MAIL

MAIL

Please send letters to: MAIL Dept., CREEM Magazine P.O. Box P-1064, Birmingham, MI 48012

DEAR CREEM

It has come to our attention that you are a magazine. Of just what sort we have not at present determined. However, the question at hand is not where you get your jollies, but rather, whether or not you have got wall-towall carpeting in your office. We enquire because on 1 January ’74, we are taking possession of your premesis. We will require that you have all your little rubbish (and that includes Lester Bangs) out of the building no later than the previously stated date. We hope you will cooperate most fully in this matter. Thank you very much for your kind attention,

Staff, PEPPER Magazine:

Cole Younger, Editor-in-Chief

Music, Assistant Editor

Dallas Walsh, Asst. Asst. Editor

Death Valley

(Why doncha go pick on The Watchtower? -Ed.)

NEXT SUPERGROUP BITES THE DUST

Quite awhile back, when Alice Cooper was on their “School’s Out” tour, they came to W. Va., where I was living at the time. With them was a group called “Ursa Major.” They introduced them as the next Super Group of America. But since that concert, which was fantastic, I haven’t heard hide nor hair of them. What they hell is Ursa Major doing? They were really great.

Hags

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

(Ursa Major was formed by Dick Wagner, who previously led the Frost, a late-Sixties Detroit group. They [U.M.] recorded one album for RCA, broke up. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin, who then steered Wagner to some Alice Cooper sessions he was also producing, where with Steve Hunter, Dick provided most of the guitar work on Alice’s last few albums. Recent recorded work by both Hunter and Wagner can also be heard on Lou Reed’s Berlin, and both are in Lou’s new touring band. — Ed.)

PEOT'S CORNER

Since I saw Dave Marsh reviewed “An Assassin’s Diary,” I thought I’d send in this poem for Bremer.

“Arthur”

At the Laurel Shopping Center some dues were paid.

Another political effigy on camera, waylaid. What a shame they couldn’t’ve taught you in school.

ERRATUM

The N.Y. Film Festival piece, which led off last month’s movie section, did not carry a byline. Our apologies to Vince Aletti, the writer, for this omission.

That the Barrel of a gun ain’t the golden rule. Pledging allegiance saluting the flag.

Screaming at night ’cause -you wanted your dad.

You weren’t good but I know you weren’t bad. ,,

A little love yoil never had.

You might have been thrilling.

You might have been kind.

But this world we live in drove you out of your mind.

You weren’t Eric Clapton

You weren’t Bob Dylan

So you figured you’d better do a big killin’.

No one ever did nothin’

To help you along

There’s no room for humanity in the things society’s built upon.

Soon they’ll put you in maximum,

oh, Artie, small change that’ll be

Since for 21 years you’ve been in maximum

security.

Alan Wunsch

264 6th Avenue

N.Y., N.Y.

TASTE VS. TRASH

What makes you term the New York Rock as culture? The New York Dolls are a fantastic example of your staff’s taste: assholic. I’m not even going to attempt to say “Lester Bangs is screwed up,” because I know he thrives on criticism. Besides, we all know he’s just putting us on. Either that or he’s just one of the Osmond Brothers incognito.

My highest recommendations to Mike Hyland, I can tell he’s got taste by the company he keeps. Like anyone else who is close to music, I’m sure he’d tell you that your New York rock is a waste of good vinyl.

Keep trying,

Tom Pope Columbtrs, Ohio

P.S. My friends tell me you haven’t got the balls to print a letter like this one.

(Lester says thanx for the coinage “assholic, ” likes it and’s gonna use it in his next review; CREEM itself thrives on criticism (just dori’t hurt our feelings you bully); b) Never put on today what you can put off till entropy. — Ed.)

DISTORTION?

I would like to make a few comments pertaining to the article you ran two issues ago (Dec. 73) concerning New York City bands with special reference to N.Y. Central:

Some Facts:

A) Dave Marsh has never seen N.Y. Central live, what he did hear were some rough mixes of things that were laying around the RCA offices. Therefore, his comment that “they lack personality” was totally unfounded.

B) Not one member of N.Y. Central knows John Lennon on a personal basis from Adam. That horseshit about “they sound like me old band” is ridiculous. Lennon never produced a turd for us let alone a demo.

