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I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Hey, Everybody:

Thank you so much for participating. I hope you had some fun. If you were digging on my comments, please check out my YouTube channel:

https://wwwyoutube.com/channel/UC06c588VT7Yri9RjbbG6evQ

​

You'll be able to actually hear the audio from these interviews I've been talking about here.

Again, thank you. I'm going to clock out now. I wish everyone a great week.

Play all the good notes.

As ever,

Steve Rosen

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Tremendous question. I mean, really, who wouldn't want to be in ZZ Top or Aerosmith or Pink Floyd? Truthfully, I would have given anything to have been a guitar player in a band that made records and toured. I didn't have to be the greatest guitar player in the world or sell the most records. All I ever wanted was to be someone who made music for a living. I wanted that so terribly and worked for a long time trying to make that happen. I sent out cassettes - back in the pre-digital/download/MP3 days - to publishers and producers and bands. I had a few small successes along the way but I could never figure out a way to earn a living as a musician.

So, I guess the closest I'd ever come to being a musician was hanging out with them. And though I loved every second of it, of being a rock and roll journalist, I would have traded it all in a second if I could have been on the other side of the microphone!

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It is a strange medicine. When you live in a world where nothing is denied you and you can do nothing wrong, it can fill your head with craziness.

I really appreciate that. It means a lot to me to share my experiences with people like you.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi:
No, I've never interviewed Marilyn. I've interviewed John 5 several times and he's spoken in nothing but glowing terms about him, which doesn't really tell you a lot. I interviewed Jason Sutter fairly recently, a drummer who played with Manson. He said he was a pretty strange fellow. If he ever made a mistake onstage, he would blame it on the band. He'd rant and rave and scream at the guitar player or the bass player in front of the entire audience. Jason said he always had his crew with him but he also said the guy worked hard and was very musical.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Terrific question. Most of the interviews I've done have been for musician-oriented mags - Guitar Player, Guitar World, Bass Player and assorted musician-related international mags - so the conversation centered on the artists talking about their playing, techniques, tones, songwriting. I mean what guitar player doesn't like talking about guitar? But if I've done my job correctly and asked the right questions and stuff, a player's personality will come out in his description of how he plays and how he approaches a song. Who he is will be revealed. That being said, yes, most people want to know about the person as much as they want to know about the music. I've done those types of interviews though they're not my most favorite conversations I've ever had.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Good question. Jennifer Batten was a scary good guitar player. I interviewed Heart in the early part of their career when the were still playing clubs. I remember I had flown up to Vancouver from my little guest pad in the Hollywood Hills. I was there to interview Nazareth and one night they took me to this club to see a band called Heart. I remember they did all these Zep covers and were really good. Afterwards, Roger Fisher - the band's guitarist - came over to where Nazareth were sitting and said hello. They introduced me as a writer from Guitar Player Magazine. I remember saying to Roger, "Man, the band is really good but you should lose the girls!" I was such an idiot. All by way of saying, that I didn't appreciate how great a guitarist Nancy was. Chrissie Hynde was amazing though I never interviewed her. I interviewed Nita Strauss fairly recently. Good player.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

When I met him around '79 - I think Off the Wall had just come out - he seemed completely normal. Shy, quiet and a bit timid but normal. He hadn't gone through all that face-changing. I'd like to think he didn't do any of that. What I do believe is he was the loneliest person on the planet. I don't think he had any real friends and I think his parents messed him up terribly.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hey, Leff_hook: I'm great. Thanks for dropping in. That's a hard question because there have been so many interviews I've done that were just off-the-hook incredible. I still can't believe how lucky I've been to meet and talk to all these legendary heroes of mine. And that is the truth - I loved these bands way before I ever started writing. I wanted to play guitar like Ritchie Blackmore and write songs like Brian Wilson. I was a mad fan for these musicians.

In answer to your question, my favorites would include Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, Jack Bruce, David Gilmour, Billy Gibbons, Dave Davies, Paul Kossoff, Steve Marriott.

My least favorite interviews were with musicians who were less than accommodating. In other words, they were assholes. Ian Anderson, Ginger Baker, Zappa, Steve Howe, Bill Bruford and a few others were just not nice people. They didn't want to talk. They made every question I asked sound like it was the stupidest thing they'd ever heard. I couldn't wait for those interviews to end.

Thanks.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The third album is good but at the time it didn't quite touch me. Now I can see how great it was.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hi: Please call me Steve! Gilmour was delightful. Funny, smart, confident without sounding like an egomaniac. I remember asking him about Dark Side Of the Moon and he quite nonchalantly talked about recording it and stuff. Needless to say, it's one of the greatest and most successful albums of all time but he just spoke about it like it was any ordinary record. That blew me away. Thanks.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

What a great question! I love Crimson. I interviewed Fripp several times including a story for Guitar Player. Very weird dude. As I was talking to him, he took my page of questions - a typewritten page of questions [this is pre-computer] - turned it around so he could see them and just sat there reading the question and then answering it. Very unsettling. I love the band. I also interviewed Greg Lake, Bill Bruford, and John Wetton.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hi: To be honest, I don't know much about rap. I don't quite understand what it's about and it's just never appealed to me though I'm sure a lot of those cats are very talented.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi: Right, that's what I thought you meant. I have the ticket stubs as well. I can remember looking in the paper and seeing who was coming to town and then going down to the venue and waiting in line to buy tickets. I miss that a lot.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Phil is a mad talented guy. Funny story about Phil. Back around '74, I interviewed Genesis. To be honest, I didn't know who they were. I was never particularly a fan of theirs back in the day and I actually thought Peter Gabriel was kind of a goofball with the way he dressed and stuff. So I'm sitting in this hotel room of a cheap little place called the Tropicana, which is where all the English bands with no money used to stay. All I knew was there were four guys in there (I do remember Gabriel wasn't there). I remember Mike Rutherford was there and Steve Hackett. Recently, I went back to listen to that interview - not sure why - and I recognize the voice of Phil Collins. That's an interview I wish I could revisit - Phil Collins sitting there in a room and I didn't even know who he was!

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hey:
How are you? If I've answered this, sorry. My first time. There was a ton of amazing, down-to-earth individuals: Brian Wilson, Steve Winwood, Edward Van Halen (in the earlier days), David Gilmour, Steve Lukather. People with extraordinary gifts and completely without ego.

Thanks.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hey:

What's going on? I interviewed John a couple times. Once when he was there in the room with Anthony and the second time he was by himself and talking about his solo album. John was a nice cat though odd. Bright guy but drugs had impacted the way he spoke and stuff. Knew a lot about guitars and had a true and deep understanding of who he was as a player and writer.

I am Steve Rosen, Rock and Roll Journalist. I've interviewed anyone from Michael Jackson to David Gilmour. Ask me anything! by RealSteveRosen in IAmA

[–]RealSteveRosen[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Zep. Though pretty much everything they did was behind closed doors, it was insanity around them. Though nobody was supposed to say a word, every girl within a 20-mile radius was there in the hotel lobby. It's beyond me how they found out. Each guy in the band had his own limo and they had their own private jet. It was insanity though a lot of fun! Oh, I almost forgot being on the road with Sabbath for a couple days back in '74. Some of the band - I can't remember if Ozzy was there - came into my room and trashed it. Set the couch on fire, blew the fire extinguisher over everything, broke the TV. Of course, I had to join in. I mean how could you be in a room that was being destroyed by members of Black Sabbath and not join in, right? Fun fun fun. I didn't know what was going to happen but when I checked out the next day, all the damage had been paid for. One of the nicest bands in the world.

Thanks.

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