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Goodnight, L.A.: The Rise and Fall of Classic Rock -- The Untold Story from inside the Legendary Recording Studios
A behind-the-scenes journey through the rise and demise of the '70s and '80s classic rock era
Before disco, punk, hair metal, rap, and eventually grunge took it all away, the music scene in Los Angeles was dominated by rock 'n' roll. If a group wanted to hit it big, L.A. was the place to be. But in addition to the bands themselves finding their footing, their albums also needed some guidance. That came from a group of dedicated producers and engineers working in a cadre of often dilapidated-looking buildings that contained some of the greatest recording studios the music industry has ever known.
Within the windowless walls of these well-hidden studios, legends-to-be such as Foreigner, Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, Boston, the Eagles, the Grateful Dead, Chicago, Linda Ronstadt, Santana, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Loggins and Messina, REO Speedwagon, and dozens more secretly created their album masterpieces: Double Vision . Rumours . Hotel California . Terrapin Station . Damn the Torpedoes . Hi Infidelity . However, the truth of what went on during these recording sessions has always remained elusive. But not anymore.
Longtime music-business insider Kent Hartman has filled Goodnight, L.A. with troves of never-before-told stories about the most prolific and important period and place in rock 'n' roll history. With music producer Keith Olsen and guitarist Waddy Wachtel as guides to the journey and informed by new, in-depth interviews with classic rock artists, famed record producers, and scores of others, Goodnight, L.A. reveals what went into the making of some of the best music of the past forty years. Readers will hear how some of their favorite albums and bands came to be, and ultimately how fame, fortune, excess, and a shift in listener demand brought it all tumbling down.
Before disco, punk, hair metal, rap, and eventually grunge took it all away, the music scene in Los Angeles was dominated by rock 'n' roll. If a group wanted to hit it big, L.A. was the place to be. But in addition to the bands themselves finding their footing, their albums also needed some guidance. That came from a group of dedicated producers and engineers working in a cadre of often dilapidated-looking buildings that contained some of the greatest recording studios the music industry has ever known.
Within the windowless walls of these well-hidden studios, legends-to-be such as Foreigner, Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, Boston, the Eagles, the Grateful Dead, Chicago, Linda Ronstadt, Santana, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Loggins and Messina, REO Speedwagon, and dozens more secretly created their album masterpieces: Double Vision . Rumours . Hotel California . Terrapin Station . Damn the Torpedoes . Hi Infidelity . However, the truth of what went on during these recording sessions has always remained elusive. But not anymore.
Longtime music-business insider Kent Hartman has filled Goodnight, L.A. with troves of never-before-told stories about the most prolific and important period and place in rock 'n' roll history. With music producer Keith Olsen and guitarist Waddy Wachtel as guides to the journey and informed by new, in-depth interviews with classic rock artists, famed record producers, and scores of others, Goodnight, L.A. reveals what went into the making of some of the best music of the past forty years. Readers will hear how some of their favorite albums and bands came to be, and ultimately how fame, fortune, excess, and a shift in listener demand brought it all tumbling down.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2016
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173 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 6, 2018
This book deals with the musical soundtrack for any nostalgia I ever experience. In the early 1970s, the music industry morphed from a 45 RPM singles market to album-oriented rock. Goodnight, L.A. is the story of the artists and bands who rode that wave to create what we now call classic rock. Fleetwood Mac and Chicago frame this story, but author Kent Hartman’s narrative includes interwoven episodes involving The Eagles, The Cowsills, Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Rick Springfield, Rod Stewart, The Grateful Dead, Loggins and Messina, REO Speedwagon, Boston, and many others, culminating with the last great rock album, Nirvana’s Nevermind. (After reading this, the person I would most want to hang out with is Mick Fleetwood, and the rock star from that era with the highest ick factor is Rod Stewart.) Three fascinating figures were Zelig-like behind-the-scenes presences during the creation of an unbelievable number of great albums: producer Keith Olsen, guitarist Waddy Wachtel, and album designer John Kosh. Like Kent Hartman’s previous book The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Best-Kept Secret, I didn’t want Goodnight, L. A. to end.
