Documentary     Film      Review:

Echo     in     the     Canyon

"The     birth     of     the     California     Sound"

Greenwood  Entertainment & Mirror Films ( MPI Home Video.com ). 83-minutes. 2019'. 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. Dolby 5.1/ 2.0. Rated PG-13. Produced and directed by Andrew Slater. Edited by Jeremy Rhodes, Mike J. Nichols, Kevin Klauber. Starring: Tom Petty, Brian Wilson, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, Roger McGuinn, Michelle Phillips, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, John Sebastian, Jakob Dylan, Lou Adler, Fiona Apple, Beck, Norah Jones, Regina Spektor, Cat Power, Jade Castrinos. Echo In The Canyon.com

( -LEFT  ) "ECHO IN THE CANYON" DVD ARTWORK    

 

A fascinating ( new ) 2019' documentary chronicling how the              "California sound" came together in the mid-to-late 1960's.     

 

Featuring vintage film clips from the 60's, contemporary interviews      ( -with story principles ), studio as well as "live" concert segments. 

Preface:

When I took this DVD home from my local library I had little hope of it being worth my time. I was pleasantly surprised. It was far more fascinating ( -dare I say "mesmerizing" ) than I'd anticipated. It really got me to thinking about the influence of "pop-culture" upon society and vice-versa. Replete with revealing "nuggets"    of truth and insights into how this short-lived cultural phenomenon "took root", flourished and subsequently influenced succeeding generations, "Echo in the Canyon" is a riveting music documentary well worth viewing.   

 

( -LEFT  ) LAUREL CANYON rising out of LA's maze of streets. 

 

From 1965 til 1968 this become fertile ground for the creation of the "California sound" ( -that included groups such as the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, the Beach Boys, the Mama's and the Papa's and others ). 

The     Laurel     Canyon     "scene"

"Echo in the Canyon" tells the story of the Laurel Canyon "scene" during the mid-to-late 1960's. This artfully  done documentary utilizes free ranging interviews ( - with the musicians, producers and engineers who actually "lived it" ). Since 2015 was the "scene's" fiftieth anniversary and considering the advanced age of some of the principles, the film's producers were wise to capture these interviews while the principles were still in upright positions. Indeed, the documentary was rocker Tom Petty's final film appearance and this fact is duly noted with a dedication to him in the closing credits. 

In addition to the fascinating interviews, the documentary features lots of vintage clips that transport the viewer back in time to see these folk-rock icons in their prime. The way they're  seamlessly edited into and wrapped around the documentary's contemporarily-shot footage makes for compelling viewing.                

( -RIGHT  )  THE BYRDS captured in "vintage" B&W

The film opens with a contemporary segment featuring a grisled Tom Petty and the doco's primary interviewer Jakob Dylan ( -as they visit an LA music store ). Discussing and playing some of the shop's vintage gear ( -primarily the Rickenbacker "folk" guitar that Jakob plays later in the film's "live concert" segments ), Tom makes a funny        quip that kicks off the film to good effect.  

( -ABOVE ):  TOM  PETTY:  "We're southern -it's Rickenbaaakker ( -not "baaacher" ). 

 

( -RIGHT )  ROGER  McGUINN schools Jakob on how  "folk" became rock during the early to mid-1960's. 

"Canyon's" high production values and perfect marriage  of imagery with seminal songs from the era make for an arresting viewing experience.  Apart from PBS's "Sound-breaking" series, few other music documentaries have made use of such high caliber principles to tell their story. These include Roger McGuinn, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and Michelle Phillips to name but a few.                          ( -ABOVE  ) Color footage of the "Mama's and the Papa's"

* Here's the trailer for "Echo in the Canyon". Like the film itself, it's high production values make it absolutely irresistible to anyone with an even passing interest in the 60's music scene.

Commemorating    the    California    sound's    "past"    with    a    dose    of                                 the    "contemporary"

"Canyon" -the brainchild of Capitol Record's President ( -2001' -2007' ) Andrew Slater -attempts to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the "California sound" utilizing not ONLY the aforementioned interviews and vintage clips but contemporary "in-studio" and "concert" excerpts specifically done for the documentary. These range from early rehearsal vignettes ( -in which contemporary artists Beck, Jakob, Regina Spektor and Cat Power sift through some seminal songs -the album sleeves scattered on the table before them -occasionally strumming chords and harmonizing and discussing the albums -trying to get into the heads of the musicians who originally created this music ) to their "perfected" 2015' performance ( -at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles ).  A short "backstage" segment from this anniversary concert is also included.   

