Iron Butterfly live at the Topanga Corral

The Topanga Corral was a small little club ensconsed in the Topanga Canyon between the coast and the valley. The best thing about this place was you never knew who the house band was going to be. One night it could be Canned Heat or some other seminal hippie band, because alot of them lived up in the canyon. One night my best friend John Hutchison's sister Ann had randomly decided to go there for beers and the band turned out to be Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers! So you just never knew. So on this night we decided to take a trip to the club for beers, not really knowing who would be there. As it turned out, the four original members of the Iron Butterfly had decided to regroup and use the club to practice. Of course we stayed long enough to hear In A Gadda Da Vida(baby!) I'm still not sure of the year, but the Butterfly had been out of circulation and regarded as a novelty act(or a joke) by the eighties. But for their signature tune they Had to of had their amps turned up to stadium levels. The sound filled that little place and I thought the roof and walls were coming down. Once in a while I have to play this one at that same sound level and relive the experience, complete with the squawks and feedback. And I'm back at The Corral!

Neil Young and Crazy Horse Live at the Forum, 1978

I'm Lazing in my dinky little apartment on San Vicente Blvd and there comes a knock at the door. I answer and it's my next door neighbor(and old high school friend) Tom. He's holding two concert tickets in his hand and wants to know if I'm interested. He has a schedule conflict and needs to get rid of them. Two tickets to Rust Never Sleeps and would I be interested! HolySHIT!? Does a bear shit in the woods?! I take him up on his offer in a millisecond and prepare for the concert. As we're preparing to go, unbeknownst to most of the concert goers, a fire has been set on the other side of the Santa Monica Mountains by some piro and is burning , out of control backed by a fierce windstorm. The smoke is turning the sky a brownish grey and backed by the Santa Anas, the firemen are powerless to stop it. On the street behind us, owners of expensive homes are backing Uhauls up to their houses and loading them with their belongings. For even though the fire is clearly visible from the bluff overlooking the Santa Monica Canyon, which is full of expensive homes, the fire, now a firestorm, is clearly heading straight for the beach. And not for our little apartment. And no dumb epic firestorm is going to keep me from seeing the concert of my life! As we course down Manchester Blvd in bumper to bumper traffic, it is now dark and ashes and sparks are raining down from the sky. It almost appears to be the Appocolypse! But Neil and the Horse don't disapoint. Our seats are halfway up the left side, a great location. And it is easily the LOUDEST concert and best stage set-up I have ever been to. I can only imagine how sublime it must be to have seats in one of the first ten rowes! I don't think my ears have ever recovered from this sound onslaught. And, during the concert, the fire burns Neil's little Trancas beach house to the ground. In an interview, Young states the symbolism suits him just fine, as He has already moved to his new enclave in La Honda up north. They caught the little miscreant who set the blaze, and he is in the clink for Life. Obviously never got enough attention growing up or something. But the concert remains high up on my best ever list. I can still smell the Horse to this Day!!!

The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Yahowa 13, and the Source Family by Isis And Electricity Aquarian

An amazing parable of the 70's by someone who lived it. It's the story of a judo master, bank robber, and accused murderer, Jim Baker, who experiences an intense yogic conversion and goes on to re-invent himself as the charismatic leader, Father Yod.As the spiritual 'Father' he plays host to a bevy of beautiful Sons and Daughters who collectively form the Family. The book challenges your preconceived notions of cults and digs deeper into the nuanced meanings of living in a grand social experiment. The photos and cd in the back of the book alone make this worth the purchase price. It was written by by one of Father's polyamorous wives Isis Aquarian, and a graphic depiction of family life as they lived it. Quite an affecting book, you will be ready to join the family and run away with them by the end of the book. I know I sure as hell was!