Two books dive into the musical histories of The Police and Joni Mitchell

NPR's Book of the Day

NPR

Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 2024

⏱️ 21 minutes

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Summary

Today's episode is about two emblematic musicians who take us to very different parts of the globe, from the London punk scene to the Laurel Canyon utopia of the 1960s and 70s. First, Stewart Copeland speaks to NPR's Leila Fadel about his memoir, Stewart Copeland's Police Diaries, which chronicles his time as a drummer for the legendary band. Then, Here & Now's Robin Young is joined by NPR Music's Ann Powers, who's written a biography of Joni Mitchell's expansive career called Traveling.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. Today, we've got two rock books for you.
0:07.1	One is about the great Joni Mitchell, and the other a memoir by Stuart Copeland, the drummer from the police.
0:13.6	And a common theme shared between the two books is this idea of trying to fit into an identity, a role, you know, trying to play a part.
0:22.4	In the Joni Mitchell book, Biographer and NPR writer Anne Powers, talks about how she could
0:27.4	code switch between feminine and masculine identities, and eventually that bled into the music.
0:33.1	But we'll start with Stuart Copeland. His memoir is titled Stuart Copeland's Police Diaries.
0:37.9	And in this interview with NPR's Lela Faddle, he talks about being a punk poser.
0:42.5	He literally calls himself a fake punk.
0:45.2	And how liberating it was to finally escape from that baggage.
0:50.0	That's ahead.
0:51.5	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
0:56.4	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.
1:00.9	On our new show, Sources and Methods, NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,
1:06.7	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:10.3	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:16.4	19th, Sunday, bed cold.
1:18.9	For most of us, the average calendar entry is made up of mundane details.
1:23.4	The 22nd, up early, laundry, office, sunny.
1:26.4	But in 1977, Stuart Copeland's life was about to become anything but mundane.
1:32.2	21st, Tuesday. Rehearsed with Sting. Ride home plus Paul.
1:36.2	Did you hear that? Sting. Rehears with Sting.
1:39.6	Stuart Copeland played drums for the police.
	...

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