LETTERS

LETTERS

Mail Dept., CREEM Magazine, P.O. Box 931869, Los Angeles, CA 90093

PETTY ACCUSATION

“That’s what’s depressing about all this ‘new music’; it’s kind of hype... some of that stuff isn’t any fuckin’ good...I mean, like Husker Du doin’ The Mary Tyler Moore Theme.’ Why don’t they play ‘No Reply,’ y’know? Maybe I’m just old, but I’d rather hear a real song.” (Tom Petty, August 1987 CREEM)

Or, as Peter Buck said, maybe you’re just stupid. Not only is about 90 percent of Tom’s “music” unlistenable, not only is Tom extremely displeasing to look at, not only is Tom the worst singer in the history of rock ’n’ roll, but he also seems very ignorant of “new music.”

Husker Du has done both an excellent version of “Ticket To Ride” (hard to find, I know, but it exists), a real song by most standards, and a version of Tom’s beloved Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” that’s one of the truly cathartic rampages of our time. It easily surpasses anything Petty had ever done.

So Tom, shut your mouth. I, for one, has ever done.

Steven Crawford Rector, AZ

WALLS COMES TUMBLING DOWN In response to Richard C. Walls’s close-minded review of the new Cult album, Electric: It is beyond me how any human being can sit back, listen to the tracks a few times, read the lyric sheet and decide that this band “bites the big one.” Come on, Rich, let’s dig deep into that vocabulary and see if we can dredge up something other than an adolescent cliche. Face it, Rich, the Cult is the most exciting band to surface in the last five years. Sure, some of the lyrics are repetitive and don’t make a whole lot of sense, but that shouldn’t keep this album from becoming a classic. It is one of the few recordings around that contains more than two good tracks. The Cult is pure rock ’n’ roll.. .enjoy it!

My advice to you, Mr. Walls, is give the Cult another chance. I think you’ll mend your evil ways. I’m just glad people like you weren’t around to review other English bands with repetitive, nonsensical lyrics like “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.” Think about it, guy.

Jack Connolly

San Diego, CA

CULT SELL-OUT, CROP SHORTAGE, LINKED!

I can’t believe that for the past couple of years when the Cult were making great records they barely appeared at all in CREEM, but as soon as they sell out, they grace your cover.

It’s not what happened to Southern Death, it’s what the hell happened to the Cult? One of the most original bands of the ’80s has sold out and not only do they sound bad, they look pathetic.

I could see them expanding their sound to attract a bigger audience, but to change so drastically so fast is ridiculous. I’m still trying to get over the initial shock of hearing “Love Removal Machine” for the first time.

I originally listened to the Cult to get away from mainstream music that seems to be constantly forced upon me by AOR radio, MTV and rock mags, and now they’re just a part of it too: a boring band with no originality just trying to sell a million records and make themselves millionaires.

Patrick Cusack

Paterson, NJ

BLESS THIS SUBSCRIBER

They say your magazine only fans the world of drug addiction, prostitution and promiscuity. And where is there any evidence to the contrary? This type of magazine with its glossy, tinseltown format is a menace to any youngster drawn into its web of anti-social indulgence. Rock ’n’ roll is just a concoction of inarticulate, insulting trash. Expensive equipment does the work and only a short amount of practice makes anyone feel like a star, and overdubs have the same effect. In short, the result is that our youth have been brainwashed by the traps and demagoguery of rock ’n’ roll.

David M. Battestin

Ridgefield Park, NJ ('So it’s all worked out rather well, then?—Ed.)

SITTIN’ ON A PORCH IN MELVILLE...

To Ken Barnes: I believe the correct lyric to Dead Or Alive’s “Brand New Lover,” your choice for the most bizarre of the month (July ’87 CREEM), is: “Somebody with eyes for me who doesn’t notice all the others.”

My friend and I, being D.O.A. fans, found this lyric interesting and discussed it many times. There are a couple of ways it can be interpreted. That is neither here nor there, I just wanted to correct you.

Charlie Vanchiere

Melville, NY (You dog, you.—Ed.)

“NICE??”

Have you ever tired of having the same old rock stars in your magazine?

How about a nice Pink Floyd special?—the greatest guitarist in the world is David Gilmour. They’re coming out in September without Roger Waters—that turkey should be banned from rock ’n’ roll.

J. Gaudy

Belleville, NJ

FIGHTIN' COW WORDS!!

I know you don’t give a damn what I think, but so what? I think you guys suck for backtalking everyone who writes to you. You should be thankful anyone reads your stupid magazine. You should really be ashamed of yourselves, too. I also think your gimmicks are pretty stupid. Give me a break. I mean, how many people did you expect to subscribe just for the sake of a cow? You’d probably just slaughter it anyway, if you had one. To change the subject, how many of you actually like the Cure & the Smiths? They are so stupid. Why don’t they go screw themselves and leave us alone? And for Jan M. Lozo of Gouvemeur, NY, quit falling for their tricks of putting Prince on the cover of every other magazine. These are obviously idiots who are too stupid to realize how terrific he is.

Dana Cher Peterson

Seward, Alaska

(Thanks for sharing what appear to be your thoughts.—Ed.)

LENNON LEGACY VS.

STAYING AWAKE

This, as so many other letters I’ve read, is the first letter I’ve written to CREEM. But after reading the Tom Petty article in your August ’87 issue, I was prompted to write.

I think Mr. Petty is pretty damned cool to be listening to Elvis these days, and also the early Beatles. Isn’t it kind of funny that Tom Petty has better taste in John Lennon’s music than John’s own flesh and blood (i.e., Julian, who doesn’t even know how to write a real rock ’n’ roll song and favors the Walls And Bridges era of his father’s work)?

“Too Late For Goodbyes” was a good song, but when I saw Julian at the Bea* con Theater in New York he sang it flat without even trying to match the vocal line on his album, something his father would never have done (unless you include the crazy, hazy, halcyon, hallucinogenic, happy and harried days of Beatlemania, when they couldn’t even hear themselves due to the screaming hordes of pulsating pre-pubescent and early teenage girls).

Now if Tom Petty could take Julian aside and make him listen to Elvis (John’s original inspiration according to all of the books and interviews with John Lennon that I or my friends have read) Julian just might come out with a good, maybe even great album. Because the one thing he can thank his father for is a similar sounding voice. Let him listen to “Bad Boy” or “Hey Bulldog” or “Hound Dog” (from Live In New York City) and maybe, just maybe, Julian will see the light. But, as John Lennon said best (to Howard Cosell in regards to the possible reunion of the Beatles), “Well, Howard, you never know.”

And CREEM, if you print this, thank you for doing so and if you don’t, well, thanks for nothing (except maybe some good reading material every now and then).

Thomas Matthew Foley

Staten Island, NY