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From: gtaylor@lasspvax.UUCP (Greg Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Spin
Message-ID: <270@lasspvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Mar-85 13:32:57 EST
Article-I.D.: lasspvax.270
Posted: Wed Mar 27 13:32:57 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 29-Mar-85 00:00:06 EST
References: <9306@brl-tgr.ARPA> <976@cbosgd.UUCP> <192@osiris.UUCP> <>
Reply-To: gtaylor@lasspvax.UUCP (Greg Taylor)
Organization: LASSP, Cornell University
Lines: 43
Summary: 

I went and checked the first copy of the magazine out, and would have
to say that it's a mixed bag. The initial thing about it that strikes you
is that there's a either a lack of focus (which I wouldn't mind *all* that
much), or a lack of editorial cohesion. So far, the pros outweigh the cons.
Give it time. Here are some nice things about it:

PRO:
A *nice* roster of writers...or at least interesting. We get a great review
by Mick Farren, whose brand of journalism (in Trouser Press of old) was one
of my favorite periodical workouts-he's a bit like Simon "Youth, Leisure,
and the Politics of Rock and Roll" Frith, but he *knows* more music than
Marxist analysis. Robert Fripp contributes an intriguing but ultimately
disassociative piece on guitars. And they got Andrea 'Nthal to do their
underground/indie stuff. A'N is one of THE most knowledgeable folks in the
field, having run programming at one of the first indie college stations
in the country. You get to sit through a fiew things you've *never* heard
of...always a plus. 

They also got John Schaefer, who runs a decent, non-wimpy alternative
music program on WNYC in New York. He can write about experimental music
without sounding cosmic or otherwise inarticulately imcapacitated.

CAVEAT:they appear to have stitched together and copped a few articles from British
sources (a rehash of a 3 month old NME article by NME staff guy Barney Hoskins
on Bronski Beat), and a positively primitive U2 interview with Bono Vox. It
*isn't* bad because it doesn't cover the latest album, though....merely because
it doesn't cover ANY different ground, or cover any ground DIFFERENTLY. One
hopes they will change this.

Oh, yeah, forgot.
Some decent attention is paid to HuskerDu BHSrfrs, etc...even if it
is in the underground section.

Nice article on doom and gloom.

Nice article on Fela Anikulapo Kuti's trials and music.

CON:
I get the very definite impression that the magazine is interesting precisely
BECAUSE the editorial criteria aren't firmly placed, and that it will get
boring once they get on their feet. Guccione Jr. comes across as a real twit
on the "slap ourselves on the back" editorial page. I don't hold out much
hope for him (no genitals in the publication, though).