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( . . You'll Always Get What You Always Got.")

Drawing analogies between Vietnam and our current situation in Afghanistan has been difficult - they are two different wars under two different circumstances. The similarities go as far as our insistence on winning a war that we have no logical basis for being in are the same. The similarities are a Foreign Policy that has been a dismal failure since after World War One. Yet, as the definition of insanity goes - we continue to do the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. In Afghanistan, as with Vietnam we are stuck in a damnable situation where we are in fact, damned if we do and damned if we don't. It's what happens when you pay the price for arrogance and deceit.

In 1972, with all other seeming avenues failed, the Nixon administration resorted to mining Haiphong Harbor in an attempt to cut off supply lines to the North Vietnamese. Vietnamization was deemed a dismal failure.

Pres. Nixon: “All entrances to North Vietnamese ports will be mined to prevent access to these ports, and North Vietnamese navel operations from these ports. United States forces have been directed to take appropriate measures within the internal and claimed territorial waters of North Vietnam to interdict the delivery of any supplies. Rail, and all other communications will b cut off to the maximum extent possible. Air and navel strikes against military targets in North Vietnam will continue.”

Shortly after this announcement, NBC Radio ran a Special Report entitled "Vietnam: The War That Will Not End".

It echoed a sentiment that a weary nation was feeling. That war, like this one seems destined to have no happy ending.

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(VP Spiro Agnew - ran around threatening revoked FCC licenses)

At the height of the war between the White House and the Media, The National Press Club ran a panel discussion featuring Bill Monroe of NBC News, Ben Bagdikian and Fred Friendly of CBS. Members of the White House Communications staff were invited; Herb Klein, Pat Buchanan and Dean Burch, but declined. The subject was The Media and The Administration and a few interesting myths were put to rest.

Ben Bagdikian: “The fact is, that the press of this country is overwhelmingly conservative and Republican. We are in danger of not enough criticism of government, not too much. Most of the new that leaves this town (D.C.) is pretty much what public officials say, with not enough time and energy put into testing the validity of what they say. It’s only human that a public official wants it that way, but it happens to be lousy journalism and bad for democracy. Now Democrats weren’t in love with the press either in their time. And we shouldn’t expect to be loved. We dish it out and we ought to be able to take it when it’s given back to us. But when it comes to the press, I think there’s a difference between Republicans and Democrats. The Republicans have had a sympathetic press for so long and in so many places, that they now regard any departure from this as a theft of a natural right. Now it’s not really the Republicans fault either. It’s the fault of the majority of papers in this country who’ve conditioned their local conservative readers to believe that it is the natural born duty of every publication to support Republicans. Let me be specific: a paper’s endorsing a Presidential candidate in 1968, 80% endorsed Nixon, which is about what it’s been with one exception, for Republican candidates in every Presidential race in this generation. And its not just the small town papers. Endorsement by circulation size is about the same percentage. And if we’re talking about a press out of step, how about 80% for Nixon, while the readers vote 43 ½% for Nixon?”

Bagdikian says pretty much what most everyone felt, even as far back as 1972. The idea that mainstream media is a bastion of liberal thought is really a myth cooked up by the GOP. And it's plain to see this myth still holds true today, even more so.

It's interesting to note that the systematic dismantling of network news departments and FCC regulations being abandoned really started with the Nixon administration. It's only been the past 20 odd years we've actually witnessed the long-term effects of those massacres.

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(Vanda and Young - The voodoo they do so well)

Last night I mentioned one of the members of Grapefruit actually being the younger brother of George Young. When Grapefruit dissolved, Young took off for Australia to work with his brother on a new project.

The project became The Marcus Hook Roll Band. You could sort of call this the mid-point between The Easybeats and AC/DC - but definitely a link. The Vanda-Young team were on a roll.

Marcus Hook only last a little over two years (something about bands lasting two years . . ), releasing numerous singles and an album, which finally came out in the States via Capitol in 1974.

This track, issued in 1972 was "Natural Man". It did well in Australia and moderately well in Europe and the UK, but did nothing in the States, as did their album.

It was probably because of that a re-group and reinvention took place and what emerged was the winning combination.

And of course, nobody ever looked back.

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(Capability Brown - GREAT singles. But albums . . . . well . . .)

Capability Brown were one of those bands who had all the elements of being great. Amazing vocal harmonies, good instrumental licks, great up-and-coming label (Charisma came about as the brainchild of former manager of the bands Creation, Bonzo Dog and The Nice Tony Stratton-Smith) with lots of positive Press. And Capability Brown had a couple of great singles, like this one "Windfall".

But when it came to putting an album together, that was another story. The material was just bland and not well produced. And that spelled disaster for anyone trying at the high-stakes rock n' roll game and perplexity for reviewers who were anticipating their albums, based on the positive reaction to their singles.

Like I said, the singles were another story - and "Windfall" was everything the albums weren't. Capability Brown is largely forgotten now. their first album never issued on CD and their second album issued briefly on CD in Japan and the singles only issued as part of anniversary compilation in 1973. By that time the band had split and Charisma was reaping the benefits of Genesis.

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(The Jeff Beck Group - The Rough and Ready period)

Once again, the good old BBC Transcription service comes through. This time a concert with The Jeff Beck Group, live from the Paris Theatre in London. The lineup features Bob Tench, vocals, Max Middleton, keyboards, Clive Chaman, Bass and Cozy Powell on drums.

It was a great lineup that didn't last long, but it did produce two albums, Rough and Ready and The Jeff Beck Group.

This concert was recorded on June 29, 1972. This incarnation of the Jeff Beck group would break up shortly after, in October.

But in any event, it's a great concert and a nice touch for a holiday weekend.