The Masters: Conversations with Dylan, Lennon, Jagger, Townshend, Garcia, Bono, and Springsteen

by Jann S. Wenner

From New York Times bestselling author and Rolling Stone founder comes "a visit to the Mount Olympus of rock" in this remarkable collection of new and collected interviews with some of the greatest rock stars and cultural icons of our time (Kirkus Reviews). During fifty years of publishing the “Bible of Rock and Roll,” Jann Wenner conducted a series of interviews that are now regarded among the most important historical documents of rock. Some of these conversations broke headlines—in 1970, his interview with John Lennon exposed the unvarnished tensions that led to the breakup of the Beatles. He gets up-close-and-personal with Bob Dylan, the most singular figure in music who revealed himself to Wenner more openly than to anyone else. And Mick Jagger only trusted one person to publicly interview him about his private life and his backstage account of the world's greatest rock band.

Including stunning photographs and an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with Bruce Springsteen, The Masters intimately profiles the extraordinary musicians who dominated rock and roll, from London and California to New York and L.A.. This is a primary source, cultural masterpiece, and must-have volume about the artists who changed history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Audiobook, History

368 pages, Hardcover

Published September 26, 2023

About the author

Jann Simon Wenner is the co-founder and publisher of the music and politics bi-weekly Rolling Stone, as well as the owner of Men's Journal and Us Weekly magazines.
Wenner grew up in a secular Jewish family. His parents divorced in 1958, and he and his sisters, Kate and Merlyn, were sent to boarding schools to live. He graduated from high school at Chadwick School in 1963 and went on to attend the University of California at Berkeley. Before dropping out of Berkeley in 1966, Wenner was active in the Free Speech Movement and produced the column "Something's Happening" in the student-run newspaper, The Daily Californian. With the help of his mentor, San Francisco Chronicle jazz critic Ralph J. Gleason, Wenner landed a job at Ramparts, a high-circulation muckraker, where Gleason was a contributing editor and Wenner worked on the magazine's spinoff newspaper. In 1967, Wenner and Gleason founded Rolling Stone in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

“About all we can do is do it like fucking circus animals. I resent being an artist in that respect. I resent performing for fucking idiots who won’t know – who don’t know - anything. Because they can’t feel; I’m the one that’s feeling, because I’m the one expressing what they are trying to. They live vicariously through me and other artists.” John Lennon

“People are always forcing you to make decisions between flesh and spirit. Whereas I want to dance myself in the direction of God. I go out drinking with God. I am flirtatious in the company of God. I am not a person who has to put God out of his mind to go out on the town. It’s a key point. The divided soul of Marvin Gaye, Elvis, were conflicts the tore them apart. And they don’t tear me apart. I reckon God loves all of me.” Bono

“If George [Harrison] had had his own group and was writing his own songs back then, he’d have been probably just as big as anybody. George had an uncanny ability to just play chords that didn’t seem to be connected in any kind of way and come up with a melody and a song. I don’t know anybody else who could do that either. What can I tell you? He was from that old line of playing where every note was a note to be counted.” Bob Dylan

Most of the reviews of this book were written by people who did not read it. They are upset about some insensitive comments made by the author about the exclusion of women and Blacks from the list of “masters”. It would have been nice to have included some female and Black artists in this book. And the author actually addresses that issue in the Introduction. Personally, I would have liked for him to include Robert Plant or Jimmy Page in the list, but I’m not sure that Rolling Stone appreciated the merits of Led Zeppelin.

In any event, by not actually reading the interviews that are included in the book because you are angry with the interviewer you are just depriving yourself of some insights into the minds and music of a few interesting people (who happen to be male and white). Actually, I suggest listening to the audiobook version, to hear the nuances of their comments (and in the case of John Lennon, to hear Yoko whispering in the background). Note that the Bob Dylan interviews are not included in the audiobook, and the Jerry Garcia interview is unintelligible, at least at the beginning).

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shame on Little, Brown & Company for publishing this book.

