L'echo de Laurel Canyon

Excellent music documentaries are rather rare and we will think in particular of Let it be (1970), Woodstock (1970), Stop making sense (1984), U2: Rattle and Hum (1988), In bed with Madonna (1991), Metallica: some kind of monster (2004), Sugar man (2012). To this exhaustive list, we must now add L'écho de Laurel Canyon (Echo In the Canyon) by Andrew Slater.

Rock music producer and manager of numerous artists (former CEO of Capital Records), Andrew Slater is a true music lover and his first film is his way of paying tribute to the mid-60s in Los Angeles and its musical currents. While the Beatles were enjoying worldwide success, many musicians from the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles were making their voices and music heard around the world.

Alternating pieces of music, images and numerous interviews, this nostalgic documentary reminds us of a period that saw many songs come to life and remain forever. Behind them was a real challenge to an era. It's also no coincidence that Bob Dylan's son, Jakob Dylan (leader of the band Wallflowers), is here as a guide and presenter. His numerous interviews with, among others, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Graham Nash, Beck, Cat Power, Beck, Cat Power, Norah Jones, Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor are all fascinating. There is also an exclusive interview with Tom Petty.

The city of Los Angeles holds an important place in the hearts of many of us because it resonates not only with the presence of the biggest film studios in its surroundings but also with the many musical trends that were born there and with its mythical concerts that have marked many generations of music lovers. This area of Los Angeles also seems to have been marked by the appearance of the mythical Beatles band on the Ed Sullivan Show and by the real surge of creativity that resulted from it. Each interview is a way to tell amusing anecdotes but also to show the influence of the Beatles on many musicians who met them. The interview with Ringo Starr is well worth the detour.

It takes us back to the roots of the music community in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, to the music of iconic bands such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and The Mamas and the Papas. This film is a witness to an important period in the history of music. One will appreciate the perfectly chosen archives to illustrate this documentary, the frankness of the interviews and especially to see great artists taking up their guitar and expressing themselves through their music.

This documentary film also shows the influence of British musical culture in the United States and how Los Angeles artists assimilated it and brought to life songs that have become timeless. It is thus interesting to learn, for example, from an interview with Brian Wilson (a member of the Beach Boys) that he was inspired by the Beatles' song Rubber Soul when he wrote the song Pet Sounds and that this in turn influenced the Beatbles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

This documentary shows that the real stars are not the artists but their songs that continue to resonate fifty years later and inspire us, give us hope in these difficult times we are going through. In this sense, L'écho de Laurel Canyon (Echo In the Canyon) is a remarkable documentary that we can only encourage you to discover from June 8th on VOD.

Echo In the Canyon
A film by Andrew Slater
Based on a screenplay by Eric Barrett and Andrew Slater...
With Jakob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Tom Petty, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, Roger McGuinn, Michelle Phillips, David Crosby, Graham Nash
Distribution: Greenwich Entertainment (United States), Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (France)
Running time : 82 min

Viewed on 5 June 2020 in press link

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