Goodbye, Rolling Stone

Peter Squire · #1 12-02-2005, 05:10 AM

Well, after all these years, the trying hard to forgive has worn out.

I have long been a reader of Rolling Stone, through the ups and downs. This year, however, marks my final spend on the subscription.

It's not the downward spiral into FHM, with scantily clad "most important undressed girls of 2005" list.

It's not the fact that Pink Floyd appeared nowhere in the Top 100 Bands of All Time special feature (although that's reason enough).

It's not the shoddy, amatuerish journalism that misqouted and mis-spelled just about everyone involved in the Abu Ghraib story.

No, as small a complaint as it may seem, I am giving up on this once important tabloid because I deplore their Reviews section.

Once was a time when a Rolling Stone review would make me consider listening or perhaps buying an album I hadn't heard of. These days, the pretensiousness could be cut like cheese. There are rave reviews for obscure albums that we can't even find, even online. And the reviews reference bands that no one has ever heard of, as though its a smarty-pants thing to do.

A recent issue said that Springsteen's "Born To Run" album was really just one song surrounded by weak filler tracks. Umm, ????

So, Rolling Stone magazine - sorry, you are now like your highbrow and wank-stained UK cousin NME - pointless upstart rubbish for people who can't recognise good music because of the knitting needles in their ears.

RANT OFF

Chopper · #2 12-02-2005, 06:15 AM

I gave up my subscription up 15 years ago. I was a loyal reader until then. They forgot what music was realy about.

DigMe · #3 12-02-2005, 06:16 AM

Meh...I haven't looked at any paper music magazines in a while but when I did I preferred Spin. They usually had more stuff I was interested in, including reviews.

brad cook

jkritchey · #4 12-02-2005, 07:10 AM

Rolling Stone has been unreadable for a while. Of course, they ain't talking to me anyway... (the over 40 crowd)

Mon Rominee · #5 12-02-2005, 07:21 AM

Rolling Stone magazine has been a fad-loving, what's hot now ass kissing, out of touch rag for more than a decade. The top 100 guitarists issue is a perfect example... and it gets progressively thinner with each outing, proportionate to the ever-lessening amount of actual journalism inside.

**cheezewiz** · #6 12-02-2005, 07:34 AM

I don't bother with Rolling Stone. I can't deal with their ignorant agenda pushing political crap.

KPJ · #7 12-02-2005, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

Rolling Stone magazine has been a fad-loving, what's hot now ass kissing, out of touch rag for more than a decade. The top 100 guitarists issue is a perfect example... and it gets progressively thinner with each outing, proportionate to the ever-lessening amount of actual journalism inside.

AMEN! I feel out of touch reading it! If that's what popular culture is, then I guess I'll be an outcast. I stopped reading it about 8 years ago, but recently picked up a subscription again because my daughter's school was selling magazine subscriptions and my wife made order some. I couldn't find any I liked so I took Guitar Player and Rolling Stone. RS is barely readable.

OTOH, Guitar Player is one of the better musician oriented magazines out there. It does talk down or play to fads, has good coverage of all musical genres and is well written and edited. I hadn't read it in years, but I am pleasantly surpirsed by it. I don't play much guitar, but GP is a very good read.

Brad Barker · #8 12-02-2005, 08:36 AM

wow, i don't recall you posting in quite a while, peter!

and... frankly, i'm surprised you lasted that long with rolling stone. it just sucks, plain and simple.

MJ5150 · #9 12-02-2005, 08:51 AM

I'll stick with Hit Parader.

-Mike

jacove · #10 12-02-2005, 08:54 AM

I tend to like the UK mag, Uncut...great features and also some nice reviews...Rolling Stone magazine I never cared for...

superbassman2000 · #11 12-02-2005, 09:11 AM

Rolling stone mag has to be geared for preteens...i gave up on them when the ranked Jack White as one of the top ten guitarists or all time...

McHack · #12 12-02-2005, 09:17 AM

Remember, periodic publications, such as Rolling Stone... are merely just advertising rag sheets. Just like that majority of any trade magazine, etc...

SnoMan · #13 12-02-2005, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

Rolling stone mag has to be geared for preteens...i gave up on them when the ranked Jack White as one of the top ten guitarists or all time...

And why in the **** were they on the Daily Show last night?

I lost a great deal of respect for the Daily Show....I had to turn it off when they came out....I just couldn't do it...

keb · #14 12-02-2005, 10:01 AM

I gave up on Rolling Stone back in 1990 or so, when they had the big best albums released in the '80s feature. That feature, along with all the other pretentious crap published in that monthly toilet paper substitute, was too much for even the impressionable college student I was back then.

Indi86 · #15 12-02-2005, 10:34 AM

Jack White's inclusion on that guitarist list is the number one reason I stopped reading that magazine. This over their silly politics, terribly pretentious writing style and reviews that give no hint of what an album actually sounds like.

Jack White could not even hold the beat during his simple pentatonic fills last night. Pretty sad, imo.

fr0me0 · #16 12-02-2005, 11:11 AM

no way guys, jack white did way more for guitar than randy rhodes or Eddie van halen.

Mon Rominee · #17 12-02-2005, 11:14 AM

Fromeo, might I suggest one of these

or these

or at the least,

**Thor** · #18 12-02-2005, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

Rolling stone mag has to be geared for preteens...i gave up on them when the ranked Jack White as one of the top ten guitarists or all time...

AMEN

And totally ignored out a few guitar 'wankers' like Chet Atkins, Roy Clark, Leo Kottke, Doc Watson, Lester Flatt, Pat Metheny, Al DiMeola, Paco DeLuca, Martin Barre, Kim Simmonds, Bob Welch, Joe Walsh, Mike Stern, Joe Pass, Nokie Edwards, Andre Segovia, Charlie Christian, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and even Wes Montgomery ferchrissakes ...

Jack White, shhheeeeeesh.

They got stupid in the 80's. Terminal stupidity came not long
after.

You are right, it is NOT a rag for musicians.

**Thor** · #19 12-02-2005, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

Fromeo, might I suggest one of these

or these

or at the least,

Somebody qualifies for an editorial job at a major ragloid...

ZoomBoy · #20 12-02-2005, 11:33 AM

I gave up in RS long ago. They rely on the memories of the past when it was a relevant publication politically and musically. It is such an mainstream suckfest of a rag now.

Jeff