June 11, 2022
In Goodnight, L.A., Kent Hartman tells stories from the creation of the album rock of the 1970s and early ‘80s, featuring the legendary L.A. producers, engineers, and artists who brought the genre to life. The book centers largely on a producer named Keith Olsen, who founded the Goodnight, L. A. recording studio. Artists featured in the book include Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Loggins & Messina, Boston, Linda Ronstadt, and the Eagles, among others. My favorite anecdotes were those about the song selection and recording of “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar and “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes—both songs I got to experience while they were popular.
This wasn’t quite as strong as Hartman’s The Wrecking Crew, probably because it’s not as tightly focused around a relatively small group of people. However, it’s still a light, enjoyable pop-music read, particularly for fans of album rock. If Hartman hadn’t named the book after Olsen’s recording studio, he probably could have called it “Creative Differences” or “Adults Behaving Badly,” because there’s a lot of that in these stories of album rock’s key players. So many of these bands imploded. Luckily, they managed to deliver some timeless music first.
This wasn’t quite as strong as Hartman’s The Wrecking Crew, probably because it’s not as tightly focused around a relatively small group of people. However, it’s still a light, enjoyable pop-music read, particularly for fans of album rock. If Hartman hadn’t named the book after Olsen’s recording studio, he probably could have called it “Creative Differences” or “Adults Behaving Badly,” because there’s a lot of that in these stories of album rock’s key players. So many of these bands imploded. Luckily, they managed to deliver some timeless music first.
June 18, 2018
3.5 stars -- Get a peek into the making of some of the best-known albums and songs of the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the bands/singers I really like and am interested in, so it was fun reading their stories. The late-70s/early-80s power ballads that I have nicknamed "grocery store music," not so much.
I do find it amusing how many artists initially hated the songs that wound up making them millions. The guitarist for REO Speedwagon despised "Keep on Loving You" so much, he threw his instrument across the room. (I don't blame him one bit. That song sucks!)
While there are fun stories and insights into the creation of popular music, there is also less glamorous business and tech-y content that may only appeal to a more limited audience.
I do find it amusing how many artists initially hated the songs that wound up making them millions. The guitarist for REO Speedwagon despised "Keep on Loving You" so much, he threw his instrument across the room. (I don't blame him one bit. That song sucks!)
While there are fun stories and insights into the creation of popular music, there is also less glamorous business and tech-y content that may only appeal to a more limited audience.
July 20, 2018
Good stories. I especially enjoyed hearing sone of the back story for the composing or recording of some of my favorite songs. Lots of unflattering stories as well, but happily no horrible ones about the guys from Chicago. That would have made me sad.
July 23, 2025
Goodnight, L.A.: Untold Tales from Inside Classic Rock's Legendary Recording Studios is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read on popular music history, with its anecdotal narrative of what transpired in the Los Angeles recording Studios of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, offering multiple stories about some of the most iconic recording artists of the era, and the production, engineering and record company personalities that facilitated their creative efforts. The author, Kent Hartman, pivots much of his exploration of the period around two key figures; producer Ken Olsen and musical tyro Waddy Wachtel, and as Hartman documents and discusses these two men he unravels the complex, fascinating and rewarding story of so many great rock artists, albums and songs. From the Cowsills, Chicago, Fleetwood Mac, Loggins and Messina, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty and the heartbreakers, the Eagles, Boston and many more iconic acts from the peak album years of rock and pop in America, through to Nirvana and the rise of Grunge this book documents some of the greatest music to have ever been recorded. Told with elan, insight and joy, the history revealed by Hartman in this book will be highly evocative for anyone who loves the LPs, the singles and the artists of the period.
