Desayuno con John Lennon

by Robert Hilburn

Desayuno con John Lennon invita al lector a descubrir el mundo del rock entre bastidores de la mano de uno de los críticos del género más prestigiosos del mundo. Hilbrun fue el único periodista que entró en la cárcel de Folsom con Johnny Cash, cenó (y desayunó) con John Lennon durante su etapa del "fin de semana perdido" en Los Ángeles, vio dibujos animados con Michael Jackson, se tomó un café con un Bob Dylan agotado por la carretera, le sugirió a Bruce Springsteen cambiar el orden de sus canciones cuando sus conciertos no le convencían, consiguió darle esquinazo al representante de Elvis Presley para charlar con "El Rey" a solas, y escribió un perfil íntimo de Kurt Cobain que le evitó perder la custodia de su hija por sus adicciones y su depresión. Este libro no es solo un recuento de aventuras personales: es toda una historia del rock and roll como fuerza cultural. Y de sus grandes estrellas como hombres y mujeres frágiles, geniales y muy humanos.

Un libro de lectura obligada para todos los amantes de la música. Los recuerdos me han venido como una oleada mientras lo leía. Elton John

La crítica de rock nunca me importó lo más mínimo hasta que leí a Robert Hilburn. Bernie Taupin

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir, Pop Culture, Essays

314 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2009

Reviews

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be a hard book to be non-biased about. I first started reading Hilburn's columns in the Los Angeles Times in 1968 when I started going to college, coincidentally the very same university that Hilburn went to himself. It was the LA Times trinity of columnists; Hilburn, Jazz critic Leonard Feather, and classical music critic Martin Bernheimer, that taught me there was even a thing called music criticism. Hilburn continued writing during the golden age of rock music criticism and beyond until he retired from the Times in 2005. When I did a little music writing of my own some mentors compared my style to Hilburn's, sometimes complimentary but sometimes not. I always took it as a compliment. While he didn't have the mad genius of Lester Bangs or the scholarly vision of Greil Marcus, he had something the others did not bring to pen and paper. He wrote for the everyman, the nine-to-fivers who needed the music to enrich their lives. Hilburn himself didn't smoke or drink and, around these superstars that lived in an insane world, brought enough sanity with him that these artists came across as real human beings. He may not have been the best of the music writers but he had empathy which served to show his readers the hearts behind the music.

All of this comes out in his new book, Cornflakes with John Lennon. This book is a memoir of his experiences as a rock music writer and his relationship with some of the most important musicians of rock music; Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Kurt Cobain and others. As a memoir it does what the writer rarely did in his own columns. It gave us a look at the writer himself. Yet even here the bulk of this book is about rock music and rock artists. Hilburn brought out the best in his subjects whether it was a troubled Lennon, a vulnerable Janis Joplin, a insecure Michael Jackson, or an obsessively searching Bruce Springsteen. Hilborn wants us to see the thoughts and the person behind the songs and he does that better than any other writer of his time.

Yet there are some issues with this book that troubles me. Hilburn spends way too much time with the superstars, especially Springsteen, but little about the less revered artists that changed the music yet didn't get a mass of fans. I know he paid a lot of attention to artists like P. J. Harvey, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Rickie Lee Jones but little is in this book. I suspect that may have been a publishing decision. Yet they also have tales to tell and I know Hilburn paid more attention to them than this book would let on. Also the writer could have a evil pen to those he called "the superficial artists who shouldn't be on stage in the first place because they have nothing to tell you". Yet he only shows examples of this briefly in about one page which does include an especially right-on assessment of Michael Bolton. Most bewildering is his exclusion of the rather notorious feud with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson that led to the musician writing a scathing song about the critic called "Only Solitaire." Yet, I assume Hilburn wanted his first book on his own writings and experiences in music to be positive and not focus on the negative.

So I really wanted to give this book five stars, maybe even a bonus sixth star, for a lot of personal reasons. But I also realized that without my nostalgic baggage, this book is still a very strong four stars. Certainly if you want to know about the real musicians that made the music and not just the promotional hype, Hilburn will deliver.

[Desiree Koh · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a teenager in the 1990s, I didn't wear flannel shirts. I showered. I didn't cut myself. That's because I was a happy adolescent, and part of the reason why was because I hated grunge music.

