Leafing through a paperback clearance-sale copy of Rolling Stone Interviews, picked up at Borders for almost nothing this Independence Day weekend, I was amused by the traditionalist themes of the experience. That this publication, for decades a leading presence of the anti-establishment, should be chopped up, repackaged, and delivered as a non-fiction item at a mass merchandise outlet, beside cookbooks, how-to-succeed brochures, and analyses of the sub-prime mortgage bubble, is a testament no doubt to how far counterculture has come. But this was only the beginning.
In all seriousness, the conversations selected for the volume – ranging from Johnny Cash to Truman Capote (interviewed by Andy Warhol) to President Clinton to Eminem – contain much that is not counter-cultural but, on the contrary, touching and inspiring. Among these, my favorite moments are ones when some of the subject interviewees describe their artistic influences. Here is Jerry Garcia of the Merry Pranksters waxing nostalgic about the significance of T.S. Eliot in his formative years; Patti Smith of CBGB’s standing firm against criticism of the avant garde because William Burroughs and Arthur Rimbaud are on her side; Bob Dylan of Greenwich Village reciting memorized verse from Rudyard Kipling, quoting Sun Tsu, and listing off examples of Chess Records street poets who still live inside his lines. It would be no different to hear a lawyer reminisce about a certain torts professor who had opened up the field for him or her, or to hear Steve Jobs paying tribute to Dave Packard.
Reflecting on these and countless other gems, I realized what it actually was that I found so touching, and so traditionalist, about these counterculture interviews: The professionalism of the performers, despite all of their documented flaws, showed through and was the pervasive theme of every conversation. The transcribed discussions were taking place with craftsmen who not only accept their job with dedication, but who demonstrate true love for the craft, and who, even well beyond their apprenticeship years, remain students of the trade. Here is Jim Morrison talking about chord changes, Keith Richards about twelve-bar blues variations, Joni Mitchell contrasting the instruments and rhythms, the production style and sound quality of her recordings.
It occurred to me to jot down these thoughts about professionals and the poetry of their dedication, their spirit and their pride, as America celebrates its 234th birthday as a nation of craftsmen. Let’s hope that staunch professionalism will always stay in vogue. Let’s hope this quality never becomes countercultural.
