70s Redux – Hearts of Darkness: James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens and the Unlikely Rise of the Singer-Songwriter

1970 and 1971 were the peak years of the Singer-Songwriter era in popular American music, according to author Dave Thompson. The phenomenon grew out of the folk and protest music of the mid to late 60s, which had already produced many iconic artists, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Tom Rush, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, and many more. Many of those musicians got their start in the coffeehouses and small clubs of Greenwich Village in New York, but gradually the scene shifted west. The Mamas and Papas' "California Dreamin", released in December, 1965, sums it up perfectly. Cass Elliott, one of the "Mamas", established a home in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles that became the place where many of her fellow artists gathered. In 1970, Joni Mitchell's album, Ladies of the Canyon, referred to the area. 

In general, the late 60s and early 70s saw a tremendous number of musicians, singers and groups establish themselves, especially in Los Angeles. They were mainly among the earliest cohort of the Baby Boom Generation, and in fact, the three subjects of this book were all born in 1948. Despite the repercussions of the Vietnam War, it was a free and easy time in many respects, and youth culture reigned. Those of us who immediately followed by five to eight years also embraced their music and it became ingrained in our hearts and minds.

The Singer-Songwriters specialized in a lyric-rich songwriting style, and generally performed solo, at least in the beginnings of their careers. They were introspective and at times, brooding, writing and performing songs based on their personal life experiences, family and romantic relationships, and spoke to the social and political events of the day and how they affected them. Millions of listeners connected with both their angst and joy, and many of their songs and albums were hugely successful.

Thompson works through the chronological events of early careers of his three subjects, switching back and forth among them. There are many details and anecdotes of their interactions with the other artists, concert promoters, record producers and some family background. Some of it is interesting, some is distracting, and would have been better left out.

Two of the most appealing aspects of the book are the Epilogue, which presents updates on the various other artists, business figures and record companies that figure in the lives of the subjects; and, a Discography which lists all the recordings (studio and concert) of the three artists and their associates from 1963 through 1972.

Probably the least appealing aspect of the book is the cover art, which features a triptych of shots of Browne, Taylor, and Stevens. The picture of Taylor is an unfortunate choice. The handsome young Taylor graced the walls of many dorm rooms with his intense good looks, but here a shot was chosen in which he looks not unlike the notorious mass murderer Charles Manson (who committed his crimes in Greater Los Angeles in 1969). Perhaps that is because the author seems to have singled out Taylor (in my opinion, by far the most talented of the three subjects, and whose career has most endured) for the most criticism.