Very 70's

Two former Crawdaddy editors have culled 53 articles from the most intrepid music magazine of the '70s, thereby offering a panoramic view of a decade both romanced and maligned for its most conspicuous excesses. The irreverence that was the magazine's trademark in its glory days courses through many of the selections, which are arranged chronologically by subject--music, film, television, politics and culture. Martin Mull interviews fellow comic Woody Allen, while Beat novelist William Burroughs poses questions to Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. Travel editor Abbie Hoffman files a report from Plains, Ga., Jimmy Carter's hometown. Kurt Vonnegut is profiled by his own Kilgore Trout. As the introduction says, there was more to the '70s than the sterotypes: Humorous pieces stand alongside powerful features on Watergate, the overthrow of Allende in Chile and nuke fever as well as profiles of young rock hopefuls Bruce Springsteen and Bonnie Raitt. Much has changed culturally since P.J. O'Rourke penned his tribute to album jackets, but these pieces force us to remember that the era cannot be summed up by trappings found in vintage clothing boutiques or by the Brady Bunch movie. (Apr.)