Musical Insights: āWhat A Faith To Ariseā
I have always been and probably always will be a city girl. Growing up in Beverly Hill, California is something I took for granted because I ended up being raised in the valley. Not that living in the valley is a bad thing but a part of me felt missing. Looking back now that Iām older and about to live a more adult life I long to learn more about the city that was once called home. What sparked this yearning came from an unexpected source.Ā
It was late summer. My Quarter Life crisis, along with the transition of changing jobs, were figuring themselves out. At this point I was just beginning to freelance but I was also figuring out what goals I wanted to achieve. To help numb my mind I, of course, turned to movies.Ā āWonderlandā was available on Demand so I figured Iād watch it to pass the time. If you donāt know, the film recollects the events that transpired in the Hollywood Hills during Ā the 80ā²s, when the members of the Wonderland gang were killed by Eddie Nashās crew, with John Holmes getting caught in the middle of this whole mess. With its 70ā²s music in tow, the film reinvigorated my feelings of towards Hollywood and the darkness that plagued the Hills during those times. Despite having some pessimistic songs (the crime itself and its surrounding circumstances are quite grim), there are songs that captured the liveliness of the city during the late 70ā²s and 80ā²s. One of those gems that most fans of film talk about the most is the track Ā āFaith to Ariseā by Terry Reid, who you already know is one of my all time favorite singer-songwriters, and rightfully so.
āFaith to Ariseā hit me as the go-to Highway song. It also brought things full circle to me.
Ā If you have ever lived in downtown Los Angeles, you are familiar with the winding roads in the Hollywood Hills. My favorite are the ones in Laurel Canyon. When I was a kid, my mom would take me to work with her. Ā In order to get to the Writerās Guild of America (WGA), where she worked, we would take those roads because she didnāt like to drive on the freeway.Ā Those were the best days! I would admire the landscape, particularly the style of houses that once belonged to successful artists of the early 70ā²s such as Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, Frank Zappa, and more.Ā
I still remember, and I didnāt realize this until later, passing the Canyon Country Store where Jim Morrison from the Doors would frequently visit (he talks about it in the song āLove Streetā). Ā Never would I have thought to have noticed at the age of 8 that I used to live around the corner of this musically, historical place. Going through those hills always gave me a feeling of freedom and sense of security. L.A felt more like home.
This essay is not meant to be a bashing against the valley town that I have been living in until college and ,consequently, moved back to afterwards. Its a nice, family orientated city. However, there was a part of me that was missing. It was during my quarter life crisis, as weird as that sounds, when this song helped me come to the realization of what it is that Iām looking for and what I wanted in life. It further cemented my goal to move back to L.A, to live a more creative life, and to work towards achieving the goals that Iām passionate about.Ā
Since Iāve found this track last year, Iāve been listening to it whenever I need a pick-me up. It gets my mornings started on a positive note, which is what you need if you feel like you are going through an existential crisis in your twenties. Ā Thankfully, Iām out of that dark phaseĀ butĀ I probably would continue to feel lost if I hadāt come acrossĀ āWonderlandā and its hidden gem. For that, Iām grateful.