Jann Wenner has been removed from the Board of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after his NYT interview.

This book The Masters blatantly omits the contributions of black people, people of color and women citing in his interview that they aren’t articulate enough to express themselves nor are they worthy of being a “Master”.

Wenner’s apology only solidified his stance. It was not an apology.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 1 out of 5]

“A visit to the Mount Olympus of rock” - nah, Mount Olympus had women on it

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

“The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them. Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level.”

That says all you need to know about this man’s opinions.

[Lucy Jensen · Rating 1 out of 5]

For a dollar name a woman

[Nina · Rating 1 out of 5]

“the masters” what an absolute joke. Complete and utter delusion

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

On audiobook: recorded and seemingly unedited Interviews with seven ‘lucky old men’ as Springsteen calls he and his E-Street band mates. Jann goes on a coughing fit during Springsteen’s segment; Mick grabs the phone call during his. Garcia’s mike wasn’t on. Yep, unedited.

You won’t believe your ears with some of the stuff Lennon says-he’d get cancelled in a minute if he could still give interviews.

Townsend’s was cool as he described the creative process of writing Tommy.

Jagger’s was also interesting as Wenner asked the questions that we’d all ask if we were in a room with Mick…and he probably wouldn’t answer them for us either.

Garcia’s recording was so poor that I couldn’t hear it. They definitely should have cleaned that up better. If you’re into The Dead, I would read the book instead since it was unlistenable.

And bonus: you can play a drinking game with Bruce’s segment -every time he says ‘tremendous’, take a shot!

Wenner himself deserves all the criticism he’s getting for calling this The Masters, yet not including any POCs or women in the group as he awkwardly tried to say in his introduction that people of that ilk aren’t “articulate” enough. Then tries to circumvent it to only make it worse. In The NY Times, no less! Doesn’t this guy work with words? Idiot. Plus his voice in the intro sounds like he just rolled out of bed. I’d recommend a shot of tussin or two next time, Jann.

But ignore all that, ignore Wenner, and just delve into some of these historic rock voices. Beatle/Stones/Dylan/Who fans will dig it. Springsteen/U2 fans probably won’t learn anything new.

[Elizabeth A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I guess there's been enough written about Wenner's arrogance in publishing his interviews with the rock and roll "greats" and including only white men (insert eye roll), so you don't need more from me on that. Not to mention his head-scratching choice to call the book "the Masters" -- c'mon, Jann, we don't even say "master bedroom" anymore (try "primary bedroom"). I would think his editor might have suggested another way to go, there?

That said, this book was a gift thoughtfully chosen for me by a great reader who knows I grew up reading Rolling Stone and worshiping most things rock and roll, so of course there was plenty to admire and enjoy in many of these candid interviews, most notably the scorched earth excerpt from Lennon Remembers. If I thought too hard about why Bono was in there instead of, say, Joni Mitchell, my head started to hurt....but overall I enjoyed the read.

The best review I've seen of Wenner's book was here on Goodreads, where the writer quoted his (in)famous quote on the talk show circuit that this book represented the "Mount Olympus" of rock and roll. Not so, said the reviewer: Mount Olympus had women. (smile)

Demotion to four stars because of the author's tone-deaf and partial selection process but still a worthwhile read for rock and roll and classic rock lovers.

[MollyK · Rating 1 out of 5]

Keep your racism away from Jerry Garcia!

[Jim Beatty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intensity of presence. B. Springsteen

[Kelly Pramberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the style of this book and how the singers are highlighted in their own chapter. The interview highlights were carefully selected, I could tell. It flowed well and I mostly read it for my son and husband because they are huge fans of Springsteen and McCartney! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Lisa Wada · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great book if you only count dudes as the masters of rock. The author missed an amazing opportunity.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Masters: Conversations with Bono, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townsend by Jann S. Wenner (Little, Brown and Company 2023) (782.42166) (3924).

