They Said It--Rock’s Notable Quotables

For decades, books of rock ‘n’ roll quotes have depended on the same old provocateurs, from Pete Townshend and Frank Zappa to Elvis Costello and Johnny Rotten, to entertain us with memorable comments about the pop lifestyle. So John D. Luerssen, author of “Mouthing Off: A Book of Rock & Roll Quotes” (Telegraph Co., $14.95), thought it was time to point out that today’s rockers are keeping the tradition alive. Most of the nearly 500 quotes in the paperback collection are from the past 10 years.

Here are some of our favorites:

“The expectations on a woman drive you crazy. If Jennifer Lopez could write songs like Fiona Apple’s, she wouldn’t have to spend so many hours at the gym.” --Shirley Manson of Garbage (2001).

“Your shoes have got to match what color guitar you’re playing. I had this black guitar and I was going, ‘I can’t seem to dress with this guitar.’” --Noel Gallagher, right, of Oasis (2000).

“A record company is like a giant ATM machine.” --Beck (1994).

“We’re actually releasing the next album on EBay, ‘cause we think we can get a better royalty rate.” --Pat Wilson of Weezer (2001).

“MTV is like, ‘Make us a video, make sure it’s hot, spend a lot of money on it and maybe we’ll play it. And then we’ll take the credit for it and play it as much as we want, whenever we want.’” --Stephen Malkmus of Pavement (1994).

“I don’t see how a dysfunctional band could release 80 songs in five years.” --Billy Corgan, rejecting a frequent depiction of his band the Smashing Pumpkins (1997).

“I’m resigning for medical reasons: Billy Corgan makes me sick.” --Sharon Osbourne, on leaving her job as manager of the Smashing Pumpkins (2000).

“You gotta be really careful what you bite off. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” --Ozzy Osbourne (1998).

“I can do things with a guitar that Eric Clapton probably hasn’t even had a nightmare about. Our instincts are worth more than a thousand years of guitar lessons.” --Jim Reid of the Jesus and Mary Chain (1992).

“We were supposed to be the alt-country Nirvana. I guess I was supposed to hang myself with a banjo string.” --Ryan Adams, on his old band Whiskeytown (2000).

“I’m driven, I am. I’m driven for some reason. But I don’t know where I’m going.” --Courtney Love (1992).

“It’s hard work, saving rock.” --the Edge of U2 (2000).