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A review by crystalisreading
The Rolling Stone Interviews by
3.0
Phew! I'm finally finished with this book. I think it was less the number of pages in this book that was daunting as it was how many of the interviews I found really boring. I set down the book several times for weeks on end, before I'd get the discipline to push on through some more. I'm not sorry I read it, but it certainly felt like work at several points. It was worth it for the good interviews, though, and an overall sense of the American music/ pop culture scene, which is still something I'm learning retroactively.
One thing I'm learning, between these interviews and an aborted attempt to read Clapton's autobiography, and a few other books by/ about musicians--I don't have much in common with many die-hard musicians. While I enjoy music very much, I don't play it, and so reading endless commentary on the craft itself is not very interesting. And some of these musicians don't seem to have interest in much of anything beside the craft, and the pursuit of a lifestyle that allows them to focus on their music. I respect their dedication, but I don't find it riveting, at least not in their own words. I think the lives of people like Clapton and Dylan and Patti Smith would probably be more interesting told as a biographical story by someone else, than an autobiographical book or interview. At least that's my opinion.
Still, it's interesting to get impressions of these various artists over the years. I definitely learned more about all of the interviewees, and found some new people I found interesting and worth learning more about. here's a breakdown by person, from what I can remember of their interview:
Pete Townsend--Aside from topics like breaking guitars in the show and having a big nose, I don't remember much. Bored me.
Jim Morrison--What a strange, fascinating man. He seemed a lot more intelligent/ educated and self aware (almost meta) than many of the other artists, with an education in something other than music. So it was interesting hearing him comment on the sociological implications of music and movies and such. It was shocking how obvious his issues with alcohol were, though, simply in the interview.
Phil Spector--I think he produced something. I didn't find him interesting but did find him arrogant.
John Lennon--Wow, what an egomaniac! If you're a musical genius and you know it, clap your hands....Yoko Ono's sycophantic chiming in didn't win me over either. I learned a lot more about the Beatles, at least, but it didn't make me like any of them anymore, and actually made me less interested in their music.
Ray Charles--I found him interesting and personable. He was honest about his various challenges (blindness, addiction), but didn't seem to feel sorry for himself. His rehab story is pretty impressive, if true. His comments on American civil liberties were pretty insightful. and I never knew he did a country album!
Truman Capote--What a strange man! I did not like him at all. I didn't respect him, either, for blowing off his assignment and thus leading to this annoying interview.
Johnny Cash--I like his music, and he seemed nice, but the interview was not very interesting. He seemed like a down to earth, kinda spiritual guy.
Neil Young--bleh. I don't even remember anything about him, only that I didn't enjoy anything about the interview.
Oriana Fallaci--I never heard of her before, but found her interview the most interesting out of all the book. I'd love to find out more about her--she seemed very sharp and insightful, a highly individualistic introverted feminist and socialist, someone I could relate to, aside from her views on religion.
Brian Wilson--Strange and boring all at once. New Agey and clearly an addict. Makes me rethink all those Beach Boys' songs.
George Lucas--A much more intellectual and educated man than I expected. I was also surprised by how much of his efforts, especially with Star Wars, were motivated out of concerns for equipping kids, especially tweens, for better lives, reigniting their creativity and imagination with fantasy in a world made otherwise bleak and dark by wars. He seemed like a Renaissance man, talking sociology in the interview, but also so multi-talented, as a cameraman, writer, director, sociologist, and toy and obscure film afficianado. Also diabetic, which I didn't know either. I liked him and found him interesting.
Johnny Carson--He seemed both interesting and yet private/ secretive--an analytical, thoughtful, self aware introvert. I can see why he did so well at his job for so long.
Joni Mitchell--I learned that she liked art even more than music. Aside from that, I found her rather vague and dreary and sort of selfish--not interesting.
Francis (Ford) Coppola--He is obviously very arty and analytical. I haven't seen Apocalypse now and don't want to, so the extremely detailed discussion of the nuances of the movie did not interest me t at all.
Tom Wolfe--I can't even remember anything about him. I think he was some kind of writer. yawn.
