24 Robert Hilburn Quotes for You to Enjoy

Robert Hilburn

American Critic

Born: Sep 25, 1939

First Great Music People Think You

Related authors: George Steiner Henry Louis Gates James Wolcott Kimberly Guilfoyle Margaret Fuller Pauline Kael Roger Ebert bell hooks

One of my great frustrations for 35 years at the paper was the fact I couldn't play a record for the reader when I was writing about an artist. How can you describe the beauty of Emmylou Harris' voice without hearing it, the sensual lilt of a Duane Allman guitar solo without actually hearing it, or the growl of Johnny Rotten without hearing it? Robert Hilburn

Great You Writing Guitar Beauty Harris Paper Solo Record About Johnny Voice Fact Reader Without How Years Hearing Artist Frustrations Sensual Describe Rotten Play Actually

Artists frequently argue that videos trivialize a song and that touring for months at a time works against the creative process, not to mention maintaining a normal lifestyle. Doing something about these complaints, however, is rare because promotional videos and touring are considered essential elements in building multimillion-unit album sales. Robert Hilburn

Time Creative Song Videos Creative Process Rare Building Complaints Considered Months About Something Mention Argue Lifestyle Touring Maintaining Because Frequently Doing However Sales Normal Essential Essential Elements Artists Process Against Works Elements Album

To many, Courtney Love smells like rock hype. Reviewers may be excited about her, but the rock audience may be skeptical of the credentials of someone who is more famous for her interviews and her spouse than for her music. Robert Hilburn

Love Music Hype Interviews About Someone More Excited Like Smells Audience Rock Spouse Courtney Courtney Love Reviewers Than May Famous Skeptical Who Many Credentials Her

David Bowie, who spent most of the '70s establishing himself as a master of psychological disguises, is spending the '80s trying to convince us that he's just a regular fella - or at least as close to one as a millionaire pop star can be. Robert Hilburn

Millionaire Master Spending Spent David David Bowie He Most Fella Bowie Himself Least Close Trying Just Establishing Psychological Us Convince Pop Regular Pop Star Who Star

In the role of Ziggy Stardust, Bowie seemed in 1972 like a strange alien creature, not so much coming from another planet as from a future age. His purpose: to warn us about a dangerous society where values were to be turned inside out. Robert Hilburn

Future Age Strange Dangerous Alien Values Society Out Inside Inside-Out About Seemed Purpose Like Bowie Another Coming Were His Role Where Turned Us Warn Much Planet Creature Stardust

Take any celebrity - all we really know is what they choose to tell us or what they show us in public. Robert Hilburn

Tell Take Know Celebrity Any Public Us Really Show Choose

I learned how difficult it is to be an artist. There are always compromises. The record company wants you to do this, your fans want you to do this, your family - you can't concentrate on your work. Robert Hilburn

Work Family You Fans Difficult Record Record Company Compromises Concentrate Learned Always How Artist Want Wants Your Company

I first met Michael in the early days of the Jackson 5 at the family home in Los Angeles, and the memory that stands out is that Michael, as cute and wide-eyed as an 11-year-old could be, was eager to get through the interview so he could watch cartoons before having to go to bed. Robert Hilburn

Home Family Memory First Met Before Cute Interview Out Cartoons Angeles Having Could Through He Days Bed Los Los Angeles Go Michael Get Jackson Stands Eager Watch Early Early Days

Kendrick Lamar is a great, great thinker. He's a tremendous artist. Robert Hilburn

Great Tremendous He Artist Thinker

I loved Roger Miller. Robert Hilburn

Roger Loved Miller

His belief in the power of music to convey ideas - not just entertain - has filtered down to musicians in every field, from alt-rock to hip-hop, from Bruce Springsteen and U2 to Arcade Fire and Kanye West. Popular music is different because of Johnny Cash. Robert Hilburn

Music Musicians Fire Power Field Down Every Filtered Entertain Arcade Bruce Cash Bruce Springsteen Johnny Johnny Cash Ideas Because Hip-Hop Springsteen His West Just Different Convey Kanye Kanye West Popular Popular Music Belief

Through the '80s, nobody cared about Johnny Cash. Robert Hilburn

About Cash Johnny Johnny Cash Through Nobody Cared

Elvis may have been my first hero, but you couldn't relate to him. Robert Hilburn

You Hero First Relate Elvis Him Been May

John Cougar Mellencamp - I didn't like him in the beginning. I liked some of the stuff around the 'Scarecrow' period. I go back and forth on him all the time, but I think he's a good artist. I don't know if he's a great artist or not, but he rose above his original level of achievement. Robert Hilburn

Time Good Great Achievement Beginning Rose Think Great Artist Back John Some Above He Stuff Like Know Liked Period Him Around Go His Artist In The Beginning Forth Original Level

You had to read what I wrote if you lived in L.A. in 1975 and cared about pop music. Robert Hilburn

Music You About Had Wrote Read Pop Pop Music Lived Cared

It's a different world because of the Internet and bloggers. Now, every editor is concerned about speed because every minute counts. Speed is more important than content. Whoever gets a review out first becomes the authority. Robert Hilburn

World Internet First Important Every Speed Out Minute About More Counts Concerned Content Because Becomes Editor Bloggers Review Than Authority Gets Different Whoever Now Different World

If you care about who I want to write about, I'll write about the people you want to read about. Robert Hilburn

You People Care About Write Read Want Who

Because record companies do not routinely release sales figures the way film studios do, the weekly charts in trade publications like 'Billboard' provide the best independent measure of record appeal. Robert Hilburn

Like David Bowie, Madonna visualizes music so that her best work seems equally designed with the stage or screen in mind - not just the jukebox. Robert Hilburn

Work Music Best Mind Stage Madonna Best Work Seems David David Bowie Like Bowie Equally Just Screen Her Designed

In 1980, after 10 years at 'The Times,' I was at a crossroads in my personal life. I loved my family, but I was also so obsessive about my work that I found myself devoting more and more time to it. I wanted to be everywhere there was a good story, and that meant I had to choose between that and being with the family on important days. Robert Hilburn

Life Work Time Myself Good Family Important Personal Life Everywhere About Crossroads More More And More Good Story Had Between Obsessive Days Also Years Times Personal Being Wanted After Loved Story Meant Choose Found

I'm guilty of being perceived as having narrow taste. I went after the artists that I thought were important - Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen and stuff. Robert Hilburn

Thought Important Guilty Perceived Bruce Bruce Springsteen Having Joni Mitchell Stuff Narrow Mitchell Springsteen Were Taste Artists Being After Dylan

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