Laurel Canyon

[TheLoony]

So there's a show about the music created there coming out soon on some network I forget. It's gonna be all unicorns and rainbows, I'd expect.

I came across this a while back and had it bookmarked for discussion so here's my chance. There's a book, Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon that supposedly paints a vastly different picture and I wondered if it was all BS or if there's some merit to it. I have no idea.

https://doukhobor666.wordpress.com/2...de-the-canyon/

What we learn from Weird Scenes is that not only were the movers of the 60’s musical revolution mysteriously concentrated in the very exclusive Laurel Canyon area, but what bound all of them were three common threads dangling against the backdrop of one highly curious phenomenon.

Family connections to the military or intelligence community
Connections to the occult
A long chain of mysterious deaths and brutal murders
Laurel Canyon was home to a top secret military intelligence film studio whose presence and purpose remain largely unknown to this day
All of the information presented runs completely contrary to the mythology of the Peace and Love 60’s counterculture. In fact, McGowan’s work doesn’t just cast doubt on the idea of an organic social and cultural phenomenon, it detonates the very foundations of the popular myth. At the core of the book are simple but mind blowingly provocative questions:

What if the counterculture revolution was engineered?

What if these artists were working in concert with the military intelligence establishment to mainstream rock culture and decadence?

What if the goal was sabotaging both the antiwar Left and hastening the break down of the social order?

[JKL2000]

Did you see Echo in the Canyon? I'm not sure exactly what it is, but Fernando from Dave Kerzner's band is in it, as is Jakob Dylan.

[rapidfirerob]

It will be on Epix.

[TheLoony]

The doc looks alright. About what I expected. Maybe someday I'll get my hands on the book and see what the dudes all about.

[Vic333]

Echo in the Canyon was fun. Made me play some Byrds for awhile.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[AncientChord]

I grew up in Los Angeles and Laurel Canyon was certainly the major hang-out spot for the hippie crowd and the rock music musicians. It lured all kinds of musicians from all over America and beyond. One of my favorites records from the era was John Mayall's Blues From Laurel Canyon. It was like a nest of musicians than gave birth to many of the greatest American rock bands of the time. The 60'a are almost a blur to me now, what happened in musical terms in Los Angeles from about 1965 to 1970 truly was unique and magical. I'll have to check out this doc. Thanks for the head's up.

[the winter tree]

I was also a big fan of Mayall's Blues From Laurel Canyon . I haven't heard it in years, my beat up old used vinyl copy disappeared years ago. I will have to check it out on Youtube.

[Plasmatopia]

I came across this a while back and had it bookmarked for discussion so here's my chance. There's a book, Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon that supposedly paints a vastly different picture and I wondered if it was all BS or if there's some merit to it. I have no idea.

I have no idea either, but I caught a clip from this interview and this guy says similar things about the whole Helter Skelter thing undermining the '60s counterculture. Supposedly Charles Manson may have been subjected to the MK Ultra program:

[AncientChord]

Well I watched the first part of Laurel Canyon yesterday, and was very impressed. The director did a great job, and the interviews by those that are still with us, and some not, were enlightening. The film really does make you go back in time to an era that will never transpire again. And spending time on some of the biggest and most influential bands of the L.A. music scene of the time is great. However, one key band, so far is missing in action. That band was Spirit. The first four albums by the band are psychedelic classics, especially the fourth, Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus. This album is a masterpiece. Not only a psychedelic masterpiece, but no doubt a definitive proto-prog album. This L.A. band was a big part of the local exploding music scene, but never made to huge success, and are highly underrated. I sure hope they are at least mentioned in the second part of this series.

[mnprogger]

watched the 1st episode on Sunday night with my wife. Better than the Jakob Dylan documentary from last year, but I suppose for my and my wife's money, there still wasn't enough about The Monkees.

We'll see if this Sunday's 2nd part will include more.

