Bob Gruen, NEW YORK DOLLS: PHOTOGRAPHS photographer: Mr. Media Interview

Book cover via AmazonWelcome to another edition of Mr. Media’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge. Today, I’ll test your familiarity with the roots of punk rock music with a very special guest, photographer Bob Gruen.

Bob just published a new collection of his classic photos, this time capturing the wild times of the original New York punk band, the New York Dolls, which once upon a time starred David Johansen, Johnny Thunders, Billy Murcia and Arthur Kane. The book – with its shocking pink cover – is titled, simply, New York Dolls: Photographs.

If you know anything about the Dolls, you’ll want this book on your coffee table. It’ll be a good bookend for other Gruen collections, including John Lennon: The New York Years and The Clash.

Gruen’s pretty busy these days; he attended the opening of an exhibition of his photos at the Liss Gallery, 140 Yorkville Avenue in Toronto. And from October 11 through Nov 2, Gruen will have his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles at the Morrison Hotel Gallery, 7517 W Sunset Blvd, (near the Guitar Center). Gruen will attend the opening on October 11th to sign copies of New York Dolls: Photographs.

You can LISTEN to this interview by clicking the BlogTalkRadio.com audio player below!

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Copyright 2008 Bob Andelman. Click here for copyright permissions!

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Legs McNeil, PLEASE KILL ME, THE OTHER HOLLYWOOD author: Mr. Media Audio Interview

Book cover via AmazonWhen Spin magazine started, its staff included two fascinating characters. First was Bob Guccione, Jr., the magazine’s founder and namesake son of the publisher of Penthouse.

And then there was Spin’s senior editor, Legs McNeil.

Legs McNeil!?!

What the hell kind of stupid name was that for a journalist? I mean, I grew up with kids named "Plinky," "Jiggs," and "Doine," but "Legs"?

Well, let me tell you, that guy Legs McNeil could write. Some months, the only copy worth reading in Spin was under his byline.

It wasn’t until years later that I learned that in the early 1970s, McNeil was a co-founder, with John Holmstrom and Ged Dunn, of Punk Magazine, which gave name to an entire musical generation.

McNeil has since written two remarkable non-fiction books, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, and The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry He’s also involved in a new documentary series unspooling across VH1, Spike, and the Sundance Channel in May called "SEX: The Revolution."

Because of the nature of these topics, if you’re easily offended – or under 18 - stop listening now. Thank you.

You can LISTEN to this interview by clicking the BlogTalkRadio.com audio player below!

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© 2008 by Bob Andelman. All rights reserved.