Dear CREEM:

Boy am I bummed. Last night I saw Two Lane Blacktop — if that wasn’t enough to take the edge off, I lost my September CREEM at the show. I went back today and they had thrown it out. Gone. Before I read my number oners - Cody. The manager said, “Well it was only a magazine.” ( An attitude I had trouble dealing with.)

Well, this brings us up to date and up to a request. Is it at all possible to get a copy from you directly? It’s off the newstand. I could certainly dig it. Even pay a ransom if necessary. Thanks, keep on.

P.S. Swamp Doog is very good too.

John Simmons

Oakland CA.

(Issues mailed. — Ed.)

Dear CREEM:

When I picked up a copy of CREEM I really enjoyed it (Oct.), until I read the record review.

I was a bit dazed and confused at the same time really. Here is this guy or chick, I don’t know how to pronounce the name (Deday La Rene) talking about squirrels, birds and trees. Now what’s all this, when the whole thing is about Stewart? He or she didn’t even pay no heed to the topic which was Rod. He talk of these things which didn’t make sense, he talked of Dylan and didn’t even review the songs one by one.

You had better get another reviewer, not just someone who doesn’t know who he’s reviewing. Don’t knock it if you can’t do it, Deday La Rene!

(signed) S.F. California

San Francisco, Ca.

(Deday is a he, who was born on D-Day -June 6, 1944 - which explains part of it. And. . uh . . . well, we think he liked it. But then again, we thought it was an allegory. — Ed.)

Dear CREEM:

Robbie Cruger’s review of Klute is the finest discussion of the film that I’ve seen in print. Period. As a man, and as a film critic, I’ve been struggling with the film ever since I first saw it. Robbie’s analysis opened up the film for me — she goes right to the heart of its problems as well as its successes. Further, as an example of a political review that doesn’t abrogate its artistic responsibilities, her piece is a tour de force. Right fucking on.

We need more women film critics. Well, I guess there are already a few (like Pauline Kael), but what 1 mean is women writing as women about film, TV, etc. The media sell and reinforce sexism with such incredible, professional skill tliat they have to be defused, immediately, wherever they can be. Men have their place in this fight but it seems quite clear that, for the moment, women have to take the lead. Robbie’s piece shows the way. I hope she is planning to continue writing on film for CREEM. We need her, and I, for one, look forward to reading what she has to say in coming issues on coming films.

Sincerely,

Mike Goodwin

San Francisco CA.

(Mike, besides occasional contributions to CREEM, edits Take One, Canada’s amazing film magazine, and also contributes to a number of other alternate culture publications on the subject of movies.)

Dear CREEM:

I just read a record review in your October issue by Dave MarshThe review was on the Who’s new album, “Who’s Next.” apparently Mr. Marsh doesn’t know what he is talking about. Besides cutting down some of the best songs on the album he didn’t even know the right words to “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Everything the Who do is great and not one of their songs is a flop. Roger Daltrey’s voice is not strained on any song and Peter Townshend’s synthesizer is not pointless on “Baba O’Reilly.” The songs Mr. Marsh said “aren’t particularly impressive” are some of the best songs on the album. “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Goin’ Mobile,” and “My Wife,” which are the three he named as not being impressive, are the best on the album. I suggest that Mr. Marsh listen to the album again and realize its one of the best albums the Who have ever done. Each member of the group does the best they’ve done since Tommy. Mr. Marsh couldn’t have listened to the album very good if he doesn’t even know the right words to the biggest song of the summer, “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” And Peter Townshend’s view of the youth movement is not disillusioned. It seems Mr. Marsh’s view on the Who is.

Shelley Merrill

St. Clair Shores, MI.

Dear CREEM:

The October issue is our first knowledge of your magazine, but I hope not the last.

I’ve noticed that you and other mags tell all about our groups and groups in Europe. Rarely do I see a thing on Canadian groups and many members of our pop groups are from Canada.