[AncientChord]

I watched part 2 yesterday, and my favorite band of the era Spirit was not mentioned. I'm not surprised. Otherwise IMO this film is the best about this unique musical time in Los Angeles. I give it a bitter-sweet

[Firth]

I watched part 2 yesterday, and my favorite band of the era Spirit was not mentioned. I'm not surprised. Otherwise IMO this film is the best about this unique musical time in Los Angeles. I give it a bitter-sweet

Agreed, after reading the Wiki on Spirit I learned about the inside connections to the Laurel Canyon members. In August 1967, the record producer Lou Adler (known for his work with The Mamas & the Papas) signed them. In 1970, Spirit started working on their fourth LP Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. On the recommendation of Neil Young, the band chose frequent Young collaborator David Briggs as the producer.

Spirit was too progressive relative to the Laurel Canyon motif. They aren’t members of the RARHOF, but deserve to be.

https://youtu.be/r7KlFT2Lwjc

[Firth]

The quality of the images and the audio was very good.

[Camelogue]

I remember Christy Canyon.

[moecurlythanu]

^

[interbellum]

Belgium TV will air the series starting tomorrow.

[Rarebird]

Belgium TV will air the series starting tomorrow.

I'm going to record it and watch it later, because it's broadcasted past my bedtime.

[interbellum]

I'm going to record it and watch it later, because it's broadcasted past my bedtime.

Me too; next Thursday part 2.

[BobM]

I think it was Steven Stills who said "If you gave Joni an idea for a song, she could go away for an hour and come back with the best song you every heard."

Incredible praise from such a prodigious songwriter as Stills. That culture pushed everyone in it to step up for the sake of music. New York had a similar (but different) culture, as does Nashville and other music towns. Great seeing the history and atmosphere preserved for those of us who love what came from it.

[TheLoony]

Found the interview with Dave McGowan.

[TheLoony]

I finished this book. Started it when I got it a month or so ago but put it down one day and didn't read any books for that while. Had the thing sitting here staring at me but I know these types of books are mentally draining so I stopped and reloaded.

Now that I'm done, I don't know what to believe. I really know little of the LC scene except various trivia and very little of the inner workings of the bands and such. I'm into Purple, Yes, The Beatles, Sabbath and the English rock of the time, and not so much on the LC congregation.

That bears suspicion in itself. How the hell did all these supposedly great musicians get there, all into one little area, and create all this influential music? There was no record industry, so the book says, there until after the scene happened. So, why there?

Really. Why there? The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, Zappa, CSN&Y, The Monkees, Steppenwolf, Joni Mitchell....

Ok so the list is large. You've also got The Beach Boys involved, which brings in the Manson Clan, luckily for Brian he was a bit checked out at the time so he never got caught up with the murders. And how come no one told me about Landry, his "doctor" that had him "checked out" for a decade or so? I happened to watch the flick Love & Mercy a couple weeks before I picked up the book again. Seriously, a car salesman saved his life? That really gets a just.....wow.

That's one of the places it get's really sick. I don't know if this is true but did ALL of The Beach Boys marry underage girls, by most states statues, by the time they were thirty-ish? That's what he claims.

You've got all the murders mentioned in the book, which I haven't bookmarked the book and have references for, but these murders did happen so who knows of the connection but you do have the Manson murders directly connected to LC and then later you have the Wonderland Murders up there. One of the guys from Three Dog Night was supposed to go by there that night to buy drugs yet didn't, fell asleep IIRC, so could have been a fifth murder that night.

There's a pic of Jim Morrison with his dad shortly before he became the lizard king. Well, supposedly of him. Very hard to tell. Short haired and "true". If true, and his dad was, as alleged, an admiral on the ship that threw U.S.A into the Vietnam War via the Gulf Of Tonkin Incident, which is known to be false these days. We know that was a lie.

I've only found that one pic of him and his dad, which is no good. The fact that he lied and said his parents were dead says something, though, but the press seemingly never followed up?

