Rock Stars on the Record

Bestselling author Eric Spitznagel speaks with an all-star lineup of rock-n-rollers—from Perry Farrell to the Indigo Girls—to discover the uproariously wild, sentimental, and unexpected pre-stardom stories behind their favorite records.

Rock Stars on the Record is a collection of first-hand tales by artists of all ages, backgrounds, and musical influences, remembering the meaning behind the records that mattered most to them. From Laurie Anderson to Ian Mackaye, Don McLean to Yuka Honda, Alice Bag to Mac DeMarco, and many more, bestselling author Eric Spitznagel talks to rock stars across the musical spectrum about the albums that changed them in ways only music can change someone.

Everyone’s most cherished childhood record—be it a battered piece of vinyl, torn cassette tape, or scratched CD—has a story, and those stories can be more revealing about their owners than you might expect. Read about how Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy furtively scratched the “Parental Advisory” sticker off the sleeve of the Clash’s London Calling so that his mother would consent to buy it—cementing its influence on the Grammy-winning band. Or about Mojo Nixon’s relationship to George Thorogood’s Move It On Over, or Dar Williams’s connection with Judy Collins’s Whales & Nightingales.

Each profile is more emotional, fascinating, and hilarious than the last. So place that needle in the groove, and prepare to hear something revelatory from your favorite rockers past and present.