DOC ROCK’S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS TO THE CLASS OF 1979

[If they ever get around to giving out medals of honor for a lifetime of service to the nature and spirit of rock 'n' roll, it's a pretty safe bet that Lenny Kaye would be among the first few to receive an award. His long list of activities over the years has included being a rock critic (from the days when those who wrote about this stuff tended to know what they were talking about), an historian of the chronicles of rock (his Rock 100 book, co-authored with David Dalton, is one of the few truly informative and entertaining rock "encyclopedias" around, and the Nuggets double LP set he compiled for Elektra records back in '72 went on to become the Old Testament of 70's punk), oldies aficianado (walking past the Village Oldies shop on Bleecker Street and seeing Lenny behind the counter always gave you the feeling that the past was indeed in good hands), a producer, and a fan still excited about the whole fan element of rock (as witnessed by each "Ask Doc Rock" installment in Rock Scene). And, of course, he's also Patti Smith's musical right arm as guitarist/bassist for the Patti Smith Group.

The following interview took place at Lenny's Upper West Side apartment at the end of May, a few days after the Patti Smith Group's appearance in town. Suffice lo say that when Lenny Kaye talks about rock V roll, it makes good sense to pay attention. —B.A.] s