Greetings,
Corporate greed has me disillusioned again. I’ve become more involved in the struggles of organized labor faced with low-life big businessmen. It’s made the summer ... interesting.
This issue debuts the week of CMJ’s 2001 marathon and I hear the folks at CMJ are planning a return to their roots, at least partially. A sort of corporate restructuring, hopefully toward good not evil. As I always say, there’s a world of undiscovered but well deserving music out there. Maybe some of the artists reviewed in this issue of the rag fit that description too.
That’s the shrine to Joey Ramone, that was erected outside CBGBs, on the front cover. I can remember the first time I saw the band, at the old Ritz on 11th street in NYC. I can also remember the last, I think, at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, with C.J. on bass. I came to them late, when their catalog was already vast and the early discs, like Subterranean Jungle remain my favorites. They shaped me in ways I’ve never tried to describe. I’m sure the Ramones are a big part of why I got into music in the first place. Playing CBs back in the 80s, I remember thinking “They played here, and looked at what I’m looking at now..” All that’s left to say is that I cried when I heard the news. I spent more time with that group than with some not-so-distant members of my family. He was way too young to go, but I’m glad he left such his legacy for future generations.
As in other recent issues, we’ve included overlooked releases from past years, they’re in “the milkcrate”, cause that’s where they’ve kinda been sitting since they arrived. “Femvox” is on hold for the moment. ~ Jonathan
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