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
"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 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
"Towering rock critic Robert Hilburn replays his glory days of poking around Folsom with Cash, tucking into Corn Flakes with John Lennon (Rodale), and kibitzing with a "born again" Dylan. Don't you love a good story?" -- Elissa Schappell, Vanity Fair.
"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
"An influential rock critic shares highlights from more than 40 years in the business.
The book is not exactly a memoir, but rather a review of the major developments in popular music that the author played a part in shaping, both as a prescient champion of performers (Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and U2, for example) and as a sensitive interviewer who earned the trust of some of the most notoriously difficult subjects in music (most notably, Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan). Fans of Springsteen, Dylan and U2 will be thrilled to find multiple chapters devoted to their idols, who are clearly Hilburn’s favorites as well. He generously shares pages of quotes from his interviews on subjects ranging from musical influences—not surprisingly, almost everyone cites Elvis—and the craft of songwriting to the difficulty of maintaining a personal life apart from career and celebrity. The most intriguing sections, however, are the glimpses into the private lives of a who’s who of popular music in the 20th century: Johnny Cash preparing to take the stage at Folsom Prison and, late in life, at a rural Virginia barn dance; Colonel Parker keeping a tight rein on Elvis in Vegas; John Lennon sneaking chocolate and relishing cornflakes and cream at the Dakota; Michael Jackson pillow-fighting with six-year-olds while Brooke Shields and her mother waited for a date; Courtney Love beside herself worrying about Kurt Cobain. Because the incidents illustrate Hilburn’s main points about the character of the acts he believes are most worth listening to, the gossip is guilt-free.
A must-read for pop-music lovers." --Kirkus Reviews, a “must-read” in the book publishing world.
The book is not exactly a memoir, but rather a review of the major developments in popular music that the author played a part in shaping, both as a prescient champion of performers (Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and U2, for example) and as a sensitive interviewer who earned the trust of some of the most notoriously difficult subjects in music (most notably, Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan). Fans of Springsteen, Dylan and U2 will be thrilled to find multiple chapters devoted to their idols, who are clearly Hilburn’s favorites as well. He generously shares pages of quotes from his interviews on subjects ranging from musical influences—not surprisingly, almost everyone cites Elvis—and the craft of songwriting to the difficulty of maintaining a personal life apart from career and celebrity. The most intriguing sections, however, are the glimpses into the private lives of a who’s who of popular music in the 20th century: Johnny Cash preparing to take the stage at Folsom Prison and, late in life, at a rural Virginia barn dance; Colonel Parker keeping a tight rein on Elvis in Vegas; John Lennon sneaking chocolate and relishing cornflakes and cream at the Dakota; Michael Jackson pillow-fighting with six-year-olds while Brooke Shields and her mother waited for a date; Courtney Love beside herself worrying about Kurt Cobain. Because the incidents illustrate Hilburn’s main points about the character of the acts he believes are most worth listening to, the gossip is guilt-free.
A must-read for pop-music lovers." --Kirkus Reviews, a “must-read” in the book publishing world.
"In his engaging, frustrating new book, "Corn Flakes With John Lennon," former Los Angeles Times pop-music critic and editor Robert Hilburn spins engaging stories by the score. There he is with Bono in Dublin, recounting to the U2 singer how he suggested a set list to Bob Dylan to perform in Israel, and telling Bono about his visit to Leonard Cohen at a Zen monastery and the many times he saw Elvis Presley, one of their shared heroes, in Las Vegas. Bono returned the favor by writing the "Corn Flakes" foreword, stating that Mr. Hilburn has "a reverence for the life forces in rock—its truth-telling vitality rather than its corny mythologies, death-cult shtick or tragic hipness."
That assessment seems spot on. "Corn Flakes" not only gives an offstage glimpse into some of the era's major rock artists, but also insight into Mr. Hilburn, a working journalist who respected his readers as much as he did those artists. Mr. Hilburn's plain-spoken prose is free of the writerly pyrotechnics used by some of his self-aggrandizing rock-critic peers. A humbler narrator you're unlikely to find. 'I always wanted to be an honest observer,' he told me when we met for the first time recently in Los Angeles. 'The only reason to be there is to tell other people what happened.'" -- Jim Fusilli, Wall Street Journal (click here for full review).
