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"Corn Flakes With John Lennon" by Robert Hilburn
In Stores Now!
"Corn Flakes With John Lennon (And Other Tales From a Rock 'n' Roll Life)" is a highly opinioned and deeply personal memoir which focuses on my relationships with and thoughts on many of the most important and inspiring artists in rock -- artists who not only helped build rock as an art form but whose craft and commentary helped shape the social values of our times: Elvis Presley and John Lennon, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and U2, Phil Spector and Michael Jackson, Public Enemy and N.W.A and Kurt Cobain and Jack White.
All it takes to be a star is luck and a commercial sound, which explains why there are so many mediocre hit-makers. To be a true artist, however, you need enormous talent, fierce ambition, an original vision and an unyielding toughness. In "Corn Flakes," some artists triumph because they were tough enough and others died because they weren't. It was the golden age of rock--a time when the music's influence was so widespread and profound that it may be impossible to ever match.
All it takes to be a star is luck and a commercial sound, which explains why there are so many mediocre hit-makers. To be a true artist, however, you need enormous talent, fierce ambition, an original vision and an unyielding toughness. In "Corn Flakes," some artists triumph because they were tough enough and others died because they weren't. It was the golden age of rock--a time when the music's influence was so widespread and profound that it may be impossible to ever match.
From Bono's Introduction to "Corn Flakes"
"Robert Hilburn's role as critic was not just to encourage suspension of disbelief in the audience, but in the artist as well. That is an environment in which music grows. He made us better. Many critics do bands the favor of contextualizing their work, and Bob certainly did that. But there was always the sense from him that too much reverence for the past can shut the future up. Though twice the age as some of his discoveries, he was a diviner of new talent, watchful for a through line with what had come before, but scouting for surprises ... whether it was Chuck D of John Lydon, John Prine or Axl Rose. He made the present porous, he argued for what was about to happen. I think the biggest kick for Bob was sitting on planet rock and watching the new wave breaking. He figured every generation had a resonant frequency and that his job was to be a tuning fork. Not remotely interested in passing trends, it was the purity of the
Photo taken in 1981 at U2's Los Angeles debut by Martha Harntett for the Los Angeles Times.
pitch he was listening for, i.e. would it last? That ear again. Was it worth the fuss? We were not at that time, but his words make us readier....
"The book documents Robert Hilburn's love of performers in country, rock and pop, with early hustles of Elvis and The Colonel; his love of words, with writings about Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Kris Kristofferson and Bob Dylan; the chemistry set that is band membership, from the Beatles to U2 to Nirvana. All documented by his gracious person and unforgiving prose."
"The book documents Robert Hilburn's love of performers in country, rock and pop, with early hustles of Elvis and The Colonel; his love of words, with writings about Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Kris Kristofferson and Bob Dylan; the chemistry set that is band membership, from the Beatles to U2 to Nirvana. All documented by his gracious person and unforgiving prose."
Praise for "Corn Flakes"
"So many great memories came flooding back to me when I read 'Corn Flakes.' A must read for genuine music lovers." -- Elton John
Photo taken in 1975 by Tony Bernard for the Los Angeles Times.
“Hilburn's amazing resilience and commitment for music shines through his decades of reportage and reviews of music.... On behalf of the musicians of the 60's on, I thank you for having been the communicator of our music with love. Thank you.” -- yoko ono, summer of 2009
"It's impossible to read these pages and not encounter passages that will surprise, sadden and hearten you. It's also impossible to read this and not recognize Robert Hilburn as the greatest interviewer in rock 'n' roll history. I'm grateful he's given us such a valuable -- and enjoyable -- document." -- Mikal Gilmore, author of the prize-winning "Shot in the Heart" and a Rolling Stone contributing editor.
"I've always felt that Robert Hilburn made the utmost effort in capturing how artists ticked. I felt he always cut to the real chase without chasing so to speak. 'Corn Flakes' reflects this non-intrusive knack front to back. That same quality was very important in the foundation of coverage regarding Rap and Hip Hop, thus we were honored when Bob wrote about us and our largely then misunderstood genre." -- Chuck D, Public Enemy.
Photo by Patrick Downs for the Los Angeles Times.
For more praise visit RobertHilburnOnline.com
Order "Corn Flakes" here
