hear dead rockstars speak through book

in the glorified survey taking that are radio interviews, it's difficult to come up with something new when so many people have done it so many times in so many ways.

It could be said whatever new thing that could be done, has been done, if not already done to death.

That's, of course, no excuse for stealing off the masters.

A book that I have found incredibly inspiring is Rolling Stones Magazine's compilation of interviews with personalities, past and present.

If you're even the slightest bit of a music nut (geek/nerd/freak - choose preferred), your eyes would pop with wonder at first glance of the table of contents. There's an interview with Pete Townshend, an interview with Warhol (with Truman Capote as interviewer, sort of), Kurt Cobain's last moments, and John Lennon.

It's very good reading. Naturally, the requisite trivia is there but the articles' impact come from the way they are composed.

There is a naturalistic tone consistent in all in the interviews which allows each interview subject a voice that is unmistakably theirs. They drone, they get distressed, distracted, passionate, these larger than life personas jump off the page and after each interview you sit and think to yourself, 'I get why this guy's a superstar now.'

Best of the lot
If you're not going to read the whole book, definitely don't skip on these ones

• Kurt Cobain's interview - brooding, disturbing, and resigned. Interview was conducted not long before his suicide
• Andy Warhol - madcap interview, or more appropriately record of two culture icons, Warhol and Capote, bumping into each other
• Jim Morrison