young men, usually about five of them, were mandated to wear a shirt or a jacket completely opened in the front when performing on stage. It was the law. At this time there were a lot of what music dubbed “Power Pop” bands of these boys to men rocking out with chirpy, but very catchy songs that would have you walking around singing to yourself without even consciously being aware. This, by nature, is the definition of trigger music, it’s the earworm, the unforgettable hook, chorus, or lyric, even if you can’t remember a single line of the rest of the tune.
Catchy songs with memorable, happy choruses are a weakness of mine. These bands I am referring to today might, to some, be a slight lean towards bubble gum (and easily can be termed as Top 40) but I graduated them into a higher level of musical category because they were what I felt was more or less “Rock-lite.” For instance, bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, The Eagles, Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, and so many more represented the real deal rock’n’roll. There will always be examples of trigger music in those bands, but today’s focus is on the next level below. Power Pop represents a different animal in the annals of music history. I am speaking of colorful bands such as Badfinger (soon to be a subject here), Cheap Trick, Todd Rundgren, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and towards the bubble/Pop side: The Sweet, and even The Bay City Rollers (although they were not a particular favorite of mine.)
Pop Rock in the 1970s morphed into New Wave and Punk as the decade moved on, creating a period of music that might have produced the most triggers for me in total. The airwaves were certainly exciting in these periods. The energy of what was new on our radios and in our stadiums was a complete blast of life’s purpose, keeping me motivated and involved with music in every way possible as it continued throughout the 1980s.
“Go All the Way” by the Raspberries, was a power pop band led by the future solo artist Eric Carmen (“All by Myself,” “Never Gonna Fall In Love Again,” “Hungry Eyes”). The Raspberries came to my attention in the summer/fall of 1972 when I first heard the record debut on the American Top 40. I was an instant fan of the opening guitar and the tremendous (somewhat falsetto) harmonies of the five-member band. For the day it was considered a bit salacious considering the subject of the lyric was about a woman trying to get a man to sleep with her. Carmen has said his inspiration for writing the tune was the Rolling Stone’s “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” Apparently, the song was banned from the BBC because of the content, a taste of where we were as a culture but a fact that was often not really discussed or even understood because it sounded like it could be a Beatle song and you just wanted to sing along.
During the summer, into the fall of 1972, I was preparing and entering my last year of middle school at Murphy Junior High School. I was in the 9th grade, and I was moving into a better version of myself, or at least something somewhat more comfortable. We were now in the top grade, and my hair was getting longer, which I felt gave me an edge for the time period. In hindsight, it has become evident that I needed that edge. At home, the growing hair did not go over as well. I remember my father not accepting it and repeatedly telling me to get it cut. It was only the beginning. The mass of waves would continue to grow throughout high school. I sometimes wonder if I might have cut it were I not rebelling against authority and playing the role of teenage contrarian. I don’t remember ever really enjoying the hair at the longer lengths beyond the character it helped me to create for others. Honestly, it was a royal pain in the ass to keep clean and straight. I didn’t like the waves; I would blow dry them out for straight hair. Then I would walk out into the humidity and the waves would almost instantaneously return.
I do remember all the rock stars having long hair. Most of their hair was poofy and big, filled with body and, yes, waves. I can’t say I aspired to be a rock star, but I did know it helped me to design a persona that gave me more control over how people perceived me, and as a result how I eventually would perceive myself. Inside I still felt a bit like an imposter, I had been teased for a long time in my younger years for being less aggressive than a boy at earlier ages might normally be (according to most with an opinion on the matter). Because I knew I did not want to become what others felt I should be I eventually found that music and those who played it became a representation of an alternative that allowed me to build a persona that either made detractors uncomfortable enough to leave me alone, or perhaps even scared about what it all meant. Believe it or not, growing my hair became a shield against judgment about weakness or being something, I did not understand or really want. Instead, the image provided me with credibility where I thought it counted and identified me as more of an outsider, or a cool kid, or perhaps even someone with dark secrets. In the end, all of these perceptions were correct. As a result of the occurring transformation, I began to feel more comfortable in my skin for the first time in my life. I wouldn’t truly have the opportunity to honestly get to know myself or become authentic until many years later. But for the remainder of those hideous school years, I had successfully built a working forcefield around myself to protect anyone from really getting to know me. At the same time, I believe I did my best at creating a being worth knowing, helping to soften what could have been so much worse before I was able to get out into the world and start to explore what I needed, eventually leading me to crash and burn and find sobriety.
In 1972 the music was amazing. I can look back on the charts of the day and run through the Top 40 knowing every single song with ease. As will be the case some are far more memorable than others and the music, as a whole, would likely not fit into where we are in 2022. But the charts were filled with trigger music and, as always, some with melodies that can still be an earworm today. The Raspberries have stood that test of time for me with “Go all the Way.”
Please, go all the way
It feels so right (feels so right)
Being with you here tonight
Please, go all the way
Just hold me close (hold me close)
Don’t ever let me go, oh, no (don’t let me go)