High Notes is a book by Richard Loren that documents working with various rock legends over the years. It all started with Liberace and he was working as a music agent. There are mentions of a local venue – Toad’s Place in New Haven,CT. (Not that I’m sure I’ll ever step foot in there again, unless it’s a Hanson show, of course) and of course the infamous Doors concert that was held there. Part 1 of the book focuses on when Richard was based in New York. Part 2 is much shorter and focuses on Richard’s time in Los Angeles. Part 3 & 4 focus on the grateful dead. And of course, based on the title, there’s lots of mentions of drugs!
Found it funny, or maybe ironic? that he mentioned that he had an “old hippie brain” and that therefore may have left some out in his book. That’s code for I messed up my brain with drugs and now can’t remember stuff, right? 😉
It was nice to read, once again, a bit of an insiders experience on the music industry from back before everything was so fabricated like it is now!
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
Richard Loren recalls his journey through the turbulent eras of rock‘s ascendancy in his new book, High Notes: A Rock Memoir, Working with Rock Legends Jefferson Airplane Through The Doors to the Grateful Dead. With never-before-told stories, Loren offers a humorous and heartfelt account that illuminates music history and provides telling insights into some of the most notable entertainment personalities of the late twentieth century. Eminently readable and authentic, readers will find Loren’s inside look fascinating and satisfying.
“High Notes is part history, part travelogue, part cultural coming-of-age tale,” explains Loren. “The rock ‘n’ roll icons that inspired and shaped a generation were my personal mentors, business partners, and friends. Through my experiences, music and pop-culture lovers gain a reflective insider’s perspective on these amazing artists in one of the most compelling periods of American history.”
High Notes is broken up into four colorful, story-filled sections:
· Part One: New York City – My life with Jefferson Airplane, The Doors and the Chambers Brothers
· Part Two: Stinson Beach, California – David Grisman, the Rowan Brothers, Garcia-Saunders, Old and in the Way
· Part Three: The Grateful Dead – Politics, Grateful Dead Movie, Garcia Bands, Egypt, Saturday Night Live, Alaska, Radio City Music Hall
· Part Four: The Grateful Dead Merry-Go-Round – Germany, Mississippi River Boat, Watch the River Flow, Sirens of Titan, Garcia-Grisman
Uniquely personal, Loren provides insight and revelation with his singular take on the rich, famous and powerful people he encountered during his days as an agent, manager and promoter. High Notes is must read for those who lived through the times and for those who want to share a personal perspective on one of rock’s most formative and fascinating eras.