LETTERS

Rip It Up, Issue 20, 1 March 1979, Page 14

LETTERS

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After listening to another rat-shit day of New Zealand radio, I find I have to express my opinion on how bad the whole scene is. We put up with Radio Hauraki's boring repetition, just about driving us to IXI or worse, all in the name of making overseas stars even richer, as brilliant New Zealand talent is virtually ignored. How often over the years have you heard an Enz track from the brilliant Second Thoughts, a Blerta track, John Hanlon or Rocking Horse? Why not put the resources of record companies, advertising agencies and most of all radio stations behind New Zealanders. We have brilliant musicians like Paul Crowther, Phil Judd, Robert Gillies and Clinton Brown who don’t even appear to be working. As I write, I listen to the 3,764 th playing of a good but now hated song, "The Sultans of Swing.” If Radio Hauraki has anything to do with Rip It Up I guess this won’t get printed. Anyway I feel better now after having my say. So here’s hoping for a little encouragement for New Zealand’s musicians. Ellsee Epsom Do you know, of Doc rock actually stated that a band he just played was called Two Sevens Clash and their LP was called Culture. Same with some daytime DJ on IZM, said that Handsworth Revolution had a new album out called Steel Pulse. I think there’s somefing about British reggae groops that has them confused. Beatty Bob Mt RoskillP.S. Why have the Boomtown Rats never been screened on TV One? Why are the B. Rats not featured in Rip It Up? An open letter to all you 'people' at Radio Hauraki. I doubt whether you read Rip It Up, (it is a rock'n'roll paper after all). Radio Hauraki, you are responsible for creating a culturally barren generation of John Travolta clones, with your puppet jockeys spouting endless screeds of trivia and above all your religiously rigid top 40 jingle format. I heard Hello Sailor’s “Disco’s Dead” recently. I wish it were true, but I know as far as the masses are concerned, it is rock’n'roll that’s dead. I hope you are satisfied. Love Aristotle P.S. Barry Jenkin is about the only reason why I don’t set fire to Caltex House. The time is just after 9.00 pm. In a rare burst of insanity, I switch on the radio. It’s on Avon. “ Rivers of Babylon” is on for the 100,000 th time. I’m no quitter though, and I quickly change to 3ZB. Oh no! "Babylon” again. I move at high speed, the dial goes to 3ZM, and the dismal picture is complete, “Brown Girl in the Ring” is being churned out. It’s a conspiracy! Is there anything that can be done? Here in Christchurch we have three top 40 stations, with hardly a break between the dirge. Rip It Up readers should start a petition or something ... anything. Big T Christchurch The reason Lester Bangs likes to knock the Stones is because at 36 Mick can still pull the chicks and Lester still can’t, owing to his obvious handicaps. What you have just read is a very thoughtful political observation. If Tom Robinson can get a SIOO,OOO record deal for his thoughtful political observations, why can’t I. Leonid Brezhnev Dunedin

Dear Mrs McLean (of Otahuhu), if you had any brains at all then you wouldn’t have accompanied your 15 year old daughter to Zwines, to see the Enemy. Now, I would like to sympathise with your daughter Well, I’m really sorry that your mother did this to you. But I also get the same sort of treatment down here in Masterton, and I’m also 15 years old. For instance, my old lady goes on about, "How I wish you wouldn’t idolise these punk rock fellows". So don’t worry, honey, parents just don't understand. Horris Horrible Masterton P.S. Also a thanks for Sal Ivor for sympathising with me. May I refer you to the opening paragraph of your Critic's Choice 78 events, people or records that helped shape the 1978 musical year.” Why then should William Dart be allowed to slander the Runaways in his 'Most boring album’? Their albums are The Runaways (1976), Queens of Noise (1977), Waitin ’ For The Night (1977) and Live in Japan (1977). They didn’t release anything last year, in fact they have been without a label for most of 1978. It's a pity (and I don’t care what Kim Fowley now says about them!) Warren Purdy Mt Roskill It seems to many of us that Mr George Kay is developing a positively negative attitude towards music as an art form. However Mr Kay is not the first critic to have gone over the hill. I have not the least intention of showing him up to be even a little confused, but may I point out that with regard to age (oh, so petty, I know), but Mr lan Anderson is only a few months older than a certain very famous singer/composer over whom our hero George seems to dote, who happens to have also released a double-live album (Stage), and who also seems to be ever-increasingly “infatuated with concepts and rock music as art”.. I wonder what we will have to listen to if everyone with an ounce of creativity gave up before they started; because some misanthropic nonentity of prefabricated obsolesence by the name of George Kay or Lester Bangs reckons that artistic music or musical art is a contradiction in terms. We would all be left with Muzak, 3-minit pseudo-rock (Meatloaf, Rod Stewart), and disco-for-the-masses. K.C. Papatoetoe (Assistant Treasurer, George Kay Mutual Admiration Society. Our motto We are geared to be average rather than exceptional). An apparently not well known fact of life is that Billy Joel is a half hearted attempt at rock’n’roll. Imagine dedicating a quarter of a page in your December Rip It Up to it. No wonder Elton John has turned to sailors and goats. Please ignore the warning about Mopex Lobotomy. The rhythm guitarist got sacked due to internal conflict. M.L. Wellington Just who the hell does Dominic Free think he is? Rip It Up was the last place you would expect to find such mental masturbation as "cleverly underpins" etc. He obviously thought the album was good, so, why do we have to plough through clever word bogs to get the message? C. Kelly Mt Maunganui