Grunge didn't speak to me. It growled, snarled, and grated my nerves. Instead of chasing Cobain, reveling in Reznor and channeling Corgan, I studied the rock & roll canon. I'd always preferred the melodious genius of Sun, Motown, Atlantic, Stax and Casablanca, and thought swiveling hips and punctuated pelvic thrusts were a much better visual assault against illogical conservatisms, rather than mopey heroin addicts. When I discovered Brian Wilson and his Beach Boys in my room, my love for music way before my time took on an obsession with as many layers as the Wall of Sound. I unwisely splurged my allowances on the recently-released "two-fer" re-issues of Beach Boys albums, wrote a biography of the band on an old typewriter, and declared "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" my anthem, although wouldn't it be nice if we were older, then we wouldn't have to wait so long?

I felt like no one understood me; that is, no one in my generation. Nobody listened to the same music as I did. I couldn't exchange mix tapes in school because nobody wanted to listen to oldies. So as I read "Corn Flakes with John Lennon," I couldn't help but think: Bob Hilburn, where were you when I was growing up?

I always hold rock writers and critics in very high regards - at least, those that I respect. Cameron Crowe, Greg Kot, Austin Scaggs (but not Rob Sheffield nor Jim DeRogatis) - I follow like a puppy dog. I had never read any Bob Hilburn, but I lap up rock & roll tales like Hank Williams and spilled whiskey, so buying this book was as natural as tapping your foot to "Jailhouse Rock". I expected godly, flowery, screaming-out-to-be-underlined prose from Hilburn. Not so - he writes well, but I'm not picking my heart up from the floor. Besides the intimate conversations and friendships with rock & roll iconography and his thoughtful, insightful perspectives - all of which are spot-on about his milieu - I'm not sure I'm learning anything more about being a rock music fan. But that's the allure - Hilburn isn't so much speaking to you as he IS you. He picks up all the scattered notes and clefs on the bar room floor, in your mind, and doesn't transpose them into a different octave as much as arranges them into a sweet symphony. He doesn't tell you how cool his life has been so you are jealous that he's eaten corn flakes with John Lennon in the middle of the night, had Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen change their set lists because of his feedback and helped Bono grow up. He shares these tales with you like your grandfather might about the war, humanizing these legends and giving them a quiet dignity far away from screaming fans so you can appreciate and enjoy them for the personalities they truly are. And Bob knew who they truly were and are. You know those late-night record listenings when you really should be in bed for school, your heart aching because music can be so beautiful? Imagine that emotion and aural pleasure between the hard covers of a book. That's this book.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is Hilburn's skill as a reporter. In narrating his memories and experiences as they were in a simple but careful selection of words, he reveals much more about what happened in dressing rooms, studios, hotel suites and A&R offices than maybe if you were there. It's writer's intuition and journalistic skill; in describing Elvis Presley's unease in the presence of Colonel Tom Parker, all Hilburn wrote was that Elvis starting using the word "sir" again. Hilburn addresses both albums and tracks he likes and dismisses in the same even, stoic tone, possibly one of the fairest critics I've ever read. He leaves it to you to make up your mind a lot, which is the greatest respect a writer can afford his reader, I think. I have to be honest - a big part of why I enjoyed this book so much is because I feel Bob. It was like hanging out with an imaginary friend that you could talk Bruce Springsteen with all day and night.

Who wouldn't like that?

[York · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Hilburn ha tenido un papel privilegiado y maldito dentro de la industria musical, tuvo el disparo divino y la suerte de estar ahí en algunos de los momentos más sensibles y humanos de muchas de las "estrellas del rock" para mostrarlos en sus notas como lo que siempre han sido: gente rota, extraviada, sensible, con una urgencia más complicada que la de sus propios seguidores. Corn Flakes with John Lennon es una crónica de la leyenda masiva del rock, así como del ascenso y caída penosa de la industria discográfica.

Hay muchos nombres, crónicas e historias aquí, pero en realidad son pocos los protagonistas de estas páginas: John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Bono y Jack White, no más. Los básicos esenciales para argumentar su visión y postura sobre el rock y su lugar en la historia.