Jack Nicholson--I seem to remember that he was rather charming, if very sexual and admittedly not monogamous by preference. He had a lot more emotional baggage than I realized, but he obviously made something good of himself.
Bill Murray--It was interesting to read about his family life, if a bit sad. I didn't find him or a detailed discussion of the art of comedy really interesting, though.
Clint Eastwood--I'm always happy to find celebrities who are introverts too. Eastwood seems like a smart man who never totally lost touch with his blue collar cultural roots. very sensible.
Eric Clapton--I already knew from trying to read his autobiography that I don't find Clapton's life very fascinating. It's a man and his love affair with music, and the history and work that got him there. This interview seemed like more of the same. (He surely is an amazing musician, though.)
Tina Turner--I only had general pop culture knowledge about Tina, so I was interested to learn a little more about her life. It's amazing that even such a successful woman could have been caught in such an abusive and controlling relationship. I'm really impressed with her strength in getting herself out of it finally.
Robin Williams--All the funny people seem to have a layer of sadness under the laughing facade. Williams has had a rough life, despite his priviledged beginnings. I can't really relate to him, though.
Leonard Bernstein--a cultured, charming and intelligent man, very socially and politically aware and involved, passionate about spreading and maintaining the arts. I'm not sure I would have felt at ease around him, but I liked him. The story of how he got connected to the Black Panthers was sort of amusing.
Spike Lee--as a friend said, he is a very angry man. I find issues of racism interesting, but some people are so angry about it that it's difficult and uncomfortable to hear what they have to say. Spike Lee was like that.
Jerry Garcia--unmemorable. cant' remember anything about it.
Axl Rose--OK, maybe he was crazy, but I actually liked him. Here was a guy with nothing who suddenly had everything, and I think that'd be a lot to handle, even for an extremely stable person. And he is clearly not an extremely stable person. I respected that he was so candid and unashamed about the things he'd been through, especially the abuse, and that he's seeking appropriate help to deal with them. I also loved that he loved his girlfriend's son so much and was so invested in his well-being and development. He was just trying to deal with his issues and move on and be healthy--who can fault a man for that? Most people are too afraid to look into the abyss and try to heal. I liked his courage and his honesty a lot.
Bruce Springsteen--wasn't awfully interesting. Seemed like a nice man with some baggage.
David Letterman--Also not awfully interesting. I wasn't interested in the Late Night Wars when they happened, and I'm still not.
David Geffen--He had some family issues that were interesting but overall the interview bored me.
Kurt Cobain--an explosive, emotional, unstable man. I can't say I really liked him. I didn't realize he suffered from physical ailments (stomach pain), but still...he seemed like a difficult person, hating to perform his own music, feuding with other bands, tired of his own band, talking about suicide...tragic but not surprising how things turned out.
Courtney Love--On the other side of this relationship, though, Courtney Love really surprised me. Not that she doesn't have issues of her own, a lot of them, but she also has a really big heart. I didn't realize how tight she and Kurt Cobain were (despite his craziness and selfishness and dependency on her), or just how much they both loved their daughter. Hearing a more detailed version of everything that happened to him in the end was kind of heartbreaking. I admire her strength for recovering from that and being there for her daughter. Dealing with her pain and issues and moving on. I liked her.
Mick Jagger--I had no idea he was from a kind of posh family. Or that he was so personally reserved and disciplined and self aware. Definitely an interesting guy.
Patti Smith--boring. I just barely forced myself through this.
Dr Hunter S Thompson--Haven't read his stuff, or seen the movies of them. Now I don't want to. I don't see how writing about excessive substance abuse is interesting. no thanks.
Bill Clinton--I've listened to Clinton's memoirs, read by himself. The tone in that was more genial and relaxed than in this interview. I guess that since this was closer to/ during his actual presidency, with all the drama that entailed, that the emotions were a bit fresher--he was angrier and more frustrated, sharper. or so it seemed to me. he also came across like a smart man who really enjoyed serving his country as the president.
The Dalai Lama--He seems like a kind, smart man, who knows a lot about his world and his faith. His answers were complex and yet simple. It was difficult for me to believe the likelihood of anyone buying into the solutions that he offered for the world's problems, though, since they were a little too idealistic even for me (and a different faith than mine, which I'm sure affected my perception too.)
