<p>Warren Zanes talks life as a rocker and writer, his new book on Springsteen's Nebraska, how to weave theory into a great story, and why he narrates his own audiobooks. <a href="https://phantompod.org/warren-zanes/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://phantompod.org/warren-zanes/">Warren Zanes: Rockstar Biographer</a> appeared first on <a href="https://phantompod.org">Phantom Power</a>.</p>
![<a href="http://phantompod.org/subscribe">Subscribe</a> to Phantom Power<a href="https://www.patreon.com/phantompower">Support</a> the podcast on PatreonRate and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/phantom-power/">Apple</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0H0p305Js8sWXwLWTqph6x">Spotify</a><a href="https://www.warren-zanes.com/">Warren Zanes</a> is a “rockstar biographer” in more ways than one: he has experienced life as a rockstar, a biographer, and a biographer of rockstars. When Mack first met Warren in New Orleans sometime in the late 80s or early 90s, Zanes was then emerging from the wreckage of meteoric success. He’d been the teenage guitarist in critically acclaimed band <a href="https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCTE9OmB-378M6zyd5nNNe3A">The Del Fuegos</a>, who briefly broke into the national popular consciousness—and then just plain broke up. But in the years since, Zanes remade himself into one of our most erudite and entertaining public scholars of popular music. Among other things, he’s been Vice President of Education and Public Programs at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a consulting producer on the Oscar-winning film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396566/">Twenty Feet from Stardom</a>, a producer on the Grammy-nominated PBS/<a href="https://soundbreaking.com/about-the-series/">Soundbreaking</a> series, and he conducted interviews for Martin Scorsese’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1113829/">George Harrison</a> documentary. All while keeping up a solo recording career with collaborators such as the Dust Brothers.Warren’s books include the first volume in the celebrated 33 1/3 Series, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dusty-Springfields-Memphis-Thirty-Three/dp/0826414923">Dusty in Memphis</a>; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Petty-Biography-Warren-Zanes-audiobook/dp/B017OD6XTM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=AW3BR18ATJV&keywords=petty&qid=1682385454&s=books&sprefix=petty%2Cstripbooks%2C99&sr=1-1">Petty: The Biography</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Revolutions-Sound-Warner-Bros-Records/dp/0811866289">Revolutions in Sound: Warner Bros. Records</a>. His latest book is called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deliver-Me-Nowhere-Springsteens-Nebraska/dp/0593237412/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LKX3GFBGMKRF&keywords=deliver%20me%20from%20nowhere&qid=1682385481&s=books&sprefix=deliver%20me%20from%20nowehere%2Cstripbooks%2C64&sr=1-1">Deliver Me from Nowhere.</a> On its face, it’s a book about the making of Bruce Springsteen’s classic lo-fi album <a href="https://brucespringsteen.net/albums/nebraska/">Nebraska</a>. But it’s also about sound technology, musicianship teetering in a moment between the analog and digital eras, what it means to be in a band, and the relationship between the four-track cassette recorder and social alienation in Reagan era.In this interview, Warren talks about his journey, the recent book, his craft as a writer, and—as part of our mini-theme this season on audiobooks—the process of narrating his own audiobooks and why he does so. And for our Patrons we’ll have Warren’s What’s Good segment, with something good to read, listen to, and do. You can join us at <a href="http://patreon.com/phantompower">patreon.com/phantompower</a>. Today’s show was edited by Nisso Sacha and Mack Hagood. Transcript and web content by Katelyn Phan.Transcript<br />
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This is Phantom Power<br />
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Mack Hagood: Welcome to another episode of Phantom Power, where I have conversations with brilliant people on the topic of sound. I’m Mack Hagood. I’m a professor and author who teaches and writes about sound. And today’s brilliant guest is Warren Zanes. <br />
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I think the most succinct descriptor one could use for Warren would be “rockstar biographer.” In fact, Warren Zanes is a rockstar biographer in more ways than one. He has experienced life as a rockstar, a biographer,](https://us-central1-podcastguru-217d6.cloudfunctions.net/gcf_get_image?image_url=http://phantompod.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/phantom_power_logo_apple.jpg&width=300&height=300&api_key=xqFmUFX5BHLBTA){kind=logo}