Though I'm not sure if the teenagers of the '60s have a monopoly on discontent and hunger for change, it was the music of this generation that expressed it the loudest. Many of those songs are contained on this two-disc set, 32 of them to be exact. Whether it's Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" or The Mamas & The Papa's "California Dreaming" of disc one, or Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" or The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown's "Fire" of disc two, the songs ring of a hunger and passion for change.The two CDs bundled under the title Born to be Wild contain the hardest sounding songs, the ones I would label classic rock. They are songs that I remember as ones I latched on to as I was coming of age and trying to identify who I was and who I was becoming.Age of Aquarius
Or course, you couldn't title a dis Age of Aquarius without including the song. It is probably the song to best reflect the hope for change that came out of this decade of music and appears on disc one. What remains are the songs from the folk side of sixties rock, artists like Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and The Byrds.Highlights from disc one include Big Brother & the Holding Company's "Piece of My Heart" (featuring vocals by Janis Joplin), and the Byrds' two biggest hits "Mr Tambourine Man" and "Eight Mile High." Disc two features another hit from The Byrds, "Turn, Turn, Turn" as well as Bob Dylan's "Subterraenean Homesick Blues" and The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In."Summer of Love
As with many other compilations released this year, Flower Power: The Summer of Love celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of the musical phenomenon. All these songs were playing on the airwaves during the summer of 1967, and there is a wide and varied collection of them in the two disc set. From Van Morrison ("Brown Eyed Girl") to Jefferson Airplane ("Somebody to Love") the collection documents the time that is most often cited as the beginning of the 'hippie movement' and the summer 100,000 people embraced the idea of free love and free drugs in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. 
Groovin'
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Nice review that brought back some memories, Connie. And considering what I was doing back then I suppose I should thank the Lord I actually have them (my memories that is).
-Glen
2 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Good write-up indeed, Connie. I think Spinal Tap said it best when they sang "Listen to the flower people..." But I'm afraid Lobo said it worse with "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" which will be stuck in my head for a while. Wait, it gets worse: I hope for your sake that "Walking My Cat Named Dog" isn't on the album...
3 - Mark Saleski
nice review connie.
i'm working my way through this set too. boy, it is one large pile 'o tunes. lotsa fun.
4 - Connie Phillips
Thanks, Glen. Even though I was a bit young for this to be the music on the radio... it is what I seemed to migrate to and spend a good portion of my time listening to... and those memories seem to have withstood me annihilating a few brain cells too.
5 - Connie Phillips
Awe, but Gordon, I think there is a time and a place for the cheesier songs like the Lobo tune, every now and again at least.
In all actuality, though, those tracks are few and far between.
6 - Connie Phillips
Thanks, Mark. It is one massive box full of discs. I look forward to hearing what you have to say about it.
7 - Lisa McKay
Nice write-up on this, Connie. I usually stay away from compilations, but like Glen, this is the music I grew up on -- and if nothing else, it makes me nostalgic for the days when you could turn on the radio and hear stuff like this all the time.
I hated my high school years with a passion, but the soundtrack was something else altogether.
8 - Connie Phillips
Thank you, Lisa.
I understand there are downsides to compilations, but especially for someone like me, who loved a majority of the songs on here, but didn't own many of them -- it becomes a nice item to have.
I very very rarely turn my radio on these days, especially since I got an iPod hookup in my car, so I couldn't even tell if you there are 'oldies' stations out there that still broadcast this music over the airways... but there should be.
9 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
You're right, Connie, there is a time and place for the cheesier songs like the Lobo tune: 1967, long-buried in a time capsule no one can find.
Sorry--cheap joke. I actually cherish flower power, especially when the love generation is pushing up the daisies...
Sorry, again. I'm afraid I just can't stop... I'll go now...
10 - Connie Phillips
:::Smile::: Gordon!
Okay, okay, I rephrase it. I have a time and place for the cheesier stuff. Not all the time mind you, but sometimes.
11 - Al Barger
Why is it that this album review has me wanting to go into Cartman mode and start fumigating for hippies?
12 - Connie Phillips
Awe, Al, come on. Why all the hate for the concept of peace and love?