They never had it so good

Though the phrase "Crisis? What Crisis?" was most famously used as a headline by The Sun during the Winter of Discontent in 1979 and was the title of a Supertramp album before that, I think it was first used on this cover of The Economist dated August 12, 1972. I don't know what the story was about but knowing the era I imagine it was another economic or industrial disaster of some kind.

The funny thing about this cover is I assume we're supposed to think the family are enjoying a life of languid pleasure, the idle working classes sunning themselves on the beach while the country goes down the shitter. And they have a radio! Luxury! Grandad in particular looks very happy stretched out in the sun. But looking at it now all I can think is how bloody uncomfortable and miserable they seem (well, apart from Grandad) sitting on that hot, pebbly beach fully-clothed, and with their six grubby kids they look more like a vagrant gypsy family than happy-go-lucky workers living off the fat of the land with their consumer electronics. Was this the best The Economist could do, or was life so bad in 1972 that people looked at that picture and thought "Lucky bastards"?

But at least in the summer of 1972 they would have this trio of (appropriate) hits to listen to on their fancy radio while they fried on the hot pebbles. I bet they're not wearing any suntan lotion either and poor old mum will have to rub cold Calomine on their raw red skin when they get home.

Download: Automatically Sunshine - The Supremes (mp3)
Download: Sea Side Shuffle - Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs (mp3)
Download: School's Out - Alice Cooper (mp3)

The Alice Cooper would probably have made Grandad wake from his snooze and say "What the bloody hell is this racket? Put on Jimmy Young!"