Hotel California: From the Byrds to the Eagles (BBC4 tonight)

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
(perhaps they think he was born on the bayou).

And still nobody talk about Woody

Watched and it was OK - I found quite a bit of the music pretty self-indulgent and drab, excepting Joni Mitchell and Carole King who could never be drab and I forgive Graham Nash because he was in the Hollies and wrote King Midas In Reverse. I know some great music came out of LA (or am I getting confused with San Francisco), but I think the producers of this programme kind of ignored it though Mark Voleman was on it (was he Flo or Eddie?).

So why no Stawberry Alarm Clock, Electric Prunes or Mothers of Invention, not even the Mamas & Papas instead we had Jackson Browne, JD Souther and the Eagles - oh well. Maybe I'm just getting older and harder to please.

Flashed past the earlier interesting stuff to concentrate on corporate mega-bores. And about ten seconds of Little Feat somewhere in the middle.

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
Watched and it was OK - I found quite a bit of the music pretty self-indulgent and drab, excepting Joni Mitchell and Carole King who could never be drab and I forgive Graham Nash because he was in the Hollies and wrote King Midas In Reverse. I know some great music came out of LA (or am I getting confused with San Francisco), but I think the producers of this programme kind of ignored it though Mark Voleman was on it (was he Flo or Eddie?).

So why no Stawberry Alarm Clock, Electric Prunes or Mothers of Invention, not even the Mamas & Papas instead we had Jackson Browne, JD Souther and the Eagles - oh well. Maybe I'm just getting older and harder to please.

Yep Flo and Eddie and also The Turtles whose big hit was Happy Together.

I take it that it was the opening show in a series because all it did was give us a run down of David Geffen's Asylum Records roster. It wasn't bad but would have liked to have had more in depth look at the scene not just Jackson stayed with JD at such and such a house. There was nothing on The Section who turned out to be just about everyones backing band. I mean, Russ Kunkel, Danny Kortchmar, Craig Deorge and Leland Sklar. Who didn't they back up during that era.

Might have been better to take some of the important albums of the period and disect them. But should be thankful for small mercies.

Re The Prunes, Mothers etc I always thought they were more San Pan Disco based but could be wrong.

I think it did what it said on the tin.Maybe it wasn't full, but better than(running on) empty.

I really enjoyed this programe, some of these musicians certainly lived the life! Jackson Brown must be worth an absolute mint with all those co-credits on the Eagles Greatest hits album! Joni Mitchell 'got around', shall we say, but I must admit her music leaves me cold. I think it is her voice.

I saw The Eagles in concert before this programme from the old BBC theatre (now Shepherds Bush Empire) must be early 70's? God, it was dull. I lasted 2 songs. Seated band - seated audience. I could have been watching Roger Whitaker.

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
I saw The Eagles in concert before this programme from the old BBC theatre (now Shepherds Bush Empire) must be early 70's? God, it was dull. I lasted 2 songs. Seated band - seated audience. I could have been watching Roger Whitaker.

Rasher - Roger Whittaker did some really nice songs: Durham Town, River Lady, Mexican Whistler, New World in the Morning, The Last Farewell; he was never as dull as the Eagles or Jackson Brown. Why didn't they do some stuff by the Mothers or the Turtles (Mark Volman was even on the show) - a burst of Happy Togther, Eleanor, She'd Rather Be With Me or You Really Showed Me, not to mention Can You Hear The Cows would have lifted the show.

One of the commentators went on about Jackson Brown's lyrics, but Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan wrote some great lyrics - e.g from Can You Hear The Cows

Each and every day
Eating all that hay
Mooo baby

Oh well - all the best from somebody who finds James Taylor et al as dull as ditchwater.

quote:

So why no Stawberry Alarm Clock, Electric Prunes or Mothers of Invention, not even the Mamas & Papas instead we had Jackson Browne, JD Souther and the Eagles

So, no mention of Sweetwater either?

JohanR

Have to say I loved the programme and I'm not a big fan of James Taylor/Jackson Browne

...I think the whole point of the prog was to show how the Hippie Dream died amongst the mega acts ....so naturally it concentrated on the big sellers .....but yes I'd love to see a follow up concentrating on the lesser known acts

It was an interesting period in LA, too bad i went to college in Colrado from 72-76. The music had to evolve from teh hippie dippy days and there was huge money to me made. Lots of people wanted to get in on the scene. Some made it some didn't. It's an interesting book by Bernie Hoskyns.