Such groups as Guess Who, Chase and Paupers are really good. However, there are also some really wild groups peepin’ through like Woodsmoke in particular. A gypsy type bunch that add the nomad sound with good looks and wild personalities. I want to tell all U.S. kids to be on the watch for them when they tour the U.S. in October. You’ll flip out with their style; a group that is gonna breakthrough for Canadian groups.

Muelthi

Benson N.C.

Dear CREEM:

May I voice a few complaints? You must admit a majority of the articles are very poorly written. I really like the concept of CREEM sticking to hard rock but you are blowing it! What kind of idiot would prefer MC5 to the Stones? Richard Neville deserves to be busted. The theme of his article “Mick Jagger cops out on the revolution by getting married” is hard to believe. You might as well have Lester write the entire magazine. How about some articles on Humble Pie, the Allman Brothers, Lee Michaels and Spirit? I enjoyed the article giving the Beach Boys a fair shake. My main complaint is your magazine is so out of it I don’t get off by reading it. Maybe Lester and company should put down all that cough syrup scene and start smoking hash.

om-peace-shanti-aloha

Stephen wimer

Dear CREEM:

Five of us drove about 20 miles to see Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids play only to find out they’d cancelled. The manager of the club said the lead guitarist was in jail. Being frustrated and drunk, we got the number of where the band was staying to find out what happened. After a lot of confusing talk, we discovered Flash Cadillac (Cadalac) is from the Cleveland area.

The guy from the bogus group knew about the real one: “You went to see those guys from Colorado? They’re crazy. They throw beer cans at each other on stage.” He didn’t have any excuse for having the same name (minus Continental Kids). We sadly headed home but the car (borrowed) broke down and had to be left on the roadside. Really a bad night.

Mike Weldon

Lakewood, Ohio

Dear CREEM:

This is ridiculous but I’m typing it up anyway, because I love rock and roll and I want to share my thoughts on a particular record — a review then.

The record happens to be five years old but I dig it. Reflections by Terry Knight and the Pack, that’s it. This record has been turning up in the discount bins lately. It could be appreciated on two levels: l)the music itself — very enjoyable listening and 2)it provides an amusing insight into the workings of Terry Knight’s rip off heart as he does imitations of the most popular musicians and sounds of 1966.

For example you can tell he sat right down and dashed off “Dimestore Debutant” (that, I bought for a nickel) right after he heard “Like A Rolling Stone.” For “Dirrty Lady,” he adopts a Donovanish accent. He even does “Satisfaction” (does it damned good though). Happily his* rip offs don’t get you angry cause he’s a charming rascal and an engaging phony and you gotta laugh along with him. Donovan may be pretentious, Knight’s imitation is funny and fun. “Love Love Love Love” is even better than the Music Explosion’s version, it’s classic punk rock ala Shadows of Knight and that’s good.

The Pack didn’t have a sound of their own own, they never really were a band. The first single, “Better Man Than I”, was hard bluesrock stolen from the Yardbirds. It has one of the rockingest guitar breaks of all time (stolen from Beck). On this lp there are a couple of easy listening type songs in which Terry’s Mr Sincerity voice is backed by horns and strings. There’s even a country rock number in addition to the others.

So say the music is dishonest then. I’m not gonna draw any obvious parallels between this and the group these people are in now. But I wanna say again, this is fun. Terry’s got a clear and pretty voice that makes you think he’s a really good singer even though he talks or chants every song and the Pack are a very good imitation: they’re nice to listen to even "though you know they’ve got not integrity.

I paid $1.33 for this and I like it a lot more than some $5 records. Lots better than Grand Funk too.

P.L. Schneider

Lexington KY.

Dear CREEM:

John Lennon has said that the Stones have copied the Beatles’ material. He said that the Stones’ Satanic Majesties Request was a copy of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper.

NOT SO! The Stones were just using their own musical style to project the music of that time.

If Lennon thinks the Stones have the Beatles’ material, it was only to show the Beatles that the Stones could do the same type material and do it so much better.