Hay muchos motivos por los que amé a Robert Hilburn, y por los que creo que su criterio como melómano y periodista musical es el más agudo y certero que he leído en años, aquí algunos de ellos:

-Considera que Elvis le dio ritmo y urgencia sexual al rock.
-Mientras que Dylan lo elevó a un sentido trascendental.
-Cree que Janis Joplin y Elton John al final son niños igual de solitarios.
-Considera a Elton John como el precursor legítimos del pop rock.
-Ama a Bernie Taupin y también cree que compuso las mejores de Elton.
-No entiende cómo funciona la mente de Bob Dylan y le encanta que así sea
-Creyó en Johnny Cash cuando nadie lo hacía.
-Piensa que Michael Jackson está sobrevalorado.
-Y que Paul McCartney es un músico muy irregular.
-Para él sólo hay dos sucesores de Bob Dylan: Bruce Springsteen y Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes).
-Considera que Arcade Fire es una banda que cumple a secas.
-Dejó fuera de su arco a Queen, Aerosmith, Led Zepellin, Guns and Roses, KISS, Bon Jovi, The Cure y todas esas bandas que el fondo hicieron variaciones con disfraces y terminaron abonando a la muerte de la esencia que se creó en los 60.
-Vio en qué se convertiría Bruce décadas antes de que lo lograra.
-Cree que Tom Waits pudo haber sido el líder de una generación, si no fuera tan solitario.
-Realmente piensa que Kurt Cobain se suicidó y por lo que cuenta le crees.
-Lamenta profundamente que Jack White haya nacido en esta época cuando la industria ya está muerta, de haberlo hecho treinta años antes sería un dios.

Es un libro imperdible por el valor humano de sus relatos, por la forma en que delinea la historia del rock, desde la perspectiva de una persona que primero y sobre todas las cosas ama el poder de la música, más que la imagen, el discurso, la fachada y la apariencia.

[Blog on Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprise. As many suspected, but couldn’t exactly put their finger on, Robert Hilburn was keeping a secret. A three decade secret. The secret, finally revealed in this ‘memoir’ of sorts, is that while we all thought he was the pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times, Hilburn was quietly on another mission. The search for the replacement Elvis.

As the pop (or more aptly, rock) music critic of one of the nation’s largest daily broadsheets, Hilburn was charged with bringing the world of rock’n'roll to the doorsteps of his avid readers weekly and he developed a solid reputation for doing so within music circles. Over the years however, many readers began to notice the critic’s seeming obsession with a small cast of characters who garnered outsized coverage often at the expense of other so-called talents. The plurality of Hilburn’s coverage seemed to center around a handful of iconic figures (Springsteen, U2’s Bono, Prince) as well as a coterie of other performers that played to the critic’s early country leanings (John Fogerty, the Band’s Robbie Robertson, and even a true country act like Waylon Jennings). While the writer certainly covered other acts (LA’s “X” was a perennial favorite as was P.J. Harvey in his latter day writings), most acts escaped much of his purview presumably due to his judgment as to their lesser cultural importance. (In these pages, Clapton, R.E.M., Pearl Jam and The Clash collectively get less mentions than a single Springsteen album, ‘Nebraska,’ while Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd simply don’t exist.)

In “Cornflakes with John Lennon: And Other Tales from a Rock ‘n’ Roll Life,” we now have the answer, the reason, the motivation for it all. Simply put, Hilburn was searching, consciously or otherwise, for the successor to Elvis Presley; an act that left an indelible mark on the young critic that proved difficult, if not impossible to dismiss. Hilburn’s quest was to find and identify the next icon to capture the imagination of the mass rock audience. Not just good bands or those who made great records, but singular performers who could rise to take the leadership of an entire genre, much the way Elvis did until his demise. To Hilburn, it is all about the message, the grand statement and the commitment needed to carry it to the world.

Along the way, the author shares stories – most rather candid and personal – from his Louisiana upbringing filled with country and blues to his time spent with his idols like John Lennon, Springsteen and even Michael Jackson. Through his unique access, we are given quite a window into many a superstar’s otherwise private moments; backstage with Yoko, coaxing reluctant interviewees like Springsteen and Dylan, and yes, even corn flakes with John Lennon.

Beyond the wall of fame, Hilburn examines his own influence on star-making (Elton John’s U.S. debut at the Troubadour) or lack thereof (John Prine’s early work). Through it all, what comes across are two things. One, that Hilburn was keenly aware of zeroing in on the artist even over and above any singular piece of musical output, and, two, that much as his critics argued for years, the writer was, at times, perhaps indeed guilty of acting as a fanboy in ‘critic’s’ disguise. And while this may have given rise to some contempt during his years as a top metropolitan arbiter of taste, it certainly makes for a great (and appropriate) read when presented in a book of reportage that is both personally insightful and a fun behind-the-scenes ride through the three most powerful decades of rock and roll as only a person of Hilburn’s stature and access could deliver.

