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UGLY THINGS #38!

Of course it's more than obvious why I'm happier'n Roman Polanski at a Camp Fire Girls cookout, for the latest issue of UGLY THINGS has finally arrived on my oft barren doorstep! Sheesh, it's amazing as to how Mike Stax can get this mag out on a bi-annual basis with all of the goodies and gunk he packs into each and every one of these rags and naturally this 'un's no exception. However it I must gripe (and why not?) I better mention that this 'un woulda been much better had it been TWICE the size with more occult references to the Velvet Underground than there were, and of course they shoulda enclosed a Cee-Dee of Stax singing lullabies to his kid the way Sky Saxon crooned his puppies to sleep, but maybe I'm just nitpicking.

But whadevva, this is yet another boffoid issue that's kept me glued to the toilet for quite some time, and come to think of it the crapper's a good place ot read this 'un because you'll be so surprised at what you read that who knows just what rectum rockets'll be flyin' outta your hiney when you chance upon an article or mention of one of your faves. The Dave Davies interview is definitely a coup for Stax as is the Jon Savage Screamers thingie, but since I ain't in a Kinks mood this very minute (next minute I will be!) and I've written off the Screamers as yet another buncha punk unto punque wannabes (I mean, look at their fans) I've skipped those over for now. I mean, there are meatier things in life, and in this issue of UGLY THINGS as well.

Actually for me the best part about ish #38 are the little surprises that are snuck in, like that piece on none other'n Lester Bangs' upbringing that sheds light on a whole buncha things we never knew despite all of the articles and books that have come out in the wake of that great's demise. Also boffo were the Greg Prevost (yay!) pieces on Alice Cooper (complete with a Dennis Dunaway interview and some early rare snaps) and Blue Cheer, as well as Alex Stimmell's article on the ever-popular Dust, a band who shoulda had their saga written up long ago making me wonder why it took someone so long just like Aunt Jemima! Jymn Parrett shines as well especially with his piece on Stoney and the Jagged Edge, a forgotten group in the late-sixties pantheon of Detroit Rock who never did make it into this official history books. And of course the myriad assortment (TM) of reviews of recordings, books and DVDs that always has me running to the bank so I can mortgage the house appear...gotta admit that it's my dog's house that's being mortgaged and I do hope he won't mind especially since he's been dead thirty years already!

As you may have guessed my favorite part of this issue has gotta be the continuing Cyril Jordan (of Flamin' Groovies fame) saga where he actually makes late-sixties San Francisco look like an exciting place to have been despite all of the contrary evidence. Sure the burnout hadn't quite set in, but the little sagas that Jordan trots out like the time he shared a joint with Ted Kennedy (!---I hope it didn't affect his driving) and went shopping for EC comics with Jimi Hendrix (makes me wish I hadn't made alla them choking jokes!) really shed some new light on what I woulda thought was the dog ass end of the sixties experiment. Even Janis herself comes off looking swell, she not only being a Groovies fan but someone who used her power in the industry to get 'em a few choice gigs! More power to ya gal, and I don't mean B.O.!

A boffo read for sure, and one that I have the feeling's gonna be sticking around the commode abode for quite awhile. And it's a quite handy read to have around because hey, I get the sneaking suspicion that with the flu season coming up a whole buncha us are gonna be spending more time on the throne than usual, and of course it's always good having a handy read like this around to keep your mind occupied so's you don't have to concentrate on the more disgusting facts facing (or behind) you. Just make sure you have plenty of toilet paper handy because hey, if you do run short you certainly don't want to resort to drastic measures and tear your mag up, do you?