BP magazine rant

crikker · #1 02-15-2009, 09:29 AM

I read Bass Player for info about bass and bass playing, not to read about politics. When I want politics, I go out and find it. I don't expect it in a bass player magazine.

What has me wound up is in the January edition, Bill Leigh, in his Lowdown article, goes on about how the times are changing, first black prez, blah blah blah. He tried to tie it to music somehow. I didn't think it worked. It was geared towards race and change.

Now, this month, there are two letters in Plugin about politics and Bills Lowdown piece. The first one is bad but the second one has nothing to do at all with bass playing. It's all gushing about change and how African-Americans were shedding the cloud of oppression when BO was elected. There isn't anything about music in the letter, let alone bass playing. Why post this in this magazine? I'd link you to them on their site but I can't find them anywhere there.

Maybe I'm over reacting but this crap about politics in my music magazine bothers me. Thanks for reading.

baalroo · #2 02-15-2009, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crikker

I read Bass Player for info about bass and bass playing...

Well, there's your problem.

crikker · #3 02-15-2009, 10:04 AM

LOL, you got me there.

bassteban · #4 02-15-2009, 10:14 AM

I used to subscribe just to see new stuff, but TB fans my GASeous flames better. I still keep a few copies in the reading room(crepier).

badstonebass · #5 02-15-2009, 11:37 AM

When the guitar mags have insight into a certain player they are great. For the most part the REST is CRAP.

When was the last time you saw a BAD gear review in one?? They are worthless.

Ampeg SVT · #6 02-15-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badstonebass

When the guitar mags have insight into a certain player they are great. For the most part the REST is CRAP.

When was the last time you saw a BAD gear review in one?? They are worthless.

I agree with this, I will be canceling my Sub soon.

Some of the words that they use to describe the tone of certain amps are quite questionable. "Syrupy"? So what does that sound like? Thick? Sticky? Slow?

Rocker949 · #7 02-15-2009, 02:23 PM

Yeah, BP used to be a great magazine. But I canceled my subscription years ago, mostly because I prefer hard rock as opposed to the other stuff they often discuss in there.

Ampeg SVT · #8 02-15-2009, 02:25 PM

I still thought Bass Guitar was a better magazine, I always loved the amount of artist interviews they did.

Rocker949 · #9 02-15-2009, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ampeg SVT

I still thought Bass Guitar was a better magazine, I always loved the amount of artist interviews they did.

I have posted here several times about how much I liked "Bass Guitar" magazine. The artist interviews and many other things were done well.

NJL · #10 02-15-2009, 02:57 PM

i have often noticed TB in many ways has been ahead of BP mag on just about everything.

chadds · #11 02-15-2009, 03:49 PM

I cancelled years ago. They started rotating the same people as cover/feature artists. Let's see: Flea, Les Claypool, Charley Haden, repeat after me. All great players but when they began they were a breath of fresh air from GP etc. as they did feature bassists of every genre. It seemed that Jim Roberts knew that we bassists were multi-style open minded musicians compared to.....

It is great for a rock bassist to read interviews with Francois Rabbath or Edgar Meyer. Often we are called to play in different idioms in my town. Some singer songwriters are amazed that I play every style with some proficiency and listen to all forms of music. Playing country one night, funk the next, rock the next, free jazz, then blues, gets your chops way up. You know what? It's all music. Soon as you hear that you become better at the whole thing.

BP reviews became more and more suspect to me. Kinda like reading Motor Trend.
One real problem with their reviews is this.
They test a cabinet. What do they test through it. The great or wimp a$$ bass they happen to be testing with a head they also feature this month. How do I remotely know what it sounds like (as sketchy as this exercise is) if they don't use the same P-Bass or Lakland or MTD. What if the bass they tested is horrible to them? So how is it going to sound good through said cab? The shootouts. They can't say, like wise folks say here, "they are all good so find your flavor of good". They can't say well this one is sounds real good for $195 but if you have $699 to spend they aren't even close. We know why. No someone wins by some hard to quantify gauge. They asked some elderly lady in the coffee shop down stairs which one is shinier.

JTE · #12 02-15-2009, 04:16 PM

Such jaundice, I thought I was at Carol Kaye's web site.

First, regarding the gear reviews. I haven't seen a bad one, but then I haven't seen them review bad stuff either. And they do use some reference stuff, but not exclusively. For example they'll try a bass or head with the other things they're reviewing at the time, but also with the standard reference stuff (it used be an Eden D410XLT among other things). And they do say things that are problems they see with gear. If you carefully read the gear stuff they note how the stuff stacks up against other things in its price range.

As for the cover artists, they put people on the cover who'll sell the magazine in a newstand. That gets people to buy it and hopefully they'll read about the more obscure people. If they'd put Nick Harmer on the cover instead of Robert Trujilo last November, how many people would have bought it? BTW, despite the above assertion that Charlie Haden is one of the 3 artists they rotate, that issue only lists Charlie's name and a reference to his new project on the cover- no picture.

