Corn Flakes with John Lennon

There are not that many gigs in the world where part of the job description is to share corn flakes with legendary rock stars and touch base with some of the biggest mavericks of the music industry. This part memoir and part thesis into the rock world, Corn Flakes with John Lennon, by Robert Hilburn, is the L.A. Times’ music writer’s attempt at writing his biggest, most all-encompassing music review yet. A tryst into the world of rock stars and the lives they lead, this is an account of how some are able to outlive the fame and music while others are not.

Hilburn chronicles the lives of these rock legends with vigor and finesse. He writes about them not as a mere critic would but as a friend and confidante. His word choices and forays into the hidden lives of these famous rock stars are rare looks into the personalities and circumstances that have shaped these bona-fide performers. Hidden beneath all the stars and glitz is usually little more than a shell. Hilburn seeks to uncover that and much more in his book.

Almost, in a way, as if he’s picked his favorites and is sticking to them, Hilburn chooses to talk only about a few select artists. Corn Flakes with John Lennon is shaped by the lives of John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain and the like. Whether he made these names big or whether he followed the conventions of the "who’s who" in the music world, Hilburn has little to no imagination regarding the pick of the litter, so we shall say. While he does touch base with some of the greats – Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Elton John, and Kurt Cobain, he has little to say about other artists.

It becomes quite redundant to hear Bruce Springsteen be praised again and again for his craft and Bono for his eclectic song-writing skills. Most of all, out of this bunch, it is as if Hilburn is seeking the ultimate rock superhero. He praises the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bono, and Kurt Cobain and then wonders to whom it is they are passing on the torch. It is like Hilburn is caricaturing for the perfect rock star but nobody can fill their shoes exactly.

Hilburn isn’t shy when issuing out his music critiques. Much like the Pitchfork of his day, he could easily make or break an artist with his reviews. He has not only caused Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan to change their set lists, but also to open up about their music in a way no one has. A major force in the industry, there is no way denying his influence in the music world.

What Hilburn does do is share quite a bit of these rock stars' journeys to stardom. What he doesn’t do is share his personal life to the world. Much could be hinted through his work though. Though a modest and humble man, he doesn’t mind giving the limelight up to someone else, he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. When he thought Bruce Springsteen was becoming an oldies reunion outfit, he said so in a review and Springsteen quickly adjusted his performance.

Based on his experience and close observations about the intricacies and inner-workings behind the mind of a rock star, it is obvious Hilburn knows the formula that produced the likes of Presley, Lennon, and Dylan. But it is also clear by now how much Hiburn is respected by rock stars and industry-makers alike, and this book as much pays homage to him as it does the people he is writing about. A man who is always seeking the next mega-band, his search is relentless, and here, portrayed in this book, are his meager offerings.