Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and the formation of CSN(Y) is happening in chapters three and four. Most interesting is the rise of David Geffen, who was just an agent at the time, but would soon be a big-time record/media mogul. He certainly took advantage of the SoCal rock scene in the late sixties and made a name for himself in a hurry outsmarting the big record execs of the day. And once again, it seems joni Mitchell was with EVERYBODY back in the day. her and Mama Cass were the welcome wagon in Laurel Canyon.
I've started reading "Hotel California" by Barney Hoskins a few days ago and I'm through Chapter One. Going into this book, I assumed that this was going to be a light hearted look at Southern California rock bands and glossing over some of the partying times they had. What I'll be more interested in is if the author tends to favors some personalities based on his own preferences. I've personally heard it before dealing with the genre of rock. The early 70s had an influx of singer-songwriters that came from this region and some have dismissed it as fluff. But there is a craftsmanship involved with the songs that you rarely hear today. Music aside, I'm curious to know how these players co-mingled during this scene. You have to be naive to think drugs weren't a part of this era or had an influence (what era of rock hasn't?). But the influence on future artists is what makes this era very special in rock. Follow along, or pick up this book at Webster's Cafe & Bookstore and read along with me! I'll keep updating this blog as I read the book and give you my unvarnished view. I hope you do to!
