Dana Spiardi

Goats Head Soup

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“Goats Head Soup.” The very thought makes my fur stand on end. The Rolling Stones turned out four killer LPs in a row, with titles that slayed (figuratively). And then they released an almost-killer LP with a title that slayed (literally). You know, Mick Jagger was a smart guy….London School of Economics and all that. … Read more

A Moonage Daydream – How Apollo 11 Inspired Bowie and Zowie’s Lunar Love

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Forty-five years ago this month I was eating Pillsbury Space Food Sticks, building my own mini lunar module from a kit, and drinking Tang — the beverage of astronauts! Like the rest of the world, I was caught up in Apollo 11 moon-landing mania, as Neil Armstrong took that first giant step on July 20, … Read more

Roll Up, Roll Up — for the Greyhound Bus Hippyland Tour!

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So, you’re trippin’ with your blue-jean baby down a marijuana-scented street, wearing your tie-dyed shirt, love beads and huaraches, when you hear an announcement blaring from a packed tour bus: “Now, ladies and gentlemen, if you look to your left you’ll see a hairy hippie passed out in front of the Phật Phúc Noodle Bar. … Read more

David Peel: The Dope-Smokin’ Pope of the New York City Hippies

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Hello, ma’am. I’m working to clean up the neighborhood from parasites. Do you mind if I take a quick look around your house? I’m afraid you may have hippies. If you’re familiar with the darkly funny animated series “South Park,” you know there’s nothing that tubby 9-year-old Eric Cartman hates more than hippies. In the 2005 … Read more