![]() In actuality, it’s why I learned to type. However, hormones, rather than valor, can overcome a lot. No matter how much you loved listening to music, translating that into physical rhythmic expression, in public, made most of the male juveniles simply deer-in-the-headlights roadkill material. Attending a school dance was no big deal for them because, A) they were just better at it than the majority of the guys in my grade (no doubt helped by the fact there was no stupid male ego to get in the way), and, B) they enjoyed it. Author Tom Schreck’s take on guys dancing, and the repercussions, is a must read here.Īt one time I thought the girls (at least from the perspective of this raw young male) seemed more at ease with it all. For the guys, if they wanted to meet girls, this was a step that had to be made. No one was going to do it for you. It was almost a rite of passage for some of us. Still, having it set in school, among your peers, rivals, and let’s face it, the opposite sex, was the significant barrier to get beyond. Guess what? If my observances of my son’s current experiences are any indication, it’s still in play.Ĭertainly, familiarity with music and the act of dancing were already well-known to most of us at that age. Thus, it was in the junior high of my day, and the 7th grade specifically, where I (and the others known to me) put our pride and feelings in ridicule’s cross-hairs for just such an endeavor. The most obvious, and probably the damnedest and scariest, was the school dance. That is, putting yourself into the middle of a terrifying maelström, let alone puberty. It’s still learned behavior, one for the expressed purpose of actually putting yourself in the mix - of introducing you to others, that is.īack in the dark ages that was my youth, teens (especially for those of the Y-chromosome variety) had to make a conscious choice whether they’d take a plunge into the social pool while in the midst of school. Sure, today’s modern technology and social networks have taken over much of the how and when young people seek the avenues for meeting others. In my humble estimation, the important social events during the years of junior and senior high school really came down to the school dances. Parked somewhere between the freaky frequencies of the Doors and the beautiful vocal pop of the Association, Incense and Peppermints is a stunning album.One for the Dance Floor: Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock Rushing rhythms cap the rocking “Lose To Live” and “Unwind With The Clock,” and then there’s “Strawberries Mean Love,” a tranquil but trippy slice of paisley patterned poetry. Spinning round and round with jagged and joyous tempos, “Paxton’s Back Street Carnival,” really does reflect the festive flavor of a carnival, where “Pass Time With SAC” is a bouncy and catchy little instrumental. Diversified and running wild with imagination, the Strawberry Alarm Clock proved to be equally at home performing mellow material as they were the quirky psychedelic stuff. Hypnotic to the core, the long winded piece demonstrates just how good the fellows were at doing the jam thing.Īn ethereal film encompasses the warm and gentle “Birds In My Tree,” while “Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow” offers a similar approach. Tapping into the improvisational side of the Strawberry Alarm Clock is “The World’s On Fire,” an 8 minute plus track assembled of thrashing congas, weaving guitar escapades and repetitious but right on drumming. Colorful songwriting, combined with layers of sun-kissed harmonies played a big part in making Incense and Peppermints the jewel of the effort that it is as well. The disc has recently been reissued by Sundazed Records, but copies are limited, so you best hurry and place an order quickly because this is definitely required listening for those who go for far out sounds.Īrmed with a variety of instruments, the Strawberry Alarm Clock took full advantage of such toys, resulting in an album stocked with exotic, esoteric and inventive dips and curves. The swinging tune appeared on the Strawberry Alarm Clock’s first album, pressed on the Uni label, and was also called Incense and Peppermints. Rigged with fizzy fuzz guitars, escorted by the tinny tone of a bubbly keyboard, a clingy chorus and bucking breaks, “Incense and Peppermints” ably integrated pop sensibilities with acid-informed expressions. 1 spot on the national charts in the autumn of 1967.ĭrafted of zany lyrics, culled from a rhyming dictionary, the song not only mirrored the creative insanity of the era, but subsequently flashed drifts of cool and groovy moves. Sprouting forth from the San Fernando Valley, located in Los Angeles County, the Strawberry Alarm Clock acquired instant success when their debut single, “Incense and Peppermints” zoomed to the No.
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