1973. Made myself a cassette and took the keys to my old
man’s Barracuda. Let’s me drive it – sometimes. Loves that car. I opened all
the windows and put in the tape; “Sittin in a park in Paris, France…” I pulled
out of the driveway in Studio City, turned right on Ventura by the Bla-Bla Café.
“There were lots of pretty people there, reading Rolling Stone, reading Vogue.”
Headed down passed Kirkwood Bowl into Hollywood. Guy in a Super Bee wants to
race me at the light by the Market Basket. I give him a nod and when the light
turned green, he was gone. I was just cruisin’, listening to Joni. “Ah, but California.”
I’m gonna see those folks I dig, I’ll even kiss a Sunset
pig, California, I’m coming home.
I turned up Mulholland and punched it. Opened it up.
Zeppelin, “Goin’ to California.” “Someone told me there's a girl out there with
love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.” Turn it up. “The mountains and the
canyons started to tremble and shake as the children of the sun began to wake.”
Then “Radar Love.” The radio, you see, was playin’ some forgotten song. Brenda
Lee coming in strong.
I pulled off the road. City in the smog. The haze filling
up the big bowl of the Valley, the San Berdoo’s purple peaks reaching up over
the char; the city on the other side.
Made a left on Laurel. Mamas and Papas. “Young girls are
coming to the canyon.” It was 12:30. Stopped at the Canyon Mart and got a roast
beef and a Bubble Up. Talked to a girl sitting on the wall eating Granny Goose
potato chips. She said, “Nice car.” Her friends came out. She hopped off the
wall and said, “See ya.”
I drove down Sunset through the Strip and all the
Billboards. There was a cool one for Close to the Edge and one for Ziggy
Stardust. The song on the cassette was “L.A. Woman.” I was switching the
letters of his name in my mind like a Scramble – J I M M O R R I S O N – Mr.
Mojo Risin’. Wow. “Well, I just got into town about an hour ago.” Past the
Whiskey and the Rainbow and the Roxy, through Beverly Hills and the big pink
hotel and on past Bel Air. The vibe got chill as the traffic eased. I spaced
out to Steely Dan.
I turned down the volume to hear the song of the motor
purring along the curvy boulevard. That was a California song in itself. I
drove down Sunset to the Sea. Turned up the volume. The Beach Boys. “The Warmth
of the Sun.” There was a spot on PCH at Leo Carrillo. I got out and put my toes
in the sand.
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