August 1981
Creem Profiles
JERRY LEE LEWIS
(Pronounced “Boy Howdy!”)
CREEM
To complete the following study I had to skip Professor Wilsdorf's lecture on Friday: SO PRINT THIS, YA JERKS. This study entails the rise to power of one Rick “the dick” Johnson (apologies to Joe Fernbacher for using a nickname between Mr. Johnson’s first and last names).
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
Robert Christgau
TERRY ALLEN & THE PANHANDLE MYSTERY BAND: “Smokin The Dummy” (Fate):: Juarez, this sculptor-painter cum singer/ songwriter’s 1975 debut, was pretentiously half-assed mock mythopoeia; Lubbock (On Everything), his 1979 double was genuwine laugh-a-minute highbrow-lowbrow.
ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS
Talking Head Tina Weymonth is recording a solo album at CdmpassPoint Studios in the Bahamas, In addition to husband and fellow Head Chris Frants on drums, the LP will feature Jamaican super session men Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, vocals will be handled by Weymouth and her two sisters, who appeared as the Sweatbreaths on Pear Of Music, Does this mean a Talking Heads split? Have no fear.
THE BEAT GOES ON
Richard Riegel
DAYTON, OH —“Maximum Occupancy: 110” says the sign high up on the wall of the Walnut Hills Bar, and by a conservative estimate, I’d say at least 108 of said occupants are standing right in our laps. But we can’t complain; Teresa and I drove the 50 miles up here just to catch the last-gang-in-town rock ’n’ roll realities of Human Switchboard, and if it takes putting up with the sardine ambience of a neo-Caveman Club to do that, well, bring on the reality sandwiches.
I TALKED TO THE PLIMSOULS!
J. Kordosh
The Plimsouls come from Los Angeles, where you can find rich bastards and poor bastards and record companies and high-priced real estate and even a few good musicians if you don’t mind looking. I come from Detroit, where you can find mostly poor bastards.
SPANDAU BALLET WANT YOU TO DANCE. THAT’S ALL.
Iman Labadedi
On the day that Bobby Sands finally starved himself to death and two hours after Spandau Ballet’s first ever press conference I’m in the coffee shop of a Manhattan midtown hotel arguing with Gary Kemp— Spand’s composer and synthesizer/guitar player.
Features
JUDAS PRIEST: HELL-BENT FOR EAGLE SCOUT-HOOD?
J. Kordosh
I’m sitting in the bar of the Marriott Pavilion Hotel in downtown St. Louis. It’s—what?—about 2 a.m.
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY IN FUNLAND: THE CIRCUS BEGINS HERE
Toby Goldstein
“Here, you’re an Antperson,” said Bram Tchaikovsky, smearing a strip of scotch tape across the nose of his manager, Richard Ogden. Ogden, looking resigned and ever-so-slightly amused, delicately attempted to remove the offending object without mauling his anatomy.
The Academic In Peril: JOHN CALE ADDRESSES THE INEVITABLE
Dave DiMartino
“I don’t really aim for being a ‘renaissance man’ or anything like that—but sometimes you end up that, if you do a lot of things and you do them all well... “But I can’t understand how you can do them all well, though. Something’s got to lose...” —John Cale, on if he died, how he would like to be remembered.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Calendar
CALENDAR
The Secret History of Queen
Rick Johnson
1968—Freddie Mercury meets Brian May and Roger Taylor (then members of the group Smile) in Art School. Brian first heard to say “Freddie! Not in front of company!" 1970—Smile splits up after releasing one single (“Earth”). Brian asks Freddie if he wants to start a new band.
Stars Cars
DAVE HLUBEK
Extension Chords
ELECTRIC GUITAR PREVIEW
Allen Hester
Every year during the month of June, musical instrument manufacturers from all over the world get together to show each other and the public what they have been working on in their research and development labs over the past 12 months.
Letter From Britain
Midnight At The Oasis
Penny Valentine
Don't forget the Rita Hayworth red earrings, said Jane, laughing.
CREEMEDIA
J. Kordosh
Endless Rain Meets Paper Cup SHOUT! THE BEATLES IN THEIR GENERATION by Philip Norman (Simon and Schuster) STRAWBERRY HELDS FOREVER: JOHN LENNON REMEMBERED by Garbarini, Cullman, and Graustark (Bantam) Now that John Lennon’s safely away, writers can finally start in on a definitive Beatle history.
Confessions of a FILM FOX
During all the Beatlesque hoopla surrounding Ringo Starr’s April wedding to Cavemate, Barbara Bach, where was the ex-Mrs. Starr, Maureen— mom to Ringo’s three young ’uns? Weep not for the former Merseyside lock-snipper, who’s keeping Who drummer Kenney Jones’ drumsticks dry...
Records
EXECUTING THE PERFECT SQUEEZE PLAY
Jeff Nesin
Consider. A band with decidedly bent pop bearings.
ROCK • A • RAMA
KENNY KOSEK AND MATT GLASER— Hasty Lonesome (Rounder):: The presence of a medley of songs from Marx Brothers movies seems all too fitting on this album, which marks the united effort of Kosek and Glaser, two brilliant violinists with similar screws loose in just the right places.
Rewire Yourself
Stereo In Wonderland
Richard Robinson
Stereo In Wonderland Stereo equipment manufacturers have stepped right through the looking glass and are beckoning those with bulging wallets to follow them into the land of the mirror image.
Backstage
BACKSTAGE
Where the Stars Tank Up & Let Their Images Down
CREEM DREEM
TINA TURNER