Coming to paperback this October.

[Lauryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so actually, if I could get fussy, I would give this book 3 and a half stars. Overall, a very good little adventure through mainstream rock of the 70's/80's by Robert Hilburn, the rock critic for the Los Angeles Times. The book is solidly if not sparklingly written...no Lester Bangs-ian bursts of prosaic epiphanies here, but a lot of good rock journalism.

Despite my dislike for the title of this book (BARF!), I especially enjoyed reading about Hilburn's warm relationships with John Lennon and Yoko Ono and Johnny Cash, and about his bizarre encounters with Michael Jackson. (I read this maybe a week or two before MJ died, and it all seemed of a piece, somehow. Weird coincidence, I guess, but the result was that I was not surprised at all by the news of his early passing, which almost seemed inevitable after reading RH's essay. You find yourself asking whether you can picture an 80-year-old Michael Jackson at all, and sadly, the answer is, "no".) Hilburn also writes about Bob Dylan in a way that doesn't quite make me want to shoot someone, which is rare.

Hilburn saves the rhapsodizing for Bruce Springsteen, which, I'll admit, gets real old real fast. This is the only major flaw in the book. Hey, dude, I love Springsteen too, but it gets old. There are other musicians, and you only have so many chapters to go devoting half of them to the Workin' Man's Bard, okay? Even if he did write "I'm on Fire". Hilburn's experiences are all so interesting that are I really wish he had used all of those Boss chapters to touch on some other bands.

Overall, Hilburn is a thoughtful rock fan and a genuinely interested interviewer. ou get the sense that, at least most of the time, he truly likes the people he meets, and has empathy for even the spikiest of interviewees. Bruce Springsteen-o-philia notwithstanding, I would say that one of Hilburn's great strengths is his ability to humanize rather than lionize his subjects, even when they're also his friends.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aun a pesar de lo mucho que disfruto y me gusta la música, yo no me considero melomana en lo absoluto.
Y sin embargo, lo maravilloso de este libro es que no tienes que ser uno para disfrutarlo y para sentir esa fascinacion que el autor siente por la música, y tratar de imaginar lo que ha sido el rock and roll para la gente que estuvo ahi cuando nacio.

Siempre me han encantado las canciones que tienen la hermosa cualidad de transportarte a otra época y este libro es igual. Es innegable que el autor tiene sus artistas favoritos, y que vuelve a ellos una y otra vez, pero eso no le quita merito al resto de la narrativa, finalmente es lo que vivio y su punto de vista lo que se refleja ahí, y esta lleno de anecdotas geniales.

No pueden leerlo sin tener a la mano el soundtrack que aprovecho para dejarselos aquí, por si les interesa.
Estoy segura que lo van a disfrutar.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Co...

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to read this book after reading Hilburn's incredible biography of Johnny Cash. Robert Hilburn's memoir of his years as a music writer for The Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone opens an intimate window into the lives and artistry of some of the 20th century's greatest musicians. Filled with up-close revelation upon revelation, Hilburn shares conversations and backstage interactions he had with John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Mick Jagger, Johnny Cash, Chuck D, Ice Cube, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Bono and so many more. In a book filled with many treasures for a music fan, the sections on Lennon and Dylan are particularly revealing and poignant for their candor. Highly recommended.

[Fernando Soto silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encontrarse con este libro fue una delicia, para quienes amamos la música y la literatura.

Un libro repleto de crónicas que recorre la carrera de potentes músicos. Muchos de ellos, entrevistados desde sus inicios (a veces incluso desde su descubrimiento) medianía de sus carreras y en algunos casos hasta pocos momentos antes de su final (Lennon, Johnny Cash, Cobain, Presley)

Stevie Wonder, Elvis, Lennon, Cobain, Madonna, Janis, Dylan, Michael Jackson, Johny Cash, Elton John, Jack White y muchos más, son los entrevistados-escogidos por Hilburn para este libro en donde extracta una porción de sus vidas y de sus carreras.

Eso de estar en el momento y en el lugar justo, sino tiene toneladas trabajo asociado, sirve bien poco y Hilburn lo deja claro desde el principio.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

p.100
Bruce Springsteen
“You write about what you know. You may not have the same expectations. You're not as open to options. You may have a wife and a kid and a job. It's all you can do to keep those things straight. You let the possibilities go. What happens to most people is when their first dreams get killed off, nothing ever takes their place. The important thing is to keep holding out for possibilities, even if no one ever makes it. There was a Norman Mailer article that said the one freedom that people want most is the one they can't have: freedom from dread. That idea is something at the heart of the new album (The River).”

