Rebecca Pidgeon: “Songs Of L.A.” (2024) CD Review

Before I ever visited Los Angeles, and long before I moved here, I felt like I knew something about the city through all the songs I’d heard voice its praises and also its drawbacks. More than through images in movies, it was music that shaped my idea of what Los Angeles was. And even now, I feel like much of what I experience is colored by those songs. Just yesterday I referred to a line from Neil Diamond’s “I Am…I Said,” wishing I’d found it to be true when I moved here: “Palm trees grow and rents are low.” Well, sure, the first part of that sentence is true. There are many songs about this great city, all of which are more accurate than that line. Rebecca Pidgeon’s latest release, Songs Of L.A., is inspired by this city, and in particular by Hollywood, and some of the wild stories of the film industry. Each song is like a short story on its own, and fits inside a larger context. And certainly it makes sense for her to tell these stories, for in addition to being a talented singer and songwriter, Rebecca Pidgeon is an accomplished actor, having performed in some seriously fantastic films, including The Spanish Prisoner, State And Main, and RED. All the songs on this album are originals, most of them written by Rebecca Pidgeon and David Batteau. David Batteau also plays guitar and provides backing vocals on this album. The album was produced by Rebecca Pidgeon and Fernando Perdomo, and Fernando Perdomo plays bass, guitar and keyboards, and also provides backing vocals. Rebecca Pidgeon plays guitar and keyboards. Matt Tecu is on drums, and Andy Studer is on strings.

Rebecca Pidgeon opens the album with “Happy Bottom Club,” the song’s title referring to the Happy Bottom Riding Club that was operated by Florence “Pancho” Barnes, an aviator who worked on the 1930 film Hell’s Angels. This song is about that Howard Hughes film. There is a darkness to its sound, which is intriguing and alluring, and at times it feels like we are descending into a strange lair. Her vocal performance is equally alluring. “Come sit down and let me kiss you/That poor chump is not an issue.” There is something haunting about this song. “Back into black and white/Hell’s Angels take the skies.” And speaking of flying, the next song is titled “Everybody Learning To Fly.” It begins with a solid, strong beat. There is something oddly catchy about this song, particularly in the vocal line. “Can’t see straight in the state I’m in/My skirts slips/Off of my hips/Look, you can eat right off of my skin.” This song takes us in some interesting directions. Rebecca Pidgeon can really craft a song. “Something is happening, more than a wish.” This song is inspired by the Italian film I Knew Her Well, about a young woman who wishes to be a star, to be the center of the party.

“Valjean” has a classic sound, taking us back to the late 1950s, early 1960s. How can you help but love that rhythm? This song too refers to flying in the line “Pan Am once was it.” The song takes place in the valley, mentioning, in addition to Valjean Avenue, Sherman Way in these lines: “But now everything is gone/Like our romance, just another surfer’s song/It echoes down Sherman Way.” These lines also stand out for me: “Holding court in your living room/I was waiting for my turn/You were in the only chair.” That’s followed by “Big As The Sea,” in which she sings, “Some other shell, some other ghost/Some other coast, some other well.” This track features some beautiful work on violin and some cool work on bass. That instrumental section is almost as fascinating as her vocal performance. “You are as big as the sea/Breaking.” As the song is reaching its conclusion, Rebecca returns to the song’s first lines, this time delivering them as spoken word: “Some other way, some other time/Some other place, some other hill/Some other bead, some other chain/Some other kill, some other look.”

“Murder In My Room” is an energetic number that is in part about that famous scene from The Seven Year Itch, when the breeze from the subway lifts Marilyn Monroe’s dress. She and Tom Ewell have just left the movie theater where they saw The Creature From The Black Lagoon, and Marilyn expresses some sympathy for the creature. Hey, we all crave a little affection, don’t we? This song also makes a nice reference to Invasion Of The Body Snatchers: “Body snatchers of L.A./Taking back my bones today/Moon above the Hollywood sign/Laurel Canyon is mine.” There are some roads that I still sometimes get excited to drive upon, and one of those is Laurel Canyon Blvd., because of the musical history of that particular street (more than about the Wonderland murders or the murders on nearby Cielo Dr.). Then “Cry” immediately develops a delicious groove. There is a playful quality to this song. “Welcome to my movie/Welcome to my side of the bed/Five o’clock in the morning, honey/I woke with a feeling of dread,” Rebecca sings at the beginning. And there is a wonderful power to her delivery of the chorus. This is the only song on the album not co-written by David Batteau. It was co-written by Rob Sedgwick.

“Magical Blend” begins with a good rhythm, and features a great bass line. This one mentions the Silverlake section of Los Angeles where I used to see a lot of concerts. Whatever happened to Spaceland? And there was the Silverlake Lounge, where the sound was never quite as good as it could have been, but where some damn good bands played. There is a dreamlike quality to this song, and a beautiful vocal performance. It is followed by “12733,” another interesting song, grabbing us with those first lines, “Baby, you got me tied up/That’s no way for you to treat a child of God.” Plus, there is a strong energy to this track, and it features another great bass line. “I like to dance/I like to go out/I like to rumba/From Billy Graham/To Thorazine.” By the way, I assume the song’s title is an address in the valley, because of the line “I’m between Aldea and Louise.” Then the lyrics of “Una Y Otra Vez,” a song with a catchy rhythm, interestingly contain the title of the next song in the line “Eyes wide open halting breath.” “Eyes Wide Open” begins with the line “Eyes wide open holding court,” and “holding court” is a phrase Rebecca also used in “Valjean.” This helps to draw all these songs, in a subtle way, into one strong experience for the listener, tying the songs and stories together in our minds. These lines from “Eyes Wide Open” also stand out: “Wish I was a drop of sweat/I would run down your neck.”

“China Lake” has a dreamy vibe, and it mentions the Sunset Strip early on: “I’m taking Sunset west/Through the strip.” So much of our lives in this city is spent in our cars, and for that reason certain roads are as iconic as buildings and other structures might be in other cities. Who doesn’t know Sunset Blvd.? This track features some particularly beautiful vocal work, which sometimes has an ethereal quality. The album concludes with “Sex Magic,” an unusual song, in part because of the way Rebecca delivers the lyrics of that opening section, “Sailor on the pier/Carnival grotto.” That unusual delivery grabs us. And, yes, there is a sort of carnival sense to this one at moments, as well as a bit of a psychedelic vibe. There is also some wonderful work on strings, and there is a great beauty to Rebecca’s vocal performance, particularly on the chorus.

CD Track List

1. Happy Bottom Club
2. Everybody Learning To Fly
3. Valjean
4. Big As The Sea
5. Murder In My Room
6. Cry
7. Magical Blend
8. 12733
9. Una Y Otra Vez
10. Eyes Wide Open
11. China Lake
12. Sex Magic

Songs Of L.A. was released on February 23, 2024.