One of the many things that makes the Howard Stern Show so endlessly fascinating is the incredible musical guests he’s had in the studio over the years. When you hear that a musician or band is coming in—whether you like them or not—you know you’re in for something unique and, likely, by the time the guest has finished, you’ll be a fan or at least you’ll have a new-found respect for them.
Stern has the uncanny ability to bring out the very best of nearly all of his guests, and musicians are no exception. Maybe it’s the ‘frustrated musician’ that lives inside him that makes him really appreciate musicians for their skills and abilities? Howard often talks about his lack of musicality and his inability to create something moving and beautiful—and the envy he has for those that can. He understands the time, dedication and discipline that musicians go through to create their art.
Sometimes Howard will reminisce about his early life and the impact music had on him and the shaping of his world view. When he tells Leslie West that he used to smoke pot in his room while listening to Mountain, or he tells Paul McCartney what the Beatles’ “Blackbird” meant to him as a young man growing up in a black community, how it moved him, you can feel the emotional connection. When Stern meets one of his childhood musical idols, he really is in awe. It’s refreshing to hear him get giddy and fawn over them like anyone else would, and the majority of his guests have a mutual admiration for Howard and they tend to give just a little bit more of themselves than they might in another setting.
Although a lot of people like music, it’s Howard’s true appreciation sets him apart from most other talk shows hosts. Howard isn’t necessarily looking to hear the latest hit. He seems far more interested in the motivation or inspiration behind the latest hit; what sparked the original idea, who the song is really about, where it was written, how long it took to compose, etc. The long-format interview gives him the chance to dig a lot further than, say, a Letterman or the eternally-shitty, cut-and-paste Leno ever could. Hell, Leno seems completely devoid of any insightful knowledge of his guests and he would never take the time or trouble to ask a musician (or anyone for that matter) an interesting or relevant question. Maybe NPR can offer an equally-long, in-depth interview, but it could never come close the delivering anything as entertaining, spontaneous and engaging as Howard.
Read the rest at Baby Shower for Guys – Howard Stern: Music Fan
