Episode Details

Host Jesse Jackson thanks Patreon supporters, then welcomes returning guest Steve Rosen, a veteran music journalist and author. Rosen recounts growing up in Culver City, his early radio influences, discovering Jeff Beck through the Yardbirds, and seeing the Jeff Beck Group in 1969, calling Beck the most profoundly gifted and creative guitarist. He explains how learning guitar and a love of writing pushed him into journalism, from high school and UCLA papers to the LA Free Press and major magazines, and describes meeting Eddie Van Halen in 1977 and their 26-year friendship, later chronicled in Tone Chaser. Rosen discusses rewriting his Japan-only 1978 Jeff Beck biography into a new book released on Beck’s birthday, why Beck remained underwritten, and stories about Beck’s difficult bandleading. He also answers the “Thunder Road” question: Mary gets in the car.

https://a.co/d/00mtOqXI

00:00 Patreon Thanks

01:28 Meet Steve Rosen

02:02 50 Years Writing Music

02:48 Rewriting the Jeff Beck Book

04:54 Growing Up in Culver City

05:37 Beach Boys and Early Radio

07:53 Discovering Jeff Beck

11:13 Deep Dive Into Guitar Heroes

14:25 First Byline Breakthrough

16:56 From School Papers to Creem

20:41 Meeting Eddie Van Halen

26:11 Why Write About Beck

29:09 Rewriting the Beck Book

29:47 Why Beck Stayed Underrated

32:27 Artists on Beck’s Genius

33:05 Band Leader Chaos Tales

34:52 Making It in Music

37:31 Tech Changed Everything

40:02 YouTube as a Teacher

45:06 Does Mary Get In

50:07 Book Plug and Farewell

52:14 Listener Outro and Links

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