The hard-rock of my child-
hood came in small cassettes and giant posters,
where blood and printed poses
seemed much larger than the
anemic beat of my cassette recorder.
Still they told me of a world
where music is performance, not
magnetic tape recordings.
Today I try to watch my fading heroes
live before they die.
Somehow I remember Alice Cooper more for those posters my friends had of the his performances than the music itself. Written for Marian at toads. Also a 55 for Hedge.
March 23, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
I don’t know Alice Cooper but a lot of people love him. A lot of my heroes were on vinyl…and Tiger Beat magazine…The Beatles, Chad and Jeremy…and if course all the comic book dudes. I miss my old heroes.
Did u know Alice cooper is a rock DJ on some national show that airs at night –
And I like how u noted the performance aspect of the bands back then…
And cassette tapes did have anemic sounds
Excellent enjambment makes this seem like a form unto itself, Bjorn, and the cadence seems like it rhymes even when it doesn’t–I find the old rockers (my contemporaries) a bit sad these days, those that have survived–the songs still rock, though, and whenever possible, I prefer to watch performance.Thanks for playing 55 this week, my friend.
Hi Kim, don’t you just love the oldies now!! But they seemed sooo young when you see them again. Just kids, most. Your post evoked lots of memories. On Sunday back in another life I would ride my motorcycle from Houston Park to Houston Park. Seemed to be a rock band under every other tree playing like no tomorrow. I’m sure that ZZ Top were there. Janis Joplin and Judy Collins, “Me and Mo and “Someday Soon” probably were my all time favorites. I was almost a ‘weekend hippie’ (my hair was over my collar). Oh yes, I have a box full of 75 vinyl records. But my player isn’t working.
..
Hi Kim, don’t you just love the oldies now!! But they seemed sooo young when you see them again. Just kids, most. Your post evoked lots of memories. On Sunday back in another life I would ride my motorcycle from Houston Park to Houston Park. Seemed to be a rock band under every other tree playing like no tomorrow. I’m sure that ZZ Top was there. Janis Joplin and Judy Collins, “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Someday Soon” probably were my all time favorites. I was almost a ‘weekend hippie’ (my hair was over my collar). In ’64 I spent a month in San Francisco on ‘business’. Oh yes, I have a box full of 75 vinyl records. But my player isn’t working.
..
Oops, Bjorn, not Kim. Sorry.
Hi Bjorn, don’t you just love the oldies now!! But they seemed sooo young when you see them again. Just kids, most. Your post evoked lots of memories. On Sunday back in another life I would ride my motorcycle from Houston Park to Houston Park. Seemed to be a rock band under every other tree playing like no tomorrow. I’m sure that ZZ Top was there. Janis Joplin and Judy Collins, “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Someday Soon” probably were my all time favorites. I was almost a ‘weekend hippie’ (my hair was over my collar). In ’64 I spent a month in San Francisco on ‘business’. Oh yes, I have a box full of 75 vinyl records. But my player isn’t working.
..
I remember the ‘the anemic beat of my cassette recorder’ – as a teenager I couldn’t wait to get a proper sound system. I quite like Alice Cooper but I preferred Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie. .
Ah yes I remember the era when we played cassettes instead of cds! Love your closing line.. may our heroes forever reside in our hearts.
You have captured our generation to perfection!
Let’s hear it for Gen X, cassette tapes and giant posters and pop stars!
Days of cassettes and posters. so well recalled by your poem Bjorn
Happy you dropped by my blog
much love…
Incredible music drifted from those cassette tapes, as we cruised (high school girl friends and I) into the wee small hours on each Friday night. Such a simple, exciting pleasure ,,, one that, sadly, I fear will never be revisited – the prevalence of drugs, having seeped so emphatically into the modern ethos of ‘having a good time’.
Yes… this is great! I really feel all of this. I had a cassette boombox in my room as a teen and went to sleep usually listening to Elton John. 🙂 Alice Cooper’s show is still so much a performance, it’s almost like you are watching a musical. Amazing, really.
Sounds like my childhood except my music came from the radio and vinyl.
It is a shame that when we get old enough to savor life, that it starts to escape us.
Wow! I know that this poem was not about my last heroes of the sports’ world all getting too old to play… Loved it!