I was 20 and 21 years old in 1976.

In all seriousness, I simply hated 1976. It was boring, in-between, and I was suffering from a physical ailment called "Labrynthitis" that stole all the excitement of it. Actually, I think I'd rather have had root canal work done than live through 1976. So, with that bit of intro, here we go...

Television was still great-especially the made for TV movies-but unfortunately, no new ground was being covered. The big 70's blast came to fruition around 1971, and by 1976, the shock waves of revolution and innovation were quieting to a ripple. The Punk Rock movement was in full swing, as was Disco.

Great music was still being pumped out. A haunting ballad by Janis Ian "At Seventeen" was incredible. It seemed only popular with the girls, but I thought it was one of the best songs ever written. The Eagles released "Hotel California" and managed to latch onto the ultimately amazing Joe Walsh on guitar. Peter Frampton came alive. Every teeny bopper in the world seemed to fall in love with him.

Rich Man, Poor Man

1976 did bring us one of television's finest moments in the epic mini-series "Rich Man, Poor Man". The show made stars out of Peter Strauss and Nick Nolte. It was a great movie and spawned a sequel in 1978 titled "Rich Man, Poor Man Book II". Both series' highly elevated the character actor status of actor William Smith who played the iconic supervillain "Falconetti". Though the sequel was not nearly as good, it was engaging. The original "Rich Man, Poor Man" is excellent, and time well spent.

PONG!

Soon after I'd turned 21, I discovered, in my favorite hangout Pub 205, a wierd game played on table tops called Pong. The screen served as part of the table top with glass covering it for safety. My friends and I were wildly fascinated by the "booop" sound it made, and the ball bouncing across a black screen. Ping Pong was the game, only it was played with controls instead of paddles. How Tech! The space age had arrived. Pong was great! Soon, it would be available for home televisions by Atari. However, the earlier versions were reputed to burn out television screens.

AAAAGGGHHH! Disco Duck!

What the heck happened to this country?!

The most frightening world event happened in 1976. Disco was in. I realize that there's no excuse for my using the "D" word, but "Disco," a derivation of the word "discotheque" burst onto the scene destroying everything in its path. Though it slowly scratched its way to the surface earlier in the 70's, the release of Paramount Pictures' "Saturday Night Fever" was a signal for all young soldiers to put on their "dancing shoes." Disco was for me, awful.

Unlike mainstream rock, disco didn't rely on lead guitars for soloing. Instead it used synthesizers, programming, and strong regimented drum beats. Even bass guitars would solo! Moreover, disco wasn't original; it was stolen from earlier 70's soul music which by far had more class. Disco T shirts with slogans like Death to Disco! were sold in mass quantities.

Punk Rock & New Wave

I truly hated punk rock, and saw no value in it whatsoever. Punk was the new rage, but like disco, it wasn't for me. I remember my first experiences with the strange new world of Punk Rock. At first, I saw it as a sort stupid flash-in-the-pan that would evaporate as quickly as it came to light. Oh, how wrong I was; it burst onto the scene like a bomb.

Soon, the safety pin and razor blade world of punk was mega-popular, and a slew of new bands burst onto the scene. One in particular wasThe Clash. They were tolerable, and their album "London Calling" had a few songs I liked. Pretty soon, the Punk wave turned to an offshoot known as "New Wave" which was a cleaned up version of punk that dominated the later '70s and '80s. I couldn't think of an easier way to clear out a room than to put just about any punk record on the turntable. As punk branched off into the evolving New Wave, the music became something more elite. Groups like Blondie made a huge splash onto the '70s music scene that created in itself, a counter-culture made up of a careful balance of punk, techno, and mainstream rock.

Helter Skelter

In 1976 television gave us its presentation of Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry's best-seller "Helter Skelter". This was an excellent made for television movie. The movie was able to portray the deeper aspects of what had really gone on during the events of that horrible August of 1969. The lead role was played with serious conviction by actor Steve Railsback. The soundtrack Beatle tunes are all covered by an imitator band. What the movie was able to capture brilliantly was a sincere sense and flavor of 1969.

Happy Birthday America.

New Year's Eve of 1975-76 brought us the loudest ever, celebrating 200 years of American History. It was the most robust New Year's Eve celebration I can remember. I'd stayed up with some friends listening to Triumvirate "Spartacus" a new album that basically was a carbon copy of anything that Emerson, Lake & Palmer had done throughout their entire career. I loved the album though, (and still do), and I think I played it all night because I remember watching the sunrise that morning listening to it.

Paul McCartney and Wings released a great live album from their U. S. tour during this period. The album is called "Wings Over America" and it's fantastic. The concert exemplifies what Paul McCartney is capable of on stage, and that in Wings, he lives again as a Beatle and solo artist. The album is a magificent portfolio of past Beatles and Wings tunes performed reverently, faithfully and at times, vigorously.