Bob Dylan--much like Clapton, he mostly talks about the music. However, he's more about the lyrics, and a lot about politics and social issues, and I liked that about him.
Ozzy Osbourne--I liked him a lot more than I expected to. I didn't know that Black Sabbath had started off as a "normal" band, and just decided to go scary to be more successful. It's funny that the band is viewed by conservatives as "Satanic" and so dark and dangerous, but when compared with what Osbourne's saying, it's not really like that at all. I liked his candor about his personal life growing up, and respect his work ethic in response to that poverty. I also respect the long and overall happy marriage he and Sharon have had, although I found his brief, dismissive response to the question of his having tried to kill Sharon at one point kind of disturbing. It's a bigger deal than his answer would imply. but otherwise he seemed like a nice, down to earth guy, and I really liked that about him.
Keith Richards--Also more likable than I expected. I still don't get how someone can use and abuse as many controlled substances as he does, but he seemed like a fairly smart and hardworking guy despite it, if a bit chaotic. it's interesting to see the contrasts between him and Mick.
Eminem--Possibly my favorite interview in here. I liked him more than ever after reading this. He's a smart, thoughtful person, despite culture and language that can present him as a thug or something. I love how much he cares about kids, especially his kids, and what he'll do to help them. Even his answers about Kim Mathers were pretty restrained and respectful. He understands that his relationship with her impacts the children, and I have to respect that. and he can admit that their relationship is complex and long-standing in a way that no one else can ever compete with. That's what I liked about him most--despite the wackiness of his upbringing, all the crazy things he talks about in his songs, especially his mom's instability, he is someone who has thought about the long-term implications of his behavior, of addiction, illegal activity, etc, and made conscious choices based on what will make a better life for his kids and himself. That makes him a good, if often sad and angry, man in my eyes.
Bono--He has a weird way of talking, very abrupt, and switching back and forth between past and present tenses. I didn't know anything about his upbringing, so learning about the family tension and how his drive to succeed grew out of it was interesting. I find it interesting too, how he downplays his faith in conversation. it's hard to get a feel on what he really thinks or believes, but at least he seems like a very thoughtful man, and I could relate to how he found the sacred in everything, even in the most secular of music.
Overall I learned a lot and might try out some new artists because of this. I'm glad it's finished, though.
One thing I'm learning, between these interviews and an aborted attempt to read Clapton's autobiography, and a few other books by/ about musicians--I don't have much in common with many die-hard musicians. While I enjoy music very much, I don't play it, and so reading endless commentary on the craft itself is not very interesting. And some of these musicians don't seem to have interest in much of anything beside the craft, and the pursuit of a lifestyle that allows them to focus on their music. I respect their dedication, but I don't find it riveting, at least not in their own words. I think the lives of people like Clapton and Dylan and Patti Smith would probably be more interesting told as a biographical story by someone else, than an autobiographical book or interview. At least that's my opinion.
Still, it's interesting to get impressions of these various artists over the years. I definitely learned more about all of the interviewees, and found some new people I found interesting and worth learning more about. here's a breakdown by person, from what I can remember of their interview:
Pete Townsend--Aside from topics like breaking guitars in the show and having a big nose, I don't remember much. Bored me.
Jim Morrison--What a strange, fascinating man. He seemed a lot more intelligent/ educated and self aware (almost meta) than many of the other artists, with an education in something other than music. So it was interesting hearing him comment on the sociological implications of music and movies and such. It was shocking how obvious his issues with alcohol were, though, simply in the interview.
Phil Spector--I think he produced something. I didn't find him interesting but did find him arrogant.
John Lennon--Wow, what an egomaniac! If you're a musical genius and you know it, clap your hands....Yoko Ono's sycophantic chiming in didn't win me over either. I learned a lot more about the Beatles, at least, but it didn't make me like any of them anymore, and actually made me less interested in their music.
Ray Charles--I found him interesting and personable. He was honest about his various challenges (blindness, addiction), but didn't seem to feel sorry for himself. His rehab story is pretty impressive, if true. His comments on American civil liberties were pretty insightful. and I never knew he did a country album!
