Hotel California, Barney Hoskins

I wasn't a 70's child, in fact I was barely an 80's child, but due to parents who loved music, I got a grounding in the artists that this book is about... Spanning the late 60's to the early 80's, Hotel California walks through the trials and tribulations of the artists situated in the Los Angeles Canyons districts.

While I thought it would be more shocking, I mean what did artists do in the 70's but take loads of drugs and have a good time? but this was an exploration into the real lifestyle of these people.

From Joni Mitchell, to the Eagles, to Crosby, Stills and Nash (with and without Neil Young) to the Eagles, the story feels like you're suddenly amongst a group of mates that get wasted together, share the lives, their loves, their insecurities, and also their music.

Hearing stories about The Troubadour (the club where most of them played at some stage of their careers) transported me there, feeling the sweat and muck come off the stage, watching the successes come and go, watching the addictions to various substances waste talent away...

While the most shocking aspect of this book was more about what a WANKER Davd Geffen is, each chapter beautifully interweaves each musicians fame and dependence without becoming contrived or face. While I felt slightly sdad at each chapter, as dealing with ego sounds like such a struggle, as well as the changing American way, and almost the demise of american folk music.

While a lot of the names and artists flew over my head, I really enjoyed this book - I felt it was well written, full of intersting anecdotes, snippets of a life and time that I only ever read about...