Author Jann Wenner founded and edited the rock and roll magazine Rolling Stone for fifty years. This is a collection of his interviews with the rock and roll legends who he (arguably) deemed to be the holders of special cultural significance, but I suspect instead that Wenner chose these particular artists because he (like the readers of Rolling Stone) is a fanboy or fangirl at heart.

These interviews are with legends all: Pete Townsend, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen.

Here are a few observations: John Lennon appeared to be sad, jealous, insecure, and hotly competitive. The saddest line in the whole book was Lennon’s reply when asked what he hoped that life for him and Yoko would be like when he was sixty-four: “I hope we’re a nice old couple living off the coast of Ireland or something like that, looking at a scrapbook of madness.” (John Lennon, quoted in The Masters, p.134).

Jerry Garcia came across as brilliant - just like always, if you listen.

Bono came off like a modern-day ascetic warrior-monk. There can be no doubt that he thinks and moves on a higher spiritual plane.

Springsteen represents everyone. His mid-American decency shines through.

Pete Townsend seemed both amazed and chagrined at the place in rock history that he and his mates in The Who have earned.

Jann Wenner holds Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger in a special sort of awe. Dylan’s interviews present the artist as a brilliant enigma - but one who holds a Nobel Prize for Literature. Jagger, in contrast with his public persona, appeared to be gracious, thoughtful, and generous in his thoughts and with his words.

Here’s one other great observation from the book, this time from Bono, who was speaking on the risks of youth: “Teenage kids have no sense of mortality - yours or theirs.” (Bono, The Masters, p. 236).

My rating: 7/10, finished 3/30/24 (3924).

[Wayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't fundamentally have a problem with Jann Wenner publishing a book of some of his past interviews, even if those interviews in the book are limited to interviews he conducted of white men who hit the stratosphere musically (mostly) before 1976 (Bono being the only exception timewise). He can accurately call them Masters, as they are all pretty darn good musicians, and they certainly aren't all the masters of music (there are obvious omissions, even among Jann's own heroes). But I do have a problem with those interviews being boring. This book is further proof that it is really tough to write/speak interestingly about music. The best interview is the recent Dylan interview, where Bob calls out Jann for some really bad questions. Bob runs circles around Jann.

Btw, would I enjoy a good book with interviews of H.E.R., Gwen Stefani, Olivia Rodrigo, Nancy Wilson, Prince and others that Jann omitted? Hell yeah. Do I want Jann Wenner to conduct those interviews? Fuck no. "What do you think of Dylan? Springsteen? Lennon? Why do you think people love them?" I dunno Jann. Youd have to ask them.

[Karen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with writers I love to hear them talk about their work their lives, I also find the lives of musicians and composers similar

The book has my two all time favs Springsteen and Dylan who I just can't go by for the eloquence and poetry of/in their music. Sages for our times. Surprises abound amongst the others as well. Bono, Jagger, Garcia, Lennon, and Townsend.

As I read the forward by Wenner it almost made me weep, his words encapsulated so much of my growing up. The role of music during my lifetime. As individuals we didn't often stand out but as force 'My Generation' were to be reckoned with. As Springsteen says, Dylan ' showed us a version of my country that I knew was true but had not been whispered to me previously.

We all thought this where and what I'm living and what it looks like to me. this place (music) is my home, and this is who I am.

We all see ourselves in these writers songs. To quote from my 1970 speech 'Some people never get, some people never die, some people never live.

The Masters is a collection of interviews or musicians and composers bringing to us words and music of immense depth and power.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this book after the first three interviews, (Pete Townsend, Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Jerry Garcia) feeling that Wenner had merely found a wy to make some bucks by repackaging older work. Tey seemed not only dated but dumb. It was almost painful reading Lennon trash all the other Beatles and claim that Yoko Ono was one of only two great artists from the 20th century and Garcia's continual refrain that "good times" were all that mattered was shadowed by our knowledge that those "good times" would kill the Dead's keyboard player Pigpen inside of two years and Garcia in 2 decades The Dylan interview didn't say much that was dumb because he kept from saying much at all. But the tone shifted with a long and thoughtful interview with a 52 year old Mick Jagger. and after that it was a good and interesting book. I realized part of the change was that Wenner had grown up as well. I ended up wondering what an interview with a 52 year old (or, for Springsteen, 73 year old Lennon o Garcia would have been like