"The     "cover"    songs    done    by     Jakob,     Beck,    Regina    and     Cat    are     really   good!   They    had      me     turning     up      the     volume     on     my     TV     during     their     performances"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        -Tomm  Buzzetta    (    CTN    )

( -LEFT  ) A  LAUREL  CANYON  REHEARSAL  SEGMENT

 

The "California sound" has influenced succeeding generations of musicians -as evidenced by the involvement of contemporary musicians and singers like Jakob Dylan, Regina Spektor, Cat Powers and Beck -shown here rehear-sing and musing about what went into the making                                                                                       of the "California sound".                                               ( -ABOVE  )  L-R: Regina Spektor, Jakob Dylan,                                                                                              Beck and Cat Power rehearsing.

( -RIGHT  )  THE  2015'  ORPHEUM  THEATER  CONCERT:

 

Regina Spektor and Jakob Dylan shown performing at the  2015' "50th Anniversary" concert. Several clips are shown of this concert throughout the documentary. The sound is great and the way the other segments are "wrapped around" these  is artfully done -especially the last one ( -"Expecting to Fly" ) which comes to a rushing climax before seamlessly seg-         ( -ABOVE  )  REGINA  &  JAKOB  TEARING  IT UP!  ueing to Neil Young ( -in the studio ) shredding some                                                                              ham-fisted chords ( -as the closing credits roll by ).

( -LEFT  )  MORE  OF  THE  ORPHEUM  THEATER  CONCERT

 

Basking in the audience's applause. The concert garnered a  "full house" of enthusiastic music lovers. The performances      ( -by Jakob, Regina, Beck, Cat and a host of top flight LA studio session players were "spot-on" ). You'll want to turn-up your  TV's sound for these segments! 

Some     unvarnished     "truth" ...

One of the documentary's strengths lays in it's illuminating interviews. And not all of these interview "nuggets" are complimentary to the story principles. I found the exhaustive "drug anecdotes" tedious and depressing. Kind of like learning the baseball player you idolized for so long was actually taking steroids all along ( -and didn't actually accomplish all of his baseball exploits on his own  ). 

 

Clearly, those forging the "California sound" had a sizable "chemical assist" ( -whereas as normal, everyday musicians must rely solely upon their natural born talents and creativity ). Exactly how much of the "West Coast" sound is attributable to the hallucinogenics they were consuming at the time is debatable and un-quantifiable. None-the-less, their ubiquitous use ( -by almost everyone interviewed ), does tend to taint        and "cheapen" their accomplishments somewhat. Below are a few of those interview "nuggets": 

"Bands tend to devolve. They evolve up to the point that they're exciting and they're new and they're good. Then, after that, they work their way slowly downhill until it's "turn on the smoke-machine and play your hits".             -David Crosby.

 

Here Ringo Starr relates how the West Coast bands influenced the Beatles and how the Byrds introduced    the "Fab Four" to hallucinogenics. 

"They gave it the name Laurel Canyon because it was      the locust of all these musicians -where a lot of musicians lived. But they came to LA from everywhere. They came from England, from all over America and probably because of the record companies in LA. They had to come to LA. And this was the one place where you could live. It was  the antithesis of the sort of "plastic straight" world              ( -ABOVE  )  JACKSON  BROWNE                           that you saw on television"   -Jackson Browne.                   -EXPLAINING  THE  LAUREL  CANYON  "VIBE"

 

In one segment, Michelle Phillips tells about going over      to Brian Wilson's house ( - during the recording of his "Pet Sounds" album ) and being surprised to find their living room floor covered in sand with a lone Steinway sitting there. Brian's wife Marilyn responded by quipping:           "I know it's crazy but he's writing some great songs".                                                                                                  ( -ABOVE  )  MICHELLE  PHILLIPS  REMINISCING 

 

( -LEFT  )  BRIAN  WILSON

In a studio segment, Brian Wilson relates how the Beatles' "Rubber Soul" album prompted him to write "Pet Sounds". This trans-Atlantic "cross-pollinization" is also referred to      in PBS's "Soundbreaking" documentary. 

