'The Immensity Of His Genius Can't Be Measured': Jakob Dylan, Andy Slater Talk Brian Wilson & 'Echo In The Canyon' Film
(CBS Local)-- The 1960s were a magical time musically in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles.
Iconic groups like The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Mamas And The Papas, and Buffalo Springfield were all hanging out and writing songs that would last for many generations after. 2x Grammy award winner Jakob Dylan and former music executive Andy Slater created a new film called "Echo In The Canyon" that documents this memorable time in music and California history.
"It [Laurel Canyon] actually looks and feels quite a bit the same," said Dylan in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "I think David Crosby suggested he was the first one to go there. It's right there in the middle, it's this wilderness right in the middle of Los Angeles. You're five minutes away from being at The Roxy and all those other places, but you're in the wilderness."
"That period of music is so fertile in what happened in Laurel Canyon in 1965," said Slater. "The trading of those ideas between The Byrds, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles. It was an amazing time and to be able to talk to the people that wrote the songs was incredible."
Bob Dylan's son traveled around the country and the world to talk with legends like Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr to reminisce about a time where all these musicians were influencing each other.
"In the film you find out that Roger McGuinn sees 'A Hard Day's Night' and he records 'The Bells Of Rhymney,'" said Slater. "He electrifies folk music and The Beatles hear that and George Harrison writes 'If I Needed Someone,' which goes on 'Rubber Soul.' Brian Wilson hears 'Rubber Soul' and writes 'Pet Sounds.' The Beatles hear 'Pet Sounds' and write 'Sgt. Pepper's.'"
"It was a conversation. I've done that plenty with other artists my age and older," said Dylan. "I don't think there was any pressure for them and it was totally casual. It was really about them talking about what they wanted to remember about a long time ago."
The film also spends a good chunk of time diving into the story of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. Dylan and Slater wanted to make sure a new group of music fans understood just how revered Wilson and his group was and still is in the music industry.
"It's interesting because some people think of The Beach Boys with the surf boards and matching shirts," said Dylan. "I could see if you were someone like Tom Petty and you grew up with that music, you'd remember those images as strong as the next ones. I never think of those images really. I think of the later Beach Boys stuff."
"If you're listening to the earlier period where Brian's father is producing, they're more influenced by the surf culture," said Slater. "Brian starts to really expand the parameters of what The Beach Boys are doing by searching for the idea of how one fits into society. The immensity of his genius can't be measured.
"Echo In The Canyon" is in theaters now.