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UGLY THINGS #39     (more than just a crudzine!)

You can always count the passing of time by the latest issue of UGLY THINGS plopping itself on your doorstep, and here in the nice 'n balmy mid-summer days what should appear to lighten up my life but issue #39 of this oft imitated but never duplicated mag!

Yeah I've been reading this one ever since I managed to get hold of #2 via BOMP! MAILORDER (and got the LAST issue of #1 directly from editor Mike Stax himself) and of course it's extremely hard to write about this magazine impartially. But then again when was the last time anything in the press, mainstream or otherwise, been written with a detached objectivity? At least I don't pretend to be so distant from it all, and I also don't pretend to think that there's any other publication, music or otherwise, that delivers on all of the energy and fun that UGLY THINGS does. In the best under-the-counterculture/fanzine fashion UT transposes all of the pow'r and energy of the music into words and frankly, it leaves all of the competition (especially the bloated and shoulda died years ago pile of pus ROLLING STONE) in the shade. Don't read anything else (even this review!)...read UGLY THINGS and nothing but!

Always filled with surprises, this latest issue is no exception. The novel-length saga on the Clingers was a surprise, especially for a guy like me who knew practically next to nada about this all-gal rock group other'n one of 'em was involved with Rock Flowers, the retro vocal act who charted with a nice flashback to mid-sixties popdom with "You're Number Onederful" back in late-1971 when we really needed a gal pop group to listen to on the radio. Really, would there be anybody else on this planet who would have ever even THUNK about featuring this long-forgotten bunch on the cover of a multi-million dollar rag like UGLY THINGS? That's why I like this mag so much, it's so unpredictable that who knows what mad genius is gonna float through the brain of editor Mike Stax anyhow???

Unfortunately it seems as if Mr. Stax is in short supply this issue (probably too busy with the Loons as well as earning some REAL dough writing liner notes for a variety of comps and reissues) but that's no problem since the energy keeps on flowing through each and every page. UT regulars Jymn Parrett, Gene Sculatti and Johan Kugelberg are MIA this time but at least none other than Greg Prevost doubled up his doodies with a piece on the recently departed Kim Fowley, interviews with both Michael Des Barres of Silverhead/tee-vee fame, Chris Gerinottis of Zachary Thaks fame and Crypt Records' Tim Warren regarding the recent BACK FROM THE GRAVE volumes. Talk about delivering all you can for the cause of rock 'n roll!

And of course your regular favorites are here (I tend to prefer Doug Sheppard, and not only for his hard rock Cleveland outlook) as are reviews of all of the classy (as opposed to "classic") rock reissues and exhumations that have come out as of late. Don't seem to be as many of these as there were a few years back but at least we've got about a forty years backlog in case our current sources begin to run totally dry, like I get the feeling they will in a few short years.

I only mentioned about 1/1000 of what does pop up in this issue, and I expect you to buy yourself a copy and find out for yourself just how magnifico this magazine is and will most certainly remain. And hey Mr. Wenner, if you can break yourself away from your boytoy's butt for a few minutes and take a look at this mag maybe you'll get some much needed pointers as to how to put out a rock 'n roll mag! Check out the UGLY THINGS link on the left if you wanna obtain a copy for yourself, or try FORCED EXPOSURE where you can not only find the latest issue, but some of the records that were reviewed within these pages!!!