In 1971, Alicia Bay Laurel’s NYT bestselling book, Living on the Earth, inspired a generation to move to the woods and dance around in the nude. Here are the songs she wrote at the time she created her legendary book, at age 19, recorded solo in a professional studio 30 years later with the engineer who made Heart’s Dog and Butterfly album. Influenced by John Fahey, a family member, Alicia fingerpicks in a variety of guitar tunings, in styles somewhat like Celtic, country waltz, raga, delta blues, jazz waltz, bluegrass and old hymnal tunes, but not quite, because of the philosophical content of the lyrics, which reflect the revolutionary natural living guide for which the CD is named.

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Alicia’s musical biography from allmusic.com.

Reviews of Music from Living On The Earth.

Lyrics to the songs from Living On The Earth.

Information about the Tibetan Buddhist master Kyabje Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche, about whom the song "Rinpoche" was written.  The occasion of my song was his 1976 visit to Maui, when he came to a home (now a guest house) I was renting from Buddhist artists Phil Gronquist and Ann Deweese in Huelo, to circumambulate the stupa that had been built there (the first stupa built in the USA).  I served Tibetan black tea to him and his attendant lamas, and played Hawaiian slack key guitar for them.  Kalu requested that I sing a song containing the Buddhist mantra "Aum mani padme hum," because he believed that any sentient being who heard those words even once in their lifetime would, in some future lifetime, attain enlightenment.  So, I wrote him a jazz waltz.

Tags: lote music cd acidfolk aliciabaylaurel johnfahey livingontheearth psychfolk mflote maui slackkeyguitar richardandmimifarina katewolf stupa tibetanbuddhism kalurinpoche