So how did Jim, who didn't play any instruments, write all these songs and how did he go from the straight laced kid, supposedly, in the photograph, suddenly out of nowhere become The Lizard King? If he didn't play any instruments how could he write songs? He's "The American Poet", as the poster said, yet how did he write songs? Poetry, one thing, songs, another. And if he became a cultural icon by music with no training also how did The Byrds and BF get jobs? How did these made up bands exist, and not like The Monkees who had some experience?

I'm a gonna stop here but look up Lookout Mountain Laboratory, the movie studio ran by the MIC that was atop the whole scene. I wonder what the military was up to there with their fully equipped movie studio, and this all happened in one little tiny community.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lookout+mo...t=brave&ia=web

Listen to the interview I linked above. Tell me I'm tripping on this story. Please, I'd like to know. I could probably give you a very long winded and detailed description of say, Deep Purple's, career. Yet, I really do know nothing about the Laurel Canyon scene.

[Mister Triscuits]

That bears suspicion in itself. How the hell did all these supposedly great musicians get there, all into one little area, and create all this influential music? There was no record industry, so the book says, there until after the scene happened. So, why there?

No record industry? In Los Angeles???

Really. Why there?

Because Hollywood?

The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, Zappa, CSN&Y, The Monkees, Steppenwolf, Joni Mitchell....

Sounds like the CIA had an inordinate interest in recruiting Canadians.

Ok so the list is large.

Hardly an exhaustive list of counterculture rockers, especially given that one of those bands was just a spinoff of two of the others. And really, the Monkees?

There's a pic of Jim Morrison with his dad shortly before he became the lizard king. Well, supposedly of him. Very hard to tell. Short haired and "true". If true, and his dad was, as alleged, an admiral on the ship that threw U.S.A into the Vietnam War via the Gulf Of Tonkin Incident, which is known to be false these days. We know that was a lie.

I've only found that one pic of him and his dad, which is no good. The fact that he lied and said his parents were dead says something, though, but the press seemingly never followed up?

So how did Jim, who didn't play any instruments, write all these songs and how did he go from the straight laced kid, supposedly, in the photograph, suddenly out of nowhere become The Lizard King? If he didn't play any instruments how could he write songs? He's "The American Poet", as the poster said, yet how did he write songs?

Well, how did Jon Anderson write songs? How did Mick Jagger write songs? Look at the Doors' early albums: the songs are all credited to the whole band. Morrison didn't write finished songs all by himself. As for his early days, he was certainly not strait-laced, he was unruly and rebellious. He had a military father, naturally he's going to look clean-cut in childhood pictures. Morrison's lie about his parents was just image-building bullshit. The press certainly did know it was false; Morrison's obituaries mentioned that he was survived by his parents.

[SteveSly]

I finished this book. Started it when I got it a month or so ago but put it down one day and didn't read any books for that while. Had the thing sitting here staring at me but I know these types of books are mentally draining so I stopped and reloaded.

Now that I'm done, I don't know what to believe. I really know little of the LC scene except various trivia and very little of the inner workings of the bands and such. I'm into Purple, Yes, The Beatles, Sabbath and the English rock of the time, and not so much on the LC congregation.

That bears suspicion in itself. How the hell did all these supposedly great musicians get there, all into one little area, and create all this influential music? There was no record industry, so the book says, there until after the scene happened. So, why there?

Really. Why there? The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, Zappa, CSN&Y, The Monkees, Steppenwolf, Joni Mitchell....

Ok so the list is large. You've also got The Beach Boys involved, which brings in the Manson Clan, luckily for Brian he was a bit checked out at the time so he never got caught up with the murders. And how come no one told me about Landry, his "doctor" that had him "checked out" for a decade or so? I happened to watch the flick Love & Mercy a couple weeks before I picked up the book again. Seriously, a car salesman saved his life? That really gets a just.....wow.

That's one of the places it get's really sick. I don't know if this is true but did ALL of The Beach Boys marry underage girls, by most states statues, by the time they were thirty-ish? That's what he claims.

