Our livelihood.
MT: After release the book took on a life of its own, in terms of publicity and reach. Did that surprise you? CW: People have been wonderfully nice. But that’s always the hope. I would call it more of a relief and a pleasure than a surprise – if nothing like that had happened, it would have been a disappointment. I think the surprise is … Continue reading Carl Wilson Talks About Love (Not the Arthur Lee-led outfit)
“I think maybe I feel a little out of place in the critic’s world because a) I’m a scientist and, b) I’m damn handsome. I would have enjoyed being a medical researcher, I think. It’s a good thing I can’t go back in time, because I have about 89 careers I’d like to try.” – John Kordosh, interview in rockcritics.com, 2004 (still on the to-be-imported … Continue reading Quote of the Day (3/11/14)
The Status of the Gay Question: Phil Dellio’s 1988 Interview with Neil and Chris of the Pet Shop Boys (audio) Getting this interview transcribed—or, even better, digitized and posted—was something Scott and I first discussed a few years ago, but there wasn’t any real context for doing so at the time. I wasn’t even sure I could still find the cassette where it resided—I knew … Continue reading Pet Shop Boys, Critically (6)
Steven Rosen gets his byline on By Steven Ward (September 2003) Veteran rock writer Steven Rosen has been traveling with musicians and profiling them–mostly guitarists–since the early ’70s. He has written for just about every rock publication under the sun. Here, Rosen reflects on five magazines that stand out to him. Rolling Stone Maybe the crowning jewel in my literary kingdom. I pitched them a story on Bad … Continue reading From the Archives: Steven Rosen (2003)
All Music Guy, Michael Erlewine By Barbara Flaska (July 2003) If you’re at all curious about music and have access to the Internet, chances are good you’ve already encountered the All Music Guide, the free online music database that provides both record reviews and artist biographies for countless thousands of records and artists. Now meet Michael Erlewine, the man behind that vision. Michael Erlewine’s had an … Continue reading From the Archives: Michael Erlewine (2003)
Critiquing the critics: Steve Jones on the value of rock journalism By Simon Warner (February 2003) In late 2002, a new volume appeared on the shelves–the first coordinated attempt to gather a group of serious essays on popular music journalism, an area that has excited millions of us as readers but one that has only now, somewhat belatedly, begun to attract the close attention of the … Continue reading From the Archives: Steve Jones (2003)
Waking up to what’s possible: Ben Ratliff By Steven Ward (2003) Ben Ratliff is one of “those” music critics. You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones who can show you something brand new about an artist you’ve loved your whole life. The ones who can define the cultural status of a musician with one well written sentence. The ones who can write about … Continue reading From the Archives: Ben Ratliff (2003)
Michael Azerrad in Person By Jeanne Fury (2002) Michael Azerrad is the author of two books, Come As You Are: The Story Of Nirvana and Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes From The American Indie Underground 1981-1991, which recently came out in paperback. Our Band covers the canon of American indie punk bands that birthed do-it-yourself culture. And it was indeed a culture: Azerrad’s book uncovers the sociology of … Continue reading From the Archives: Michael Azerrad (2002) (II)
His Book Could Be Your Life: Michael Azerrad by E-Mail By Scott Woods (2002) Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life is, for me, that rare breed of scene-and-place rock chronicle–as opposed to an all-over-the-map critique–that I actually didn’t get the urge to put down after a few dozen pages. As reportage on a specific musical moment, I’d rank OBCBYL in a league with Like Punk Never Happened (Dave Rimmer), England’s … Continue reading From the Archives: Michael Azerrad (2002) (I)
Making It Up As We Go Along: Interview With John Morthland By William Crain (December 2002) John Morthland, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, was an active participant in the mid-wifing of rock writing. He assisted its transition from teen magazine coverage and the occasional uncomprehending daily paper piece to something more vital and alive, which attempted to capture the spirit and concerns of both … Continue reading From the Archives: John Morthland (2002)
