Rolling Stone Magazine: I've been a subscriber off and on for almost 30 years. The rock journalism was top notch in the 70s thru the 90s. I was a fan of writers like Hunter S. Thompson, Ben Fong Torres, Mikal Gilmore , Anthony De Curtis and a bevvy of others true to their craft of investigative rock interviewing and commentary.
I forgave them for their flip flopping on mammoth artists like Sabbath and the mighty Zep, and ignoring RUSH, all cornerstones of rock and both initially panned by Jann and Company. I heralded them for their access to rock legends and the legendary interviews with Lennon and Jagger and Neil and Bob. I loved the lists, and the animosity that ensued following their publication(usually two or three times a year to boost sales, UGH)
I know how most of you out there will say that this mag stopped being relevant right around the time Cobain cut himself short . I hung in there, being a rock history buff. RS was one of the first.
The recent pandering(ok it comes in waves with every generation) to the clueless youth(yeah, I really have given up) with cover stories on the cast of GLEE, Justin Bieber, and now..lowest of the low..Snooki has hit me like a sack of wet textbooks that none of these target readers will ever pick up. And that's the point.
Who is the audience? What is the point of burying a certainly controversial story about Sammy Hagar badmouthing the brothers VH, or a profile on general McChrystal, or a fantastic expose on reclusive genius Merle Haggard, or great recent reporting by former NYPress Scribe Matt Taibbi...in favor of a fucking SNOOKI or Justin Bieber story...IN TWO CONSECUTIVE ISSUES!!!! Who is this MAGAZINES audience?????????
Is there anyone in their right mind who isn't wearing a training bra or aspiring to be like an orange tinted oompa loompa looking troll.... that would give a flying fuck about these people??? Among those who actually subscribe to this mag??? TWO Lil Wayne covers in two years????? HUHHH??? Do We Care? Is it essential to know what this gold grilled assclown's next move after JAIL is gonna be? And how do the writers feel about being under that masthead, after all of that great writing, and playing fourth fiddle to Matthew Morrison(who??????...yeah, that's right) and his glossy castoffs of a burned out, played out, broadway karaoke line.
This AINT fucking TIGER BEAT, Jann! And leave fucking SNOOKI to the pages of that throwaway US rag that all the wanton competing house fraus read while in the checkout line at Pathmark, loading up on Mountain Dew, diapers and Hot Pockets.
Yeah, I read MOJO(although it usually costs 10 dollars and takes a wk to get through), and occasionally SPIN and I get most of my relevant music news and bitter rock fuel from all of the rock snobby blogs.
But I still cared for this mag. And I can't do it anymore.
The only things RS does right anymore is the tribute to HST in masthead of every issue - and their political coverage. The profile of Stanley McChrystal was pretty incredible, and the whole Generation Kill series was top knotch. But does don't get covers, but may be what saves them. One things for sure, no way in hell the good Doctor would write for them today.
ReplyDeleteBut does don't get covers = But those don't get covers....
ReplyDeletebeen a long day.
Snookie on the cover? Really? Guess the magazine IS really getting that bad.
ReplyDeleteI canceled my subscription for Rolling Stone back in the '90's was when Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake appeared on the cover. To me it became more of a celebrity mag than a mag about rock and roll.
The only time I read that blather is at Walgreen's while waiting for a prescription refill-and that's for the record reviews.
I let go back in the 80's. Shows you how old I am.
ReplyDeleteI gave up in the early 90s on RS. I quite like Classic Rock, and prog Rock. But i find that most mags dealing with the latest music that aren't metal mags are rubbish
ReplyDeleteyou might like my blog
www.musicruminations.blogspot.com
then again, you might not.
dude. I am 45 years old...Love music on all levels and feel EXACTLY as you do about RS. Used to be the bible....now its trash.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. If you can get past those awful covers, there are good articles in there. Profiles on Lemmy, Haggard, Kristofferson, Leon Russell, Levon Helm, Jeff Bridges, Chuck Berry.
ReplyDeleteShit I even enjoyed the Elton John cover interview - I thought he was very honest and down to earth and I didn't think that was possible.
The print industry is dying, people and they have to sell magazines. Having said that, I could understand the Beiber cover. Remember, they put David Cassidy on the cover in the 70s - but Snooki? Really? Even I did not understand that. Nothing to do with music, no talent at anything, not a big star except on the biggest show MTV has ever had but who cares? That was a wasted cover. I endure that shite for the more-frequently-than-you'd-expect gems.
PS my first issue was the Jim Morrison hot sexy and dead cover way back in the early 80s. At least he was a musician.
Seano, you ought to hold out until the put KISS on the cover (never gonna happen).
I would agree that I'm finished with it too, unless, of course, they put me on the cover :)
ReplyDelete