Thursday, October 09, 2008

trouser press

this week i ordered a trouser press magazine
from the early '80s
it had the clash on the cover
i bought it on ebay
it was a whim
a total impulse buy
i hadn't thought about trouser press in ages
when i was a teen
back in el paso
i used to read this mag religiously
i mail ordered rare british records
from the back of it
from places like new york's record runner
and the golden disc
i guess these places are long gone now
vinyl is even (for the most part) long gone
tonight i sat in the living room
while J and G slept
and read this trouser press magazine
from 1981
front to back
it was like i'd stepped into a glorious time capsule
i felt like a kid again
i felt like it really was 1981
i read a letter from yoko about john's death
which had just occurred only a couple of months before
i also read an interview with joe strummer
who we all know is gone now too
he was so full of fiery youth
and drive
i guess it all made me feel a bit melancholy
i couldn't help but think about the passing of time
(you know me)
joe talked about sandinista!
which the clash had just completed
the writer was still trying to get his head around the 6 disc monster
now it's a golden "oldie"
i even saw the very same ads that i used to peruse
oh how i lusted after that vinyl
it brought back memories
of staying up late at night dreaming of what i might be able
to order
i still have all of those records stored away
but i don't know what i've kept them around for
maybe my son?
maybe because they were so precious to me once
i just can't seem to let them go
i've decided i want to throw out all of the newish rock'n'roll mags
in pleasantry lane
like rolling stone with jack johnson's annoying mug on the cover
and replace them with vintage trouser press mags
i'll make my very own time capsule
whoever gets stuck on the toilet with nothing to do
or gets bored on the wrap around '70s couch
will have very little choice but to take a trip
back in time
i don't really care what most of the new popstars of today are up to anyway
it's a yawn to me
so let's go back to 1978!

the history of trouser press courtesy of wickipedia:
Trouser Press was a rock mag started in New York
in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to a song by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and an acronymic play on the British rock TV show Top of the Pops). Its original scope was British bands and artists (early issues featured the slogan "America's Only British Rock Magazine"). Initial issues contained occasional interviews with major artists like Brian Eno and Robert Fripp and extensive record reviews. After fourteen issues, the title was shortened to simply Trouser Press, and it gradually transformed into a full fledged professional-level magazine with color covers and advertising.
As the 70's music scene transformed, so did the magazine's editorial focus. From 1976 on, Trouser Press frequently centered on the growing punk movements in both London and New York. The magazine provided in-depth articles on bands like the Sex Pistols, Boomtown Rats, The Clash, The Damned, the Ramones, Television, and many other similar groups, long before other U.S. music publications did. In 1980, the magazine introduced "America Underground", a recurring column devoted to local music scenes from different areas of the country. By the early 80's, the magazine's focus was almost exclusively on new wave, alternative rock, and underground rock from both sides of the Atlantic. Starting in 1982, flexi-discs were included with every issue to subscribers only, many of which have since become collector's items. Although the magazine seemed to be thriving with an ever growing circulation, editor Robbins ceased publication after the April 1984 issue (#96), citing a lack of interest in the continuing but stagnating new wave scene that left his writers with very little left to say.



2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

so if you are looking for vintage mags to replace today's junk, i have a half dozen or so rolling stone mags dated in the early 80's. one includes the beatles anniversary issue 1984.

can't think of another person i would rather give them to than you. let me know.

michael

6:27 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Salim, we have never met, but found you link thru other local links, i appreciate just checking in. this one i like alot, have never heard of trouser press, grew up buying records by 1st grade '66, elvis, beatles then alot of the british blues rock by 5th grade, etc. anyway as far as reading must have gotten really side tracked in the '70s cause was reading circus, maybe that was the time... used to love roling stone...anyway totally interested in trouser press because of the bands you mentioned. i have the last few months become back into my old music because i bought a new cartride for my old direct drive dual turntable, bought a new dell 420 desktop, hooked the dual into our home theater sytem and then into the dell, and have digitally transferred about 250 albums so far into the dell now a juke box with 5800 songs in wave files. transferred my pristine copy of sandanista and am getting into all kinds of things once again. had an old copy of "me and chet" jerry reed w/ chet atkins as an example. takes time, if you are interested in someone transferring your old vinyl to waves let me know. anyway i dig your vibe, hope to see you play soon. M

8:35 AM  

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