I refuse to get drawn into this ugly Magnetic Fields argument that is clearly brewing on the horizon, but I suspect the suggestion that their earlier records were better than their "new", "popular" one is a well-ploughed furrow in the world of indie pop, or indie rock as Mister Merrit calls it. I've been reading his Jukebox Jury in the huitieme issue of Chickfactor. He is relentlessly negative, the very antithisis of an acid jazzer. He is frighteningly well-up on indie rock. What are those bald patches on the side of your head called, you know, like as if you used to be in Showaddywaddy or Rocky Sharpe and the Replays? I'm thinking sideburns, but that's wrong. He's got them, whatever they're called. PF, I haven't heard any other Rod albums, but if I were you I would stick to the ones with stickers on them saying: ROD STEWART THE CLASSIC YEARS Newly Re-mastered Original Artwork ...and be prepared for a quick trip down the secondhand shop. Purley on the basis of its cover "Smiler" has got to be a winner. Other than that, it's The Faces. I used to have a Faces record, but I sold it. How's that for lack of foresight? It was very raucous. I think it was called "An Old Handbag Won't Let You Down" or something similar. Quite good, as I recall. I've looked up "tautology" and I feel compelled to express, I must say, that it is the very bread and butter, the meat and two veg of pop lyrics. If only Trousers were still here, he could commission a book on the subject. Incidentally, is the next Papercuts launch party going to be held in the revolving restaurant at the top of the Post Office Tower? Just asking. By the way, I looked up "tautology" to see whther PF was slagging off Pam or not. He wasn't. Does anyone know any versions of "I'd Rather Go Blind" except those by Rod, Etta James and Paul Weller? I need to find the best one, it can't possibly be Rod, much as I love him, the wee pervert. Speaking of which, I bet quite a lot of the people going round ganging up on former child sex offenders are very frightened unconvicted sex offenders themselves. It's often the case. Now all we have to do is get that idea into the heads of the mobs and hey presto! Pop Will Eat Itself. Great drumming on those Rod albums. Peter +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "peculiarly deranged fanbase" "frighteningly named +-+ +-+ Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+