Puncturing the mythology that has grown up around the laurel canyon set, hoskyns book features a vast array of characters who. Hotel california by barney hoskyns the independent. He registers the modulation from laurel canyon idealism into snitty. May 01, 2006 the problem for me with this book is that so little of it is actually about laurel canyon and its residents. Barney hoskyns born 5 may 1959 is a british music critic and editorial director of the online. Barney hoskyns is a writer, editor and british music critic, who ushers us through a rise and fall era in the california musical scene. There, musicians influenced by rock, folk, and politics gathered into what would become a melting pot of styles and sounds. In fact, natalie lived in the very home that cass elliot would later turn into a laurel canyon party house. They made music together, took drugs together, formed bands together, slept together. Laurel canyon, especially, but also topanga canyon and some others. Laurel canyon, home of the sixties and seventies california. This tour, which is available as a large group private booking, actually stays down in the flats, so pamela des barres tour in a smaller vehicle is a better option for exploring the canyon residences.
Laurel canyon, california, usa places librarything. It has been the epicenter of enough unusual activity for the late david mcgowan to make a career of. After the region became part of the us, anglos arrived. The strange but mostly true story of laurel canyon and the birth of the hippie generation. Hotels on laurel canyon blvd in north hollywood, california. So its about time someone wrote a decent book about the whole fetid scene.
The 1 and 2bedroom homes include a fully equipped kitchens, while a studiostyle casita provides a deck with lounge chairs. Laurel canyon, houdini, and mk ultra by paul a drockton m. Shakey, a book ive reread twice in the past year alone, the flying. Two new books, walkers laurel canyon and british music journalist barney hoskyns hotel california, delve into the myths and the music. In the 1950s, as barney hoskyns has written in hotel california, laurel canyon was home to all the hippest young actors, including, according to hoskyns, marlon brando, james dean, james coburn and dennis hopper. In 1968, laurel canyons navelgazing period truly began that year, crosby, stills and nash formed one of the first supergroups, named after themselves, of course. Mcgowan was an investigative journalist, author and internet activist, with a focus on deep politics. Rather than focus on the musicians or the music, walker concentrates on the neighborhood where many of the key players set up house. A lot of it also had to do with our own paul gallagher sending me a copy of barney hoskyns excellent 2006 overview of the laurel canyon singersongwriterfolkrock sound, hotel california. Roughly 3,500 years ago, the tongva arrived from the sonoran desert to the east. What is the meaning of hotel california, where is it, what.
The eagles hotel california was a critical and commercial phenomenon when it was released in december 1976. Hotel california and eagles books this will fill in some unanswered questions. East coast corollary to his laurel canyon classic hotel california. The laurel canyon neighborhood is generally bounded by west hollywood to the west and south, hollywood to the east, and studio city to the north. Some say the laurel canyon music scene began when frank zappa moved. The laurel canyon area was inhabited by the tongva people, a regional tribe of the indigenous peoples of california, for thousands of years. Legendary laurel canyon in the hollywood hills is 5 minutes drive from the hollywood walk of fame and 7 minutes drive from dolby theatre. An oral history of laurel canyon, the sixties and seventies. Visit universal studios hollywood to take a behindthescenes studio tour, enjoy a show, and take advantage of unique stores and restaurants. Laurel canyon was the neighborhood perched above the clubs and record companies of sunset strip where joni mitchell, jim morrison, graham nash, cass elliot, carole king, don henley, and peter tork, just to name a few, lived and collaborated to make an indelible mark on our music and our culture. His focus is considerably narrower in hotel california, but he still has a vast terrain to cover, and the book is, of necessity, a mosaic of brief. Legendary laurel canyon in the hollywood hills features 3 separate hillside homes in the legendary hollywood hills laurel canyon neighborhood.
Among the first trends to emerge from this melange was the singersongwriter. While taking different paths, both chart the scenes idealistic, communal beginnings in the late 60s through its devolution into crass commercialism, drug binges and broken friendships by the mid70s. Book your wedding party, sports team, or other group travel at our hotel. Laurel canyon becomes the stage on which events transpire as well as the abyss in which the scene evolves and devolves. Our super 8 north hollywood hotel is the ideal stop on your trip through southern california. The book lovingly limns the story of a more melodious time in rock and roll where the great talents of the 60s and 70s cloistered together in a sort of enchanted valley populated by an allstar cast of characters. Drawing on extraordinarily candid firsthand interviews barney hoskyns has conducted over more than three decades, hotel california takes you on an intimate tourfrom the sunset strip to laurel canyonof the creative and personal lives of the legendary songwriters, superstars, and producers who made the music that everyone listened to.
Guests of legendary laurel canyon in the hollywood hills are guaranteed 1 free parking space. Super 8 by wyndham north hollywood north hollywood, ca. In fact, natalie lived in the very home that cass elliot would later. The inside story of rock n rolls legendary neighborhood, farrar straus and giroux 16 may 2006, hardcover, 277 pages, isbn 0571211496 trade paperback may 1, 2007. Two new books, walkers laurel canyon and british music journalist barney hoskyns hotel california, delve into the myths and the music created during this era. Common knowledge places laurel canyon, california, usa. Find unique places to stay with local hosts in 191 countries. Some of the books subjects were born in southern california and. Hotel california begins where the music did in laurel canyon. Be the first to ask a question about hotel california. Frank zappa swings in his laurel canyon yard, may 1968.
The amount of musicians who referenced the neighborhood in their works is pretty humorous. An oral history of laurel canyon, the sixties and seventies music. But none of the legends of the laurel canyon scene that flowered in l. Plumeriad, thanks for the shout out to our esotouric rock history tour, where the action was. In addition to hopper and dean, yet another of the young stars of rebel without a cause found a home in the canyon as. In the early part of the 19th century, laurel canyon was a rough and rustic area made up of just a few cabinssome used as hunting lodges. California fools gold exploring laurel canyon eric. In the 1950s, as barney hoskyns has written in hotel california, laurel canyon was home to all the hippest young actors, marlon brando, james dean, james coburn and dennis hopper. Bonnie raitt, maria muldaur, and linda ronstadt in their dressing room at the santa monica civic auditorium, january 14, 1974. The great, underrated jackie deshannon was first, with laurel canyon. He went on to write more than fifteen books on musicians and music history. The very strange but nevertheless true story of the dark underbelly of a 1960s hippie utopia. A springfed stream attracted mexican shepherds in the 18th century.
Laurel canyon in the 1960s and early 1970s was a magical place where a dizzying array of musical artists congregated to create much of the music that provided the soundtrack to those turbulent times. Hotel california the book, like the song by the eagles, one of the groups in the story, is. The problem for me with this book is that so little of it is actually about laurel canyon and its residents. Books and documentaries have mythologized and romanticized this.
To begin with, he resists the temptation to make hotel california into the. The inside story of rockandrolls legendary neighborhood. No 520 hotel california by barney hoskyns book 8 of. The new yorker crowd of the 1930s had the algonquin hotel and, when in hollywood, the garden of allah at the mouth of laurel canyon on the sunset strip.