In 1970, at the age of 20, Alicia Bay Laurel saw her first book published, a guide to bohemian country living completely handwritten and illustrated with her line drawings, which she created while living at a hippie commune in Northern California. Living On The Earth hit the New York Times Bestseller List the following year, sold over 350,000 copies, and influenced thousands to live closer to nature and make things from scratch.
In 2000, the book was published again in a 30th anniversary revised edition, and Alicia, now a professional musician, drove around the United States in a van for eight months, singing the songs she wrote alongside the original book at her booksignings. This CD is Alicia singing her songs, which richly evoke the spirit of the period much as the book does.
She recorded the album, her first, simply to sell at her booksignings, but, to her astonishment, Music from Living on the Earth received a rave review from Stanton Swihart on allmusic.com, was reissued as a CD with a Japanese language cover by EM Records in Osaka, Japan, and, in 2015, was released as a vinyl LP, also by EM Records. The song Rinpoche was also licensed for the compilation album Komorebi No Waltz, and the song 1966 was synch licensed for the movie Sender Barayon: Viaje Hacia la Luz. The song Family to Me has been licensed for countless wedding videos.
Alicia learned the open tunings she plays on guitar directly from John Fahey, who was married to her cousin Jan Lebow when Alicia was in her 'teens. West coast jazz also filled her ears growing up in Los Angeles, and some songs evidence this influence as well. The lyrics reflect a love of all things spiritual and natural, of honesty, freedom, simplicity and gratitude. The final piece is a choral rendition of the first piece, arranged by Alicia's longtime friend and musical mentor, Ramón Sender Barayón, the co-author of the sequel book, Being of the Sun, and performed by the Occidental Community Choir.
Listen to Thanksgiving Hymn
Lyrics from Music From Living on the Earth
Reviews of Music From Living on the Earth
Production Notes for Music From Living on the Earth
In 2000, the book was published again in a 30th anniversary revised edition, and Alicia, now a professional musician, drove around the United States in a van for eight months, singing the songs she wrote alongside the original book at her booksignings. This CD is Alicia singing her songs, which richly evoke the spirit of the period much as the book does.
She recorded the album, her first, simply to sell at her booksignings, but, to her astonishment, Music from Living on the Earth received a rave review from Stanton Swihart on allmusic.com, was reissued as a CD with a Japanese language cover by EM Records in Osaka, Japan, and, in 2015, was released as a vinyl LP, also by EM Records. The song Rinpoche was also licensed for the compilation album Komorebi No Waltz, and the song 1966 was synch licensed for the movie Sender Barayon: Viaje Hacia la Luz. The song Family to Me has been licensed for countless wedding videos.
Alicia learned the open tunings she plays on guitar directly from John Fahey, who was married to her cousin Jan Lebow when Alicia was in her 'teens. West coast jazz also filled her ears growing up in Los Angeles, and some songs evidence this influence as well. The lyrics reflect a love of all things spiritual and natural, of honesty, freedom, simplicity and gratitude. The final piece is a choral rendition of the first piece, arranged by Alicia's longtime friend and musical mentor, Ramón Sender Barayón, the co-author of the sequel book, Being of the Sun, and performed by the Occidental Community Choir.
Listen to Thanksgiving Hymn
Lyrics from Music From Living on the Earth
Reviews of Music From Living on the Earth
Production Notes for Music From Living on the Earth