隐藏在美国六七十年代的摇滚风潮之下的这个故事,最可贵的在于它如何定义并且表现出摇滚明星,歌迷和普通人身上的存在感和真实感。当然这其中一切都是混杂的,因为真实从来都不是one side story, 摇滚明星的生活绝不如他们音乐中描述的那样目空一切,真实的生活充斥着不确定和空虚。所谓名利和及时行乐,从来都是转瞬即逝,到头来,没有人可以真正玩得起,放得下。
Lester Bangs: They make you feel cool. And hey. I met you. You are not cool.
过来人:他们让你觉得酷。但是,我见过你的,你不酷。
William Miller: I know. Even when I thought I was, I knew I wasn't.
年轻人:我知道... 即使我觉得自己还挺酷的时候,我知道我还是很挫。
Lester Bangs: That's because we're uncool. And while women will always be a problem for us, most of the great art in the world is about that very same problem. Good-looking people don't have any spine. Their art never lasts. They get the girls, but we're smarter.
过来人:那时因为我们本来就挫。女人对我们这些挫人就总是个问题,这个世界上大多数伟大的艺术都是关于这个“亘古不变”的问题。长得好看的人都没什么种(这句英文原文是:got no spine,没有脊柱... 意译过来应该是,没什么勇气,这里就当是“没种”吧)。他们的艺术永远都保存不下来。是,他们搞到了女人,但我们这些挫人更聪明。
William Miller: I can really see that now.
年轻人:我现在才看清一点...
Lester Bangs: Yeah, great art is about conflict and pain and guilt and longing and love disguised as sex, and sex disguised as love... and let's face it, you got a big head start.