Not Fade Away: A Backstage Pass to 20 Years of Rock & Roll
Where rock scribes are concerned, you've got provocateurs of theLester Bangsschool, academics of theGreil Marcusvariety, and the nuts-and-bolts sorts who, while perhaps less colorful wordsmiths, excel at capturing their subjects by putting them at ease. EarlyRolling Stonecontributor/editor Ben Fong-Torres may be the best known and most durable member of that third school.Not Fade Awaygathers 34 Fong-Torres profiles and interviews ranging from Woodstock-era pieces centering onSly StoneandJanis Joplinto '80s articles onEddie Murphyand Tom Hanks. Despite the occasional foray into film writing,Not Fade Awaycenters around rock & roll. Solid journalist that he is, Fong-Torres can stretch fromJames BrowntoNeil Diamond, fromBob DylantoIggy Pop--all without straining. Vignettes update and add color to Fong-Torres's out-of-the-archives articles.--Steven Stolder