Truman Capote--What a strange man! I did not like him at all. I didn't respect him, either, for blowing off his assignment and thus leading to this annoying interview.
Johnny Cash--I like his music, and he seemed nice, but the interview was not very interesting. He seemed like a down to earth, kinda spiritual guy.
Neil Young--bleh. I don't even remember anything about him, only that I didn't enjoy anything about the interview.
Oriana Fallaci--I never heard of her before, but found her interview the most interesting out of all the book. I'd love to find out more about her--she seemed very sharp and insightful, a highly individualistic introverted feminist and socialist, someone I could relate to, aside from her views on religion.
Brian Wilson--Strange and boring all at once. New Agey and clearly an addict. Makes me rethink all those Beach Boys' songs.
George Lucas--A much more intellectual and educated man than I expected. I was also surprised by how much of his efforts, especially with Star Wars, were motivated out of concerns for equipping kids, especially tweens, for better lives, reigniting their creativity and imagination with fantasy in a world made otherwise bleak and dark by wars. He seemed like a Renaissance man, talking sociology in the interview, but also so multi-talented, as a cameraman, writer, director, sociologist, and toy and obscure film afficianado. Also diabetic, which I didn't know either. I liked him and found him interesting.
Johnny Carson--He seemed both interesting and yet private/ secretive--an analytical, thoughtful, self aware introvert. I can see why he did so well at his job for so long.
Joni Mitchell--I learned that she liked art even more than music. Aside from that, I found her rather vague and dreary and sort of selfish--not interesting.
Francis (Ford) Coppola--He is obviously very arty and analytical. I haven't seen Apocalypse now and don't want to, so the extremely detailed discussion of the nuances of the movie did not interest me t at all.
Tom Wolfe--I can't even remember anything about him. I think he was some kind of writer. yawn.
Jack Nicholson--I seem to remember that he was rather charming, if very sexual and admittedly not monogamous by preference. He had a lot more emotional baggage than I realized, but he obviously made something good of himself.
Bill Murray--It was interesting to read about his family life, if a bit sad. I didn't find him or a detailed discussion of the art of comedy really interesting, though.
Clint Eastwood--I'm always happy to find celebrities who are introverts too. Eastwood seems like a smart man who never totally lost touch with his blue collar cultural roots. very sensible.
Eric Clapton--I already knew from trying to read his autobiography that I don't find Clapton's life very fascinating. It's a man and his love affair with music, and the history and work that got him there. This interview seemed like more of the same. (He surely is an amazing musician, though.)
Tina Turner--I only had general pop culture knowledge about Tina, so I was interested to learn a little more about her life. It's amazing that even such a successful woman could have been caught in such an abusive and controlling relationship. I'm really impressed with her strength in getting herself out of it finally.
Robin Williams--All the funny people seem to have a layer of sadness under the laughing facade. Williams has had a rough life, despite his priviledged beginnings. I can't really relate to him, though.
Leonard Bernstein--a cultured, charming and intelligent man, very socially and politically aware and involved, passionate about spreading and maintaining the arts. I'm not sure I would have felt at ease around him, but I liked him. The story of how he got connected to the Black Panthers was sort of amusing.
Spike Lee--as a friend said, he is a very angry man. I find issues of racism interesting, but some people are so angry about it that it's difficult and uncomfortable to hear what they have to say. Spike Lee was like that.
Jerry Garcia--unmemorable. cant' remember anything about it.
Axl Rose--OK, maybe he was crazy, but I actually liked him. Here was a guy with nothing who suddenly had everything, and I think that'd be a lot to handle, even for an extremely stable person. And he is clearly not an extremely stable person. I respected that he was so candid and unashamed about the things he'd been through, especially the abuse, and that he's seeking appropriate help to deal with them. I also loved that he loved his girlfriend's son so much and was so invested in his well-being and development. He was just trying to deal with his issues and move on and be healthy--who can fault a man for that? Most people are too afraid to look into the abyss and try to heal. I liked his courage and his honesty a lot.
Bruce Springsteen--wasn't awfully interesting. Seemed like a nice man with some baggage.
David Letterman--Also not awfully interesting. I wasn't interested in the Late Night Wars when they happened, and I'm still not.