The strongest aspect of Hartman’s Goodnight, L.A.: Untold Tales from Inside Classic Rock's Legendary Recording Studios is that he doesn’t rely on trying to document the minutiae of the recordings produced in LA’s studios in the twenty plus years covered in this book. Instead, the author takes a somewhat idiosyncratic approach to his subject, recounting tales reflecting the personal histories, backgrounds, passions, beliefs and experiences of those who participated in the rock music industry of the era. The reader is offered plenty of surprising, interesting, revealing, sometimes shocking and also perhaps celebratory stories about how classic acts, albums and songs came into being, and sometimes ended. For example, early in the text Hartman addresses the incredibly obnoxious figure of Bill Cowsill, paterfamilias and manager of the late Sixties family band the Cowsills. Aside from providing a positive reflection on the achievements of the group, Hartman reveals the truly awful nature of a man whose crimes are shocking both in terms of their magnitude but also as to how they are related to his wife, children and their musical achievements.
Then there is the story of how Fleetwood Mac, having had their act reinvigorated by the recruitment of Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, became hugely successful in part because of Ken Olsen’s facilitation of this personnel change and his production work on their 1975 eponymous album, then went ahead and fucked Olsen over in terms of his royalties and future production work. Hartman documents this episode to great effect, ensuring that the reader is offered a history that is engaging and informative.
Goodnight, L.A.: Untold Tales from Inside Classic Rock's Legendary Recording Studios Is also a paean to the world of LA recording studios, including the likes of Sound City, the Record Plant and others. Hartman celebrates how these normally non-descript buildings were the scenes for some of the most influential and popular creative moments in music history, and they all had their unique attributes, employees and histories. The LS music scene of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties wasn’t just the result of talented individuals doing the best they could through their creative efforts, it was also the outcome of a varied and complex group of facilities that endowed the music with unique characteristics and histories.
So why should one read this book? I would suggest that Hartman‘s book is going to appeal to anyone who has a passion for the music of the period and the associated culture. Also, the author readily conveys his own pleasure in the music and, perhaps more importantly, the fascinating personalities who made the songs and albums. This is a celebration of a moment and a movement in popular music that has been and gone, and definitely deserves remembering. This may not be a definitive history, with a rigourous and expensive academic interpretation of its subject, but that’s not really its purpose. Hartman‘s text is a wonderful evocation when rock music reached an apogee in the heady Los Angeles of 50 or so years ago.
The strongest aspect of Hartman’s Goodnight, L.A.: Untold Tales from Inside Classic Rock's Legendary Recording Studios is that he doesn’t rely on trying to document the minutiae of the recordings produced in LA’s studios in the twenty plus years covered in this book. Instead, the author takes a somewhat idiosyncratic approach to his subject, recounting tales reflecting the personal histories, backgrounds, passions, beliefs and experiences of those who participated in the rock music industry of the era. The reader is offered plenty of surprising, interesting, revealing, sometimes shocking and also perhaps celebratory stories about how classic acts, albums and songs came into being, and sometimes ended. For example, early in the text Hartman addresses the incredibly obnoxious figure of Bill Cowsill, paterfamilias and manager of the late Sixties family band the Cowsills. Aside from providing a positive reflection on the achievements of the group, Hartman reveals the truly awful nature of a man whose crimes are shocking both in terms of their magnitude but also as to how they are related to his wife, children and their musical achievements.
Then there is the story of how Fleetwood Mac, having had their act reinvigorated by the recruitment of Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, became hugely successful in part because of Ken Olsen’s facilitation of this personnel change and his production work on their 1975 eponymous album, then went ahead and fucked Olsen over in terms of his royalties and future production work. Hartman documents this episode to great effect, ensuring that the reader is offered a history that is engaging and informative.
Goodnight, L.A.: Untold Tales from Inside Classic Rock's Legendary Recording Studios Is also a paean to the world of LA recording studios, including the likes of Sound City, the Record Plant and others. Hartman celebrates how these normally non-descript buildings were the scenes for some of the most influential and popular creative moments in music history, and they all had their unique attributes, employees and histories. The LS music scene of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties wasn’t just the result of talented individuals doing the best they could through their creative efforts, it was also the outcome of a varied and complex group of facilities that endowed the music with unique characteristics and histories.
