If you were a music-loving, concert-going kid living in Los Angeles in the 70’s, you were, undoubtedly, in the right place at the right time to witness some of the greatest bands in the history of rock and roll. Author Doug Harr was one of those kids, and to say that his concert-going experiences that decade made a lasting impression on his life would be an understatement. “Hello Los Angeles!” “Please welcome… Rockin’ the City of Angels!”

If you’re a classic rock fan and want to see, or perhaps “relive,” some of the most incredible performances and tours to ever hit the Southland during the 70’s, then Doug Harr’s new book, Rockin’ the City of Angels, is just the front row “ticket” for you. Some of rock’s greatest artists captured by some of rock’s greatest photographers! 396 pages, 34 chapters, 500-plus images. More than 30 featured artists/tours/performances and 23 photographers. One spectacular book!

To quote the Emerson, Lake & Palmer song, “Karn Evil 9,” from their Brain Salad Surgery album (an artist and tour featured in Rockin’ the City of Angels), “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, we’re so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside.”

Zeppelin. The Stones. Floyd. Queen. The Who. Bowie. Elton. AC/DC. Alice. Tull. McCartney & Wings. ELO. Eagles. Heart. Fleetwood Mac. Others.

They’re all here and caught in the act by some of the best photojournalists of the day including Richard E. Aaron, Jorgen Angel, Martyn Dean, Armando Gallo, Stacey Katsis, Neal Preston, Jim Summaria, Lisa Tanner, Brian Weiner, Neil Zlozower and others.

“These images are seared into my memory from the rock concerts I witnessed in Los Angeles, the “City of Angels,” in the 1970’s, a time when rock bands were making expansive concept records with sweeping themes,” comments Harr. “Rock albums at the time promised ‘theater of the mind,’ and their creators were inspired to mount elaborate stage shows that brought these dreams to life. These artists used every available piece of stagecraft — lights, projections, backdrops, props, and costumes — to create awesome spectacles for arenas packed with adoring fans — fans like you and me.”

Those “arenas” in this book include such well-known southern California venues as “The Fabulous Forum,” Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Long Beach Arena, Universal Amphitheater, Shrine Auditorium and Civic Auditorium Center in Santa Monica as well as Dodger Stadium, Anaheim Stadium and more intimate venues as the Whiskey a Go Go and Roxy Theater among others.

In the book’s first section, “Rock Gods & Entertainers,” The Who kicks off the seventies decade with a featured performance at Anaheim Stadium on June 14, 1970 during their “Tommy” Tour. What follows in that chapter are performances and tours by The Rolling Stones (“Exile on Main Street” Tour: the L.A. Forum appearance was 45 years ago this month on June 11, 1972), Alice Cooper (“Welcome to My Nightmare” Tour), Jethro Tull (“A Passion Play” Tour), Elton John (“Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” Tour), David Bowie (“Station to Station” Tour), Wings (“Wings Over the World” Tour), Queen (“News of the World” Tour), Led Zeppelin (“Presence” Tour), Styx (“Pieces of Eight” Tour) and AC/DC (“Highway to Hell” Tour).

The second section, titled “Shamans, Storytellers & Mellow Rockers,” highlights the performances and tours of Genesis (“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” Tour), Cat Stevens (“Numbers/Majikat” Tour), Ambrosia (“Somewhere I’ve Never Traveled” Tour), Yes (“Relayer” Tour), Eagles (“Hotel California” Tour), Supertramp (“Even in the Quietest Moments” Tour), Heart (“Little Queen” Tour), Kansas (“Point of Know Return” Tour), Fleetwood Mac (“Tusk” Tour: the last featured tour of the 70’s in this book – December 4-6, 1979) and Pink Floyd (1980’s “The Wall” Tour).

Section three, “Virtuoso’s & Classical Rockers,” features the performances and tours of Frank Zappa and Mothers, Rick Wakeman, Emerson, Lake & Palmer (“Brain Salad Surgery” Tour), King Crimson (“Starless and Bible Black” Tour), Premiata Forneria Marconi (“The World Became the World” Tour), Gentle Giant (“The Power and the Glory” Tour), Camel (“The Snow Goose” Tour), Happy The Man (“Crafty Hands” Tour), Electric Light Orchestra (“Out of the Blue” Tour), Rush (“Hemispheres” Tour), Dixie Dregs (“Night of the Living Dregs” Tour), Kate Bush (“Lionheart” Tour) and the band, U.K. (“Night After Night” Tour).

The book is rounded out by an “Encore” section (IV) that features additional photos and commentary on the band Genesis along with the solo efforts of the band’s individual members – Phillips, Collins, Banks and Rutherford – and a sole section about Peter Gabriel. Rockin’ the City of Angels is a wonderful perspective from both a true fan’s point of view and the photographer’s pit. Forty years ago this week, Led Zeppelin came to the L.A. Forum on June 23, 1977 on their Presence tour. As Doug states in the book, “Led Zeppelin, the mightiest rock band of the 1970s, was the soundtrack to my life in Los Angeles.” This year also marks the 40th Anniversary of such concert tours as Queen’s “News of the World” Tour, Heart’s “Little Queen” Tour, Supertramp’s “Even in the Quietest Moments” Tour, Kansas’ “Point of Know Return” Tour and Genesis’ “Wind & Wuthering” Tour. An aficionado of progressive and classic rock music from the early 1970’s and a frequent concert patron, Doug Harr has now attended more than 400 shows during his lifetime.

With his new book Rockin’ the City of Angels — Celebrating the Great Rock Shows of the 1970s – In Concert, On Record, and On Film — Doug has enabled us to be the beneficiaries of those trapped-in-time moments.

“This book celebrates more than thirty of these incredible performances including key tours by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Queen, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Heart, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, The Who and Yes. We’ll share memories of those legendary concerts and my reviews of the best video documents of the era, each band illuminated by a hand-picked collection of brilliant images — some never-before seen — by the best photo-journalists of that time.

 

BOOK FACTS

 

AUTHOR: DOUGLAS HARR

ART DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER: TILMAN REITZLE

COPY EDITOR: COURTNEY LEE ADAMS

EDITOR: MIKE EDISON

FOREWORD: ARMANDO GALLO

PUBLISHER: DIEGO SPADE PRODUCTIONS, INC.

 

HARDCOVER: 396 PAGES / OVER 500 IMAGES

DIMENSIONS: 11″ x 11″ x 1.5″ (nearly the size of an LP cover!)

PRICE: $79.95 (about the price of four great face-value seats to a show in the 70’s!)

 

NEW RE-RELEASE DATE FOR PRESS PURPOSES: JUNE 23, 2017

 

NOW AVAILABLE AT AMAZON.COM – AMAZON