C) Although we have much respect for most of the artists he compares us to, I think most people would find these comparisons a bit to the extreme.

If Mr. Marsh intends to continue writing articles he would do well in the future to know what he’s talking about. Maybe he should be more concerned with proper coverage rather than second hand hearsay.

Mike Neville

N.Y. Central

N.Y., N.Y.

ONE THAT GOT AWAY

New York Rock! What a great piece... all of us here dug it, I must admit you’ve got it pegged pretty good, and it was a trip seeing pictures of some people that you really know and have seen in real life!

But for me there is a moral principle at stake here, along the lines of doing a favor for someone or thing who made the whole thing possible, that is, the oft-mentioned Bloodbath Revue, who have practically vanished from their fans and the Bronx, in particular, and the entire music business, in general. Reading about all those bands making it doing something Bath did four years ago is a kick in the ass. So we’d just like to know if anybody out there has heard of the where-abouts or goings-on of those guys. Does Bloodbath still exist? Did the lead singer really die in Montefiore Hospital two months ago?. Does rock critic John Swenson still have the tapes of their unreleased release, “Choked Myself To Death Yesterday”? Me and Vinnie Allegro offer ourselves here and now as manager/agent for Bloodbath Revue if we can locate them. Your magazine, and Mr. Dave Marsh in particular, might know something with all your contacts in the biz.

Help out NY’s biggest talent that never made it. Of course they’re terrible, but that’s why this is their big chance!

Margaret Shea

NYC

KISS is the only band you mentioned with any real balls. .. that’s ’cause their lead guitarist, Paul Frakley, is from the Bronx. The Latin influence really shapes the Bronx bands to kick ass. The Harlots, the Fast, etc., are so wimpy they give rock a bad name. Best Bronx band of recent memory is the All-Star Bloodbath Revue, but I think they split up. Very similar to Fleetwood Mac, the way their guitarists would play together. They were doing Motown songs before Street Punk or the Planets learned to play 12 bar blues. That’s when they were good. On a bad night, I doubt ever seeing anyone worse.

Y’see, I don’t think they liked each other very much to begin with. They’d have fights on stage a few times. .. I mean real fist fights. Once the bass player grabbed his guitar around the kneck with two hands and went after the tall lead player’s head with it, waving it like a baseball bat or a hockey stick. Right in the middle of a song! At first I thought it was part of the act; they were very theatrical. But then. they both dropped the guitars and started swinging... one guy had a ring on, so blood started coming from the bassplayer’s head after a few punches.

Nobody has fights on stage anymore. Bring back Bloodbath!

Sincerely,

Bobby Mohrman

Bronx, N.Y.

(One of our informants saw a Bloodbath survivor on a streetcorner in North Dakota the other day. He said' "We do our work and go. ” - Ed.)

TWIRLYBIRDS

The picture of Teenage Lust in the Dec. issue was pretty. funny, ’cause I know the two chicks who’re standing up. They look like the perfect pill-popping death-wishers, right? Wrong. . just two uptight twirlybirds who live in the suburbs and have the bread to-act out their fantasies. But that’s rock ’n’ roll, ain’t it? Maybe. . . they made me sick and still do, but for different reasons... one of ’em’s jealousy — ~

And how do you call your lover boy?

Dr. Slice & Allan

Bronx, N. Y.

P.S. Those pictures of Jagger were embarrassing to an old Stones fan.

HATRED FOR BOLAN

Outside of the fact that his is, in your opinion, an egotistical, over-bearing, overconfident, mincing, faggy, mirror-loving, no talent, little show off, tell me why do you hate Marc Bolan so much?

Joan Ward

Los Angeles, Calif.

(Since when is all that any reason for hating somebody? - Ed.)

MORE LYRIXPROBED

Youse might think I’m nuts, but after living in the streets of Newark for 3 months, I have realized this bit of profound revelation: In the song “Children of Rain” by T. Rex, there is a line that says, “It’s young & gold & silvery old.” Now, I started thinking a lot about that line , and I wondered why young was associated with gold & silver with old. It couldn’t have anything to do with anniversaries — silver is 25th and gold is 50th. So Ricky from the mountains thought about it and it’s because Neil Young wrote “Heart of Gold.”

