Echo In The Canyon - Netflix

[studio1087]

Echo in the Canyon. An affectionate documentary looks back at the mid-1960s, when Hollywood's Laurel Canyon was a creative nexus for young, innovative musicians. Jakob Dylan interviews a pantheon of rock and folk icons and performs with peers such as Cat Power, Fiona Apple and Beck.

Beautiful music and terrific interviews. I’m loving this.

 

[drmordo]

I watched it a while back. I certainly enjoyed it, but I thought it was weird how much focus was put on the Mamas and the Papas, who seem pretty forgettable compared to the others. Also - no mention of Joni?

And didn't Michelle Phillips say something pretty nasty about the Byrds?

 

[studio1087]

The Mamas the Papas were plentiful. I assumed that the producers had a lot of video from them. It was a bit much. I enjoyed the individual interviews with CSN a lot.

 

[trev333]

 

[tubegeek]

I enjoyed it - especially the way they covered the influence of the Beatles. The complete absence of Joni Mitchell was very puzzling - someone either pissed her off, or vice versa, I guess? Certainly her position was central to the Laurel Canyon scene!

The contemporary group did a great job with their covers.

 

[blowtorch]

Joni's pretty cray these days, that might have had something to do with it

 

[frank a]

I thought it could have been better. They left a lot of people out. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Fearnot]

I liked it okay, but in the end, it felt more like a set up/star vehicle for Jakob Dylan than a real documentary. The EPIX doc airing right now looks more promising, though I don't have any way to see it yet.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Echoes had a somewhat misleading marketing/advertising campaign.

If they promoted it for what it actually was how many people would have watched it ?

“Echoes tells the story of an LA hipster concert where Jakob Dylan , Beck, and lesser-knowns play old 60’s folk rock tunes intercut with interviews of some of the geezers who originally did them.”

Supposedly last filmed interview with Petty and I admit, the main advertising image of Tom with a Ricky 12 string was all I needed to watch.

 

[985plowboy]

It was alright.
I understand there were other artists that should have been included, but I enjoyed it regardless.
Seeing Tom Petty made me miss him.

 

[KW1977]

I enjoyed it but echo the above sentiments about it being a skewed vehicle. And I'm interested in seeing this Epix version.

I actually used to live in Laurel Canyon for about six magical months. It's wild up there. Doesn't feel like LA let alone America. I have some great stories/memories from that time. Walked past the Houdini Mansion, Frank Zappa's old compound, and Jim Morrison's house each day on my way to work. Saw Trent Reznor walking his dog, Keanu Reeves playing touch football with the neighbors kid, swapped gig stories with Donovan Leitch Jr. Lived a couple doors down from David J from Bauhaus/Love & Rockets(eg; "Life in Laralay"), listened to a lot of rehearsals and coyotes yipping at night. I love any opportunity to catch glimmers and revisit that nostalgia so even the movie Laurel Canyon gives me a little shot in the arm. Or if any of you have seen the video for Father John Misty's "Hollywood Cemetary"--filmed about a block from where I stayed up there. The Canyon mojo is real.

 

[cravenmonket]

I found it quite flimsy, honestly. That era and the music that came out of Laurel Canyon is probably my favorite, and there was lots missing from the film. Joni Mitchell's house and the circle that gathered there was pretty much ground zero. Without that your film is incomplete.

Jakob Dylan is fun to watch though - his stony faced non-reaction during interviews is hilarious. And Beck creeps me out.

 

[Mr. St. Paul]

I thought it was weird that there were no interviews with Neil Young. Just a shot of him rocking out in the studio over the closing credits.

I did enjoy the exchange between Jakob and Brian Wilson:

Jakob: We're recording I Just Wasn't Made For These Times. What key did you do it in?

Brian: E flat

Jakob: We're doing it in B flat

Brian: (pauses) That's the wrong key!

 

[cnlbb]

It's an interesting movie for sure. As for the people who were absent from the film... well you have to agree to be interviewed.

 

[zimbo]

Is Jakob Dylan still estranged from his Dad? That would be a great concert to see.

 

[sloppychops]

I couldn't make it through the whole thing. I think I bailed during a David Crosby segment. Can't stand that guy or his music. Also thought Jakob Dylan looked incredibly bored during most of the interviews. That or smug. I couldn't tell. Anyway, the whole glorification of that era/place just doesn't do much for me.

 

[blowtorch]

David Crosby segment. Can't stand that guy or his music.

+1

 

[studio1087]

I thought it was weird that there were no interviews with Neil Young. Just a shot of him rocking out in the studio over the closing credits.

!

I think that it’s tough to interview Neil. Other than Pono or his big battery powered car that blew up I have seen many recent interviews. I think he’s a private sort of guy off stage.

 

[getbent]

It is an interesting movie, not really a documentary, more of a montage of Jakob's view of things while also kind of his versions of things, but worth watching. It wasn't a history so much as a testimony. I always love seeing Beck, I remember him as a little kid and I think he is really talented. One of the young women singers is also fantastic, but that wasn't supposed to be the focus of the movie really... It is kind of like ordering a burrito and finding a curry inside... a good curry, but not exactly what you expect, but a kind of good mish mash of things...

I watched the Epix documentary. The people behind it (I think are Henry Diltz, a very nice man, great talent both as photographer and musician and someone who saw all of it and a woman who I'd only heard of who was an intimate in the scene) are 'of the age' so they saw it with the eyes of an adult.

The only disappointment with the Epix doc is that it was too short... I wish it had been 12 episodes...

My favorite line from the Epix doc was from Glenn Frey who said, "You know, we (Eagles) weren't pioneers, we were settlers." That was a pretty self aware observation...

I'm grateful for these movies, and the books by John Einarson etc, as they help me piece together parts I didn't understand... and I realize, i'll never have the whole story...

 

[Deathray]

I found it quite flimsy, honestly. That era and the music that came out of Laurel Canyon is probably my favorite, and there was lots missing from the film. Joni Mitchell's house and the circle that gathered there was pretty much ground zero. Without that your film is incomplete.

Jakob Dylan is fun to watch though - his stony faced non-reaction during interviews is hilarious. And Beck creeps me out.

Beck was incredibly awkward in this, yes. He seemed about as disinterested as he could possibly be.