Randy appears in "Canyon of Dreams" book

[sodascouts]

Just saw this on LA Weekly (http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/off-the-record/canyon-dreams-book-kubernik-la/):

First Glimpse at Harvey Kubernik's Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and Music of Laurel Canyon Photo Book and History

[a snippet]
Kubernik's book, which comes out on October 6, features a forward by (who else?) Ray Manzarek, and an afterward by Lou Adler.

Among other exclusives, according to the press info:
[...]
"Randy Meisner reminisces about the Eagles first gig and the recording of 'One of These Nights.'"

[Brooke]

Randy speaks! :cool:

[Lisa]

"Canyon of Dreams;" I'll look for it on store bookshelves soon.

[Scarlet Sun]

I never knew that Don suggested the "Hickory Wind" line in My Man, that was interesting to learn

[sodascouts]

I'm going to have to look for this book. I know Parsons had a song called that.

[MikeA]

It's "in stock" at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Canyon-Dreams-Magic-Music-Laurel/dp/1402765894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254843948&sr=8-1

I wonder how many more books will end up being written on the subject of Laurel Canyon? I have two or three. Plus Crosby's "Lone Time Gone" that deals quite a bit with life in the Canyon.

I must say though, that if there was an epi-center for Rock/Folk/Folk-Rock/Country-Rock...well, it would have to be the Canyon. I think Psychedelia was more centered in San Francisco...But Laurel Canyon had it's own thing going on.

[sodascouts]

Scarlet Sun, how much ink do the Eagles get, would you say? How long are Randy's comments?

[Scarlet Sun]

I'm going to have to look for this book. I know Parsons had a song called that.
Er . . . yes, it was his showcase on Sweetheart Of The Rodeo.

I find the whole Gram Parsons/Eagles thing to be quite interesting. The latter were clearly very influenced by Parsons/The Burritos, and of course they had Bernie in common. In John Einarson's book Desperados it's said that Glenn studied Parsons' onstage demeanor. Go on Youtube and seek out out a clip of the Flying Burrito Brothers performing Christine's Tune and/or Hot Burrito #1 and there's a good chance you'll agree that that's quite likely. Then, after Parsons died, the Eagles wrote and recorded My Man. Nowadays, however, unless i'm mistaken, it seems that they'll mention Poco as an influence but not talk about the Burritos so much. I believe this has to do with something GP wrote in a letter to a friend circa '73 which contains a quote which is has been widely repeated and is rather well-known now. In this letter, he expressed some dismay that he helped start the country-rock style because its incarnation at the time came across as a "plastic dry-f***" to him. He also wrote that he thought the Eagles' music had "too much sugar in it." Unfortunately, Eagles haters often use the first quote to describe Parsons' specific opinion of the Eagles' music rather than the second, even though he was actually describing the country-rock scene in general. Maybe this is why My Man has never appeared on a compilation

Scarlet Sun, how much ink do the Eagles get, would you say? How long are Randy's comments?
They get their own 12-page chapter. Bernie speaks too. There are some nice photos i've never seen before from familiar photo sessions. I just got it yesterday and i'm still making my way through it. I was a little disappointed at first, but it seems to be getting better as I read further . . .

[sodascouts]

Thanks for the info, Scarlet Sun.

I've never noted anything remarkably unique in the stage demeanor of either Glenn or Gram Parsons, but they both have a dynamic stage presence just from the force of their personalities, I think.

My Man is Bernie's finest work in my opinion, and it's a shame it's never made an Eagles compilation. I doubt it was due to the Eagles being angry because of that comment, though. Wasn't that letter unearthed before the recording of My Man in the first place?

[bernie's bender]

Parsons and his band (not the burritos) actually opened for the Eagles several times... He also told Bernie that they (the eagles) were great and that they'd 'gotten it right'.... which, I think is pretty factual....

The Burritos were sloppy AND stoned. It drove Bernie crazy and when the Eagles got signed (and I believe that Bernie had the most force in getting them signed and signed first) they all agree to rehearse and rehearse and rehearse so that when they were sick or tired or stoned they'd still sound great... they also recognized that they were mostly a 'vocal' band and that is what finally sold Glyn Johns on producing them.

As for Parson stage persona... that is kind of funny because Parsons was imitating George Jones (watch is old 50's film) in the first couple of years with the Byrds and Burritos and then once he met the stones... he was a Mick imitator including the glimmer twins mascara crapola...

He was kind of aping the 'get yer ya ya's out era Mick'.... as for Glenn imitating that... uhhh.... I've sure never seen that... Was Gram someone that everyone found interesting? yeah, no doubt. But, Gram kind of never delivered any of what he promised... and he daydreamed that he'd get Mick's job in the stones.....

The parallel there is that Glenn was the one who really wanted to 'rock' and had hoped Glynn Johns would make the Eagles sound like the Who... it was his Mitch Ryder/Bob Seger Michigan roots that made him want to do more rock and R&B...

The whole Gram thing is kind of a cult of personality thing... I don't think I ever saw Gram perform... but, I can remember going to see Gene Clark and it was a nightmare... and half the audience was apologizing for him and telling us... give him another chance, when he is sober he is great... and, foolishly, I tried that about 4 or 5 times... always sub par.... (and I love Gene Clark's records and his stuff with the Byrds is amazing...)

The Burritos with Bernie and Rick Roberts were better than with Gram... and I dig some of those songs....

I never ever saw an Eagles show where they were (to paraphrase Frey) anything but perfect... totally professional and on and entertaining and ripping.... they were and are the anti Gram.

