Born To Rock – A Collection of Interviews and Essays – Todd Taylor

Gorsky Press, POB 42024, LA, CA 90042, Usa

Published in 2004, it took some time until the book made it’s way over here and finally got read – but it was worth it. The author, Todd Taylor used to do interviews for the Flipside Fanzine, after it folded, he started his own zine, Razorcake. In the book one finds his seventeen favorite interviews he ever did. Most of the interviews are rather long and very good. You find out about the person Taylor speaks to, since he asks good questions and is always well prepared before he goes in a interview.

Talking about interesting subjects, a general good attitute and education makes this book a fun read. The reader learns alot about all the people Todd talks to, way diffrent than all the superficial interviews you find in most music mags, those are usually in there for promo reasons. Anyway, the book starts out with a story by Todd, about a bad car crash he had when he was younger. Then follows a stretch of interviews:

Dillinger Four, Smogtown, Kid Dynamite, Bloodbag, Toys That Kill, The Thumbs, Strike Anywhere, NoFx, Fletcher of Pennywise, Duane Peters, Rev. Norb, Andrew Vachss, Winston Smith, Mike Diana, Tim Yohannon and Jen Angel of Maximumrocknroll, Hot Water Music and Tiltwheel. Then another essay on „aging punks“ (come on, dude, you’re young! 😉 and a „how to do interviews“. I wish some more people would read that. I personally enjoyed the interviews with NoFx, Fletcher, Duane, Andrew and Tim/Jen the most, for various reasons – that does not mean the other interviews are not so good – well, to be honest, the one with Rev. Norb I did not finnish, since it is not my kind of humor and I dont know enough about US „culture“ to get it… anyway.

The book is a good read, especially considering that I usually do not read too many interviews of bands…… I will not tell you any of the contents, they go from crazy storys to well thought out political analyses and ideas – find out for yourself. Every „new punker“ should read this book, for historical and educational matters on the subject!
Between the interviews there are also photos for illustration, nice. (dolf)

304 pages, paperback (21×13,5cm) 14.- US $

www.gorskypress.com

Isbn 0-9668185-8-X

[Trust # 118 Juni 2006]