Something different for an LP Saturday evening.
I lived in Los Angeles for 2 ¬Ω years. I got to know Hollywood well, the Valley and even the rougher areas of Downtown LA. Driving around LA one can sense the past history. In certain run-down areas there are still glimpses into a vibrant past largely forgotten or rarely mentioned. But it was something that I never accessed and is a regret in hindsight.
Over the past week I have been introduced to little known incident in the history of LA via legendary guitarist and musicologist Ry Cooder. His brilliant new album, Chavez Ravine, documents the political and sociological history of the destruction of Mexican-American community on the 1950s.
If you go to LA today you will find Chavez Ravine is the home of Dodger Stadium. In the 1950s Chavez Ravine was a thriving and tight, self-sufficient village. However it was targeted for development and the residents forcibly removed via eminent domain from their homes (a photo album by photographer Don Normark shows Chavez Ravine as it was). Initially it was for a housing project that never eventuated. After a decade of lies, broken promises and McCarthy era communist hysteria the land eventually became the baseball stadium. A community was lost forever.
The album Chavez Ravine has three parts. The first 4 songs set up the beginning of the story and provide the social and political context. The next 4 provide a glimpse into the community of Chavez Ravine via some vibrant and thrilling music. With the ethereal and gorgeous song El U.F.O. Cayo providing the transition (the Space Vato comes via UFO to warn the residents, who don’t listen, of what is to come), the final 5 songs document the demolition of Chavez Ravine and the aftermath. Lyrics in Spanish and English are provided for all the songs.
And even though the story is tragic, the music if far from sad. Muy Fifi and 3 Cool Cats sizzle and burn. Los Chucos Sauves, first recorded in 1949, shows how dangerous the mambo really is (especially for those like me who usually would never grace a dance floor). Even Onda Callejera which is about the Zoot Suit Riots moves to a beautiful (though a touch melancholy) groove.
Cooder does not confine the story to those who lived in Chavez Ravine. Don’t Call Me Red tells the story of Frank Wilkinson. Wilkinson was an administrator with the Los Angeles Public Housing Authority. He was the subject of a McCarthy style witch hunt which lead to abandonment of the original housing project intended for Chavez Ravine. It’s Just Work For Me tells of the demolition of Chavez Ravine from the viewpoint of one of the dozer drivers.
The barrio of Chavez Ravine was far from any world I know. Yet Ry Cooder makes their history as tangible as if it was part of anyone’s heritage. It is a remarkable collection of music. It makes you want to dance, it makes you want to sing and makes you want to mourn a neighbourhood lost to the corruption and greed of politics.
Reading about “eminent domain” it doesn’t sound all that good but on the flip side it did save the Pittsburgh Steelworkers from losing their jobs at one time.
none of this new Ry Cooder publicity mentions that Frank Lloyd Wright designed the houses there, yet I am sure I recall this from the doco series about FLW that was run on ABCTV a while ago. anyone else remember this better than I do?
Thank you Irant for bringing real music to LP. Homer’s love of blues notwithstanding.
I should buy this album. I have heard a few songs — those that are *cough*publically available*cough* and I love them. I find ry quite hard to get a grip on, onee every album he seems to have a new perona or style, I really need to sit down and deliberately take stock.
I was at a party tonight, the hosts had about two dozen CDs and the best one among them was Buena Vista Social Club which is just a bit tres, tres cool for me. It was one of those pathetic CD “collections”, you know the type, which had one from each genre represented on FM breakfast radio. One Dr Dre, one Norah Jones, one Cafe del Mar, one Abba best of, one Ministry of Sound , one pseudo funky world muzak thing. Meticulously compiled to be played in the background and never actually listened to. Anyhoo, I should go to bed and stop insulting my hosts!
Brownie,
The arichtect I’ve seen most mentioned in connection with Chavez Ravine was on Richard Neutra. He was to design the original project that never was built.
Nice post, Irant.
You may be interested in Mike Davis’ great book on LA, City of Quartz in this connection.
I didn’t know of the use of emninent domain in regards to the Pittsburgh Steelworkers. However its use seems to provoke controvery more often that not. Kelo v New London is the most recent example.
I’m going into town, and will buy the album!
Excellent Mark! And thanks for the book tip.
Amanda, I think there needs to be a music makeover show. The hosts go into some unsuspecting peron’s home, totally trash their CD collection, humilate then for their taste and then replace it with cool approved grooves.