Doug Ell

Madison NJ

Dear CREEM:

You’ve got a lot of fuckin’ nerve to give your opinion about the shit you wrote on the Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers in your October 1971 issue. You said, “Half the materials date back over a year.” BULLSHIT. “Sister Morphine” was made in 1969, “Wild Horses” in 1970 but 8 other songs were made „ in 1971. It’s bad enough you give your opinions but to write untrue facts is really having a lot of nerve.

You said that Mick J agger didn’t sing clearly on “Brown Sugar” so “six of us put our heads up against a pair of speakers and found out.” That was pretty stupid of you. You could have gone to a music store and read the words to the song and found out the real words.

You also complained about the music they play. One song is completely different from another. Like “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” and “Moonlight Mile.” The funky way they did “Can’t You... ” part one and complaining about “Moonlight Mile.” “So corny it’s ‘cool’ and ‘poetic’ — about his ‘head full of snow’ ” and saying it should have been Heathcliffs part on Wuthering Heights. If they ever played the same music, for the almost ten years they’ve been playing - you’d be complaining that after all this time they’re still playing the same and it’s getting pretty sickening. Think about that.

If somebody wants to comment on this, they can save their eight cent stamp, because after I look to see if they print this, I ain’t ever reading this fucked up magazine again.

You said of the Stones, “they organized an audience around their record without ever making them listen.” Meaning that because of the eye attracting way they made the cover, with the zipper and all, that’s the reason kids bought it. The reason why / bought it was because it said “THE ROLLING STONES” and that to me, makes the album worth buying.

The # 1 Rolling Stone Fan of

Bloomfield, N.J.

Dear CREEM:

Congratulate the guys in the subscription department for me. I spotted your name sticking among some TV magazines at the local mag. store and I thought — what’s this — so I pulled it out and gads — the Jackson Five on the front of CREEM Magazine. This can’t be the CREEM magazine because CREEM doesn’t cover itself in glossy covers. But it is, ■ it is the real CREEM Magazine. With a new cover. But the J-5 that’s not even a funny joke. I must admit I can’t say the J-5 stink; they have nice songs written by nice people so that the nice J-5 can sing them to nice people so a bunch of other nice people can make a lot of nice money, but nothing to go out of your way to listen to. And then to use all that space — a two paragraph article would have been sufficient for a few laughs but those type of things usually don’t go over very funny anyway. Like putting Iggy on the cover of Life. Well, I didn’t receive that issue and I have no comment on that except I hope it doesn’t happen too often (not at all, matter of fact).

Continued on page 65.

Continued from page 8.

Please do an article on the Jefferson Airplane and stick them on the cover. And I do like your new glossy cover.

Tom Shepard

Lisle, Ill.

Dear CREEM:

I’m the only other guy I know besides ■ Lester Bangs who has all Count Five albums, but this time I’ve one-upped him, I think. I was looking through the bargain singles bin in Village Oldies (where suave, debonair rock critic Lenny Kaye works) and I found a single by Count Five on Double Shot that isn’t on any albums I have. It is “You Must Believe Me” (the Curtis Mayfield number) backed by “Teenybopper, Teenybopper” (a Count Five original) - Double Shot 110 (DS-127, 128). Needless to say, it’s stupendous.

Toby B. Mamis

New York City

Dear CREEM:

I found the review of the two Supremes’ albums, Touch and The Return of the Magnificent Seven totally unfair in your magazine. The writer stated that the Supremes were never such a good “idea” and that the teaming of the Supremes and the Four Tops was “funny.”

I suggest the writer take a good, hard look at the string of hits the Supremes have had since 1964. The Supremes have had more gold records and awards than any other American group I can think of. All of this did not come easy, a lot of work was involved and I don’t think all this work should be dismissed with just a “bad idea.” Keep this in mind ’cause there are a lot of us fans out here and we may have to take drastic measures against your publication.

Please print my address since I’m sure there are many people who agree with me and would like to get in contact with me. Thanks.

Supremely,

Randy Taraborelli

Supremes and Diana Ross Fan Club

846 Kedron Avenue

Morton PA. 19070

(Is this a threatening letter? — Ed.)

