Escape to The Fifth Dimension

March 19 -- I've not put fingertips to keyboard for several weeks because of a lack of inspiration.

Do I care that Fred Durst can't get over Britney Spears? He won't even remember her four girlfriends from now.

Do I care about reports of Michael Jackson's supposedly dire financial situation? He's still got oodles of fans who'd pay anything to see him in concert and they're ready to throw money at his various merchandising efforts. I myself am looking forward to the Michael Jackson Mr. Potato Head.

Of course, I care about the Oscars, but I've already published my picks (although I'd like to switch out my Nicholson pick for Day-Lewis), and now they just need TO happen.

The war is weighing heavily on the minds of the nominees, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and the advertisers who've bought about $80 million worth of ads for the never-ending broadcast. Producer Gil Cates says the show will go on, as a much more somber event of course, but I was at the Emmys in 2001 when they said it would go on despite the Sept. 11 attacks, and it didn't.

So, I was sitting at my desk flipping through the new Us magazine "Whose are real and whose aren't?" cosmetic surgery cover story when I looked up to see Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. of Fifth Dimension fame walking into the studios here at ABC Radio.

Suddenly, I started to care again. Just one look at the pop duo brought me back to my childhood, when my mom cruised me around in her powder-blue Pontiac Bonneville convertible with The Fifth Dimension blaring from the eight-track tape player.

Naturally, I started thinking how great the group's music was, even though it was a little before my time. (It was!) The thing is, in the current state of the world right now, I think it's just the kind of music we need.

Musical Journeys Then and Now

"Up Up & Away" — remember that song, with the whimsical opening line, "Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?" That's music that transports you to a more beautiful place. The song won five Grammys, including song and record of the year. Today's musical journeys are more like a dictum: "It's gettin' hot in here so take off all your clothes." Geez, how about buying me dinner first!