I want to thank youse for putting out a good magazine and tell Marc Bolan (if you will) that my mouth is his.

Bonnie

Newark, N.J.

TOTAL ENERGY

Just finished reading first CREEM, really liked your article on guitars and such. Glad to see you in the energy crisis. Hope all goes well for your mag. Just thought I would drop a line to tell you how much I liked it.

Get high bros (naturally)

Michael T. Cleary

Brighton, Mass.

PUNISHMENT FOR SERVICES RENDERED For Lester Bangs: who ever gave you the idea that you are qualified to write that kind of bullshit about THE GREATEST ROCK & ROLL BAND IN THE WORLD - THE ROLLING STONES? As I sit in my bedroom and look at YOUNG MICK and NON-DETERIORATING KEITH, I and my friends have already decided what we’re going to do to you, if you ever come out of seclusion, for saying that, step A: cut off tongue, thereby making it impossible for victim to open his big mouth again.

step B: cut off legs & arms, making it impossible for victim to write,

step C: gag victim (making sure to cut off circulation just enough not to kill him) & send him to — on second thought, we won’t send him anywhere - they wouldn’t want the jerk, bounce him (that means you, Bangs) off the walls of every arena in the western Hemisphere!

signed,

Spokesmen for the Rolling Stones in the Western Hemisphere

M.N. Rambler

North Carolina

DOWN ALL THE DAYS

When Goat’s Head Soup was released, I managed to quell all discomfort, when Jagger tried to team up with the golden boy of prepubescent hype, Bowie, I shrugged it off, and even after their teevee travesty (Don Kirshner, need I elaborate?) I couldn’t accept it.

But now, I read L. Bangs’ “Nervous Breakdown” and I have to admit it.

They’re has beens.

So why do I feel so bad.

Also in mourning,

Delta Deception

Never Never Land

oh time = scourge of my youth

boo hoo hoo

WAR ON THE GODS

You poor bastards. It’s your misfortune to have on your staff that complete fool, that tawdry washed-out specimen of a writer playing god, a heterosexual (?) Truman Capote (nosy bitch), in short, a condescending ass-, hole. I’m talking about Lester Bangs, of course. He says, “The old fey outlaws ain’t what they used to be.” Well I doubt very seriously that Lester Bangs was ever anything and will definitely never be anything. I suppose it’s his personal ego trip - to put down the gods of rock because he’s nothing more than a pitiable lost soul. (Which I hope will eventually be burned.) Whatever gets you off, Lester babe, but you’ll never convince me or a helluva lot of other people that the Stones are “getting flakey.” Why don’t you just crumble up? You’re nothing more than a jack-off junkie playing Jesus with a pen. But I guess you’ve got to do something to make people notice you, callouses on the dick can be a little bit tiresome. But release your frustrations in another direction. Lots on people are getting down on the Stones because they’re supposedly getting too old and can’t produce good music. Well I say fuck professional music critics.. Let the people decide. As for Lester’s references to Jagger’s relationship with David Bowie, I can only come to the conclusion that he’s insanely jealous. Actually their sex life is their own business. Your head has got to be inside out. Just cool your jets Lester.

To The Man I Love To Hate,

Lester Bangs

Quite Sincerely,

Cindy Jones

New Orleans, La.

ULCER GO HOME

I admire Lester’s guts. He don’t care a snatch what anybody thinks about him. I bet him and me are the only two people in the country that don’t have ulcers. A little late on that Stones sum-up story, tho, I’ve known that fof years. It’s nice to read it in print, tho, cause now I got my opinion in black ’n’ white and who argues with the press, especially CREEM?

Brother Ed

Rochelle, Ill.

MORE STONES THREATS

I ^ure as hell can’t claim to be the rock critic curn sociologist that you journalistic types seem to have become; I’m just a worried Stone Freak dreaming about the day when I’ll be an old lady getting off on sounds provided by a band consisting of Mick’s daughter, Keith’s sons, Bill’s son, etc. (the Stonettes?). But until that day, I suppose the Stones could do with a little advice from a Freak like me:

To Mick: Throw away the flightsuit, and stop playing Mr. High Society Super Creep. I could say that taking up with Bianca has lent a sort of “flakeness” or just plain “blah-ness” to your song-writing, but if you spend a month with the whores back in Chelsea (remember them?) and come out writing better songs, you’d be the Jagger we love instead of the clown Bianca’s made you. Does it matter to you?

