Though I didn't live in the canyon when songs like these were being recorded, there's still a vibe ....
if only you travel it at the right time...
Showing posts with label The Mamas and the Papas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Mamas and the Papas. Show all posts
10/4/22
MAMA CASS GOT A STAR ON THE PAVEMENT OF HOLLYWOOD YESTERDAY: DAUGHTER OWEN WAS BEHIND IT
With an assembly of those who loved her and cared: once-upon-a-time bandmate Michelle Phillips looking real skinny, Michelle's daughter Chynna, who runs a YouTube station on her Christian life - wearing a giant cross, John Sebastian of Lovin' Spoonful fame, who knew Mama before the Mama's and the Papa's, music producer Lou Adler wearing rubber shoes and shorts as if he had just come on down from pool-side, Stephen Stills of CSN, and other bands, and other people who you may have heard of, MAMA CASS ELIOTT has gotten a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The person behind it is her daughter OWEN, who was raised after Cass' death by Cass's sister Leah and her husband Russ Kunkel, a drummer who played with - you know his work from albums - Carly Simon, James Taylor, and some others.
The Mama's and the Papa's had a brief reign on the charts, the radio, but their music went on and on, the Oldie stations continued the play and every once in a while you might catch California Dreamin on the air, as fresh as ever.
The thing I've been most impressed with reading around these people and the Los Angeles - Laurel Canyon music scene in particular - is that Mama Cass was not just a talented and ambitious singer, she was also the kind of person who introduced people to people, who was among those who ran a kind of salon. And, although one might think of it all springing up "organically," through casual encounters, actually, they were all ambitious, they all wanted to earn money, make it big, be rich, and don't let that hippie thing fool you. It's impossible to sort it all out, especially from such distance, but Cass was integral in making the scene happen because of she was thinking about how to help others achieve theirs. And that willingness to share and include and help people along - that generosity - that knowing it was not all about her - gets her five stars from me.
That's my commentary.
Here's a link to an article from Variety:
VARIETY : DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE by Roy Trakin
An excerpt: Owen is using the star ceremony as a springboard to finish her own biography of Mama Cass expressing displeasure at the previous one, British writer Eddi Fiegel's 2005 book, "Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Life of Cass Elliot.: With the help of rock estate specialist Jeff Jampol, she is exploring other options for her mom's story, including a biopic.
And another from Daily Mail in which Owen is called a son, and when someone does not know who John Sebastian is, they skip identifying him in a picture. Probably in hast to beat a deadline... Also, treats it like a fashion commentary as if one cannot see what people are wearing from the photos.
However some interesting quotes if can bear all the pop up ads and clickbait...
DAILY MAIL : MICHELLE PHILLIPS, CARNIE WILSON HONOR MAMA CASS by Brian Gallagher
C Christine Trzyna
7/8/10
CHRISTINE TRZYNA BOOK REVIEW of MACKENZIE PHILLIPS HIGH ON ARRIVAL
BOOK REVIEW by Christine Trzyna C 2010
Maybe in part, because I recall the urgency of her voice, I feel the tone of Mackenzie Phillips' memoir is incessantly passionate till exhaustion. As I passed this book on to others to read, I warned them, "Be prepared to be devastated." Do memoirs ever help others really? (I think sometimes they do.) Was this one intended to imply forgiveness to one's self and others? Isn't forgiveness over-rated?
Reading this one, I remembered years ago I read the memoir of Mackenzie's dad, John Phillips, famous writer of hit songs sung by the early 1960's quartet The Mamas and the Papas. I was stunned by his calm unapologetic amorality. He shrugged his shoulders about what an unmoved Papa he had been. He had not protected his daughter.
John Phillips, who used up most of his song writing money on drug addiction, had other children - a son, and two daughters by Michelle Phillips, Mackenzie's sisters, who may not have had the same experience of good ol dad. But maybe it's biology; whatever was amiss with John Phillips that his moral compass kept spinning was passed on to just one. "The problem," was and is, apparently drug addiction. But maybe drug addiction is too convenient and superficial the excuse. Mackenzie has had a horrible life, despite being supplied with economic and opportunity wealth, and despite all the pain she describes which we imagine she FELT, she did not know better to not participate in (drug fueled) incest as an adult with her father.
None of us who read this book believe Mackenzie will stay off drugs and a few of us felt irate that she did not know better.
High on Arrival was written by Mackenzie Phillips with Hilary Liftin
It's a Simon Spotlight Entertainment book
C 2009 Shanes Mom Inc.
Maybe in part, because I recall the urgency of her voice, I feel the tone of Mackenzie Phillips' memoir is incessantly passionate till exhaustion. As I passed this book on to others to read, I warned them, "Be prepared to be devastated." Do memoirs ever help others really? (I think sometimes they do.) Was this one intended to imply forgiveness to one's self and others? Isn't forgiveness over-rated?
Reading this one, I remembered years ago I read the memoir of Mackenzie's dad, John Phillips, famous writer of hit songs sung by the early 1960's quartet The Mamas and the Papas. I was stunned by his calm unapologetic amorality. He shrugged his shoulders about what an unmoved Papa he had been. He had not protected his daughter.
John Phillips, who used up most of his song writing money on drug addiction, had other children - a son, and two daughters by Michelle Phillips, Mackenzie's sisters, who may not have had the same experience of good ol dad. But maybe it's biology; whatever was amiss with John Phillips that his moral compass kept spinning was passed on to just one. "The problem," was and is, apparently drug addiction. But maybe drug addiction is too convenient and superficial the excuse. Mackenzie has had a horrible life, despite being supplied with economic and opportunity wealth, and despite all the pain she describes which we imagine she FELT, she did not know better to not participate in (drug fueled) incest as an adult with her father.
None of us who read this book believe Mackenzie will stay off drugs and a few of us felt irate that she did not know better.
High on Arrival was written by Mackenzie Phillips with Hilary Liftin
It's a Simon Spotlight Entertainment book
C 2009 Shanes Mom Inc.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)