Rolling Stone magazine archives...an FYI

[davd_indigo]

I was just surfing around the web and the thought occurred to me to search on "Rolling Stone archives". I found that they have cover photos and and some content from their 1968, 1969 and so on. On the issues I looked at, they seem to have 2 or 3 of the featured stories from each issue. It's a peek into Rock & Roll history in which many of us here are interested. Rolling Stone magazine seems to have gravitated to pop music (i.e. mass sales) in recent years. Once they were focused on music and cultural issues outside of the mainstream of middle-America. The counter culture of the day.

 

So I thought I should share it:

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/coverwall

[UstadKhanAli]

I can't compare RS to issues in the '60s, although I suppose if I take a peek, I might have an idea. But I want to say that they still have fascinating, and often, well-researched articles on cultural issues and current events that are interesting, and often, not exactly covered by the mainstream press.

 

Also, while much of their coverage is on pop - and to be fair, there't not exactly a giant outpouring of interesting rock being done compared to before - you can still find some cool articles on current and older independent, psychedelic, and hard rock bands. I've been turned on to a few cool bands due to RS.

[UstadKhanAli]

By the way, maybe about fifteen years ago or more, I was going to let my subscription to RS lapse. They sent offer after offer, with each one getting seemingly better. Finally, they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. $50 for a lifetime subscription. I thought, "Okay, I do enjoy it enough that there's 2-3 cool, readable things in there. I'll go for it." and have not regretted it.

[davd_indigo]

I can't compare RS to issues in the '60s, although I suppose if I take a peek, I might have an idea. But I want to say that they still have fascinating, and often, well-researched articles on cultural issues and current events that are interesting, and often, not exactly covered by the mainstream press.

 

Also, while much of their coverage is on pop - and to be fair, there't not exactly a giant outpouring of interesting rock being done compared to before - you can still find some cool articles on current and older independent, psychedelic, and hard rock bands. I've been turned on to a few cool bands due to RS.

 

 

Fair enough. I haven't looked at it in decades. I remember seeing Madonna on a cover and dismissing the magazine from then on. Maybe not fairly. Back when I discovered it I was maybe 16 and it was an idealistic counter culture leaning San Francisco mag. It was mind shattering for me. My impression is that it's something like GQ now. Maybe GQ is great too. I honestly don't know.

[AlamoJoe]

Cool share David. I had YEARS of Rolling Stones stacked in the garage years ago. I think I subscribed for nearly twenty years. I finally had a reason to get rid of them, a paper drive. I sat in the garage one winter night and went through each one. I only kept three issues. John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" Issue, The issue that was an Elvis Tribute issue, which I promptly gave to a family member that loved Elvis, and the one that was issued right after John's death, with him naked and cuddled up with Yoko.

 

Curious....I also threw out a decade or so of "Playboy" magazines...But saved the issues with two of the last interviews John ever gave.

 

I remember a disgraced member of Congress...John Jenerett I think...His estranged wife posed naked in the issue where John gave brief synopses of all the Beatles songs. Nice knockers.

 

 

[UstadKhanAli]

 

 

Fair enough. I haven't looked at it in decades. I remember seeing Madonna on a cover and dismissing the magazine from then on. Maybe not fairly. Back when I discovered it I was maybe 16 and it was an idealistic counter culture leaning San Francisco mag. It was mind shattering for me. My impression is that it's something like GQ now. Maybe GQ is great too. I honestly don't know.

 

It's a slick mag that has a bit of everything, and so I doubt it would be like the '60s at all. But there's still some really top-notch journalism on current events or interesting stories, and there's always some music things that are cool to check out. And that's really saying something from me, who doesn't listen to a lot of pop or mainstream music and am a music weirdo.

 

And not to worry, they still have some really horrible people on their magazines.

 

[blue2blue]

I wrote a letter to Jan Wenner in 1971 telling him how much I thought the 'new' Rolling Stone was BS.

 

Unfortunately I never sent it.

 

Fortunately, that means it's around here somewhere... I'll let the curator of my library dig it up after I've gone on. I've got to leave a note, though, mentioning that the letter's 'Bull Smith' signature was, indeed, me.

[mcmike100]

This was the first issue I got on my Rolling Stone subscription. I should add that I was at school and my mother brought the mail in. She was not pleased.

[davd_indigo]

I'll bet your mom just loved the captions on the cover, including "Forty Pages of Dope, Sex and Cheap Thrills". I just found that issue's interview with John. It looks like he was still talking about the Beatles (1968) rather than his later explorations with Yoko.

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/john-lennon-the-rolling-stone-interview-19681123

[mcmike100]

I'll bet your mom just loved the captions on the cover, including "Forty Pages of Dope, Sex and Cheap Thrills"[/url]

 

It was the perfect storm of an issue.

 

Back then when you subscribed you got a free record. I got a great Procul Harem album with my subscription.

[davd_indigo]

John singles out Rosie and the Originals "Give Me Love" in the interview. I never heard it that I know of. It was nice reading his memories and notions about the old recordings.