To Taylor: Damned good musician you are, liven up a little, toughen up.

To Keith: You’re the top, the team’s better half. So why the fade? You should get back to playing lead NOW! Keep on living, dammit. If everyone’s bet that you won’t sd I think you should know that the Stones are second rate without you.

To Bill and Charlie: Still the tightest rhythm section around, maybe a little too tight. I mean, you don’t have to be like Bruce ’n’ Baker in Cream, but you shouldn’t let the third rate wet in the pants rhythm section of the New York Dolls outplay you the way they have been lately.

As for the family friends (Preston, Keyes, Price, Hopkins, etc.) as good as they are I’m sick of them.

Lester’s threat to make Altamont look like a high school brawl was a bit childish on his part but not an altogether avoidable calamity, so Stones, take your chances.

Peace?

Sastrea X. Yemanja

Peoria, Ill.

P.S. In case anyone’s interested, when I was in St. Pat’s school where everybody only liked the Beatles and Smokey Robinson, I used to get spit on and beat up for diggin’ on the Stones. That’s how I got expelled.

(We have had prior contact — as have the Stones, much to their mortification - with this woman; her threats are not to be taken lightly. Can this be the birth of a disaffected Stones fans’ underground movement to "Get The Stones”? - Ed.)

ONE FOR THE GIRLS

I like your CREEM T-shirts but I, as a woman, feel they are styled for only a man to wear. How about one for the girls, guys? ‘'Ms. CREEM Dream.” “Made From CREEM.” or “Love That CREEM” are some of my suggestions.

Susie Eng.

New York

(All the women we know wear CREEM T-Shirts, Susie. Or is what you ‘re really asking for a Girl Howdy, dousing Mr. Dream Whip? -Ed.)

COLD RACE WAR

Brother Lester: For a white guy, man, you really got your shit together. ’Em observations on J.B., the JB’s and the New Birth were super fine. Now how ’bout a story on the BADDEST band in the land; I’m talkin’ about •MANDRILL. By the way, that’s Johnny Thunder, not Ian Anderson as Masceo Parker on “Doin’ It To Death.”

Love, Peace & Relevance,

Fleet Moses

Uptown, New York

(Far out. Sure is a lot of authenticity floatin’ around these days. . . - Ed.)

INSIDE DOPES

Brian Wilson will not let Nixon release the tapes because Washington will burn down.

Smile,

Ray Taylor

Atlanta, Ga.

TURN TO PAGE 80.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10.

THE PUNK GROWS OLDER

Judging from your mail, 99% of the clowns that write to youse guys are illiterate, foulmouthed and drug-lobotimised morons. Well, I’m no better, except I prefer to fry my body with alcohol. So please print this because I’ve never had anything published and I thought I’d start rock-bottom.

As far as rock ’n’ roll goes, everything I hear nowadays is'dull. I don’t think there was one good rock" record made ufter 1968. I met an 18 year old punk in a bar the other night and he’s never even heard of the ANIMALS and then he proceeded to tell me that nothing from my high-school days could even compare with URIAH HELP. I’ll have you know that I thrashed that shit-head hard and fast, and I’m fi lover not a fighter. So all I can say about music today is long-hair, fag-dress, weighted-lyrics and droning guitars will never be able to compete with the truly inane and under 3 minute Rr’n’ R of my youth. And I beg you to print this.

Love and Sympathy

Dan the l'at Slob

Midland, Mich.

P.S. Do you think you could work a few beaver shots into your rag? An older guy like me likes a little snapper with his Rock ’n’ Roll.

OVER THE HILL & INTO THE GARBAGE I just want you to know that the letter in your Nov. issue concerning the MC5 (pg. 10) made me feel goddamn old at 23.

I have a copy of Kick Out the Jams and I remember buying it, along with all the hype that went along with it.

OLD MAN

Montreal, Que.

