Renée Montangne reported on today’s Morning Edition on NPR:
In the late 1960s, just as San Francisco was having its own Summer of Love, a rustic canyon at the heart of Los Angeles was also in bloom with songs that defined the moment, written and performed by the bands that defined a generation. [...] High above the city, the Byrds, the Mamas and the Papas, Frank Zappa, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Eagles, Jim Morrison and a host of other talents found a wild refuge just a short hitchhike from the noise and neon of the Sunset Strip.
Most of Ms. Montagne's audio segment consists of an interview with writer Michael Walker, who has written a new book, “Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Legendary Neighborhood.” The article on Morning Edition's website also has a link to a nice vintage image of Joni Mitchell playing guitar in the backyard of Cass Elliot's Laurel Canyon home, while David Crosby and Eric Clapton listen on.