[Alejandra Cosío · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uno de mis favoritos... Para quienes gustan del rock & roll, la mejor manera de introducirse a la historia y sus bases desde el punto de vista de sus creadores, con grandiosas explicaciones sobre sus móviles, influencias e historias.
El autor, con el perfecto toque que posee un reportero, mezcla su evolución como tal en el mundo de la música, acompañado y acompañando en lo más íntimo a muchas de las más célebres figuras del rock.
Elvis, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Janis, (obvio) John Lennon hasta Jack White.
Una deliciosa mezcla entre rock & roll y literatura.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better rock memoirs I have read. Hilburn, the former rock critic from the LA Times, has a very readable style and obviously was a great interviewer. All of the stories of the various artists in this book were very interesting and I hope that someday he does a follow-up since I am sure he has many other rock tales to tell.

[Len or Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it- lots of stories about John Lennon, Springsteen, Dylan, U2 a d others that I hadn't heard before. I feel like Hilburn could have made this book a lot longer and I still would have devoured it.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book with some interesting stories. But let’s be honest here… I only read it b/c Bono wrote the intro and there is some talk about U2 in the book. Nothing you wouldn’t already know by reading books specifically about U2.

[Wiley]

AuthorsOnTheWeb Internet Marketing/Publicity campaign for author Robert Hilburn.

[Annie Carrott Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone interested in the minutiae of the rock world gods - this is the book to read! The former LA Times writer has a wealth of knowledge to share about his writings and relationships with John, Bob, Bruce & Bono to name some of his favorites. (there are many others...) He never shied away from telling it as he saw it. Recommended for all of us who love the music of our era!

[Ayari Porras · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, relatable book by a down to earth music critic, a rare feat in the genre. Most of the stories are known things in one way or another but you can feel closer to the artists with Hillburn's intimate, non invasive style. Anecdotes are presented in a cool, casual way. Artists can be real assholes when giving interviews so in this case, experience is on Hillburn's side. A fine read.

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now that both Bono and Bruce Springsteen have released memoirs (be sure to listen to the audio version read by the authors), Hillburn's many stories about both will seem lackluster. As good of a writer that Hillburn is, most of the stories felt lackluster. Maybe that was the point? These heroes are ordinary folk?

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilburn was able to form trusted relationships with the worlds greatest rock and roll artist. He writes humbly without focus on himself. He was able to express the feelings of the artist he interviewed. If you love music and the behind the scene lives of the musicians you will enjoy it.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you care about rock and roll...read this. The most beautiful portrait of the genre I've read yet. By the end of the first chapter you'll love and trust the voice of Hilburn who leads you on a great story-telling journey through the most important figures in rock.

[Guillermo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gustaría que el rock and roll siguiera siendo la fuerza de inspiración y motivación para las nuevas generaciones, y si los jóvenes lo abandonan por otra forma artística o por otro estilo de música, solo espero que les aporte algo igualmente profundo.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hard to put down! I enjoyed it so much. Deep, honest, compassionate glimpses of music icons without a trace of voyeurism or name-dropping.

[Sharon Falduto]

L.A. Times music critic since the 1960s recounts his time spent with the greats, like John Lennon, Springsteen, and U2.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of neat behind the scene stories about hanging out with rock stars.

[Rafael Kornhauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Por momentos sentí algo muy parecido a lo que sentí cuando leí Marvels de Alex Ross,

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read about rock legends’ past. Bob Dylan kinda seems like a dick though

[Oliver Spring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual genre, but an incredibly fun read and a very welcomed change of pace. Would certainly be open to reading it again!

[Lorna Dykstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting behind-the-scenes look into the lives of some legendary musicians

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A peek behind the curtain with several rock legends, as observed and experienced by a long-term music critic for the LA Times. Hilburn gives us bite-sized morsels and commentary on a large number of acts, but only gets up-close and personal with a select few: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon and Bono. Johnny Cash gets a more-than-fleeting look, too, but deeper inspection on his career is saved for a later, more dedicated book. Hilburn's credentials are tough to doubt: he was there for the Folsom Prison concert, championed and advised U2 before Live Aid made them a household name, stayed with John and Yoko weeks before the ex-Beatle's death. His ability to penetrate a veneer and connect with the human behind the matinee idol is also above reproach. Insightful and interesting. I'd love to spend a week in his shoes.

