It was Southern California in the 60s and 70s. It was a great time and place for music. Until it wasn’t anymore. So many great artists came out of this fertile slice of space and time. Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Crosby Stills & Nash, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Warren Zevon, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Waits, JD Souther, Judee Sill, Lowell George (Little Feat), Gram Parsons, The Mamas and The Papas, and more. It was a hotbed for artistic expression and creativity, though it was eventually headed for a very sobering meet up with commercialism, drugs, ego, greed, and corporate rock. This is a very interesting history, meticulously researched, and filled with hundreds of candid quotes and insights. I like a lot of the music, and I thought I knew about it, but I learned a lot from this book. [continued]
Hotel California is full of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly from that time period and location. And there was a lot of good. The list of artists above shows a huge abundance of talent. But some of them handled it better than others, that’s for sure. From the Sunset Strip to Laurel Canyon, and beyond, the author takes you on a trip inside that world, including the record companies and executives who made things happen (or not) for the artists. He chronicles the rise and fall and a myriad of details in between.
Rolling Stone said:
“Hoskyns brings a genuine love as well as an outsider’s keen eye to the rise and fall of the California scene. . . . This is a riveting story, sensitively told.”
This one is much recommended. With his writing style you can read a little at a time, but you’ll end up wanting to keep reading. If you have any interest in any of these artists, or in this important time and place in music history, then read Hotel California. You won’t be disappointed.
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