That assessment seems spot on. "Corn Flakes" not only gives an offstage glimpse into some of the era's major rock artists, but also insight into Mr. Hilburn, a working journalist who respected his readers as much as he did those artists. Mr. Hilburn's plain-spoken prose is free of the writerly pyrotechnics used by some of his self-aggrandizing rock-critic peers. A humbler narrator you're unlikely to find. 'I always wanted to be an honest observer,' he told me when we met for the first time recently in Los Angeles. 'The only reason to be there is to tell other people what happened.'" -- Jim Fusilli, Wall Street Journal (click here for full review).
"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
"When U2’s Bono, whom Hilburn championed from the beginning, climbed a balcony rail at an early show and dropped into the arms of waiting fans, Hilburn wrote that a band that good didn’t need a sideshow — 'especially a potentially dangerous one.'
Bono called him the next day. 'I am going to heed what you say,' Bono told him. 'The music is enough, and I realize that.' That attitude is Hilburn’s as well, and it shines through on every page." -- Larry Getlen, New York Post (click here for full review).
Bono called him the next day. 'I am going to heed what you say,' Bono told him. 'The music is enough, and I realize that.' That attitude is Hilburn’s as well, and it shines through on every page." -- Larry Getlen, New York Post (click here for full review).
"It's not often that I'm tempted to take seriously dust-jacket copy on the back of a new book, but I'm happy to make an exception. Charles Cross' encomium nails the seemingly simple but, truthfully, much deeper and more difficult achievement of Cornflakes with John Lennon. The book by the Los Angeles Times' longtime pop critic Robert Hilburn, he writes, 'captures the very essence of what it means to be someone who loves music.'
Yes, there are insights and revelations here. Hilburn's numerous interviews with pop's big names (many done over the span of several years, so there's a kind of 28-Up aspect of visiting folks at successive life stages) disclose Dylan's canny posterity concerns, Johnny Cash's poignant final days, Lennon's thoughts on songwriting, Spector and the Beatles, and further creepy details on the life and times of Jacko. But what really pours forth from these pages more than hard data or deep-dish confessions is the experience of overwhelming, consuming, head-over-heels-addictive love of music--as communicated by both Hilburn and his subjects." -- Gene Sculatti, SonicBoomers.com
Yes, there are insights and revelations here. Hilburn's numerous interviews with pop's big names (many done over the span of several years, so there's a kind of 28-Up aspect of visiting folks at successive life stages) disclose Dylan's canny posterity concerns, Johnny Cash's poignant final days, Lennon's thoughts on songwriting, Spector and the Beatles, and further creepy details on the life and times of Jacko. But what really pours forth from these pages more than hard data or deep-dish confessions is the experience of overwhelming, consuming, head-over-heels-addictive love of music--as communicated by both Hilburn and his subjects." -- Gene Sculatti, SonicBoomers.com
"Hilburn certainly writes from a perspective that is more informed than most — at times this book reads as much as a history of rock as it does as his own personal memoir.
But more importantly, Hilburn writes about the music he so clearly loves with all the passion of the most hardcore fan. This, more than anything else, is what separates Corn Flakes with John Lennon: And Other Tales from a Rock 'n' Roll Life from the rest of the rock books you'll find in the music section at your nearest Borders, and also what makes it such a great read. -- Glen Boyd, BlogCritics.org
But more importantly, Hilburn writes about the music he so clearly loves with all the passion of the most hardcore fan. This, more than anything else, is what separates Corn Flakes with John Lennon: And Other Tales from a Rock 'n' Roll Life from the rest of the rock books you'll find in the music section at your nearest Borders, and also what makes it such a great read. -- Glen Boyd, BlogCritics.org
"'Corn Flakes with John Lennon' captures the feeling of what it was like to have the world's greatest job--rock critic for a major U.S. daily--when it was all discovery. Looking back on his own long run, Hilburn admits his populist bent ("My greatest joy was in finding artists who could speak to millions with the same intimacy and grace"), his own hopes for rock's shaky future ("For old time's sake, I'd love to see rock ‘n' roll continue to be the force that inspires new generations") and inadvertently reveals that what appeals to him most about his heroes was also his guiding force as a writer." -- Roy Trakin, Hits magazine
“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.
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