LITTLE RHYTHMIC ARCS OF RED Marcia!!!! Why it’s been so long dear!! I haven’t seen you since Waldo popped up at your house. By the by, Waldo, so sorry about that little misunderstanding we had in the kitchen, did the scar heal up ok? I tried my best to close that gross hole but you know what a bother it was to get your head under the Singer. Well Marcia, drop me a line sometime, and oh yes! remember that cute guitar player from that AWFUL New York band we met when we went down to Minneapolis? Well he’s down here with me now trying to get a degree in goat roping, uses something called a pedal steel, anyway his name is Sterling and he’s so sweet!!! Bye now

love,

Sheila Klein

W. Columbia, S.C.

TRUE ROCK STORIES (CONT'D)

The December issue of CREEM has just reached our far shores and I read in it that Robert Christgau thinks the Lo and Behold LP is “the best record of the year.” I’m really glad that you like it so much, being % of the band that made it.

However, in your revue there is a little over-emphasis on Manfred’s role; as the English cover makes clear, he was co-producer along with the four of us, Coulson, Dean, McGuinness and Flint.

The initial idea for such an LP was mine. The choice of songs was made from my collection of Dylan detritus - we had the same UK publisher so various tapes came my way over the years. Dennis Coulson made the final choice of which songs he wanted to sing and the arrangements were then worked out by the four of us. (e.g. the tablas you mention were Hughie’s idea arising out of the drone tuning I used on guitar. The horns on “Henry” were the result of Dave’s unique inability to play the cornet.

Having rehearsed it all, to save time trotting backwards and forwards from control room to the studio While the four of us laid down basic tracks, we decided to get a co-producer to help us. We asked Manfred for various reasons:

(a) He lives around the corner.

(b) He’s a friend.

(c) He’s good at it.

(d) He part owns a studio.

(e) His name would help sell the LP.

So, while we did the basic tracks, Manfred sat in the control room and said yes or no to the takes, which was a great help. Most of the over-dubbing and mixing was then done in his absence, being supervised (if such a word can be applied to four people talking at once in between trips to the pub) by C, D, McG and F.

So, I think you will see that the LP is far mdre a product of C, D, McG and F than Manfred, as he of course would tell you.

Thanks for such a long, detailed review. Again, let me say how glad I am that you like the LP and I hope that this letter is of interest to you.

Yours,

Tom McGuinness

P.S. The Commercials.

Dennis Coulson has a new US LP on Elektra McGuinness Flint have a new UK LP on Bronze/Island

Manfred’s Earth Band have a new UK LP on Bronze/Island with a 12 minute version of Mr. Zimmerman’s “Father of Night.”

DEAR CREEM, VOLS. I & II

I’ll bet you didn’t know this, but on the back of Living in the Material World in order to join the Jim Keltner fan club, you are requested to send one stamped, self-addressed e-l-e-p-h-a-n-t.

David JoHansen Fromberg

Peoria, Ill.

P.S. Why don’t you like David Bowie? I had a dream that the N.Y. Dolls were sentenced to death for an unknown crime. They were not hung, they were all stuffed in a locker and run over by a bulldozer.

Yours in sadism,

Robbb Fromberggg

(1. We’d rather send Jim Keltner for membership in an elephant fan club; 2. Who ever said we didn’t like David Bowie? Just because we’ve printed more nasty things about him than any other magazine - usually at least one item in every issue, in fact - confirms exactly the opposite; 3. That’s nothing, one of our editors dreamed the other night that the Moody Blues opened a trailer park where they stuffed him in a refrigerator to suffocate! - Ed.)

FIGHTS FOR LOU

Do all those goddamned weirdos know who they’re putting down when the put down Lou Reed? At least Lou Reed doesn’t love himself like sick-in-the-head Bolan. I’m fed the hell up with all the people (if that’s what you want to call them) putting down Lou Reed. Anyone wanna fight a 14 year old? I’d even fight sqmeone to prove Lou Reed is better than Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Donny Osmond and the rest of the goddamned squares. Please have anyone write who feels like I do and we can do something about these knock-in-thebrains.

Sherrie Ogden

Florence, N.J.

