Bat Chain Puller: Rock and Roll in the Age of Celebrity

In these essays and interviews, most of which were originally published in Rolling Stone, MTV commentator Loder takes a look at popular culture in the 1980s, focusing on the celebrity industry and how various members of the rock culture have dealt with it. His subjects are Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Iggy Pop, Prince and others, as well as artist Andy Warhol, actor Sean Connery, performance artist Laurie Anderson--even stars of grade Z slasher movies. Loder pays tribute to performers who have not sold out to the lure of big money or let themselves be exploited--Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, for example--but he emphasizes that he compiled these pieces mainly because he believes that the history of rock culture is worth preserving. The book provides an intimate look at some of the rock generation's most flamboyant personalities. Photos not seen by PW. (Nov.)