So why should one read this book? I would suggest that Hartman‘s book is going to appeal to anyone who has a passion for the music of the period and the associated culture. Also, the author readily conveys his own pleasure in the music and, perhaps more importantly, the fascinating personalities who made the songs and albums. This is a celebration of a moment and a movement in popular music that has been and gone, and definitely deserves remembering. This may not be a definitive history, with a rigourous and expensive academic interpretation of its subject, but that’s not really its purpose. Hartman‘s text is a wonderful evocation when rock music reached an apogee in the heady Los Angeles of 50 or so years ago.
Read
January 11, 2021After reading Hartman's THE WRECKING CREW, I decided to read his 2nd book. His writing style is simple and easy to read. A quick read! It's as though he's sitting alongside, telling inside stories. Enjoyable, what I expected. A definite read.
November 9, 2022
More Please
Wow, what a fantastic book. The only negative is that it’s about 200 pages too short. Mr. Hartman covers a lot of ground and this is a book chocked full of interesting information on our favorite rockers and their music. Highly recommended.
Wow, what a fantastic book. The only negative is that it’s about 200 pages too short. Mr. Hartman covers a lot of ground and this is a book chocked full of interesting information on our favorite rockers and their music. Highly recommended.
March 25, 2019
Jim Crowley
This was great. I especially liked reading about the bands I grew up with and I also liked reading about how the music made then still gets played today.
This was great. I especially liked reading about the bands I grew up with and I also liked reading about how the music made then still gets played today.
December 28, 2020
Really enjoyed reading this book. Wish some of the stories were a little more in depth.
February 5, 2024
Awesome book!
This is a great read. Having worked in live sound in the 80’s it was especially interesting.
Of course- my, how times have changed- especially watching the Grammys tonight.
This is a great read. Having worked in live sound in the 80’s it was especially interesting.
Of course- my, how times have changed- especially watching the Grammys tonight.
August 10, 2025
Too meandering. Didn’t care for it as much as his The Wrecking Crew.
November 9, 2018
2.5 / 5
Summary
The book offers a history of the US music scene, with a focus on the music industry and recording studios, between the 60s and the 90s. While the majority of the book takes place in and around Los Angeles, there are passages from other areas of the country (e.g. Boston, Florida, etc).
Pros
- Those who are fans of the music from the above decades will find plenty of stories to enjoy within, "Goodnight, LA."
- The story hits on many of the major acts of the time period mentioned. The acts include Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, Chicago, Boston, Rod Stewart, and Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers.
- It was interesting to hear about the people and personalities, "behind the glass," rather than book just about the artists themselves. Stories about them are included too, of course, but I found this to be a nice change of pace.
Cons
- The large cast of characters means it is very easy to lose track of who's who (especially since many in the cast are, as mentioned above, not household names).
- Even if I wouldn't call the work, "pro-industry," I think its fair to say it certainly isn't critical of it. It brushes over industry shaking revelations like, "payola," and glosses over the implications of events like, "Disco Demolition."
- The writing can be very repetitive and cheesy. If I had a dollar for every time someone in this book, "instantly knew," a song would be a success, I'd have enough money to buy a few copies of the book.
Conclusion
Though the book isn't poorly written or offensive, it strikes me as a less self-aware version of Hyden's "Twilight of the Gods." It isn't a bad listen by any means, but it feels both less personal and less deftly written than, "Twilight," even if it covers more territory. Its main saving grace is its subject matter; by profiling lesser known industry vets, the story provides something I haven't seen in many other works.
Summary
The book offers a history of the US music scene, with a focus on the music industry and recording studios, between the 60s and the 90s. While the majority of the book takes place in and around Los Angeles, there are passages from other areas of the country (e.g. Boston, Florida, etc).
Pros
- Those who are fans of the music from the above decades will find plenty of stories to enjoy within, "Goodnight, LA."
- The story hits on many of the major acts of the time period mentioned. The acts include Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, Chicago, Boston, Rod Stewart, and Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers.
- It was interesting to hear about the people and personalities, "behind the glass," rather than book just about the artists themselves. Stories about them are included too, of course, but I found this to be a nice change of pace.
Cons
- The large cast of characters means it is very easy to lose track of who's who (especially since many in the cast are, as mentioned above, not household names).