[Lynne Perednia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the dawn of time, Modern Era, popular music wasn't even as interesting as it is now in this synthesized, American Idol age. Then along came musicians who knew rhythm and blues, who knew how important it was to be young, who knew there is nothing like a backbeat to get people to listen. Robert Hilburn was there when things really began to take off -- getting rebuffed by Colonel Parker in his attempts to meet Elvis, following Bob Dylan through his ups and downs over the decades, talking his editors into letting him go up to Folsom Prison to see a country singer named Johnny Cash perform.

Stories of those times, up to the death of Michael Jackson, are included in this memoir by the longtime Los Angeles Times music critic. Whether it's early recognition of Elton John and being lauded as a starmaker, recognizing the talent of John Prine and watching the rest of the world ignore his albums or being an early advocate of Jack Whyte's talent, for decades Hilburn has been in search of the next big thing that will keep rock 'n roll alive.

He's known them all and been close to many. The title comes from a time he was with Lennon on tour who was delighted to be eating corn flakes with cream on them. That was the height of luxury to the poor lad from Liverpool, even after the Beatles and the world's continued attention through his house husband days. Kurt Cobain used Hilburn to get a favorable report how he loved his daughter published while Social Services was investigating whether to take Frances Bean away from him and Courtney Love. Michael Jackson chose him to work on a book project that Jackie Onassis was editing, but was more interested in watching cartoons. Dylan finally opens up after years of taciturn behavior when he's playing for small audiences at small colleges. But his revelations about songwriting when Hilburn proposes a series about the subject are indeed revealing.

Hilburn's astute interview skills bring out such observations as Bono's that rock music has something no other kind does -- it is a combination of rhythm, harmony and top-line melody to appeal to the body, the spirit and the mind. Hilburn concludes that the artists he most admires have something in common. They have idealism and commitment. They believe ideas and music matter.

The reader can reach the same conclusion while tracing the careers of Cash, Dylan, Lennon, Springsteen, U2 and Jack White through the years Hilburn has known them, talked to them, listened to their music, questioned them and cared about them. Hilburn provides ample proof of how idealism expressed through music has inspired people. He is more reticent about his own life, with a few tidbits thrown in to provide some background to a particular idea or anecdote. But that's because like any good journalist, Hilburn knows it's the story that matters, not the reporter.

Hilburn also knows to not stretch the story beyond its scope. He admits not knowing what's going to happen to rock in these days of corporate plastic singers with synthesized voices and celebrity celebrated over talent. But he also believes that genuine music will continue to move people.

Rock on, Bob.

[Superiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

El autor fue el responsable de la sección del Espectáculos, en especial de música popular, en Los Angeles Times, y narra muchas de sus vivencias con leyendas del Rock, desde Elvis Presley, Los Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springteen, hasta U2, Ice Cube y otras estrellas de rap.

Es obvio que habla de sus preferidos y como en gustos de música se tiende a ser subjetivo, el enfoque del libro es hacia sus héroes del rock y que por su posición de corresponsal y el alcance de su sección en el periódico, tiende a considerar su opinión como la válida, aún cuando se cuida mucho de no influenciar este gusto al lector.

Las hisotrias son muy interesantes y te dan ganas de escuchar las canciones de las que se habla mientras uno está leyendo. Justo Erika, quien me recomendó el libro, puso un setlist de las canciones aquí: http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Co... para que lo vayan checando cuando lo lean.

Un aspecto que no me gustó es que no solo no menciona a otras leyendas del rock, sino que en algunos casos los ningunea, como el caso de Bon Jovi o Queen, y deja sin siquiera mencionar a The Cure o Aerosmith. Entiendo que no le gusten ciertos grupos, pero incluso su manera de ensalzar a otros como Springteen o U2 terminó por desilusionarme al final, además de considerar al rap como un género tan universal como el rock, siendo que su influencia está muy limitada a Estados Unidos, al menos en su inicio. Ese detalle de que se enfoque a lo que pasa en Estados Unidos también es palpable en sus reseñas.

Pero a final de cuentas es buena lectura, entretenida y que te da un enfoque los artistas más allá de lo que normalmente se conoce. Anécdotas y puntos de vista fuera de lo común.

Nigger