this has been out for a while, but i just got around to checking it out in the last week or so. jakob dylan interviews many of the significant artists that drove the beginning of the folk rock sound, focusing on the ones who lived and recorded in the los angeles area – and more specifically – the area known as laurel canyon. a picturesque bohemian suburb uphill from the sunset strip, it became a destination for artists from around the world to convene and explore the synthesis of two musical genres that were considered somewhat incompatible just a few years before. the documentary combines conversations with artists that were there or directly influenced by the sound, video footage of the scene as it was in the late sixties, and concert and studio scenes of today’s generation of artists paying tribute to some of the classic songs from that era (i assume this is the reference to the ‘echo’ in the title). it is packed with information and i actually watched it a couple of times to make sure i didn’t miss anything.

i have two minor issues overall, the first being too much of the ‘echo’ component. my rough estimate is that maybe a quarter of the run time is devoted to newer artists tackling the material – some competently and others not so much. leaning towards the amateur musical historian that i am, i found this aspect of it less compelling.

maybe my second quibble is related to the first, but i also felt that the focus was somewhat more limited than i had hoped. it really only covers the period from late 1964 through 1967 – and it does a great job at that – but the area continued to be a driving force in the musical world for at least another five years. we see jackson browne waxing nostalgic on the byrds, brian wilson and others, but we don’t here any of his contributions to the scene. joni mitchell isn’t mentioned at all, not to mention gram parsons, the flying burrito brothers, or james taylor. if you want a good read on that, try barney hoskyn’s ‘hotel california’.

but overall i enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about where that jangly twelve string sound came from.

this one is for you, kevin: