Creem – America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine, Reviewed Issue By Issue – June 1986 (Volume 17, Number 10)
There are certain acts that one could logically associate with the Creem aesthetic, such as the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Who, Alice Cooper, and Iggy Pop. One act that you certainly wouldn’t associate with the Creem aesthetic is the Hooters, whose big MTV hit “And We Danced,” sounded like something one would hear as background music for a fast-food commercial. This is the kind of band that makes REO Speedwagon sound like CBGB’s era punk rock in comparison. Still, they were significant enough commercially to get the cover slot for the June 1986 issue of Creem.
Dave Marsh sent in a lengthy letter scolding journalist Barbara Pepe for a piece on “Sun City,” stating her viewpoints, “Reeks of the apologetics voiced by apartheid’s most trusted service.” There was no editorial rebuttal. There was also a letter written by a “Melle Mel” from Greensburg, Pennsylvania about how preposterous it was to replace David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar. I note this not only because I agree with the sentiment, but in the small world department, the Mellster and I later became and remain friends to this very day.
The death of The Band’s Richard Manuel was reported in “Rock ‘n’ Roll News.”
Features:
“Stray Cat No More: Brian Setzer Sets Out Solo,” by Jeff Tamarkin
“Aerosmith Still Walk It Their Own Way,” by Toby Goldstein
“The Hottest Hooters in the Business,” by Karen Schlosberg
“The Bangles Making Pop Her-Story or It’s a Girl’s, Girl’s, Girl’s World,” by Roy Trakin
“Styper: The Newest Testament Yet!,” by John Kordosh
“Foul-Mouthed Reagan Shocks the World: A Catchy David Lee Roth Headline,” by Dave DiMartino
“Husker Du: Not Bohemia, But Estonia!,” by Richard Riegel
“Going Fishing for Topics: A Bartlette-Esque Update on OMD,” by Annene Kaye
Brian Setzer defended the legacy of the Stray Cats (“It certainly was fun having rockabilly hits on the charts alongside Foreigner”) and talked about the plight of Native Americans in an interview promoting his wonderfully titled “The Knife Feels Like Justice” album.
Joe Perry had rejoined Aerosmith, unable to find the proper musical chemistry with the various members of his Joe Perry Project. Steve Tyler admitted the band still partied hard, “but there’s a time and a place for it.” As for the listening public, they pretty much yawned at this reconciliation, until the band recorded with Run-D.M.C.
Roy Trakin caught the Bangles at the point of their major pop breakthrough with the Prince penned “Manic Monday” (Vicki Peterson, “Everyone could relate to that lyric”). Vicki also noted that both Prince and the Bangles had significant admiration for Joni Mitchell. The band members noted they were lucky they didn’t have instant success, which gave them time to grow into the demands of stardom. A good read.
David Lee Roth was, of course, pretty humorous in addressing his departure from Van Halen. “Poor Edward Van Halen – FORCED TO LIVE A LIE! STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE THE ONSLAUGHT OF MASARATIS! FORCED TO SURVIVE LAMBORGHINI AFTER LAMBORGHINI! Can you IMAGINE the mental stress the poor kid must be feeling.”
Richard Riegel detailed Husker Du’s history and the possibility of mainstream success as the trio had moved from SST to Warner Brothers. This was a somewhat belated feature on one of the most important bands of their era.
Quotable Quotes:
Brian Setzer on being compared to other acts, “It’s fine with me, as long as you don’t say I sound like Loverboy.”
Susanna Hoffs, “My grandparents still think I should be making more money. They see me at these clubs and wonder how I can work so hard and not have a dime. They keep telling me they have an ‘in’ at Brooklyn Law School.”
Roth, “I never said (Eddie Van Halen) was anything BUT a wonderful guitar player. He’s just a shitty human being.”
Greg Norton, “In Geneva, Switzerland, this guy came up to us with this broken-English statement, ‘You are since the Stooges the most crazed band I’ve ever seen!”
Summary: Nobody understood the world of music journalism better than David Lee Roth during the 1980s.
Grade: B+
Latest price on eBay: $9.99 to “Buy It Now.”
