Music critic and historian Joel Selvin’s latest, “Hollywood Eden: Electric Guitars, Fast Cars, and the Myth of The California Paradise,” pulls back the curtain on the Southern California music scene and teen lifestyle, circa 1958, when the oldest Boomer was in junior high, and Nancy Sinatra, Jan Berry and Dean Torrence (Jan & Dean), drummer Sandy Nelson, Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and Kathy Kohner (the real life “Gidget”) were all attending University High in Hollywood, CA.
Extensively researched, Selvin’s book is dense with data, facts, dates, and juicy tidbits about these future stars and their families.
It’s over 300 pages–perfect for the music trivia fan who can’t get enough. Linda Ronstadt loved it, and wrote this on the book jacket:
“Hollywood Eden is a detailed look at the hugely influential California music scene just before the arrival of folk rock and psychedelic music–a vital link in the chronicles of the American popular song. I found it fascinating. I love the book.”
