Man in Mojo

[Robert Davies]

BITF has a cracking mini-review in the new edition of Mojo - describing them as the first great Welsh group, and amen to that. There is even a photo of the CD in the plie of CDs shown on the Filter page. Gladdened my heart yesterday when I read it !

[Martin Daughton]

The DVD review page has an interesting Quicksilver issue with a picture of Chippo to boot.

[Allan Heron]

Most bizarre reference to Man I've ever seen was in the last edition of Classic Rock which had a feature on Southern Rock.  They had a list of 40 recommended tracks by or in some way connected to this rather too loosely defined genre.

Anyway at number 39 was Country Girl.   How strange!   

Any good explanations with a justification for this would be most welcome.  It's not a comparison I would make and certainly not one that would use Country Girl as an example.

[Michael Heatley]

Of course CR has declined since I was sacked! 

[Rob the Organ]

Most bizarre reference to Man I've ever seen was in the last edition of Classic Rock which had a feature on Southern Rock.  They had a list of 40 recommended tracks by or in some way connected to this rather too loosely defined genre.

Anyway at number 39 was Country Girl.   How strange!   

Any good explanations with a justification for this would be most welcome.  It's not a comparison I would make and certainly not one that would use Country Girl as an example.

Maybe a better feature would have been a round up of all known Country Girls..

To kick off the list:

Man - Man (Liberty 1970)
Brinsley Schwarz - Despite It All (err... Liberty 1970!!!)
CSNY - Deja Vu (Atlantic err..1970!)
and then a recent-ish hit from Primal Scream

What other Country Girls lurk out there?

[Pete T]

All Music Guide http://www.allmusic.com lists 199 instances of Country Girl. Ozark Mountain Daredevils and Scott Walker included..

[Rob the Organ]

I'll have a look at that in a minute, if nothing else to see whether any others date from 1970 and/or were on Liberty/UA!

[harbottle]

Of course CR has declined since I was sacked! 

It's crap, really. All those articles about naff US rock groups who produce crap music but take drugs and smash hotel rooms up. Oh, and articles about KISS... Yawn.

I read it in the shop for the reviews. Record Collector is about the only magazine that tries to be about music.

[Rob the Organ]

Of course CR has declined since I was sacked! 

Do you mean the magazine has declined, or that classic rock in general has declined since you got your cards? I don't think you can shoulder the blame for general declining standards, Michael.

It would be too harsh on yourself to carry the can for the emergence of The Darkness, Mika and poxy Biffy Clyro.

[Michael Heatley]

In all seriousness Rob they have IMO become too obsessed with America and American writers. Not to mention repeating the usual suspects ad nauseam.

It was always an effort getting the likes of Man in there, even if they were US-inspired.

My best story about CR (the mag) was writing a feature on Budgie. It was rejected as 'not exciting enough'.

I moved the paragraph about Ozzy (when they supported him on tour) hiding from Sharon in their hotel room when he wanted a quick toot to the start of the pirce, leaving the rest unchanged, and resubmitted.

'Much better, why didn't you write it like this in the first place?' 

[John Bannon]

Rock Journalism a difficult subject, I've seen reports abouts group's I love, that at the very best have been derisory, you think to yourself has the person writing about the group ever listened to them properly and I'm not just talking about Man. If you are a rock journalist and receive the latest music because you are simply on the record companies mailing list..... does thiat mean you can be subjective about that music. Are those so called rock journalists experts on music, what are their credentials. Michael I don't include you in this, I know you speak from the heart.
To me you would have to a knowledge and a love of the music you are writing about.
That brings me onto the latest TWC, Pete Feenstra's, report on the latest line up of Man is about as perfect as you can get, if I had the ability to speak about Man as they are now, these are the words I would use. I concur with every word written. This latest line up of Man and there have been many, give you the feeling, there's more to come......

[Rob the Organ]

In all seriousness Rob they have IMO become too obsessed with America and American writers. Not to mention repeating the usual suspects ad nauseam.

It was always an effort getting the likes of Man in there, even if they were US-inspired.

My best story about CR (the mag) was writing a feature on Budgie. It was rejected as 'not exciting enough'.

I moved the paragraph about Ozzy (when they supported him on tour) hiding from Sharon in their hotel room when he wanted a quick toot to the start of the pirce, leaving the rest unchanged, and resubmitted.

'Much better, why didn't you write it like this in the first place?' 

Truesay, Michael.

If there's a kind way of justifying the American obsession, I suppose it could be to give as all a break from hearing about Nick sodding Drake.

[Martin Daughton]

All so true.
There must be a market out there for an authoritative vehicle for classic UK rock (underground) from say 1968 to about 1978...
Record Collector works when the article is written by the true enthuiast. Mojo works when in a similar way.
In both cases sometimes it's the follow up letters that are the best bit.
I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here.

[John Bannon]

Hi Martin, Try the 'Ptolemaic Terrascope', probably the best magazine for undergroud music of old and new. Edited by Phil McMullen a major Man and QSMS fan, although he's now moved on, to concentrate on bringing up a family, hope he comes back to fold, the magazines just not the same without him....

[Martin Daughton]

Hi John
I used to read Ptolomeic, it was very good. Shindig isn't bad occasionally and there have been some pertinent specials from CR and Q.