I know two guys who did play with Gram and they both swear that once in awhile... he was just a rare and wonderful talent... but that most of the time he was lazy, a poor singer and player and stoned and drunk and obnoxious....

it is said he wanted James Dean style immortality (another Frey like characteristic) and he got it.... The Eagles for all their drug issues have survived and lived long and productive lives and will die old old men having survived the slings and arrows that come from not flaming out and leaving a young, beautiful corpse.

[Scarlet Sun]

.I've never noted anything remarkably unique in the stage demeanor of either Glenn or Gram Parsons, but they both have a dynamic stage presence just from the force of their personalities, I think.
I guess "demeanor" might be the wrong word. It's mostly an eye contact and smile thing, certainly directed mostly at the ladies in the audience. Compare the Christine's Tune/Hot Burrito #1 clip(which was before his Jagger thing) with the Eagles' 73 BBC show and you may get an idea of the influence.


My Man is Bernie's finest work in my opinion, and it's a shame it's never made an Eagles compilation. I doubt it was due to the Eagles being angry because of that comment, though. Wasn't that letter unearthed before the recording of My Man in the first place?
Was it? I don't know. I would think that a private letter of a recently deceased man which contained passages which were potentially insulting to his peers wouldn't be revealed so quickly. And besides, GP wasn't a "legend" yet, people didn't care so much what he thought. It's nowadays that you encounter that quote so often.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

.... The Eagles for all their drug issues have survived and lived long and productive lives and will die old old men having survived the slings and arrows that come from not flaming out and leaving a young, beautiful corpse.

Yep - that's the thing that I think eventually set them apart from all the others. They were always perfectionist and professional in their approach no matter what was going on behind the scenes. They knew to become something special that they would have to create some very high quality music. I think that most would agree that they succeeded and despite a "14 year vacation", they also survived. This is why they now stand in an elite class with just a few other legendary bands, IMO.


I guess "demeanor" might be the wrong word. It's mostly an eye contact and smile thing, certainly directed mostly at the ladies in the audience. Compare the Christine's Tune/Hot Burrito #1 clip(which was before his Jagger thing) with the Eagles' 73 BBC show and you may get an idea of the influence.

I can see what you are saying, SS. I found this on YouTube ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-od3vmRaLHE

[bernie's bender]

I always thought that Jackson was the one who went for the 'gram' look.

if you have seen the movie 'almost famous' the guitar player in the band does a great Glenn Frey imitation... he even kind of sounds like him and the stuff he says sounds just like how Glenn talks....

my daughter bought the dvd and I watched it with her (it was one of those 'hey dad, was this how it was?' kind of things) and I was floored..... it was right on the money on a lot of things... but, the cameron crowe character was kinda 'cleansed'... I saw/met/hung out at some of the same events etc that he was at and, well, he is a LOT creepier in person (at least he was) than they portrayed him... and Ben Fong Torres is a lot scoungier too...

There was a point in the Burritos after Gram had been fired, that they wanted to bring Don Henley into the band....

The troubadour is kind of the connecting point for all these guys (and then headed to Topanga)....

If you have never heard Stephen Stills Manassas record... it is an interesting capturing of a bunch of different things going on at the time... there are definitely some sounds that Joe Walsh heard and learned and cultivated....

[bernie's bender]

My Man is Bernie's finest work in my opinion, and it's a shame it's never made an Eagles compilation. I doubt it was due to the Eagles being angry because of that comment, though. Wasn't that letter unearthed before the recording of My Man in the first place?

I'd agree.... but, I think it hasn't made the compilations simply as a money thing... and it would be easy to make the argument NOT to include it, so it is rationalized and then dis-included.

So, if there is a 'dig' to it, it isn't toward Gram but toward Bernie.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well bender, I'm glad you mentioned the movie "Almost Famous" here. First of all, I absolutely LOVE that movie and agree that it is a pretty accurate depiction of the rock and roll lifestyle back in the day. I also agree that the Russell Hammond character is very 'Glenn-like', and Billy Crudup was really well cast in the role. But the funny thing is that there is the scene in the movie when William and Penny Lane are walking down the hall at the Continental "Riot" House, and there is a couple in one of the rooms beautifully harmonizing on a duet. Every single time I see that couple, I always think of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.

[Scarlet Sun]

When I watched that movie, as soon as I heard the line about how it was good that they didn't have Glyn Johns produce their last album, my interest in it went down the toilet . . . :razz:

[sodascouts]

I'd never even seen that movie until I read an interview with Cameron Crowe where he said he based the character of Russell Hammond on Glenn Frey. Of course I had to run out and rent it after that! I liked it so much that I bought it.

[bernie's bender]

When I watched that movie, as soon as I heard the line about how it was good that they didn't have Glyn Johns produce their last album, my interest in it went down the toilet . . . :razz:

In the Burritos book, Bernie makes the comment that he thought that Johns would make them rock, but Bernie knew that the only reason Johns was interested in them is that their vocals were so pure... he wanted them more as the "Sons of the Desert"... classic, right?

dreamer, good catch on the riot house emmylou thing... I'll have to watch that movie again... I kind of watched it haphazardly with my daughter... she soooo loved Penny Lane (it kinda scared me! ha ha)

it is too bad that the music alone isn't enough... being in a band is a very freaky thing... even at my age, we had to let a guy go (he'd say he quit, ha ha) because his ego and sense of his role just got totally out of whack... and we're a regular old bar band!

All that in fighting and pettiness... when bands DO stay together, I'm surprised... I went to a 60th wedding anniversary awhile back for my uncle and aunt. Everyone was so in awe of them... except... they hate each other and my uncle drove my aunt completely batty... I don't know if longevity is that great of feat!

For my money, I love the Glynn Johns stuff... my joke with a buddy is that country rock as a 'thing' began with 'Sin City' and ended with 'Hotel California'... it is my favorite music other than Buck Owens, the Byrds and the Beatles.