Dear CREEM:

I read Greil Marcus’ attempt to psyche out the Rolling Stones with interest. But he’s about 98% wrong. Sticky Fingers isn’t decadent. It isn’t even much about decadence (even “Dead Flowers” is kind of knocking the decadent girl who causes it all). It’s disguised classicism, beautifully hidden to protect the author (Jagger) from seeming like he isn’t modem and with it. Yes. Disguised classicism. You’ll see. Jagger won’t die. He’ll survive.

John Kreidl

One of the Editors

Vibrations Magazine

Cambridge Mass.

Dear CREEM:

I’m from Kalamazoo and have been on the road for two years with a second rate schlock lounge band, so it was very interesting to find my first copy of CREEM at a Dallas newstand — I’ve kept pretty close touch with the midwest rock scene through rags and records and I had a mental image of CREEM as a “right on — off the pigs” bullshit mag. Well, your heads may be there, but it didn’t show in the one issue I’ve read. It was well-balanced and I dug it.

A couple thoughts:

I can’t say I dug Bob Seger as a person (I did a gig on the same bill once) but I feel his songwriting potential is overlooked nationally — he is an asset to Detroit rock.

With all the shit flying around (and most of it landing on) Grand Funk, you really can’t blame ’em for flaunting success and virtually isolating the Michigan area from the doubtable talents. I never did dig ’em (they were better as The Pack) but when I left Michigan every two bit punk who was in a band acted as if God himself had annointed him and played a continuous game of who has the longest nose - 1 visited awhile back and it seemed the same. Can’t blame GF at all for not being proud of the Michigan rock scene. All they did was what every self-respecting rock fledgling yearns for — they are fucking stars, jack, rock & roll stars, like ’em or not.

Very few cats I talk to realize so many chart acts are from Michigan. How groups like Sky, Frijid Pink, GFRR, Detroit, Alice Cooper, MC-5, Wadsworth Mansion, etc. can (or did) co-exist and work is truly a wonder, right?

I also discovered a cat on the road everybody should try at least once — Lord Buckley! Dead for many years this cat IS high energy man, and a certified gas on lonely nights.

Randy Silcox

Kalamazoo MI.

Dear CREEM:

That article on Jagger (reprinted from INK) was just pure glop. Pure unmitigated mental masturbation. ’Nuff said about that.

The article on Sticky Fingers was Greil Marcus speaking his mind and this is cool because a record is something different to everyone. I’d like to give my opinion, though, (For who is a “critic” but someone on the payroll?)

To me, Sticky Fingers is a fine, fine (supafine) album, among the best issued this lackluster year. Each cut reaffirms that the Stones are, have been and will be the greatest. If “Bitch” isn’t a classic rock'n’roll song, what the hell is? Keith continues his mastery of the guitar on every cut he appears on. And Mick Taylor? Just listen to “Sway.” And “Moonlight Mile.” (What a song.) I could rave on and on but I won’t. The Stones do it a lot better.

Howard Duff

Union, N.J.

Dear CREEM:

Jann Wenner Don’t Worry.

Never heard of your magazine til yesterday. You hooked me with the cover photo of Mick and the impressive list of names beside it. But what a disappointment! I was ready for interviews, etc. and all I got was stuff I read in Rolling Stone ages ago. And you have the balls to call this your October 1971 issue — June would be more like it.

Also — very clever the way you place the favorable “mail” in front and the shit in back. I’ll give you another try, next issue, but you’ve got a long way to go to catch up to Rolling Stone.

P.S. Your place of publication is appropriate. Try breaking down the wall around Walled Lake and maybe you’ll have better luck.

John Hampshire

Cambridge Mass.

Dear CREEM:

Thank you for printing our review of Paul and Linda’s Ram. But who is this Richard Allen Pinkston III v^ho is ripping off our work and signing his own name? We don’t complain about the smallness of remuneration for our labors, but please print a correction of authorship or you shall hear from our lawyers.

P.S. The sky is blue.

John Lingam

Yoni Oko

Hide-a-Wee Monastery

Van Nuys, CA.

(No. - Ed.)