These magazines seem to be comin' out faster'n I can keep up with 'em but hey, ain't that part of the fun?
Eh, not really, but I gotta admit that I do like this latest UGLY THINGS about as much as I have the previous few 'un's. That's sayin' a whole lot more'n I can regarding most of the "rock writing" I have the misfortune to come across whether it be via the web or some ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY I'd foolishy thumb through in a fit of boredom while waiting for the proctologist to thumb through ME, ifyaknwaddamean...
I wonder where editor Mike Stax and his minions dig up these long-gone/forgotten/ignored/loathed (take your pick) rock 'n roll obscurities, but once again everyone on board stepped up to the plate, swung a few times and NO OUTS BUT PLENTY OF BALLS are to be had. And that starts with the cover saga on the Other Half, best known for being that group Randy Holden was in before he popped up in Blue Cheer for a short spell. Again the rock novel aspect of this shines through and it's sorta like getting your own biographical book inside a magazine! And it sure is great knowin' that this bandwhich has been beggin' for coverage these past fortysome years are finally getting their day in the sun. Kinda gets you right inna bread basket, y'know....
The Elvis Presley thing is really what made this ish a topper for me, not only Harvey Kubernik's saga about those "Vegas" years which I'll bet gets the socialist rock crit types like Greil Marcuse all gaggy, but Bill Shute's review of the LAST MOVIES CD which brings those days even Elvis fans tend to poo-poo into proper perspective. And talkin' about perspective like, maybe it is time to lay off the whole kulturally significant Elvis hatred bandwagon which, once again, seems to be promulgated by those aforementioned socially conscious rockcrit types who only want to pick on The King because he's white and Chuck Berry and Little Richard ain't and like, have you ever seen a big time rockcrit who wasn't burdened with enough white guilt for all of us? The words written in this issue do lay waste to all of the horribly negative commentary that has been directed at Elvis as of the days since his death and like, I only hope that the likes of Dave Marsh etc. are force fed these beyond-pertinent comments regarding the man they loathe even if you know even a CLOCKWORK ORANGE-styled Elvis session wouldn't dent their thick skulls nohow!.
(And what didja think of that portion of the Kubernik article telling of the time Elvis stopped in for a drink at RODNEY'S ENGLISH DISCO??? Boy I would have liked to have seen the look on his face what with all of those twelve-year-old girls flashing their tits at him 'n all even tho, as the text states, they woulda much preferred it be David Bowie fluttering about the hangout 'stead of this older kinda guy!)
Enough on the lowlives and onto the goodness we all read UGLY THINGS for. Loads of other pieces pop up here although at this time the only one I really read through and digested were the Denny Carleton interview regarding his Choir days, Jackie McCauley of Them fame and best of all the Trevor White 'un where he tells the world that the Mael Brothers were as jerky a buncha guys as we could have imagined inna first place! Thanks for the heads up guy!!!
Of course the reviews are what's really boffo about this mag and for years people like myself would try to obtain moolah by hook, crook or schnook to get hold of some of the lovelies that were comin' out at the time. Nothing much this issue makes my mouth water like it should (other'n perhaps the original pre-Verve take of LUMPY GRAVY for some strange reason) but it's sure fun to read about it all, kinda like when you were a kid and went window shopping for toys or whatnot, and unfortunately you didn't have a brick handy to smash down a few! Some of the better writers who know and understand rock 'n roll are in the "employ" of Mr. Stax, so you know you're not getting a bum rap if you decide to purchase a platter on the recommendation to be found within these pages, that's for sure!
It's got all the color and sparkle of the rest of those "sixties/seventies-oriented" magazines too, but many more times the energy and power next to some of those soggy sacks of literature. A definite must-have for those of you who always kept the faith, especially during the times when the faith didn't exactly keep you!
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