[Russ Bertetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

My growing up years were contemporaneous with the birth and rise of Rolling Stone and while I was a sporadic reader of it back in the day, I was not an RS junkie. I had read the Lennon interview at the time of its publication but not any of the others. My reaction to them was as a whole was "they were ok, but certainly no earth-shattering" and in some cases just kind of boring.
I'm going to give each a grade based on their ability to hold my interest and what I learned about them and their music. Here I go:
Pete Townshend D
Bob Dylan (1969) C
John Lennon C+ (too angry, too egotistical; would have been nice to get an interview in the years before he died to see if his feelings had changed)
Jerry Garcia B
Mick Jagger B+
Bob Dylan (2007) C+
Bono (inc) didn't read it because I just don't like him
Springsteen B+/A-
All in all a solid 3 stars-nothing more. Kind of like the grade I gave to Wenner's autobiography in April. Glad I got it from the library and didn't spend $ on it.

[Emily Kleinhenz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like Kirkus Reviews summed it up pretty well, "A fairly stale collection best suited for Wenner and/or Rolling Stone completists." Rock and Roll "masters" included women and black people (I think we all know Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, Pat Benetar, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, etc.). He could have just said here are influential guys, but labeling them as the masters and pretending like they were the only people to be influential in Rock and Roll is a misrepresentation of the history Rock and Roll.

[Hunter Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really interesting hearing from musicians both at the top of their game and looking back on a long career, but honestly I wish the interviews had gone more in depth into the creative process because ultimately for me as a musician that was gonna be the most useful information. Not to say I didn't get any of that though, just that maybe I was looking for something slightly different than what this book was offering.

[The_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rolling Stone Editor giving out some of his personal interviews of the greats. Every one of them has something but Lennon and Townsend seem special. Jagger worthwhile and the other three well they were there. But one of the very interesting things was the thought of Rock and Roll as fragile to be swept away

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read of Rolling Stone interviews with different musical legends. John Lennon has an even bigger ego than suspected, whereas Bono seems a bit less self-important than usual. (I love both regardless.) Springstein is just a gem. I’m hung up on the title, though, and am wondering how Wenner decided to set this group apart. Has he never interviewed Tina Turner? Joan Jett? Prince?

[Patricia Yates · Rating 1 out of 5]

All 7 of Wenner’s “Masters” are White men. NY Times 9/15/23 quotes Wenner on this: “Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level.” And apparently, Black performers are “not in (Wenner’s) zeitgeist.” That’s a NO from me.

[Sandra The Old Woman in a Van · Rating 1 out of 5]

The intellectual level of this book is so beyond what I can articulate. I wish Jann would ‘splain it to me. The NYT did a good job describing the issues with this book in language even women can understand. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/15/ar...

[Grant Zimmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid collection of interviews, at times repetitive. Not every exchange is a hit, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Bono, Dylan and Springsteen ones. I also have to mention that I do not condone this author nor his recent comments.

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really informative book of on the record conversations with Rock and Roll greats. Not all the greats okay, but Bono, Garcia, Dylan, Jagger, Townshend and Lennon. Like listening in on a conversation.

[Jude Berman · Rating 1 out of 5]

To borrow the comment of one NYT reader:
"Oh. My. Actual. God. This is disturbing on so many levels. Forgive me if I don’t articulate my thoughts. I’m a woman."

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the interviews with Bono & Springsteen the most interesting but enjoyed them all.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Some audio was horrible. Couldn’t hear Garcia at all. But others were very interesting to listen to — and John Lennon may be talented but he’s also totally full of himself!

[Marc Hilt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall enjoyed the content. Came away enjoying learning more about these artists, although Lennon comes across very arrogant and annoying.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. Only criticism is that the audio for Jerry Garcia was so bad I had to skip that chapter.