{"product_id":"hollywood-eden-electric-guitars-fast-cars-and-the-myth-of-the-california-paradise-9781487007218","title":"Hollywood Eden: Electric Guitars, Fast Cars, and the Myth of the California Paradise","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e brings the lost humanity of the record business vividly back to life ... [Selvin's] style is blunt, unpretentious and brisk; he knows how to move things along entertainingly ... Songs about surfboards and convertibles had turned quaint, but in this book, their coolness is restored.\" -- \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom surf music to hot-rod records to the sunny pop of the Beach Boys, Jan \u0026amp; Dean, the Byrds, and the Mama's \u0026amp; the Papa's, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e captures the fresh blossom of a young generation who came together in the epic spring of the 1960s to invent the myth of the California Paradise.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCentral to the story is a group of sun-kissed teens from the University High School class of 1959 -- a class that included Jan \u0026amp; Dean, Nancy Sinatra, and future members of the Beach Boys -- who came of age in Los Angeles at the dawn of a new golden era when anything seemed possible. These were the people who invented the idea of modern California for the rest of the world.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e But their own private struggles belied the paradise portrayed in their music. What began as a light-hearted frolic under sunny skies ended up crashing down to earth just a few short but action-packed years later as, one by one, each met their destinies head-on. A rock 'n' roll opera loaded with violence, deceit, intrigue, low comedy, and high drama, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of a group of young artists and musicians who bumped heads, crashed cars, and ultimately flew too close to the sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSelvin, Joel:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eJOEL SELVIN is an award-winning journalist and music critic who covered pop music for the \u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e for over thirty-five years. His writing has appeared in \u003cem\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBillboard\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMelody Maker\u003c\/em\u003e, and he has contributed liner notes to dozens of recorded albums. Selvin is also the bestselling author of over a dozen books about pop music, including \u003cem\u003eFare Thee Well: The Final Chapter of the Grateful Dead's Long\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStrange Trip; Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day\u003c\/em\u003e; and \u003cem\u003eHere Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues\u003c\/em\u003e. He lives in San Francisco.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"House of Anansi Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50372393697554,"sku":"9781487007218","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_0125c7e2-68c5-4b83-b2a2-fe6f35781e84.jpg?v=1728546832","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/hollywood-eden-electric-guitars-fast-cars-and-the-myth-of-the-california-paradise-9781487007218","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}