To list the denizens of Laurel Canyon in the 1960s is to list the leading lights of the counter culture and musical excellence from that decade. In hindsight, it is truly amazing to consider that such an abundance of talent was concentrated in to such a small suburban area of Los Angeles. Their impact was immense. The decade began with New York as the epicentre of the American recording industry. By the end of the decade people were struggling to remember where New York was.
To have lived in the Canyon at that time must have been the most extraordinary experience. The list reads as a Who's Who of American music. To name a few, the Doors, the Byrds, Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills and Nash were all living there. The song "Our House" was written there by Joni Mitchell and her then beau Graham Nash. Arguably, it was the cover version of a Bob Dylan song by the then largely unknown Byrds which began this legendary movement. The distinctive jangling effect of the Rickenbacker guitar played by Roger McGuinn in the opening chords of "Mr Tambourine Man" changed the direction of Stateside music for the next decade. The arrival of Folk Rock heralded a new approach to song writing in which introspection and emotion came to the fore. An awareness of the self and the world around us suddenly became more important than the traditional three minute format of bubble gum pop which spoke nothing of true feelings.
The Byrds were the torch bearers and they, in turn, passed on the baton to the emerging genius of Buffalo Springfield. Boasting the twin talents of Neil Young and Stephen Stills, the latter began to write songs questioning the influence of the mainstream. Although the legacy of the Doors with their Acid Rock is undeniable, the demise of the Byrds and Springfield left the young troubadours David Crosby and Stephen Stills without bands. That would remain the case until a chance meeting with the disillusioned Graham Nash at a party. Playing a new demo song, Crosby and Stills both sang the lyrics. Overhearing them, Nash asked them to do it again. On the third go, he laid his beautiful harmony over the top and thus was born one of the most influential groups from that era. Although they would subsequently be plagued by their own demons in the form of drug addiction, their first two albums all but defined the music of that time. One was recorded with the mercurial Neil Young and one without. They are both first rate albums. In particular, the song "Helplessly Hoping" from their album "Crosby, Stills and Nash" features harmonies the like of which only Simon and Garfunkel could hope to emulate.
Laurel Canyon provided a very fertile environment within which young song writers could just let their talent flow. History describes them as Hippies but to leave it that would be unfair. Much of their ethos has been borne out in the intervening years as we slowly begin to realise the monstrous effect we are exerting on the world around us. It would be wrong to portray them as being perfect because they certainly were not. As idealists though, they appreciated what was going wrong in the world and what was needed to put it right. At that time, they were at the forefront of the movement which expressed its objection to the war in Vietnam. Nearly fifty years later, it is sad to reflect that the same mistakes have been repeated over and over again. This was the time when a new young generation decided that it wasn't going to just lie down and accept the same rules purely because their forebears had. They grew their hair long and dressed to avoid conforming. Their decision has been much repeated since then but seldom has their desired effect been achieved to such a dramatic extent. This augured in the era of mass demonstrations. These days people like me sit at their computers and bemoan what is lacking in the world. That generation got off their backsides and told the world what they thought. We have seen a similar approach employed through various areas of North Africa in recent months and years. They have even changed governments. By contrast, we in the west seem to have learned all too little from these pioneers of the late 1960s.
Given the mountain faced by many young people today when starting out, I wonder how long it will be before a new wave of counter culture makes itself heard over here? Just maybe, people are starting to become tired of being told what to do and how to do it by a succession of governments totally out of touch with the very people they purport to represent. There always comes a point of discomfort when people won't take any more and it is difficult to ignore the conclusion that such a point is just around the corner. Music is always a good place to begin with protest movements and I don't doubt that today is no different. Roll on the next Laurel Canyon..
No comments:
Post a Comment