THERE'S A NEW LOU COMIN'EVERY DAY Let’s be serious now. What is this drastic change that has come over Lou Reed? I went to his concert a couple days ago expecting to see what I saw the last time... a fat man standing and mumbling words. Having gotten used to this image, I was quite shocked to see some skinny weirdo, with practically no hair, come out and move around like he had gotten his dance lessons from Iggy Pop.

What’s Lou done to himself this time?

Be Good,

Mad Mary Williams

“Oblivion”

(Decided to try. - Ed.)

DON'T LET 'EM BE MISUNDERSTOOD

LESTER YOU WERE GREAT ON THAT ROLLING STONES STORY IN THE DEC. ISH! I DIDN’T KNOW YA HAD IT IN YA, A MASTERPIECE TO SAY THE LEAST. DAVE MARSH, I AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENT ON BOC BUT I SIMPLY DON’T AGREE THAT ON A GOOD NIGHT THE N.Y. DOLLS COULD TOP ANY OTHER GROUP IN AMERICA, NOT EVEN THE MOUSKETEERS WHEN THEY WERE ALIVE AND WELL!! lisa robinson, OK BEN EDMONDS HAS SAID IT, AND YOU HAVE SAID IT, AND SEVERAL OTHER WRITERS HAVE SAID IT AND THE N.Y. DOLLS SAY IT TO ALL WRITERS THEY COME IN CONTACT WITH AND THEY HAVE SAID IT TO ME TO QUOTE YOU: “THE REACTION TO THE DOLLS’ SET IS STRANGELY MIXED AND PERHAPS STRANGELY MISUNDERSTOOD.” SOMEHOW THROUGH ALL THEIR SINCERETY AND HUMBLENESS THEY EFFECT PEOPLE EMOTIONALLY AND IN REVIEWS GET SYMPATHY AND ALWAYS THAT SAME RAP ABOUT BEING MISUNDERSTOOD. THE ONLY THING ABOUT THE N.Y. DOLLS THAT IS MISUNDERSTOOD IS THEY ARE PULLING THE WOOL OVER THESE OBSERVANT CRITIQUES WHO SUBMERGE TO WHAT THE DOLLS WOULD LIKE NOTHING BETTER FOR YOU TO DO, GIVE EM A BREAK - MY ASS. THEY HAVE NO TALENT THEY DO NOT ENTERTAIN, AFTER FIVE MINUTES YOU HAVE SEEN THE FASHION SHOW AND HEARD ALL OF THE THREE OR FOUR CHORDS THEY HAVE MEMORIZED “IF YA CAN’T ENTERTAIN GET OFF THE STAGE” to quote Howard Kaylan who is a true star and has good taste!

THE THIRD BONE IN MIDDLE C

Somewhere in Georgia

HUH?

Pleasing the dudes with long hair and far-out clothes is what it’s all about. Buying their records, seeing their shows and visiting the rooms late at night will keep them happy. The leaders of the youth of America, with all their 6ooze and drugs and they’re allover 21. Not teenagers like their followers but adults who care. About what? Themselves! They are the ones getting rich off us and they get all the stardom and fame. The big cars and beautiful homes. What do we get? Well, you might say we get the best time of our lives. We share all the excitement and travel. We make it happen. If it weren’t for us there would be no bands, no singers,, no concerts, nothing. It’s all for us and we love it. Keep our leaders alive by keeping yourself that way!

The Pledge:

We the youth of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect union, promise to stay healthy, happy and alive so that we might keep the era of Rock, and all of its leaders, in existence. Life, Love and the Pursuit of Rock ’n’ Roll,

I hope you will print this. I want to help in the fight to keep my brothers and sisters alive and to support and uphold our beautiful bands.

Nancy Beddoe

Springfield, Mo.

(Will anybody who has the slightest idea what this person is talking about please write in? -Ed.)

ON THE BOD

I’m a 15 year old chick. I have a study hall, across from me in my study hall sits a big jock, he asks me why I always read about the Stones and stare at Mick. I say I dig Mick’s bod. He says bodies don’t count. Do bodies count?

Angie Action

Farmington, Mi.

P.S. Heather Head wants to know too. (Everything counts except jocks. - Ed.)