Released through Universal Music on 8th June 2015, ‘Magic Bus’ is a massive 3CD collection of 57 tracks that sound-tracked the journeys taken along the ‘hippie trail’ by thousands in the late ’60s, early ’70s. Rolling on from London to Amsterdam, then to Istanbul and finally to Kathmandu in Nepal, the epic voyage, and indeed the mode of transport itself has entered the cultural vernacular. A garishly painted bus still evokes, for us all, the open road and the setting sun. ‘Magic Bus’ speaks of the impact upon the world’s young people of the nascent counterculture; bringing freedom, hedonism and spirituality.
With tracks from the likes of The Mamas & The Papas, Scott McKenzie, The Byrds, The Who, Bob Dylan and many more, ‘Magic Bus’ opens a window that allows the aromatic atmosphere of a cherished era to filter back to us. These are intoxicating memories. This music encompasses the collective positivity of the times that underlined a generational shift; but most importantly this is about far more than just basking in nostalgia, this is some of the greatest music ever recorded.
Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, Joan Baez, Canned Heat and many, many more all join us on the way. This music and this journey was truly an immersive experience for those who hit the ‘hippie trail’. Sunlight refracted through a cracked windscreen and roiling clouds of fragrant smoke. Sudden moments of transcendental clarity and focus. The hum of the engine and a largely unjustifiable belief that the road being followed would lead to where the occupants of the Magic Bus truly wanted to be. But it didn’t matter. The journey is, after all, the destination and this is a trip about far more than sightseeing.
As Timothy Leary put it so succinctly, “Turn on, tune in, drop out” |
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