Kim Fowley – The Trip

Looking back on one's past should be taken with a grain of salt and at least a sincere smile. Often the things we thought were so cool, and spoke to the moment only turned out to be flashes in the pan of a person we would hardly recognize today. Such was the song ‘The Trip’ by Kim Fowley. While in Junior High School, this song spoke of things that were happening in a world that I could only imagine, dream of, build on and replay in my mind, until the moment of true fruition scattered all of these illusions to the wind, like so many pieces of blotter acid left on an open window sill.

This was one of the campiest pieces of material ever written, say for perhaps for ‘They’re Coming To Take Me Away,’ which just happened to be written by the same person. During the 60’s we had a name for people who capitalized on the counter culture...they were ‘Plastic People.’ But being in Junior High School and not actually part of the Counter Culture, it was tough to tell what was real and what was an act. Fowley was an act! He’s hung around the edges of the fringe always hoping to capitalize on a trend, pouncing on gold sparked by the flash in the pan. Non of his work can be taken seriously unless of course your goal is to establish the credentials and time line of the eccentric novelty records that have come and gone; those that painted pictures of nothing, pretending to cloak themselves with obscure meanings and hidden messages.

For a wide eyed child of suburban track homes it was all real, that is until the stranger truths of life actually revealed themselves and life blossomed with the certainty of a smile, a nod and a wink. True bizarreness was out there and it had little to do with anything Mr. Fowley had to say.

On a saving note, I’m sure that Kim Fowley served as the character known as L.S.D. in the movie ‘The Producers.’ Kim also was responsible for discovering and or rocketing the Runaways to stardom, which featured Joan Jett and Lita Ford. On an odder note, he also co-wrote with Alice Cooper, Leon Russel, Kris Kristofferson, KISS and co-produced with the legendary John Cale...go figure that one out kiddies.

Review by Jenell Kesler