Bestselling author Eric Spitznagel speaks with an all-star lineup of rock-n-rollers from Perry Farrell to the Indigo Girls to discover the uproariously wild, sentimental, and unexpected pre-stardom stories behind their favourite records
Rock Stars on the Record is a collection of first-hand tales by artists of all ages, backgrounds, and musical influences, remembering the meaning behind the records that mattered most to them. From Laurie Anderson to Ian Mackaye, Don McLean to Yuka Honda, Alice Bag to Mac DeMarco, and many more, bestselling author Eric Spitznagel talks to rock stars across the musical spectrum about the albums that changed them in ways only music can change someone.
Everyone's most cherished childhood record be it a battered piece of vinyl, torn cassette tape, or scratched CD has a story, and those stories can be more revealing about their owners than you might expect. Read about how Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy furtively scratched the Parental Advisory sticker off the sleeve of the Clash's London Calling so that his mother would consent to buy it cementing its influence on the Grammy-winning band. Or about Mojo Nixon's relationship to George Thorogood's Move It On Over , or Dar Williams's connection with Judy Collins's Whales & Nightingales.
Each profile is more emotional, fascinating, and hilarious than the last. So place that needle in the groove, and prepare to hear something revelatory from your favourite rockers past and present.
About the Author
Eric Spitznagel is the author, editor, or ghostwriter of ten books, most recently on his quest to reclaim his lost vinyl collection in Old Records Never Die , and Jeff Tweedy's bestselling memoir, Let's Go (So We Can Get Back ). His work has appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Vanity Fair, Playboy, Men's Health, and Esquire, among others. He lives with his wife and son in Chicago, IL.
Industry Reviews
Praise for Rock Stars on the Record
"Eric Spitznagel always delivers. It helps that he genuinely reads as a serious contender for the world's biggest fan of whoever he happens to be interviewing. It's a magic trick and a thing of beauty, to watch ultra-hip yung-uns and grizzled grey beards alike gleefully let down their guards and slip out of the armor of their own accomplishments-eager to match his unbridled fan-thusiasm as if they've been challenged to a joy-off. These conversations effervesce."
-Jeff Tweedy, singer-songwriter, Wilco frontman, and author of the bestseller Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc.
"Eric's newest book is absolutely fascinating. It's hard to believe that no one has done this before, but now that I've read it, it seems totally obvious-except that most journalists wouldn't be able to get people to talk so openly and compellingly about something that, to an artist, may feel very private. I know these great musicians and their music better now. Thank you, Eric."
-Daniel J. Levitin, bestselling author of This Is Your Brain on Music, Professor of Neuroscience and Music at McGill University in Montreal
"In asking a slew of rock stars about the record that changed their lives, Eric Spitznagel also ferrets out fascinating backstories and unexpected anecdotes. Who knew that Tommy Roe's granddaughter calls him 'the Justin Bieber of the '60s'? Or that Perry Farrell entertained his older siblings' friends' by dancing the Hully Gully at their parties? Rock Stars on the Record is so much fun, and more illuminating that you'd expect."
-Caroline Sullivan, author of Bye Bye Baby: My Tragic Love Affair with the Bay City Rollers
"Rock Stars on the Record is a journey led by a master interviewer. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book of interviews as much as this one. Entertaining and informative, it's really a must-read for any fan of music and history and pop culture. (For the record, my own very-special album is Hoobastank's 2018 Push Pull, which I am blasting as I write this.)"
-Mike Sacks, Vanity Fair Editor and bestselling author of Poking a Dead Frog, And Here's the Kicker, and Stinker Lets Loose, among other books
"I've been reading Eric Spitznagel's interviews with rock stars for nearly a decade, because Eric is an interviewer like no other. In Rock Stars on the Record, he does what he does best: gets musicians to open up in profound ways that'll make you laugh, saw 'awww,' and everything in between."
-Mike Ayers, author of One Last Song: Conversations on Life, Death, and Music
"Thirty-six artists discuss that number of records and more throughout Spitznagel's book. From Don McLean to Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh, Laura Jane Grace to 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Suzi Quatro to Wendy and Lisa from the Revolution, professional players deliver insight into what music first captured their attention and why music matters to them well beyond their work. Music 'nerds' might be most excited about that, but anyone who cares passionately about something will find much about these conversations engaging and enlightening."
-John Young for the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette
Praise for Eric Spitznagel
For Old Records Never Die (2016):
"Calling someone's work Nick Hornby-like is a bit clich©, but Spitznagel gives high fidelity to Hornby's feel for music and its relationship to life."-New York Post
"Spitznagel knows that a good story can sometimes lead to a greater truth."-KQED
"I'm working on a list of things that make me laugh harder than Eric Spitznagel's writing. So far, it includes old Albert Brooks movies, videos of animals ridin
