The times, they have a-changed. When this spoken word recording was released in 1966, it was seen as a collection of radical concepts that pushed culture in amazing, dynamic, and even scary new directions. It came at a time when people held a deep belief in unavoidable and necessary change, arguably running deeper than Obamania with its many slogans and t-shirts. In the years leading up to the great acid wave, a fantastic rift existed between the conservative, loyal, noble Greatest Generation and the consciousness-expanding, peace-loving Me Generation.
Tension between adults (middle-age plus) and youth came to a head. Everyone tripped over the gap between those who barely survived the Great Depression and World War II, and those who were collectively sparked to life after the assassination of President JFK, who would peak at Woodstock, vigorously protest Vietnam, usher in lasting women and civil rights movements, and fizzle out in a blaze of coke and disco after Watergate. Throughout the 60s, a new cultural footing was being established, a changing of the guard, as the youth walked away from the seemingly archaic ideals of their parents, refusing to fight their wars and follow their rules any longer. It was one of the most exciting periods in recorded history, with Western culture reaching maturity alongside the concept of a real global village.
A lot has happened since then. While Timothy Leary's Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out may have been relevant to many people in its era, it now plays like a time capsule, capturing the precise moment the acid wave began to crest, before an entire generation crumbled from pain killers and yuppiedome. The lifestyle Leary tried to will into existence -- and rub in the faces of the aged -- polarized the freewheeling movement in an unfortunate "you're either with us or you're with the terrorists" way. At once, he was a rallying cry for a vibrant youth culture being stifled by business-as-usual and a catalyst for the anti-drug movement (and the many draconian laws that passed because of it). Now that we've had 40-plus years to let the dust settle and gather our bearings, it's still hard to say if the world would be better off if Leary had never turned on.
I certainly find it odd that a record preaching the virtues of an open mind contains constant and blatant ageism throughout. In the intro, "A Message to Young People," Timothy says "If you are over the age of 40, I'm not sure that you should listen to this record." He then follows it up with a few weak reasons why no one over 40 can be trusted (they have guns and jails for people who make them mad) and why all young people are groovy.
Yet, being young is not an alternative to being old. Everyone begins young and ends up old, and that in itself has very little to do with who we are as people day to day. As Robert Solomon said, "We should never simply write ourselves off and see ourselves as the victim of various forces. It’s always our decision who we are."
People who are assholes at 40 were likely assholes at 15, just as cool people over 40 were probably cool all of their lives. Hell, Leary himself was 46 when Turn On saw the light of day in 1966. Surely, he must have thought he was hip enough to listen to it, yet he made it seem like no middle-aged opinion had any relevance or worth (except his own, obviously). Dr. Tim shot himself in the foot with that business.
It's a real bummer to hear someone blatantly fan the flames of prejudice while allegedly standing for peace and understanding. Like Tom Cruise hysterically preaching The Church of Scientology as the only religion that can help people, Leary claimed that he alone could tap into your "potentialities" and those of your parents (but not your grandparents because "grandmother is dead, and [he] can't turn her on"). In effect, he increased the divide between two classes of people who were already having a tough time seeing eye to eye. Of course, it's doubtful he would have recognized or admitted his own open bigotry.
Dr. Timothy Leary knew he was an amazingly brilliant man, that he was the only one who had it all figured out. On "My Problem," he announces a long-term goal to be "the holiest and wisest man of [his] generation," reasoning that there's about a one-in-ten chance of achieving the goal.
Compounding matters, Leary dictates Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out in an incredibly dull, hushed tone, as if the world may crumble under the full power of his voice and ideas. Strikingly similar to all of George W. Bush's speeches, Leary's pacing is dragged out in an attempt to squeeze every iota of importance from every syllable of every word, no matter how trivial or overinflated. In doing so, he comes off like an arrogant ass-hat with little solid information.
It's easy to imagine him as a public figure, though. He rambled on about drugs and rebellion against authority figures at a time when those themes were front-page stories, so he was an instant hit with evolving beatniks and the emerging Haight-Ashbury and college crowds. He was also a hypocritical egomaniac, so he turned off most everyone outside of his demographic. I know firsthand that acid can do amazing things, but even I don't want to do it after hearing this record.
Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out is a testament to the ego of a confused doctor who bought into his own bullshit far more than it is a document of the (arguable) benefits of the psychedelic experience. How relevant did Leary think this record would be 40 years later? Likely, he didn't care. He spoke to hear himself talk and to puff up his name, not to create lasting change. For all his efforts, he is remembered as a fallen prophet and a pop culture catchphrase, and little else.
1. Message To Young People
2. Castalia Foundation
3. There's a Red Chimney
4. An Ancient Trade Union
5. Not An Idle Fantasy
6. The Taking of LSD
7. Sensory Paradise
8. Why Is It?
9. Early in the Life of Every Mammal
10. My Problem
11. Elevation of Human Consciousness
12. The Oldest Law
13. Psychochemical Revolution
14. Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
15. Within The Temple of Your Body
16. Our Present Adult Culture
17. The Aspect of Marijuana
18. Training and Sensitivity Required
19. Lesson Number One
20. Every Baby That Is Born
21. Every Time
22. One Final Word.
