Viet Nam Era Music

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&Quot;Hair" is a 1979 film based on the 1968 Broadway musical.  The musical was later revived in 1977 and again in 2009.  Several adaptations of the musical have also appeared in other theaters around the world.  Given the era it was surprising that "Hair" actually made it onto the Broadway scene given its controversy. Like all Vietnam-way era films, "Hair" is about free love and "make peace not war."  Claude (John Savage) travels from Oklahoma to New York to report for duty.  Arriving early he encounters George (Treat Williams) and his crew, a band that lives free in the city.  George takes Claude under his wing, ultimately trying to show Claude that going to war is wrong.  Still, Claude remains determined to report for duty, and he does so to the very end. "Hair" is a bit unfocused at times.  However, it does conclude with a surprise that most originally did not see coming.  The film is a testament to war and its effects.  While I can respect the role this film plays in history, I found the film version of the story to be a bit lacking.  For me personally, the musical renditions of this film pale in comparison with the original Broadway cast.  A quick listen to the Broadway cast soundtrack and you will know exactly what I am talking about.  Some of this has to do with the arrangements and some of it has to do with the performances.  Overall, it just lacks that grab factor.  This is also in part due to the fact that not every number in the musical is attention grabbing.  Sure, we all know "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" and "Hair."  But there are numerous bits in between that are stale. The sad part of this Blu-ray release is the release quality.  For those that are fans of the film I am afraid you are going to be quite disappointed.  This is by far the worst release that I have seen, in overall quality.  It has some redeeming factors, but boy it needs work.  This film has been given absolutely no attention in the restoration or transfer process.  IN fact, I would bet that no restoration went into this Blu-ray at all.  The print used for the transfer appears to be roughly third or fourth generation.  It is in worse condition than a theater's copy, which has been run over and over again.

Renowned Scholar on Vietnam War Era Music Speaks in Rochester, March 8

. The free lecture will take place on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. in the Nazareth College Art Center's Callahan Theatre . Nazareth College is located at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, N.Y. 14618. For more information, contact the Nazareth College Arts Center box office at (585) 389-2170.

Keesing is also speaking earlier the same day, from noon-1:30 p.m., at Rundel Memorial Building of the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County. With More than Songs: What Music Can Tell Us about the Vietnam War , he will discuss the ways the Vietnam conflict and various people associated with it have been represented in popular music and how music can be used as a lens through which to study Americans' experiences with and perceptions of the war. This forum takes place at the Rundel Auditorium, 3rd floor , Rundel Memorial Building of the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County, 115 South Ave.

Keesing is a definitive expert on the music of the Vietnam War. His newest work, Next Stop Is Vietnam, named one of the top ten re-issues of the year by Rolling Stone, is the authoritative study of the subject and contains 13 CDs of all the most iconic music of the war. There are more than 300 songs featuring The Doors, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen, and more. They range from a folk ballad released just before U.S. troops landed to a 2008 song about the aftereffects that veterans still suffer. Keesing put the collection together. It's a project he's worked on since the early 1970s, when he taught psychology courses to U.S. troops a few hundred miles up the coast from Saigon.

Nazareth College is co-sponsoring Keesing's visit with the Rochester Public Library, and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 20, in conjunction with the Rochester-Monroe County Vietnam-Era Veterans Oral History Project. To learn more about the oral history project, contact Rochester City Historian Christine L. Ridarsky at (585) 428-8095 or Christine.Ridarsky@libraryweb.org.

Founded in 1924, Nazareth College is a coeducational college with undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences and professional programs in health and human services, education, and management. The College is located on 150 scenic acres near Rochester, New York, and currently enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. Nazareth has a strong commitment to experience-based learning and civic engagement. In the past decade, Nazareth has produced 18 Fulbright recipients and two Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships. For more information on the College, visit www.naz.edu.