The Story Behind The Song - The Story Behind X's "Los Angeles," a Thrashing Punk Critique About Intolerance

The Story Behind X's "Los Angeles," a Thrashing Punk Critique About Intolerance

01/18/22 • 60 min

Punk rock in the mid-to-late '70s and early '80s meant different things to different people, depending on which city you were in. For Los Angeles, it was the band X that helped define the sound from their Venice home. (The band sits at #13 on Consequence's own list of the Best Punk Bands of All Time.)

X’s most iconic song happens to be the title track of their debut LP, Los Angeles. "Los Angeles" reflects all of that city’s deep complexities, including racial, sexual and religious intolerance, in a biographical tale centered on a figure known personally by Doe and Cervenka. As told via lyrics intended to shock, this person so hated others in LA not like herself that she moved several time zones away to escape them. Her POV is so raw that certain radio stations that previously championed the song no longer play it. But the song’s driving power remains and was always meant to be a social commentary, a thrashing no-holds-barred critique about intolerance that is perhaps even more relevant today.

In this seventh episode of The Story Behind the Song podcast, host Peter Csathy interviews X’s John Doe about the origins of “Los Angeles,” co-written by Cervenka and produced by Ray Manzarek of The Doors (a band also known for writing songs about LA’s deep, dark underbelly). The two also discuss Doe’s recording of Cervenka’s very different, haunting song, “Alone in Arizona” from Doe’s 2016 solo album, Westerner.

Listen to the podcast above, or check out the full video of the discussion at Consequence.

Then, make sure you’re subscribed to The Story Behind the Song wherever you get your podcasts to catch each episode of the monthly series. You can also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our podcasts, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and check out his company CREATV Media.

Theme music courtesy of Juan Pieczanski.

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Listen to the podcast above, or check out the full video of the discussion at Consequence.

Theme music courtesy of Juan Pieczanski.

Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZV
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Previous Episode

The Story Behind Crowded House's Anthemic "Don't Dream It's Over"

1 Recommendations

Crowded House’s "Don't Dream It's Over" is one of the most memorable tunes of the '80s, and the band's Neil Finn explores that lasting legacy on the latest edition of The Story Behind the Song.

Crowded House helped launch a new post-New Wave era in pop music in 1986, creating beautifully simple, earthy melodies driven by guitars rather than synths. Lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter Neil Finn founded the band after the demise of Split Enz (a Kiwi band out of New Zealand with several iconic songs of its own.) Finn’s most iconic song is, without a doubt, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” – you know, the “Hey Now, Hey Now” song. It has transcended mere “classic” status over the years to become one of the most enduring music anthems of the past several decades, inspiring sing-alongs to this day. Neil wrote this song in less than 24 hours, something this podcast has revealed to be quite common for artists when creating their most lasting, signature songs.

In this sixth episode of The Story Behind the Song, host Peter Csathy interviews Finn about “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and how it came to be. The two also discuss Neil’s beautiful love song “Fall at Your Feet” from Crowded House’s third album, Woodface. Through it all, Finn touches on his continuing “out of the box” musical journey, from Split Enz, to Crowded House, to solo artist, to Fleetwood Mac -- and what’s next for it all.

Listen to the new episode above, or check out the full video of the interview with Finn here. Make sure you like and subscribe to The Story Behind the Song wherever you get your podcasts, and follow the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series.

(You can also catch Crowded House on their 2022 tour by getting tickets here.)

For more from our host, follow Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and check out his company CREATV Media.

Theme music courtesy of Juan Pieczanski.

Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZV
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Next Episode

The Story Behind Judy Collins' Classic Version of Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns"

Judy Collins is a music icon, plain and simple. Collins' storied career, first inspired by folk legends Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, is now in its seventh decade and touches much of American music royalty. (Songwriting legend Leonard Cohen is just one such icon she elevated.) Her musical journey continues this month with the release of Spellbound – surprisingly, her first-ever full album of original songs.

Amongst her respected oeuvre, Collins’ biggest hit -- a Grammy-winning Platinum smash -- is her emotional rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s classic A Little Night Music show tune “Send in the Clowns." In this eighth episode of The Story Behind the Song podcast, host Peter Csathy speaks with Collins about how her rendition of "Send in the Clowns" came to be, and why it continues to resonate above the hundreds of other versions of the song. The two also discuss Collins' wistful new original country-folk song "When I Was a Girl in Colorado" from Spellbound.

Throughout the conversation, Collins is warm, funny, and passionate -- about her music, her connection with fans, and what she believes in (including the latest Spotify controversy and performance royalties for musicians). Listen now, and watch the full discussion over at Consequence.

Then make sure to like, subscribe, and review The Story Behind the Song wherever you get your podcasts. You can also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our podcasts, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and check out his company CREATV Media.

Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZV
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy