In Book 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.
Paperback edition due October 2010.
From my collection, taken by Bob Gruen in a New York recording studio the week of Oct. 6, 1980.
For more of Bob's photos, go to bobgruen.com
For more of Bob's photos, go to bobgruen.com
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 or 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 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." (Click here for full introduction.)
"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." (Click here for full introduction.)
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
“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
(4 stars) "Longtime Los Angeles Times music critic Hilburn earned the friendship of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon and Johnny Cash, and few writers have snagged more candid interviews from cagey subjects like Bob Dylan. Less a memoir than a chronological collection of close-up encounters with rock royalty, this page-turner peaks during Hilburn’s recollection of a tear-streaked Yoko Ono sitting in bed the day after Lennon’s assassination and telling the world, 'The future is still ours to Make.' That’s true, but what a history." -- Barry Walters, Rolling Stone
"Good critical memoirs are rare enough, but this one is singular. Robert Hilburn came of age as the rock & roll sensibility was being born, and his writing career has paralleled and chronicled many of the music’s most important transformations, from the late 1960s through the rise of punk and hip-hop, from Bob Dylan through Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Eminem. But this is far more than a career chronicle. Hilburn has always held deep passions for the music’s meanings, even when some of its best artists disappointed him, and he has always recognized its power to bring about social change. More important, though, he appreciates what rock & roll means to those people who sustain it—its audiences, from generation to generation—and how it speaks for their displacement, their sorrows, their realities and their hopes.
"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 & 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.
"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 & 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.
"Most rock critics cobble together memoirs out of old dusty clippings, with maybe an introduction added for good measure. Robert Hilburn has always been a different breed of rock critic, and his memoir is a different beast as well. Even as Hilburn meets and interviews the crème de la crème of rock, he steadfastly focuses on the art and not the celebrity, and he does so in a way that makes these encounters come alive for the reading as if they were gripping drama. Beautifully written, and passionately told, this book captures the very essence of what it means to be someone who loves music." -- Charles R. Cross, author of "Heavier than Heaven" and "Room Full of Mirrors."
"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.
"I never gave a damn for rock criticism until I read Robert Hilburn." -- Bernie Taupin
"The veteran music critic Robert Hilburn, who has written for the Los Angeles Times for decades, will release “Corn Flakes With John Lennon,” a memoir, in October. I have read it, though quickly and without a reread, and I enjoyed it—Hilburn was a sober observer of crazy times, and he’s honest about his anxiety or curiosity in the presence of famousrock stars, whether Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, or Bruce Springsteen. In anticipation of the book, Hilburn has launched a Web site that includes photos, picks of favorite songs, photographs of his dogs, and even a link to a recent L.A. Times story that includes a video with his reminiscences of Michael Jackson." --Ben Greenman, TheNewYorker.com
“The best thing about 'Corn Flakes' is that Hilburn tells you about his part in an extraordinarily creative period in music history without ever once overshadowing a single person, conversation or event. He keeps the focus on the artists and why they mattered to the art form, to the culture and to social freedom. An excellent work.” -- Chuck Philips, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter.
"Robert Hilburn is required reading for anyone involved in the music scene. Artists, managers, publicists and fans turn to him for accurate, insightful reportage and musical sensibilities that are impeccable. I knew some of the people in this book and Bob was able to relay their expression with accuracy and relevancy. While reading the words, I could almost hear the song." -- Elliot Mintz, media consultant working with such artists as John Lennon and Bob Dylan
“Bob Hilburn had unparalleled access to music's top stars for 35 years. Here he shares his insights into what made them tick. It's almost like he's letting you borrow his backstage pass or flip through his reporter's notebook. Some of the details that didn't make the original stories are even more telling than the quotes that did. If you were a fan of music from the era of John Lennon and Elton John to the time of U2 and Nirvana, you'll find much to savor here.” -- Paul Grein, Yahoo! Music
Photo of Bono taken in 1981 at U2's Los Angeles debut by Martha Hartnett for the Los Angeles Times.
Photo of Elton taken in 1975 by Tony Bernard for the Los Angeles Times.
Photo of Chuck D taken in 1994 by Patrick Downs for the Los Angeles Times.
Photo of Elton taken in 1975 by Tony Bernard for the Los Angeles Times.
Photo of Chuck D taken in 1994 by Patrick Downs for the Los Angeles Times.
Order "Corn Flakes" here.