- Even if I wouldn't call the work, "pro-industry," I think its fair to say it certainly isn't critical of it. It brushes over industry shaking revelations like, "payola," and glosses over the implications of events like, "Disco Demolition."
- The writing can be very repetitive and cheesy. If I had a dollar for every time someone in this book, "instantly knew," a song would be a success, I'd have enough money to buy a few copies of the book.
Conclusion
Though the book isn't poorly written or offensive, it strikes me as a less self-aware version of Hyden's "Twilight of the Gods." It isn't a bad listen by any means, but it feels both less personal and less deftly written than, "Twilight," even if it covers more territory. Its main saving grace is its subject matter; by profiling lesser known industry vets, the story provides something I haven't seen in many other works.
April 4, 2020
It was a good read if you're into music from the late 60s and early 70s during the California Music Movement. It didn't encompass many musicians but a back story on Fleetwood Mac is always intriguing. I was a little disappointed The Alley Music Studio wasn't mentioned considering many of the musicians mentioned had spent a great deal of time there. But then, I also expected it not to be mentioned knowing what I know.
I guess I felt it was a little thin on story because I know things this author didn't include or maybe didn't know. But overall, a good read.
I guess I felt it was a little thin on story because I know things this author didn't include or maybe didn't know. But overall, a good read.
March 12, 2020
Great insight to west coast record making in the 1970s and 80s. Hartman takes a great deal of interviews and organizes them into concise chapters. The anecdotes are great, the reading is easy and the pace is quick. Tethering everything to Waddy Wachtel and Keith Olsen seemed like an odd choice at first but worked well as those two had their prints all over the music of the era. I raced through this book and immediately wanted more. Highly recommended for any classic rock fan or music historian (nerd) like myself.
November 26, 2021
A quick, easy read, this was like a long People magazine article on classic rock during its golden era. I enjoyed the stories and anecdotes, but I wanted more substance. And while Hartman's writing style is light and easy to digest, it felt too calculated and cliched at times—much more so than his earlier work "The Wrecking Crew." It's cheesy fun that brought back memories of the formative period in my musical upbringing, but I seriously doubt I'd bother ever reading it again.
January 23, 2019
Another okay overview, but lacking in the details about the entire scene. It was too focused on a handful of individuals and leaves out the majority of the session players from the late 70s and early 80s that followed the Wrecking Crew as the go-to players on hundreds and hundreds of albums.
This book also could have used parentheticals to remind readers who each "speaker" actually is.
January 27, 2019
Kent Hartman takes us inside the recording studios during those heady days when every band and every record label was shooting for triple platinum---the 1970s. From the moment it broke wide open to the moment it ran into the wall of punk and new wave that disrupted the old order, this book tells the story everyone who loves popular music of that time should read.
October 3, 2017
A Keith Olsen and Waddy Wachtel bio desguised as a book about classic rock from inside the studios. Not much new information here if you re fans of the bands mentioned. The topic on paper is great but the execution was poor in my opinion.
November 4, 2018
A light-hearted and enjoyable biography of the ups and downs of the west coast record industry in the 70s, the era that brought us all the classic albums from Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Santana, and more.
October 7, 2019
Like his previous book, "The Wrecking Crew", this was an enjoyable read from cover to cover. Lots of great stories and insights into the LA music scene in the seventies and eighties. A must read for fans of music of this era.
August 22, 2021
2.5. This book has interesting stories, but is not written very well unfortunately. The timeline and storylines jump around to the point that I almost didn’t care. If you are a huge classic Rock fan (especially Eagles or Chicago) worth the read.
February 1, 2018
Really quick read and contained a lot of good, snappy stories regarding the making of our favourite albums from the seventies.
December 16, 2018
Cogent, well written history of rock ‘n’ roll in Los Angeles in the late 60s to the early 80s. Many anecdotal stories that seamlessly fit together.
June 3, 2020
Loved it. Back stories of every album I have loved.
January 6, 2021
Excellent! I recommend to anyone who loves music.
October 23, 2021
Where the gods of rock met each other and recorded their way to fame and sometimes fortune. Great tales.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews