December 1984
Contents
I just got an irate phone call about the “Prince Of Minneapolis” article I did for your Sept, issue. The complaint is valid, so I’d greatly appreciate it if you could run the following correction in an upcoming issue. It could help get an entire community off my back:
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
ROBERT CHRISTGAU
Three albums into this world-class popmeister’s American career, his U.S. debut begins to seem like the compromise purists claimed it was—not because it’s too American, but because it’s not American enough. Now when I want something subtly polypercussive I’ll choose Nigerian LPs like The Message or Bobby rather than Juju Music.
Rock 'n' Roll News
Ratt are having some “trouble” with Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. When the rodent admirers asked Tommy and Nikki to the shooting of their “Back For More” video, the playful Motley pair arrived in police uniforms and had stunned Ratt drummer Bobby Blotzer assuming the position against a handy wall before he caught “on.”
The Beat Goes On
David Ayers
MINNEAPOLIS—Husker Du, onetime local laughing stock turned global hardcore juggernaut turned metalworking, pop-pumping, damn-the-conventions artistes have assembled to elevate a pale biz cliche to sensory-certifiable truth: dig it, man, these guys can cook!
Features
TWISTED SISTER: STILL HUNGRY?
Steve Gett
Considering the endless disappointments and bitter periods of frustration that Twisted Sister have been forced to endure over the years, it’s something of a musical miracle that they’ve managed to survive.
A LITA BIT CLOSER TO THE TOP!
Laura Fissinger
What a time to be a gal, hey? One in space, one in the presidential race, and one who plays metal guitar fast and mean enough to make big boys in black leather pull their chest hair in desperation. Yessir, fellas, you can take those zucchinis out of your pants now: Lita Ford is proving that genitals don’t play rock guitar.
THE LIFE AND SIGNS OF BILLY SQUIER
Mark J. Norton
So there I was, reduced to begging for Stevie Ray Vaughan tickets at America’s Only, when the Editor ’n’ Cheap asked what I was doing that evening. He needed a scribe to go to Cleveland to interview Billy Squier. What the hell was I gonna do? Mere hours later, I was on a plane to Clevo without the Christian aid of a fresh change of clothes or toothbrush.
NOBODY IN HERE BUT US HUMANS!
Richard Grabel
Phil Oakey, Joanne Catherall and I ride the elevator up to their record company’s offices together. We’d never met, but I knew they were pop stars right away. I could tell by their sneakers. These sneakers were covered with some kind of shining, shimmering reflective glitter.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Calendar
CALENDAR
Features
HUEY LEWIS AND ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS
J. Kordosh
Gosh, how we love Huey Lewis.
MIDDLE OF THE ROBES
Cynthia Rose
What with our recent illusions of cable TV—a.k.a. The Olympics, covered nightly from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the duration— and Boy George back in town, things are picking up. Recently returned from Jamaica where he was born again as a blond, George turned up on Ear Say, Channel 4’s pop magazine program, as a Special CoPresenter.
Creem Profiles
CYNDI LAUPER
(Pronounced “Boy Howdy!”)
Stars Cars
RUDY SARZO
Creemedia
HONKERS, SHOUTERS & G-SPOTS
Mitchell Cohen
The names that tumble through these two books are the stops on the winding trail of American music.
Records
A BITTER PiL TO SWALLOW
J. Kordosh
Over the years I’ve come to enjoy John Lydon in much the same way I enjoy the Mariner photographs from Mars. Interesting stuff, you know.
45 REVELATIONS
Ken Barnes
Because I’ve concentrated on singles for the last seven years, it’s harder all the time for me to find common ground with most of my album-oriented reviewing colleagues. We’re looking for different things in records. Let’s oversimplify a while.
ROCK • A • RAMA
You know you’re in for something, er, different when the back cover of a record hosts not only a quote from the scriptures (“By His Stripes We Are Healed”—Isaiah) but a thank you nod to “#1 Jesus Christ (The Boss Man)” to boot. And different is probably the best way to describe this mini-LP by what is—unarguably—the world’s first-ever BORN AGAIN HEAVY METAL BAND!!!
CREEM SHOWCASE
Beginning this month, CREEM will showcase some of the newest sights and sounds in the musical instrument world, giving readers their opportunity to follow-up on what looks like their kind of equipment! See something Well, we've included an address—and now the rest is up to you.
CYMBAL GIVEAWAY
Here's your opportunity to win a set of one of Europe's best professional cymbals in the CREEM Meinl/Profile Giveaway! Win this set of Volcanic Rock Cymbals: one pair of 14" high hats; one each, 16" crash; one each, 18" crash; one each, 20" ride.
1984 ROCK 'N' ROLL READERS POLL BALLOT
H'ep! Hey, gang, it's us wacky CREEM editors imploring you not to vote in this year's poll! Why? Because every one of these things that you send in, somebody has to count! And guess who that is? Us, you moes! And we'll hate you so much for making us work so hard, we'll make a special point of never featuring your fave acts!
KISS & TELL
Jaan Uhelszki
The Bird's Still The Word: Strangely enough Steve Severin of Siouxsie & The Banshees suffers from some kind of an ornithological obsession—which is manifested into an unnatural fear of birds. Steve admitted to London's No. 1. mag that his phobia is so intense it makes him nervous just walking down the street.
Backstage
BACKSTAGE
Where the Stars Tank Up & Let Their Images Down