David Geffen--He had some family issues that were interesting but overall the interview bored me.
Kurt Cobain--an explosive, emotional, unstable man. I can't say I really liked him. I didn't realize he suffered from physical ailments (stomach pain), but still...he seemed like a difficult person, hating to perform his own music, feuding with other bands, tired of his own band, talking about suicide...tragic but not surprising how things turned out.
Courtney Love--On the other side of this relationship, though, Courtney Love really surprised me. Not that she doesn't have issues of her own, a lot of them, but she also has a really big heart. I didn't realize how tight she and Kurt Cobain were (despite his craziness and selfishness and dependency on her), or just how much they both loved their daughter. Hearing a more detailed version of everything that happened to him in the end was kind of heartbreaking. I admire her strength for recovering from that and being there for her daughter. Dealing with her pain and issues and moving on. I liked her.
Mick Jagger--I had no idea he was from a kind of posh family. Or that he was so personally reserved and disciplined and self aware. Definitely an interesting guy.
Patti Smith--boring. I just barely forced myself through this.
Dr Hunter S Thompson--Haven't read his stuff, or seen the movies of them. Now I don't want to. I don't see how writing about excessive substance abuse is interesting. no thanks.
Bill Clinton--I've listened to Clinton's memoirs, read by himself. The tone in that was more genial and relaxed than in this interview. I guess that since this was closer to/ during his actual presidency, with all the drama that entailed, that the emotions were a bit fresher--he was angrier and more frustrated, sharper. or so it seemed to me. he also came across like a smart man who really enjoyed serving his country as the president.
The Dalai Lama--He seems like a kind, smart man, who knows a lot about his world and his faith. His answers were complex and yet simple. It was difficult for me to believe the likelihood of anyone buying into the solutions that he offered for the world's problems, though, since they were a little too idealistic even for me (and a different faith than mine, which I'm sure affected my perception too.)
Bob Dylan--much like Clapton, he mostly talks about the music. However, he's more about the lyrics, and a lot about politics and social issues, and I liked that about him.
Ozzy Osbourne--I liked him a lot more than I expected to. I didn't know that Black Sabbath had started off as a "normal" band, and just decided to go scary to be more successful. It's funny that the band is viewed by conservatives as "Satanic" and so dark and dangerous, but when compared with what Osbourne's saying, it's not really like that at all. I liked his candor about his personal life growing up, and respect his work ethic in response to that poverty. I also respect the long and overall happy marriage he and Sharon have had, although I found his brief, dismissive response to the question of his having tried to kill Sharon at one point kind of disturbing. It's a bigger deal than his answer would imply. but otherwise he seemed like a nice, down to earth guy, and I really liked that about him.
Keith Richards--Also more likable than I expected. I still don't get how someone can use and abuse as many controlled substances as he does, but he seemed like a fairly smart and hardworking guy despite it, if a bit chaotic. it's interesting to see the contrasts between him and Mick.
Eminem--Possibly my favorite interview in here. I liked him more than ever after reading this. He's a smart, thoughtful person, despite culture and language that can present him as a thug or something. I love how much he cares about kids, especially his kids, and what he'll do to help them. Even his answers about Kim Mathers were pretty restrained and respectful. He understands that his relationship with her impacts the children, and I have to respect that. and he can admit that their relationship is complex and long-standing in a way that no one else can ever compete with. That's what I liked about him most--despite the wackiness of his upbringing, all the crazy things he talks about in his songs, especially his mom's instability, he is someone who has thought about the long-term implications of his behavior, of addiction, illegal activity, etc, and made conscious choices based on what will make a better life for his kids and himself. That makes him a good, if often sad and angry, man in my eyes.
Bono--He has a weird way of talking, very abrupt, and switching back and forth between past and present tenses. I didn't know anything about his upbringing, so learning about the family tension and how his drive to succeed grew out of it was interesting. I find it interesting too, how he downplays his faith in conversation. it's hard to get a feel on what he really thinks or believes, but at least he seems like a very thoughtful man, and I could relate to how he found the sacred in everything, even in the most secular of music.
Overall I learned a lot and might try out some new artists because of this. I'm glad it's finished, though.