I have City Of Quartz and re-read it annually.
I have visited Los Angeles many times - done the all-night Thingo des Muertos in East LA, been mugged by neegroes down on Western Avenue while trying to be the only white person at the Tiki Club for Little Milton.
I spent 2 weeks in the Polanski suite 58B at The Chateau Marmont in 1990, gazing down on the 2 meter Bullwinkle - holding - Rocky statue at jay Ward Sudios opposite, and I got a bus down to Santa Monica once and met a maid going to work in Holmby Hills who said ‘oh you are from Australia-my brother lives in Sydney’.
ranty - I agree some could use a music makeover (Homer P. comes to mind) but despite my sharp tongue I’m actually pretty bloody tolerant of a wide range of music taste. I just can’t stand idiots. I especially can’t stand people who spend a shitload of $ on expensive hi-fi (audiphools) and rave on about their favourite music - which usually consists of a few Eagles CDs, Dark Side of The Moon (all the re-issues) plus Dire Straits (usually Brothers in Arms), with the odd Sade or Eric Clapton thrown in. It’s all too common and just another bit of evidence of how this once great country is going down the shute.
A special place in my hell is reserved for those who own a copy of Barnsey’s “Soul” Album. Jesus wept.
Arrrgh. I had forgot about that album. Must cleanse ears.
I readily admit that I have a musical elitist snob mode. I have often gone through friends CDs explaining why they should not have certain CDs in their collection. Then I am forever banned going through their collection again.
I actually went through a Pink Floyd/Eagles period in my first year at Uni. Have not listened to either since then.
For rock and soul covers, check out The Detroit Cobras. They only do covers yet sound quite original.
Well I remember buying Bueno Vista on the basis of an Age review and loved it immediately, so will be looking to do the same here. Sounds great.
Coincidentally read the zoot suit riots link last week while googling Zoot Suit as sung by the Andrews sisters (which shows you how le tres not cool I am.)
Ah, music makeovers. I know a few candidates…
I’m pretty passionate about music but I’m not sure Amanda would like my taste–though we share a love of Johnny Cash, I would think, and possibly an admiration of Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams. Neko Case also?
But anyway, I like my alterna-rock and pop, mostly. And I’ll have to have a listen to this album, thanks Irant, it sounds wonderful.
I think Amanda has previously patted me on the back for liking Neko Case, Kate!
Album duly purchased, Irant. Will have a listen tomorrow.
Brownie - as a City of Quartz fan, you should read some of his more recent stuff. Also, this is another good book on LA urban history and displaced communities.
It’s not about taste per se. I just get creeped out by houses with only a dozen cds of popular stuff which you know they just bought for parties. Also houses with only half a dozen books disturb in the same way. As Penn and Teller say, everybody got a gris gris. This is mine.
And I patted you on the head Mark, not the back (careful not to disturb the tin tin spike.) If you’re going to be an insufferable music poseur, best to be as patronising as possible to pull it off.
Re: taste. We spent most of the weekend downloading tracks to Mr.Kate’s new iPod and, dear god, we’ve got some dreck in our CD collection.
For instance: at one point, I actually purchased a Cafe del Mar album. It had one song on it I really wanted, and the rest was that boring as hell ambient music (circa 1999) that makes me feel like vomiting. We downloaded it by mistake and now we’re wondering how to un-load it.
Mr.Kate also has Guns ‘n’ Roses, purchased a few short weeks ago. Aggagh. He is unperturbed by my horror at this.
That’s true, Amanda.
Houses win no books are even more disturbing.
One of the best things about Ry Cooder is his ability to shift silkily through different types of music and still produce the goods. Thanks for the review.
I too went to one of those parties on the weekend (hits of the 80s, Norah Jones, something world muzacky) and made my excuses quite quickly from sheer annoyance. I wonder if it was the same party? Naa, probably hundreds of them Australia every saturday night. I don’t know why they bother buying cds when the radio is playing exactly the same mix.
Thanks Mark, for the link to the LA book. I only see the Raymond Chandler noir LA. and of course ChinaTown (SC: Robert Towne) is THE movie. The R.Altman Long Goodbye comes in a good second.
Yes, Chinatown’s brilliant, Brownie. Watched Two Jakes on video the other night - very disappointing!
Very nice record - listening now.
This album is “Brilliant” (and I rarely say that about anything. I just drove from Houston to Miami and literally listened to “Chavez Ravine” the entire way. It’s a sad story beautifully told.