DUSTY IN MEMPHIS: I was brought into the 33 1/3 series by Joe Pernice and David Barker. What a thing to be a part of. As the first editor, David told me to go wherever I needed to. I didn’t even grasp the profundity of the freedom he offered.

REVOLUTIONS IN SOUND: I was a Warner Bros. artist when I played with the Del Fuegos. When approached about writing on the company’s history, I felt compelled to jump in. So many great recordings, so many great characters, all in one office.

PETTY: I was a teenager when I first met Tom Petty. Working so closely with him on a biography project was a lesson in songs, bands, record-making and all the thorny in-betweens. I’m still learning from him.

GARTH BROOKS ANTHOLOGY SERIES: I’ve been working on the Anthology series with Garth for six remarkable years. There is no story like his. We’ve talked to hundreds of musicians and songwriters, weaving their voices into the pages. This project has been one of the great joys in my life.

DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE: For years I wondered about Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. It had more layers of mystery than most any other recording I knew. Writing this book, sitting with Bruce to talk it through, was as stirring, as illuminating as anything I’ve ever done.