CLONING AROUND
First, I would like to say that you have a wonderful magazine. It is well written and informative and speaks to all levels of musicians. I truly wish you had been around 20 years ago to teach me some of the lessons I learned the hard way.
That said, I have to question the article on tribute bands [“Send in the Clones,” October 2001] — specifically, the omission of a mention about Kiss tribute bands. Personally, I have seen two of them, Strutter and Black Diamond, and by far, those bands have the hardest act to emulate, in not only looks and sound but the whole Kiss stage show, pyrotechnics and all. That is not easy at all, considering that they must tailor each show to the confines of the venue they are playing. Top that all off by having to do your makeup for an hour and a half before the show. Now that is dedication!
Michael S. Caruso
Dunedin, FL
MANSON HATER
The entrance of Marilyn Manson on your cover [“The Wizard of Odd,” October 2001] has prompted me to cancel my subscription, as you have hit teen-idol BS rock bottom. No thanks to you for reprinting crap like his. I think I speak for the majority of performers and sound engineers who live in the United States. MM makes us all sick; he is a sad mutation of record-company persecution who adds no value or entertainment whatsoever to our livelihood.
Name Withheld by Request
Houston, TX
I'm sorry to hear that you want to cancel your subscription because of one article. Bear in mind that our cover story wasn't in any way meant as an endorsement of Manson's behavior. Instead, it was an acknowledgement that like him or hate him, Manson is an important figure in the music world and, as a result, is deserving of coverage.
— Mike Levine
CYBER COMPLAINT
My Web site was mentioned in Chris Kelsey's column “Free Your Mind for Free” [September 2001]. While I appreciate the mention, the short little blurb was not to my liking and pretty much missed the point of my site. I do have quite a few things better to do than transcribe solos. To overlook the fact that the site is really geared toward a discussion forum rather than a static repository for downloads really makes me wonder what the author is looking for on the Web. Downloads or discussions? I prefer the latter and really wish that the author, as well as the 500 or so unique visitors who go to the site, would focus upon it. It's a shame that most people on the Net focus on things to download rather than participate in discussions and share ideas, which is really what the Web excels at.
Eric Dannewitz
via the Internet
Eric — For a column about educational materials available on the Web, I guess I was looking for the static repository. My tongue-in-cheek suggestion that you apparently have “nothing better to do than transcribe tons of music” was meant as a sincere salute to your considerable accomplishment in building such a valuable site. I could have mentioned the site's other aspects, but space was limited, and in my judgment, the transcriptions are its strength. Frankly, it's a lot easier to find a Usenet discussion forum on a particular subject than it is to find decent solo transcriptions on the Web. If you feel that your forums are overshadowed by the music offered for download, perhaps you should remove them. Sorry to offend.
— Chris Kelsey
HARPING ON PIAZZA
I liked the story on Rod Piazza [“Flying High with the Blues”] in the October issue. He's one of my favorite harmonica players, and I was glad to see him getting some well-deserved attention.
Alan Hutchins
via the Internet