*Here's an interview segment done with Jakob Dylan and the documentary's producer Andrew Slater.

Check it out. You'll gain some additional insights into the film and the producer's motivation for producing it. "Echo in the Canyon" Interview 

Getting     your     "studio     tan"                                                           and     the     "Model      Shop"    influence...

One of the things I really like about this documentary is that it takes you into the actual studios where            the "California sound" was forged. It's amazing so many of these studios are still in existence! For example, producer Lou Adler's story about getting an inebriated Denny Doherty ( -the Mama's and the Papa's ), who'd passed out on Crown Royal and was lying atop a Steinway piano -to "give him a note" ( -Lou craned a mic over him to get the note ) -before Denny dozed off again -is amusing. Michelle Phillip's anecdotes about recording "Monday, Monday", "Go Where You Want to Go" and "California Dreaming" all in the same studio -only to return the following day to ink their record deal was another fascinating segment.   

( -LEFT  )  JAKOB  DYLAN  AND  NORAH  JONES

 

Apart from the entertaining stories, "Canyon" gets high marks for allowing the viewer to tag along on the studio sessions that help to augment the interviews and vintage clips. In the segment to the left -which I really liked a lot, Jakob Dylan and Norah Jones record the vocals to the     ( -ABOVE  ) JAKOB  &  NORAH  TRACKING  VOCALS     Asssociation's "Never My Love" at LA's legendary                                                                                          Western Recorders studio.

Another interesting "studio" segment finds Stephen Stills tracking a guitar part to Clapton's lead on his "Questions" tune. At one point Stephen seems confused and quips: "Sorry, I got lost". It's nice to see a legend humble enough to admit to not being infallible. The segment's resolved when the session engineer suggests Stephen play the lick  in a lower register -to compliment Eric's higher "lead".                                                                                                      ( -ABOVE  )  STEPHEN  STILLS  "TRACKING" 

Throughout the documentary, multiple references are made to ( -and clips shown from ) a 1968' film by Jacques Demy called the "Model Shop". While it was pretty much a "nothing-burger" of a film -it DID capture LA's ( mid-to-late 60's "vibe" ) and spirit of communal musical experimentation that was so much a part of the Laurel Canyon "scene" then. *P.S: Fans of the rock group "Spirit" will be treated to some of that group's music ( -as well as to some vintage footage of a young Randy California ) in this obscure 1968 Demy film.

 

These movie clips are skillfully intercut -adding a whole new layer of texture, flavor and understanding to the documentary. Again, "Canyon's" production values make this documentary a real pleasure to view. Congrats to the production and editing team who've done a masterful job of maximizing the material they had to work with. A truly stunning bit of work guys! 

( -LEFT  )  A  CLIP  FROM  "MODEL  SHOP" 

 

One of the clips from Jacques Demy's "Model Shop". These  clips -interspersed throughout the documentary -add texture and historical context to the doco. Here we see the film's main characters -played by Gary Lockwood and Anouk Aimee' -in an LA street scene. 

Summing     Up...

So bottom line:  Is "Echo in the Canyon" worth your time? ABSOLUTELY! It gets my enthusiastic "thumbs up".    In fact, I found it so alluring that I watched it five times before ( -reluctantly ) returning it to my library! Any doco that can compel you to view it five times in a scant two week span has got something going for it. In fact, I've already decided to purchase it and make it a permanent part of my DVD collection. Get this DVD! I think you'll be as mesmerized by it as I was! The music, studio and concert segments will have you reaching for your remote to turn up the volume. It's all good!

 

For the music lover "Canyon" and "Soundbreaking" are absolute "must haves"!

( -RIGHT  )  THE  "ECHO  IN  THE  CANYON"  DVD  COVER

 

"Echo in the Canyon" is a riveting music documentary that tells the story of how the "California sound" was forged during the mid-to-late 1960's. It receives this reviewer's  enthusiastic "thumbs up". Nuff said!   -TB ( CTN ).

                                                                                                                                                              ( -ABOVE  )  COVER  LISTING  FEATURED  ARTISTS  &  BANDS

                                                            -END  OF  REVIEW-