See, it's about SELLING the magazine. And they gotta do some stuff to sell it. It's still the best unjaundiced source I've found for new artists and gear. The problem with TB is that folks gush about stuff and have their clubs, but there's not any more objectivity or fact here than in the mag.

And the magazine is a lot more readable, better written, and subject to WAY fewer atrocious spelling and grammar problems than TB.

jte

hbarcat · #13 02-15-2009, 04:34 PM

They are selling the magazine to a particular market. That means that they have a marketing department that uses market research tools to tell them what their subscribers want to read about. They obviously have some data which informs them that their readership will increase by 0.31% in the next two quarters if they include some kind of socio-political commentary but in a vague kind of pseudo non-political way like, "The times, they are a-changin'. Ain't it groovy?" And you're supposed to feel vaguely warm and fuzzy for a few seconds before you turn the page and see a full page ad for a new "brand B" bass rig.

I don't subscribe to that rag anymore for the same reason that I don't go to McDonald's for my meals anymore.

Jeff K · #14 02-15-2009, 10:29 PM

I started my subscription to B.P. in '95 and have kept it current ever since. I used to get very excited when the new issue would show up in my mailbox. Their reviews tipped me off to some great products and values. They also used to have a half-page question & answer section that was frequently very helpful.

I no longer have that same excitement when the new issue arrives. Now it's just like, "Oh, okay. It's here." Then I skim it and rarely read it cover-to-cover like I used to. There are still some good reads in it; but I think the mag was at it's best when Jim Roberts was running the show.

But I'll probably continue subscribing because there is always something I can glean from it. But like B.B. King says, "The Thrill Is Gone"...

emor · #15 02-16-2009, 06:04 AM

I've been subscribing for a couple of years and usually get something out of the lessons. But what turns me off is the nature of most of the advertising (buy THIS and be a STAR)--the reason I quit subscribing to Guitar Player 30 years ago. Neither Nikki Sixx nor that Cradle of Filth guy (ugh) is going to sell me anything.

Also,
It is no surprise that so many print media are failing. While trying to appeal to the largest possible audience, most publications have to offer something for everyone. Even within the seemingly narrow demographic of "bass players" there is a wide variety of interests. For someone with fairly established tastes, (whatever they may be), there is probably a lot of any issue that goes unread. As someone who is old enough to remember life before the www, I am still amazed and delighted at how the internet has changed information gathering. Targeted searching is a more efficient and immediate way of fulfilling my needs, and yet, I still manage to run across new artists, ideas, etc.

As for product reviews (in any publication), despite protestations that Sales and Editorial Departments are completely separated from one another, is there anyone who really thinks that advertising dollars don't have an influence on reviews (even subconsciously)? If I'm interested in a product, I will seek out forums such as TalkBass to read user reviews and get real world info. Of course one has to be wary of a possible agenda or lack of knowledge by the poster, but this is usually obvious by reviewing the user's post history.

There have been times in the past when we have had over a dozen magazine and newspaper subscriptions. We now subscribe to only a few. We let two more go this year--they were piling up unread. Will BP be on that list next year? We'll see. (It _is_ good bathroom reading).

keb · #16 02-16-2009, 06:39 AM

I'm in the same boat as many of you. I let my subscription run out a long time ago... I just don't need it anymore thanks to the internet.

I too used to get all excited when the new issue would show up in the mailbox... funny how things have changed.

jambassist · #17 02-16-2009, 07:13 AM

I let my subscription run out in 2004. It wasn't impressing me anymore. However, I've kept every issue and refer to them on a regular basis. I get current issues from time to time when a store I frequent return their old copies. They just send the covers back and toss of give out the mag. Although there's been a couple articles I've read, I haven't missed not having a monthly subscription.

NickyBass · #18 02-16-2009, 07:35 AM

I'll keep my subscription current. You never know where or when that next eye opening mosel of wisdom will come from. Most of the time, there isn't a whole lot for me, but once in a great while, something will pop up. I'm just trying to be as receptive as possible.

Rocker949 · #19 02-16-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyBass

I'll keep my subscription current. You never know where or when that next eye opening mosel of wisdom will come from. Most of the time, there isn't a whole lot for me, but once in a great while, something will pop up. I'm just trying to be as receptive as possible.

In spite of what I may have said to the contrary, your attitude actually does seem like a logical approach to the matter.

Jeff K · #20 02-16-2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyBass

I'll keep my subscription current. You never know where or when that next eye opening mosel of wisdom will come from. Most of the time, there isn't a whole lot for me, but once in a great while, something will pop up. I'm just trying to be as receptive as possible.

Exactly. You were able to capsulize it better than I.