You've got all the murders mentioned in the book, which I haven't bookmarked the book and have references for, but these murders did happen so who knows of the connection but you do have the Manson murders directly connected to LC and then later you have the Wonderland Murders up there. One of the guys from Three Dog Night was supposed to go by there that night to buy drugs yet didn't, fell asleep IIRC, so could have been a fifth murder that night.

There's a pic of Jim Morrison with his dad shortly before he became the lizard king. Well, supposedly of him. Very hard to tell. Short haired and "true". If true, and his dad was, as alleged, an admiral on the ship that threw U.S.A into the Vietnam War via the Gulf Of Tonkin Incident, which is known to be false these days. We know that was a lie.

I've only found that one pic of him and his dad, which is no good. The fact that he lied and said his parents were dead says something, though, but the press seemingly never followed up?

So how did Jim, who didn't play any instruments, write all these songs and how did he go from the straight laced kid, supposedly, in the photograph, suddenly out of nowhere become The Lizard King? If he didn't play any instruments how could he write songs? He's "The American Poet", as the poster said, yet how did he write songs? Poetry, one thing, songs, another. And if he became a cultural icon by music with no training also how did The Byrds and BF get jobs? How did these made up bands exist, and not like The Monkees who had some experience?

I'm a gonna stop here but look up Lookout Mountain Laboratory, the movie studio ran by the MIC that was atop the whole scene. I wonder what the military was up to there with their fully equipped movie studio, and this all happened in one little tiny community.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=lookout+mo...t=brave&ia=web

Listen to the interview I linked above. Tell me I'm tripping on this story. Please, I'd like to know. I could probably give you a very long winded and detailed description of say, Deep Purple's, career. Yet, I really do know nothing about the Laurel Canyon scene.

I have this book in my kindle to read, but have not gotten to it yet.

[moecurlythanu]

There's a pic of Jim Morrison with his dad shortly before he became the lizard king. Well, supposedly of him. Very hard to tell. Short haired and "true". If true, and his dad was, as alleged, an admiral on the ship that threw U.S.A into the Vietnam War via the Gulf Of Tonkin Incident, which is known to be false these days. We know that was a lie.

I've only found that one pic of him and his dad, which is no good. The fact that he lied and said his parents were dead says something, though, but the press seemingly never followed up?

So how did Jim, who didn't play any instruments, write all these songs and how did he go from the straight laced kid, supposedly, in the photograph, suddenly out of nowhere become The Lizard King? If he didn't play any instruments how could he write songs? He's "The American Poet", as the poster said, yet how did he write songs?

As was correctly said, Jim didn't write those songs. He did write most of the lyrics, though. As for going from straight-laced to Hippie? Is that a real question? Same as the rest of America's youth back then. Three words: L S D.

[TheLoony]

Triscuits, I'm just going by what the book says as I really do know little of that scene. You may be right, may be wrong, may be somewhere in the middle.

I don't know is the operative words I'm using. Which seems to be my M.O. as I'm full of supposed "info" yet I still know nothing and can barely come up with anything more than "I don't know".

Just be glad this ain't about the book I'm reading now, The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse and Betrayal. Please, do not talk about that book, PE ain't for that shit but the LC book IS a PE subject and I'd like to get to know some semblance of the truth, especially when it's this long winded and covers many popular actors that all somehow convened in this tiny area.

The book makes it seems as if there was no record industry in L.A. at the time. I have no clue if that is correct and am too lazy to look it up. Again, those operative words, "I don't know" keep coming up when reading history books.

It's like all the books I've read about the "Civil War", which to me is "The War Of Northern Aggression", which is a kind of status quo,as I'm from Vegas and have no stake in that war. Can't make heads or tails of what actually happened or the reasons why. I can hardly put my 2021 attitude towards anything that happened before I came of age and that applies to the hippie movement of the late '60's.

I really don't want to discuss this either, but the "Clinton Body Count" is not dissimilar to what happened with the LC crowd. May be real, may be not, may be somewhere in the middle. Three sides to every story, eh?