In another era, Henry Rollins would likely be regarded as a “renaissance man.” He’s the type of person who’s achieved success in so many different fields that to define him by only one is not just lazy but mildly insulting.

Luckily, the musician/actor/writer/poet/columnist/VJ/pop culture luminary is currently touring for a singular reason only: his spoken word performances.

“I like that latitude of being able to do what I want without messing up a song,” says Rollins, explaining what his oral-only shows offer that his live rock concerts do not.

Undeniably, the brawny, tattooed performer is just as intense in his convictions as he is when backed by a blaring band. But his spoken-word approach reveals a more relaxed sense of humor. These excursions lie somewhere between stand-up comedy routines and serious topical musings. (“I cover stuff that’s happening now in the news and stuff that I’ve been up to recently,” he says.)

Ultimately, watching his spoken word show is like eavesdropping on a great conversation.

“I only work in the live capacity,” Rollins says. “Very few times am I allowed a second take — occasionally when I’m in the studio or on the movie set. My 9 to 5 is live, so I must do everything possible to cut down on any factor that will keep me from a great show. So I get good food, lots of sleep, lots of liquids. What makes the voice recover? Sleep.”

Who’s the boss?

In the midst of a 50-date U.S. tour that runs through February, Rollins will make his umpteenth return to Lawrence.

“I remember the first time I was there in 1982,” he recalls. “Our bass player fired bottle rockets at the line outside the door … Isn’t that the place that had the club The Outhouse? The one in the cornfield? That was great.”

Now at age 41, the post-punk laureate isn’t showing any sign of slowing down. If anything, his pace is the same, he’s merely diversified the line of attack.

“I’m 22 years in touring, recording and living by my wits in the entertainment business,” the D.C. native says. “I haven’t really had a straight job since 1981 when I left an ice cream store to join Black Flag. In the middle of that tenure, there was some brief construction work. During the day I’d work (for a friend’s company) and at night I’d practice with Black Flag between tours. Me and D. Boon from The Minutemen, we built a staircase together. That was the only time I had a boss — unless I’m doing a movie where the director is my boss.”

Grammy winner Henry Rollins is in the middle of a 50-date tour highlighting his spoken-word show.

While Rollins has worked with Oscar-caliber directors David Lynch and Michael Mann in the past, his most recent movie-boss experience involves blockbuster filmmaker Michael Bay on the set of “Bad Boys II.” The Will Smith/Martin Lawrence comedy will be released this summer. Rollins also earned a memorable appearance in last October’s “Jackass: The Movie.”

On the TV side he’s made several visits to this season’s “The Drew Carey Show.” And he’s hosted “Full Metal Challenge,” a bizarre reality program where 27 international teams are given only $3,000 and a month to build a vehicle that can withstand competition from the others.

These extracurricular dabblings illustrate that there was little in the way of slacking for the artist in 2002. That coupled with his staggering career totals — 21 albums, 9 spoken-word records, 12 books, 20 or so movies — confirms that Rollins is in it for the long haul.

“At my stage of the game, I look to people like Miles Davis for inspiration. I’m looking at Neil Young and Bob Dylan, guys who gave their lives to it,” he says.

“Ten albums in is where you find out where your mileage is and what you’re all about. I’m a distance runner. I’m not in this to have a hit record or be a star, because those people never last.”

Mp3s from Henry Rollins‘ spoken word album “The Boxed Life” I Know You Good Advice DepressionThe showWhat: Henry RollinsWhen: 8 p.m. SundayWhere: Liberty Hall, 642 Mass.Ticket price: $20Ticket information: 749-1972

Musical chairs

Although Rollins’ relationship with the microphone doesn’t include singing on this present tour, music always seems to be at the forefront of his agenda. While he believes “there are some really good bands out there,” he isn’t particularly smitten with the contemporary crop of superstars catering to today’s youth.

“I think the industry has changed,” he explains. “It seems to require more good-looking people that will burn hotter, quicker and get out of the way. The music to me is far less memorable than older stuff.

“You have a nation that is getting a lot of Burger King-velocity songs thrust upon them by the likes of Sony and the lot who are giving you Britney Spears and the others. But there’s always been Britney Spears or ‘N Sync, from the 1930s on. To me, they’re not really the culprits. There’s always going to be those people, the glamour boys and the girl groups. Too bad it’s not Ronnie Spector or Diana Ross and the Supremes. Now there’s a girl band that we can get behind.”

As for his own melodic output, the singer still continues to tour and record with Rollins Band. He released a live album last June, “The Only Way to Know for Sure,” and plans on resuscitating the group at some point after concluding his spoken-word obligations.

While Rollins is still in love with rock music, his approach has changed somewhat as he’s matured.

“I’m (41), so the angst of a 20-year-old I can’t necessarily share,” he says. “I appreciate it, but women don’t piss me off in that way anymore. You’re a boy, you have problem with girls; you’re a man, you have problem with women. Now when you hear a Tom Waits record, you hear it differently than you did when you were 23.”

Speaking up

Rollins’ next recorded project is “I am Spazticus,” a DVD/CD package that is being released to tie in with the current tour. The package will function as a best-of retrospective from his previous two decades of articulated material. (Rollins’ 1994 rendering of “Get in the Van: On the Road With Black Flag” won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word album.)

So for now, it’s all about words.

“I’ve spent this whole morning talking about myself to people who I can’t see,” Rollins says of his phone and e-mail interview schedule. “Plumbers do not do this. It must have some kind of effect.”