STROLLING BONES?

Rip It Up, Issue 180, 1 July 1992, Page 29

STROLLING BONES?

Nothing is sadder than an old rock and roller apart from perhaps an old rock journalist trying to review young bands. And how old are some of your staff? When reading the mag recently it's as if you've become out of touch and surely that's suicide if the main aim of the mag is still there — to serve music lovers rather than suits or advertisers. Kirk Gee seems to have disappeared and your only recent addition, John Taite, doesn't do more than a few reviews which leaves us with Matthew "the common man" Hyland. George Kay and his British side of things is okay, but when he reviews new bands it's as if he doesn't know what to say cos he hasn't heard the last five albums to compare (and he sounds more old and disinterested rather than knowledgeable). So how about some young writers or at least some opinions from reviewers that aren't over 30, opinions filled with the excitement of youth rather than the tired cynicism of old age. How many of your writers could even be as rebellious as to follow your mag's name? TODD WILLIAMSON, HAMILTON